Mel heliconium, or, Poeticall honey gathered out of the weeds of Parnassus divided into VII chapters according to the first VII letters of the alphabet : containing XLVIII fictions, out of which are extracted many historicall, naturall, morall, politicall and by Alexander Rosse ... Ross, Alexander, 1591-1654. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A57657 of text R21749 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing R1962). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 268 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 91 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A57657 Wing R1962 ESTC R21749 12180984 ocm 12180984 55642 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A57657) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 55642) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 115:14) Mel heliconium, or, Poeticall honey gathered out of the weeds of Parnassus divided into VII chapters according to the first VII letters of the alphabet : containing XLVIII fictions, out of which are extracted many historicall, naturall, morall, politicall and by Alexander Rosse ... Ross, Alexander, 1591-1654. [8], 176 p. Printed by L.N. and J.F. for William Leak ..., London : 1642. First ed. Cf. BM. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Includes index. eng Mythology, Classical. A57657 R21749 (Wing R1962). civilwar no Mel heliconium: or, Poeticall honey, gathered out of the weeds of Parnassus. The first book: divided into VII. chapters, according to the fi Ross, Alexander 1642 49287 42 460 0 0 0 2 224 F The rate of 224 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the F category of texts with 100 or more defects per 10,000 words. 2003-09 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-10 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-11 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2003-11 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-12 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Mel Heliconium : OR , POETICALL HONEY , Gathered out of the weeds of Parnassus . The first Book : Divided into VII . Chapters , according to the first VII . Letters of the Alphabet : Containing XLVIII . FICTIONS , Out of which are extracted many Historicall , Naturall , Morall , Politicall , and Theologicall Observations , both delightfull and usefull : With XLVIII . MEDITATIONS in VERSE ; By ALEXANDER ROSSE His MAIESTIES Chaplein in Ordinary . HORAT. Lib. 4 Ode 2. Ego apis Matinae More modoque , Grata carpentis thyma per laborem Plurimum , circum nemus , uvidique Tiburis ripas , operosa parvus , Carmina fingo . LONDON , Printed by L. N. and I. F. for William Leak , and are to be sold at his shop in Chancery-lane , near unto the Rolls , 1642. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM Marquesse of Hartford , Lord Governour to the PRINCE His Highnesse . MY LORD : THe duty of affection which I beare to the memory of your Honourable Grand-father , the true Maecenas of my young Muses whilst he lived ; the knowledge which I have of your eminent worth , both for learning , religion , and courtesie , your good opinion and kind usage of me , still , when I had the happinesse to see you , have imboldned me to grace the frontispice of this begun worke , with your Honourable name , it is the fruit of some sequestred houres from my Divinity exercises , it hath lyen long neglected among my other papers , but by the importunity of some worthy friends , drawn out at last unto the light ; here may be seen what use can be made of poeticall fictions : The spoiles of Aegyptians , and a Babylonish garment , may be serviceable for the Tabernacle . Accept this small present as a pledge and testimony of that duty and service which I owe to your self , and honourable Family , to whom I wish all increase of true happinesse , which still shall be the prayer of Your Honours in all duty and service devoted , ALEXANDER ROSSE . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ; {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . A CATALOGUE OF THE Poeticall Fictions handled in this Book . A. AChelous : fol. 1. Actaeon : 2. Adonis : 3. Admetus : 6. Aeacus , Minos , Rhadamanthus : 7. Aegeon : 9. Aenaeas : 11. Aeolus : 14. Aesculapius : 16. Alphaeus : 19. Amphion : 21. Antaeus : 23. Apollo : 25. Arachne : 33. Arion : 35. Aristaeus : 37. Atalanta : 41. Atlas : 44. Aurora : 46. B. BAcchus : 50. Belides : 56. Bellerophon : 57. Boreas , Boreadae , Harpiae : 60. C. CAdmus and Harmonia : 65. Castor and Pollux : 70. Centauri : 73. Cerberus : 76. Ceres : 80. Charon : 87. Chimaera : 90. Chiron : 92. Circe : 94. Coelus : 79. Cupido : 101. Cyclopes : 106. D. DAedalus : 111. Deucalion : 114. Diana : 118. E. ELysium : 125. Endymeon : 129. Erychthonius : 133. Eumenides : 137. F. FOrtuna : 143. G. GAnymedes : 152. Genii : 156. Gygantes : 160. Gorgones : 163. Gratiae : 170. CHAP. I. ACHELOUS . HE was the sonne of Sol , and Terra , or of Oceanus and Terra ; fighting with Hercules for Deianeira , he turned himselfe unto a Serpent , then unto a Bull , whose right horn Hercules pulled off , which that he might redeeme again , he gave to Hercules the plentifull horne of Amalthaea , and afterward for griefe of his overthrow choaked himself in the River . THE MYSTERIES . ACHELOUS was a River which as all others , hath its beginning and encrease from the Sun , the Sea and the Earth : it was called a Serpent from the many windings thereof , and a Bull , from its noise and bellowing 2. The two hornes are its two streames , the one whereof was cut off by Hercules , and divided unto divers brooks , by which the countrey was enriched ; and Hercules for his paines received the greater increase . 2. They that strive against mighty men had need to be both Serpents in policie , and Buls in strength . 3. They who turne themselves into wanton Buls , and spend their horne , that is , their strength on women and wine , are at last choaked with melancholy and hydropicall humours . 4. If great men lose their horne , that is their power and honour , let them redeeme them with their wealth , for honour is better then mony . 5. If God for thy sins take thy power and glory away , or thy bodies strength by sicknesse , let the poore partake of thy plentifull horne , and choake thy sins , in the river of repentance . Who 'gainst the world , and sin , and Satan fights , Had need of Bullocks strength , and Serpents slights . If God pulls off thy horn , knocks down thy pride ; Go to repentance river , there abide , Till sin be choak'd in tears , and do not scorn To offer him thy Amalthaean horn To feed the poor ; but if thy strength thou spend On drink , and whores , a flood shall be thy end . ACTAEON . HE was a great hunter , who by mishap having spied Diana washing her self , was by her turned into a stagge , and torne by his owne hounds . THE MYSTERIES . DIana is the Moon , by whose light , influence , and motion , the Sun worketh on sublunary bodies ; Dogs madnes ( by wch they prove dangerous to their masters ) is an effect of the moon ; whith ruleth much over the brain . 2. Curiositie is dangerous , pry not too much into the secrets of heaven , least with Actaeon , your understanding be taken from you ; & ye become a prey to the beastly imaginations of your owne brain . 3. Crueltie is here forbid , he that takes delight in murthering of beasts ; proves somtime with Nimrod a murtherer of men ; and such for want of humanitie may be said to be turned unto beasts , and tortured with their owne dogs , that is , by an evill conscience . 4. When men neglect their estates and callings , and spend their patrimonies profusely on dogs and hunting , they may be said to be devoured by their owne dogs . 5. They who suffer themselves to be abused , and their estates wasted by Parasites and flatterers , not unfitly may be sayd to be a prey to their own dogs . 6. They who look upon women , and lust after them , lose their reason , and are devoured by their own lusts . 7. If Diana's nakednesse seen unawares , was the occasiō of his misfortune ; how blame worthy are these women , who with naked breasts , immodest looks , light behaviour , phantasticall attire ; entice men to their destruction ; and of men do metamorphose them unto beasts . Think you on this , who spend your dayes , and strength , And means , on Whores , Dogs , Parasites ; at length They 'l woorry you : before you feel their wounds , Look to their teeth , shun these Actaeons hounds . ADONIS . HE was a beautiful youth , with whom Venus was in love , but whilst he was hunting , was killed by a boare , or by Mars in the shape of a boare , and by Venus was turned unto a red flower called Anemone , hee was kept after death by Ceres or Proserpina , six months under ground , and other six months by Venus , above . THE MYSTERIES . IF by Adonis we understand wheat , that lodgeth with Proserpina , that is lyeth buried in the ground six months in the winter ; the six summer months it is above in the aire with Venus , by which the beautie of the yeare is signified , by the boare may be meant the cold frosty and snowy season , in which the wheat seemes to be killed . 2. If with Macrobius , by Adonis we understand the Sun ; he may be sayd to lodge six months with Proserpina , in respect of his southerly declination ; the other six months with Venus , for then the creatures give themselves to procreation ; he is killed by the boare , and lamented by Venus , for in winter his beames are of no force ; to dispell the cold which is the enemie of Adonis and Venus , that is of beautie and procreation . 3. Mars in the forme of a boare ; kils him ; because wars and hunting are maculine exercises , and not fit , for weak bodies , and effeminate spirits . 4. Adonis is from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to sing , for beauty and musick are friends to Venus . 5. Adonis may signifie the good government of a Common-wealth , which is the beauty thereof , which is killed by Mars in the form of a Boar ; for Mars and wantonnesse are enemies of all government . 6. Beautifull Adonic is turned into a fading flower ; to shew , that beauty quickly perisheth . 7. Yong and fair Adonis is killed by a Boare ; so wantonnesse and leachery are the destroyers of youth and beauty . 8. Our Resurrection in this may be typed out ; for although death kill us , it shall not annihilate us , but our beauty shall increase , and wee shall spring out of the ground again like a beautifull flower in the Resurrection . 9. Though our bodies dye , yet our good name shall flourish , and like a fair flower , shall live and smell when wee are gone . 10. Myrrha of her own Father begot this childe Adonis , which Myrrha flying from her angry Father , was turned into a tree , and with the blow of her Fathers sword was delivered of this childe ; because the Sun the common Father , begot the sweet Gum Myrrhe , of that Arabian tree of the same name ; which Gum doth cause much delight and pleasure , for so in Greek Adonis signifieth : In this Gum Venus is much delighted , as being a help to decayed beauty , to a stinking breath , to procreation , and the vitiosity of the matrix . 11. Let them remember , who hunt too much after pleasure , that the Devil is that great Boare who lyeth in wait to kill them . You that hunt after pleasures , eye that Boare , Who would your health , and wealth , and souls devour . Dote not on beauty ; beauty 's but a flower , Whose pride and lustre fadeth in an hour . Strive that your names may flourish after death , Let them out-live Adonis flower , & yeeld a fragrant breath . ADMETUS . HE being a sutor to Alceste , carryed her away by the assistance of Apollo and Hercules , in a Chariot drawn by a Lyon and a Boare ; afterward being like to dye , was recoverd by the voluntary death of his wife ; whom Hercules delivered out of hell , and restored her to Admetus . THE MYSTERIES . HE that intends to marry , had need take the aid of Apollo and Hercules , that is , of wisdom , and strength of body . 2. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , is one that cannot be tamed , as many lusty yong men are ; therfore it is good for such to marry , with a Alceste . 3. Many foolish women , like Alceste , refuse many good matches , and at last are carryed away by a Lyon and a Boare ; that is , by one that is lasciviously given , and who can put on the bold face of a Lyon . 4. Fruitfull women are like Alceste , who cast themselves unto the jaws of death by childe-bearing , that their husbands may live in the fruit of their womb ; for parents live in their children : But by the means of Hercules , that is , of the strength of Nature , women are delivered from death . 5. Alceste is our hope , with which we shall marry , if first we can subdue the Lyon of pride , and the Boare of concupiscence . 6. Admetus , or the untamed spirit of Satan , doth carry away the soul , which is the daughter of God , in the Chariot of vanity , drawn with pride and fleshly pleasures ; and in hell the soul should have continued for ever , if Christ our Alcides had not delivered it from thence . Let not Man think on Hymen , till he finde What is Apollo's and Alcides minde . And you weak Maids , and Widows too , before You marry , shun the Lyon and the Boare . Think not to carry Hope and Confidence , Till you subdue pride and concupiscence : By Hope lay hold on Christ , he will sustain Your souls in death , and them restore again . AEACUS . MINOS . RHAD AMANTHUS . THese were Iupiters sons , and Judges in hell ; at the request of Aeacus , when the Iland Aegina was depopulated with sicknesse , Iupiter turned the Ants unto men ; so was Graecia delivered also by the prayers of the same Aeacus . THE MYSTERIES . IUst Judges are the sons of God ; 2. The good laws of just Judges shal not be forgotten , but when they are in Hell , that is , when they are dead , their lawes shall be still in force . 3. These three Judges are the three effects of a wicked mans conscience , to wit , to accuse , condemne , and torment the sinner : and in this sense ; a man may be said to be in hell , whilst he is on earth ; 4. Aeacus by his wisdome causing the barbarous inhabitants to forsake their caves and holes wherin they dwelt ; and to build houses ; to leave their diet , of roots and fruits , and to sow corne ; in teaching of them civilitie , and military discipline , whereby they overcame the Pirats , which used to molest them : for these respects , he was said to turne them from Ants unto men . 5. In relieving Graecia by his prayers from the plague , doth shew us , That the prayers of the just availeth much . 6. Before Christ came , the Gentiles were but Ants , men of earthly conversation , being fed with roots of superstition ; molested with spirituall pirates , but by the preaching and intercession of Christ , the wisdome of the Father , and the Iudge of all the world : they were made men , taught to forsake the dark holes of Idolatry , and to build them an house in heaven , to feed upon the bread of Gods Word , and to fight against their spirituall enemies . Consider Judges , though you be but dust , Gods sons you are , yea Gods , if you be just . Let no man sin securely , though alone ; For each man hath three Judges in a Throne Within his brest : these Judges will torment thee Here and in Hell , where no man shall lament thee . Now we are men , which heretofore were Ants ; Then let us live like men , and not like Wants , Still digging : leave your holes , and fix your eyes Upon your starry-house , the spangled skies , Where Christ your head , and Lord and Judge doth dwell , The onely Judge of Heaven , Earth , and Hell . AEGAEON . HE was begotten of the Heaven and Earth , or of the Sea ; he assisted Iupiter , when Iuno , Pallas , and Neptune , made insurrection against him , and would have bound him ; for whose good service , he was made keeper of Hell gates , but afterwards rebelling against Iupiter , he was over-throwne with his thunder , and laid under the hill Aetna , which alwayes bursts out with smoake and flames when hee turnes himselfe about ; he had an hundred hands , and fiftie heads ; he is also called Briareus , and Enceladus . THE MYSTERIES . BY this many-handed and many-headed mōster , is meant the Wind , the power and vertues whereof are many and wonderfull ; it is begot of the vapors of the earth and sea , by the heat and influence of heaven , when Iupiter , that is , the heaven is obscured , and as it were bound up from us with thicke mists extracted by Minerva , that is , the Sun , out of Neptun or the Sea , and received by Iuno , or the Aire ; these three are said to conspire against Iupiter ; then comes the wind , and blowes away these mists ; and so Iupiter is relieved , and the Heavens cleered . Aegaeon is said to keep Hell gates , because the winds are often inclosed in the bowels of the Earth and Sea . 2. Aegaeon fights against Iupiter , when the South-wind obscures the Heaven with clouds , then with his Sun beames , or thunder , the Aire is cleared , and the wind setled , and because Aetna never vomits out fire , but when there is wind generated in the hollow holes , and cavernosities thereof , therefore Aegaeon is said to lye and move there . 3. God hath made our stomack and belly to be the receptacle of naughtie vapors , which notwithstanding sometimes rebell , and obnubilate the heaven of our braine , and fight against our Iupiter , that is our judgement and reason ; but oftentimes are overcome and beate backe by the strength of nature , and property of the braine . 4. Iuno , that is , vapors ; Neptune , that is , too much moisture ; and Pallas , that is too much study , oftentimes molest the brain , & assault judgment and reason ; but the helpe of Aegaeon , or the strength of the animal spirits doe releeve the braine and make peace . 5. In 88. the Spanish Iuno , that is , their wealth ; Minerva , their policie ; and Neptune their sea-god , I mean their great Fleet , which affrighted the Ocean , conspired to invade our heaven , that is , our Church and State ; but Aegaeon , the stormie wind , sent by Thetis , but by the power of the Almighty ; scattered their forces , and releeved our Iupiter . 6. Every piratical ship , robbing honest men of their goods , may be called Aegaeon , for they fight against God himselfe , and their end for the most part is fearfull . 7. Arius and other hereticks , opposing Christs divinity ; with Aegaeon fight against God ; and being struck with the thunder of Gods Word , without repentance they are sent to hell . 8. All seditious persons rebelling against the Church and State , are Aegaeons fighting against God , and they must look for this reward . As he who did against great Jove rebell , Was struck with Thunder , and knockt down to Hell : So God will all you Monsters over-turn , Who gainst the King , the Church , the State dare spurn . Your glory shall be shame , black Hell your mansion , Furies your fellows , brimstone and fire your pension : Your motion 's like Aegaeons ; when he turns , Aetna doth shake , and for a while it burns : But when you move , you shake the world asunder , Whose bowels smoke , and burn and roare , till you be struck with Thunder . AENAEAS . HE was a Trojan Prince , son of Venus , by whose help he was delivered from being killed by the Graecians : he carried his old father on his shoulders out of Troy , with his houshold gods ; he was seven yeares , by the malice of Iuno , tost upon the seas , and kept back from Italy ; who when he arrived thither , was molested by a long warre , caused by Iuno and Alecto ; having at last killed Turnus , ended his dayes in peace and honour ; he went downe to Hell , to visit his father in the Elisian fields , who by the help of Sybilla and the golden Branch , overcame all the dangers of Hell ; his acts are eternised by the Prince of Poets . THE MYSTERIES . HE was called the son of Venus , because that planet was mistresse of his horoscop , or because of his beauty and comely proportion ; and to shew that love is the chiefest guard of Princes , and that which doth most subdue and keepe people in subjection . 2. Iuno and Aeolus , the aire and wind conspired against him to drowne him ; so sometimes Princes are oftentimes vexed and endangered by the stormes of civill dissention . 3. Neptune was his friend , both in the Trojan warre , and to help him forward to Italy ; Vulcan made him armour , Mercury was his counsellor and spokes-man ; Cupid made way with Queen Dido to entertain him ; to shew that a Prince cannot be fortunate and powerful , without shipping , armour , eloquence and love . 4. The golden Branch made way for him to Proserpina , and brought him to hell , and so doth the inordinate love of gold bring many unto hell ; again , gold maketh way through the strongest gates , and overcommeth the greatest difficulties ; besides , gold is the symbole of wisdome , without which no man can overcome difficulties ; Lastly , he that will goe through the dangers of hell , that is , the pangs of death with cheerefulnesse , must carry with him a golden branch , that is , a good conscience ; and perhaps this golden branch may be the symbole of a Kings Scepter , the ensigne of government , wherein a King is happy , if his Scepter bee streight and of gold , that is , if wealth , and justice , and wisdome go together . 5. Aenaeas had not found the branch without the Doves , his mothers birds ; so without love , innocencie and chastity , we cannot attain to true wisdome . 6. He that would attain unto the true Branch , that is , Christ , the righteous Branch , and wisdome of the Father , must follow the guide of the two Doves , the Old and the New Testament , they will shew us where he is . 7. Aenaeas , by the help of Sibyl , went safely thorow Hell ; so shal we by the assistance of Gods counsell ( for a Sibyl signifieth so much ) we shall overcome all difficulties . 8. His companion was Achates , for great Princes are never without much care and sollicitude , as the b word signifieth . 9. Aenaeas went thorow the dangers of hel , sea and land , before he could have quiet possession in Italy ; so we must thorow many dangers enter into the Kingdome of heaven . 10. Aenaeas is the Idea of a perfect Prince and Governour , in whom wee see piety towards his gods in carrying them with him , having rescued them from the fire of Troy ; in worshipping the gods of the places still where he came ; in going to Apollos Temple , as soone as he lands in Italy , in his devout prayers he makes to Iupiter , Apollo , Venus , and other gods ; piety also towards his old father , in carrying him on his shoulders , in bewailing of his death , visiting of his tombe ; going down to hell to see him ; his love was great to his wife Creusa , in lamenting , and casting himself into open danger for her ; his love was great to his sonne Ascanius , in the good breeding and counselling of him ; to Palinurus , Mysenus , and others ; his vigilancie in guiding the helme , at midnight , when his people were asleep ; his liberality to his souldiers , his magnanimity , constancie , wisdome , fortitude , justice , temperance ; are fit by all Princes to be imitated , and the Aeneads to be diligently read . He that would safely passe black Acheron , And scape the dangers of hot Phlegeton , Must carry with him Wisdoms golden rod , Sybill must guide him ; that 's advice from God : So shall he not fear dangers , nor miscarry , When Styx he crosseth in old Charons wherry . What strength of Towns , or Castles can withstand Sibyllas head-peece , and a golden hand . But yet , beware of gold , I would advise thee ; For gold ill got , will down to Hell intice thee . And if thou wouldst true gold and wisdom finde , Seek after Christ , and on him fix thy minde . Be chaste like Doves , and let Gods Word instruct thee , There are the Doves which will to Christ conduct thee . If Kings will fear great Jove who reigns above , Then Vulcan , Neptune , Mercury , and Love Shall serve them ; Juno's spight shall not destroy them , Nor Aeolus with all his breath annoy them . AEOLUS . HE was Iupiters son , a King over divers Ilands , and reigned in a City walled with brasse ; he kept the Winds in a cave or hollow hill ; which at Iuno's request , and promise of a marriage with her Nymph Deiopeia , he let out against Aenaeas . THE MYSTERIES . HE is called Iupiters son , because the winds are begotten by the influence and motion of the heavens . 2. He was an Astronomer , and could foretell stormes and calmes , therefore it was thought he had the command of the winds . 3. His City was said to be walled with brasse , because it was guarded with armed men . 4. He kept the winds in a hollow cave ; because some caves be full of vapors , which sometimes burst forth with violence . 5. He reigned over Ilands , because they are most subject to storms . 6. Iuno could not sinke Aenaeas his ships without the help of Aeolus ; neither can the aire violently worke , if it be not moved by the vapors , which are the winds , or else without vapors , by the Planets . 7. The marriage between Aeolus and the sea Nymph , shewes the relation that is between the wind and the sea . 8. Hee may be called Aeolus , and the God of winds , that can curbe and keepe under anger , and other unruly passions . 9. It is a dangerous state , when Iuno and Aeolus , that is , wealth and power band themselves against innocent men . He 's Aeolus , a God , and not a man , That anger can Subdue , and keep unruly passions under , He 's a wonder . He is a King , and stronger then the winde , That curbs his minde . It 's ill , when wealth conspires with violence Gainst innocence . That State 's a Sea ; Ships sink , or drive on shoare , When such storms roare . AESCULAPIUS . HE was the god of Physick , and son of Apollo , and Coronis the Nymph , whom Apollo shot with his arrowes , and cut out the child , who was nursed by a goat , or bitch , as some would have it ; he relieved Rome from the plague in the forme of a Serpent , being brought from Epidaurum in a ship ; he restored Hippolitus to life , therefore was killed by Iupiters thunder . THE MYSTERIES . A Esculapius is the milde temper of the aire , as the a word sheweth , which is the effect of the Sun , or Apollo ; and is the cause of health ; therefore Hygiaea and Iaso , that is , health and cure , are the children of Aesculapius . His mother , is b Coronis , or the due mixture and temper of the aire ; which because it depends from the influence o the Sun , therefore Apollo is said to beget Aesculapius of her ; but when he killed her with his arrowes , is meant , that the Sun with his beames did over-heat , and infect the aire with a pestilence . 2. I had rather understand by this fiction , the true temperament of a sound mans body , caused by Apollo and Coronis , that is , the due proportion of the naturall heat , and radicall moisture , called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ; and the true cause of health . Then Coronis is killed with Apollo's arrowes , when the naturall heat degenerats into a feverish inflammation , and drieth up the moisture ; but when the heat returns to its former temper , Aesculapius , that is , health is recovered , and nourished by a goat , because goats milke is good to feed , and restore decayed nature . 3. By this fiction , I thinke is represented to us the properties of a good Physitian ; he is the son of Apollo and Coronis , that is , of knowledge and experience ; knowledge kills experience , when the learned Physitian trusts not to experiments , but by art and knowledge he cures ; for indeed in physick , experience is little worth ; for what experience can one have of such infinite varieties of temperaments which are amongst men , every man having a peculiar cóstitution , which is also still differing from it selfe ; as Aesculapius was nursed by a goat or bitch ; so Physitians are maintained by gluttony and venery : Chiron , Saturns son , was Aesculapius school-master ; for time hath brought the knowledge of physick to perfection , or because Chiron being halfe a man , and halfe a horse , sheweth that a Physitian must be a Centaure , that is , a man in judgement , and a horse in courage , it is fit that Physitians should be brought to Rome , that is , to great Cities infected with sicknesse ; the Serpent , Cock , and Raven were consecrated to Aesculapius , so was the Goat also ; to shew that a Physitian must have the Serpents wisdom , the Cocks vigilancie , the Ravens eye and forecast , and the Goats swiftnesse ; for delayes are dangerous , and if Physitians cure desperat diseases , they must not be proud , and attribute the glory to themselves , or skill , but to God , lest they be punished in his just anger , as Aesculapius was . 4. Christ is the true Aesculapius , the Sonne of God , and the God of Physick , who was cut out , as it were , of his mothers wombe , by the power of God without mans help ; and cured all diseases ; the true brazen Serpent , he only who was struck with the thunder-bolt of his Fathers wrath , and sent to hell , to deliver us from death and hell . He that would prove a good Physitian , Must be a Centaur , that 's a horse and man : And he that will keep men from Charons boat , Must be a Cock , a Crow , a Snake , a Goat . Let him that 's sick , and bruis'd , who cryes and grones , Repair to Christ , he 'l heal the broken bones : He can do more then Aesculapius , Who brought from death to life torn Virbius . He first subdu'd death in himself , and then Restor'd us all to life , who were dead men , Dead in our sins , and dead in Gods just ire ; But Christ hath kill'd our death , and quencht that fire Which doth torment and burn , but not consume , A fire which gives no light , which yeelds no fume . His death then is our life , our drink his blood ; His stripes our physick , and his flesh our food . And when he comes again in Majestie , To plague the workers of iniquity , Sitting upon the clouds , whose voice like Thunder , Shall shake heav'ns Tower , and cleave the earth in sunder : Then will he raise all those that sleep in dust , And crown with immortality the just . ALPHAEUS . HE was a great hunter , and fell in love with the Nymph Arethusa , who that shee might escape him , was by the help of Diana turned into a Fountain , and he afterward sorrowing became a River , which still runs after Arethusa . THE MYSTERIES . ALphaeus is a River of Elis in Arcadia , thorow secret passages running under the earth and sea , empties it selfe in the spring Arethusa , in Scicilie ; which , though Strabo denieth it , it cannot be otherwise , seeing so many witnesses confirme , that whatsoever is cast into Alphaeus is found in Arethusa . 2. As this water running thorow the Sea loseth not its sweetnesse , by receiving of any salt relish ; so neither must wee lose our integrity and goodnesse by conversing with the wicked . 3. Husbands must learn from Alphaeus to be kind to their wives , and to make them partakers of all their goods , as Alphaeus imparts all it receives , to Arethusa . 4. We must never rest , till wee have obtained him whom our soule loves ; the salt sea of afflictions , and the distance of place must not hinder our course . 5. Arethusa is from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , vertue which wee should still run after . 6. Alphaeus , is from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , a spot , we are full of spots and sin , therefore had need to be washed in Arethusa , that is , in the water of Baptisme . 7. This water was held good to kill the Morphew , called therefore Alphos , for which cause it was consecrated to Iupiter ; and it was unlawfull to wash the altar of Iupiter Olympius with any other water ; so Baptisme doth wash us from originall sinne , and by it we are consecrated to God . 8. Alphaeus is as much as {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , the light of truth , which runs after {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , or vertue ; to shew that knowledge and theory , should alwayes be joyned with goodnesse and practise . As Arethusa running through the main , Yet doth its taste and colour still retain : Salt Doris cannot taint it ; let us then Be good still , though we live with wicked men . And as Alphaeus runs , and will not stop Untill he rests in Arethusa's lap ; So run my soul , untill thou be possess'd Of thy belov'd , and of eternall rest . And who would think , that love could set on fire ; Cold waters chuse cold waters to desire : Can Cupid wound a river , can he scorch The sencelesse waters with his faming Torch ? No , no ; but thou , O Lord , the God of Love Can wound my heart , and warm it from above . My cold and waterish heart , to now inflame With love of thee , that I my course may frame To thee through a●l the 〈◊〉 on cares and fears , And through the salt sea also of my tears . I am Alphaeus , tho 〈…〉 ●hat living Well To which I run , and where I hope to dwell . AMPHION . HE was Iupiters son of Antiopa ; she flying from Dirce to a solitary mountaine , was there delivered , and the child was brought up by shepheards ; he learned his musick of Mercury , and received his Lute from him ; by the force of his musick he caused the stones to follow him , with which the walls of Thebes were built ; but afterwards out-braving Latonas children , and upbraiding them for want of skill , was by her killed . THE MYSTERIES . AMphion was called Iupiters son , because musick is from God ; or because the heavens by their perpetuall revolution , shew , that musick without continuall exercise cannot be attained unto ; or to shew that there is in the heavenly bodies a harmony , as well as in musick ; or if by Iupiter we understand the air , as sometimes Poets do , then as Iupiter gave life to Amphion , so doth air to musick , for no sound either by voice , instruments , or water , without air . 2. Iupiter in the form of a Satyre begot Amphion ; Satyrs were great Dancers , and dancing requires musick . 3. Amphion was bred by shepherds ; for these living an idle and solitary life , were invited to invent musick , partly by the singing of birds , and partly by the whisting of the wind among the trees , or by the running of waters . 4. He was born in a remote hill , because musicall inventions require quietnesse , and a private life far from troubles and businesse . 5. Mercury taught him , and gave him the Lute ; to shew the resemblance , and equall power of eloquence and musick ; eloquence being a speaking harmony , and musick a speechlesse eloquence , the one by words , the other by sounds working on the affections . 6. His building Thebes walls by his musick , shews what is the force of eloquence , to draw rude people to religion , policie , and civility . 7. His out-braving of Apollo and Diana , doth not onely shew the insolencie and pride of some men , when they have got some perfection in an Art ; but also , I suppose , may be meant the power and delight of musick , that it no lesse affects and delights the soul by the ear , then the light of the Sun and Moon doth the eye : So that musick may as it were challenge the light . 8. Amphion may be said to be killed by Latona , when musicall knowledge is lost by negligence and oblivion . 9. Our Saviour Christ is the true Amphion , who by the preaching of the Gospel hath built his Church , and made us who were but dead and scattered , living stones in this building ; his musick hath quickned us , and his love hath united us . 10. Amphion was said to build the walls by the help of his musick , because perhaps he imployed Musicians at that time , who by their musick incouraged the builders , and made them work the better . In this we see the force of Eloquence , By which grea Towns have walls , and stones have sence . This is the onely pleasant melody , Which caus'd rude men imbrace civility . Stones hear not sounds ; it s not the warbling Lute , Nor solemn Harp , nor Trumpet , nor the Flute , Nor Songs , nor any Organ musicall That could give sence to stones , or build a wall : But Christ our Lord with his coelestiall layes , Hath from Amphion born away the praise ; Whose charming voice no sooner 'gan to sound , But Sions walls were lifted from the ground : He rais'd us senslesse stones out of the dung Of Errour , by the musick of his tongue , That we might , at his voice , and in his name , Make up the walls of new Jerusalem . ANTAEUS . HE was a Gyant , 40 cubits high , begotten of Neptune , and the earth , with whom , when Hercules did wrestle , still as he was flung on the g●ound his strength increased ; which Hercules perceiving , lifted him from the ground , and squeezing him to his brest , stifled him . THE MYSTERIES . THe bignesse of his body shewed , that earth and water were extraordinarily predomināt in him , therefore he was called the son of Neptune , and the earth . 2. A covetous man is like Antaeus , the more that his affections touch earthly things , the stronger is his covetousnesse ; till he be lifted up from the earth with heavenly thoughts , and then covetous thoughts dye . 3. Satan is like Antaeus , for the more he is beat down by the Herculean strength of Gods Word , the more violent and fierce he groweth ; but being squeezed by the Brest-plate of justice , he loseth his force . 4. Satan deals with good men , as Hercules with Antaeus ; he flings them down , by oppression and persecution ; but when he perceiveth , that by this means they grow stronger and more resolute , he lifteth them up by pride and prosperity , by which many are overthrown which grew strong by adversity . 5. The Sun like Antaeus , when he is come to his perigaeum , or that point neerest the earth , he begins to gather strength , which increaseth till hee come to his apogaeum , or that point in heaven farthest from the earth ; and then his force begins to weaken . 6. He that will cure a Feaver with hot things , or an Hydropsie with cold and moist things , he doth as Hercules to Antaeus , increase the disease by applying things of the same nature , whereas diseases should be cured by contraries . 7. Every thing in its own element , with Antaeus , doth gather strength and prospereth , but being put unto another element dieth , as fishes in the air , and beasts in the sea . Take heed , all you that would o'rethrow Your greedy mindes , and them subdue , You fling them not ●n things below , For so their force they 'l still renew . But lift them up with all your strength , That they may see the wealth and joy Which is above , and so at length You shall your Avarice destroy . At any time if Satan shall With crosses fling you on the ground , Lose not your vertue with your fall , But let your courage then abound . Take heed he lift you not too high With pride in this your spirituall strife : For then hee 'l get the victory , And spoil thee of eternall life . Lord lift my minde out of the dust , And make it mount above the skies ; Be thou my treasure where no rust Can come , which Moaths and Theeves defies . And when with crosles I 'm cast down , Let not my strength and courage fail ; Let constancie Lord be my Crown , Then in my fall I shall prevail . APOLLO . HE was the son of Iupiter and Latona , born in Delos ; he kill'd the Serpent Python , the Gyant Tytion , Marsyas the Musitian , and the Cyclops that made Iupiters thunder , with which his son Aesculapius was slain ; for which fact Iupiter banished him , and drove him to feed Admetus his sheep , and to help Neptune in building of the walls of Troy ; he was the god of Wisdom , of Physick , of Musick , and Arching . THE MYSTERIES . BY Apollo is ordinarily understood the Sun , which as his a name sheweth , is both the destroyer & preserver of things ; he is the son of Iupiter , because he is a part of heaven , or because he was created by God ; he was born of Latona , because God brought light out of darknesse , and the Sun out of the Chaos ; born in Delos , which signifieth manifestation , for the Sun discovereth all things ; he kill'd Python the Serpent , because the Sun by his heat disperseth all putrified vapours , and cleareth the air from mists , for of putrifaction venemous beasts are procreated ; so he kill'd Iupiters Thunder-makers , because the Sun cleers the air , and consumes those exhalations and moystures , of which Thunder is ingendred . When Apollo was born , Diana his sister , who was first born , was the Midwife to bring forth Apollo ; that may signifie that the Sun is freed from his eclipse and darknesse , when the Moon departeth from him ; he is still Beardlesse , to shew his perpetuall youth , his long hair shews his beams ; he feedeth sheep , because his heat produceth grasse ; he is carried in a Chariot drawn with four horses , to shew his motion , and the four seasons of the year , or the four parts of the Artificiall day ; as his horses names do shew , b Erythraeus , Actaeon , Lampos , Philogeus ; for he is red in the morning , cleer about nine of the clock , in his full splendour at noon , and draws to the earth in the evening ; he is the god of Wisdom , not by infusing the habit or essence thereof , but by preparing and fitting the Organs for the use and exercise thereof , therefore Southern people are more subtile , wise and ingenious , then the Northern . And because from the Sun divers predictions are gathered of the alteration of weather , and other a sublunary mutations , he was called the great Prophet , and God of Divination ; he was also called the god of physick , both because physicall hearbs have their strength from the Sun , and oftentimes , the spring cureth the winter diseases , and the summer the infirmities of the spring ; he was called the god of musick , because he cleers up the spirits of al things ; therefore the birds do welcome his approach with their melodious harminonie ; therefore the Swan was dedicated to him , and the grashoppers also ; and as in musick so in his motion and operations there is a harmony ; and because he fits the air , which is the medium of musick and of all sounds ; the muses for this cause are in his custodie ; which were inlarged from three to 9 according as the number of strings increased in musicall instruments ; he was called an Archer because his beames like arrows fly every where ; His Tripos , which some will have to be a table called also b Cortina , from Pythons skin with which it was covered , others a three footed vessell , others a threefoot chair , wherein they sate that prophesied ; I say this Tripos may signifie the three circles in the zodiack which every yeare he toucheth , to wit , the ecliptick , and the two tropicks . They that died suddenly or of any violent disease were said to be killed by Apollo , because the Sun with extreme heat doth cause famine and infectious Feavers . Thus hee was said to shoot with his arrows , Amphions children ; to him were dedicated the strong Bull , the white Swan , the quick-sighted Raven , to a signifie the power , and beauty , and piercing light of the Sun ; which because it detecteth obscure things , he was called a Prophet ; the Olive , Palm , and Bay-tree also were dedicated to him , both because the Olive and Palm grow not , but in hot countries ; and because they are , as the Bay tree usefull in physick , and of a hot quality like the Sun , therefore he was said to be in love with b Daphne the daughter of the river Peneus , because on the banks of that River are good store of Bay-trees : his shooes and garments were of gold , to shew his colour ; he with Neptune built the wals of Troy , to shew that without Gods assistance no City or State , can stād , or be built . His love which he bare to the flower Hyacinthus is to shew that flowers do bud and prosper by the Sun , and die with cold winds ; therefore Zephirus was the cause of his death ; and perhaps Apollo and Neptune were said to build Troys walls , because morter and brick are made by the helpe of heat and water ; or because Laomedon either stole or borrowed some treasure out of the Temples of Apollo and Neptune . 2. Our Saviour Christ is the true Apollo , both a destroyer of Satans kingdom , and a saver of his people ; for {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is as much as to lose by paying the price of redemption , hee is the Sunne of Righteousnesse , by whose beams and arrows , that is , his word , Python the devil is subdued ; he is the Son of God , and the God of Wisdome , the great Prophet , the Son of Latona , that is , of an obseure maid : the true God of physick , who cureth all our infirmities ; and the God of Musick too , for that harmony of affections and communion of Saints in the Church is from him ; he hath subdued our Giants , that is , our spirituall foes , by whose malice the thunder of Gods wrath was kindled against us : He is immortal , and the good Shepherd , who hath laid down his life for his sheep ; having for his sheeps sake forsaken his Fathers glory , and he it is who hath built the wals of Jerusalem . Apollo was never so much in love with Hyacinthus , as Christ was with the sons of men . 3. As the Sunne amongst the Planets ; so is a King amongst his subjects ; a King is Apollo , the destroyer of the wicked , and a preserver of good men ; the light and life , and beauty of his people ; a God of wisdome amongst them , to guide them with good Lawes ; a God of physick , to cut off rotten and hurtfull members , to purge out all grosse humors , that is , bad maners , with the pills of justice , and to cheere up with cordialls our rewards , the sound and solid parts of the politick body ; he is a God of musick also , for where there is no King or head , there can be no harmony nor concord ; he is a Prophet to fore-see and prevent those dangers , which the people cannot : he is a subduer of Pythons and Giants , that is , of all pestiferous disturbers and oppressors of the State : his arrows are his Lawes and power , which reacheth thorow all the parts of his dominiō : he is a good shepherd , & Kings are a so called ; and a King thus qualified shall be like the Sun , still glorious , immortall , youthfull , and green like the Palm , Olive , & Bay-tree ; but if he doth degenerat unto a tyrant , then he is the cause of mortality , as the Sun is , when he inflames the aire with excessive heat . When God out of rude Chaos drew the light , Which chas'd away the long confused night O're all this All , it did display Its golden beams , and made the day . So when mankinde did in the Chaos lye . Of ignorance and grosse idolatry , There did arise a light , a Star Brighter then Sun or Moon by far . Who with his fulgent beams did soon disperse The vapours of this little universe Till then no morning did arise , Nor sparkling Stars to paint the skies . This is that Sun , this is the womans seed , Who with her arrows wounded Pythons head ▪ It s he who kill'd the Gyants all , Which were the causes of our fall . He is that shepherd which in flowry Meads Doth feed his wandring flock , and then he leads Them to the brook that softly glides , And with his shepherds-crook them guides . It s he that did Jerusalem immure , And made it strong , that it might stand secure Against all forrein enemies , Against assaults and batteries . He 's Wisdom , he that Prophet which displaid What was before in darknesse bosome laid ; Whose Oracles did never fail , Whose Miracles made all men quail . He is the Sun that rides triumphantly On the blew Chariot of the spangled sky , Whose Chariot's drawn with horses four , Justice and Truth , Mercie and Power . He is the God of all sweet harmony , Without whose word there is no melody ; He 's sweeter to a pensive minde , Then any musick we can finde . He is the God of physick , he can ease The soule of sin , thy body of disease . He only helps the heavie heart , He only cures the inward smart . But sometime he his winged shafts le ts fly Amongst his foes , and wounds them mortally . Who can unbend his reaching Bow ? Who can avoid his piercing blow ? Then seeing Christ is this resplendant Sun , Which Gyant-like about the world doth run ; Who shew'd to Jews his rosie face , And to all Gentiles offers grace . Let us at last with reverence admire This great Apollo , heavens greatest fire : Come , let us Palms and Laurels bring , And to him Io Paeans sing . Apollo and a King parallel'd . Like as Apollo's sparkling flame , Doth cherish with his beams the frame Of this round Globe we see : So Kings extend on us the light Of their just Laws , and with their might Keep us from injury . They let their Arrows flye at those Who dares their Rules and Laws oppose , And vex the innocent ▪ A King the plaguey Python slayes , And Gyants that will Thunder raise Within his firmament . He is a good Physitian , That bitter Pills and Cordialls can Prescribe when he thinks cause He makes a sweeter harmony , Then Harp , or Lute , or Psaltery , With his well tuned Laws , He holds his bow with his left hand , And at his right the graces stand , As white as driven snow , To let us see that by his raign More good we have , and much more gain Then damage by his bow ▪ The Muses in a grove of Bayes About him dance , and sing sweet layes , Each hath her instrument , To shew , that under such a King All things do flourish , Schoolers sing With comfort and content ▪ He hath the Ravens piercing eye , He 's a white Swan in purity , And hath the Bullocks strength : He shall out-live the Palm and Bay , His Name and Laws shall not decay , But conquer all at length . His head doth shine with golden locks , He is a shepherd of great flocks , Whom in the fragrant Meads , He feeds and guides them with his crook , And drives them to the silver Brook , And to the shades them leads . He wears a Tripos on his Crown , A Triple Monster trampled down , Before him prostrate lyes . Now if this Sun shines anywhere , He shines sure in our Northern sphaere , And moves in British skies . ARACHNE . SHee was a Lydian Maid , skilfull in weaving and spinning , and by Minerva ( for her insolencie , in provoking a goddesse ) was turned into a Spider . THE MYSTERIES . THis Arachne did learne of the Spider to spin and weave ; for the beasts are in many things our schoole-masters . 2. It is not good to be proud and insolent of any art or knowledge . 3. Subtill and trifling sophisters , who with intricacies and querks intangle men , are no better than Spiders , whose captious fallacies are no lesse hatefull to the wise , than Arachnes web was to Minerva . 4. Partial Judges use their lawes , as Spiders doe their webs , to catch little flyes , and let the great ones passe thorow . 5. Covetous men are like Spiders , they unbowel , that is , they consume and spend themselves with care and toyle , to catch a fly ; for wealth in the end , will be found little better . 6. Envie and a slandering tongue is like a Spider , which doth crack the purest glasses , so doe they poyson the best men . 7. We should be Spiders in providence they hang their nets in windowes , where they know flyes most resort , and worke most in warme weather , for then the flyes come most abroad ; and like Mice , they foretell the rume of an house , by falling and running away , as Pliny sheweth . Thou that in knowledge dost excell , Must humble be , And think what on Arachne fell , May fall on thee : It was her pride did her undo , And pride may overthrow thee too . Let not the miser spend his strength , And lose his health To catch a silly Fly at length , For such is wealth : The carefull wretch at his last gasp Shall finde that wealth is but a wasp . Take heed thou do not use thy tongue To sting the good ; For they that thus good men do wrong , Are Spiders brood : Nay worse ; for bad tongues far surpasse That poyson which cracks but a glasse . Judges your Laws you must not make , Like Spiders cords , Which onely Pesants use to take And passe by Lords : This is indeed a powerfull Law , Which keeps bo●h rich and poor in awe . But we must Spiders strive to be In providence , Where dangers are we must foresee , And flye from thence ; Sea-men for want of good forecast , Are soon surpris'd with every blast . ARION WAs a skilfull musitian , who having got great wealth , and sailing to Lesbos , was robbed by the mariners , & appointed to be flung in the sea , who having leave to play on his Harpe , so charmed the Dolphins , that they received him on their backs , and carried him to Tenarus , where the Dolphin dyed , that carried him , being left on the shoare , and was placed among the stars ; the mariners were taken and put to death . THE MYSTERIES . THis Dolphin was a ship a so called , from the image of the Dolphin upon the sterne . 2. Here also wee may see the force of eloquence , by which wilde men are charmed . 3. No sin is done in secret , but shall be revealed , especially murther , which oftentimes is strangely discovered . 4. God doth not let good turnes goe unrewarded , which is signified by the Dolphin made a constellation . 5. Here wee see Arions ingratitude , who let the Dolphin die on the shoare . 6. The love of Dolphins to man , may teach us love one to another . 7. The a Dolphins never rest , not when they sleep ; they are the swiftest of all fishes , and most intelligent ; pious to their own kind , in carrying out their dead bodies to the shoare . 8. When Satan drove us out of Paradise into the sea of this world , the Dolphin , that is , the Church , received us , and by the musick of Gods Word , we are saved . That arch-Thief Satan , Pyrate of mankinde , Had rob'd us of Gods grace , had spoil'd the minde , And flung us in the sea of misery , In which we must have dyed eternally : Ev'n as those Theeves who had conspir'd to 'ntomb Arion in old Glaucus glassy womb ; Who by his Harp from that salt grave was saved , And on the Dolphins scaly back received : On which , as on a horse triumphing rides , And with his musick charms the windes and tides . The sea-Nymphs are amaz'd to hear such noise , And with unusuall dancings shew their joyes . Stern Neptunes Trident doth the waves appease , And Tritons blew horse tramples on the seas ; Thetis stands still and hears , the fishes skip To hear this Song , to see this living ship . The Dolphin was the ship , the pilot , and The compasse too , that brought him to the land . If this was true , t' was strange , sure this I know , That Satan out of Paradise did throw Adam unto a briny sea of cares , Which had more dangers then his head had hairs . The breath of Gods just indignation Did raise the billows of this Ocean , Which with a night of clouds obscur'd the sky , And did involve with mists heavens brightest eye . This incontrolled storm did rore and rage , And nothing could the wrath thereof asswage , Untill that storm was heard which calm'd the seas , Unmask'd the Sun , and did the windes appease . The Gentile Princes , who before were wilde , Are by this musick charm'd , & made more milde . Sions new Song hath caus'd great Potentates Submit to Christ their crowns , their wealth , their states . They yeeld their backs to him , him they support In his sea-tossed members to their port . And as Arion did the fish bestride , Which through the main was both his ship and guide : So Christ supports us to our wish'd for shore , He 's Winde , and Star , Card , Pilot , Ship , and Oare . Or else the Church the Dolphin is ; the Gale Gods Word ; the World 's the Sea on which we sail : Who through this Sea would passe , and come to land , Must use this Gale , and on this Dolphin stand . ARISTAEUS WAs the son of Apollo and Cyrene , a shepherd , a keeper of Bees , who first found out honey and oil ; he was in love with Euridice , who being pursued by him , run away , and was kill'd by a serpent ; therefore the Nymphs were angry , and destroyed his Bees ; he obtained of Iupiter and Neptune , that the pestilentiall heat of the Dog-dayes , wherein was great mortality , should be mitigated with windes . THE MYSTERIES . BY Aristaeus may be meant Wisdom , which is the best thing in man , as the a word shews ; which is begot of Apollo and Cyrene the daughter of the river Peneus , because the moderate heat , and proportion of moisture make a good temper , and so the Organs are fitted for the exercise of wisdom ; by which honey and oil , things most pleasant and usefull for the life of man were invented ; by wisdom the heat of the Dog-dayes is tempered , because a wise man knows how to prevent and avoid the inconveniencies of the heaven ; sapiens dominabitur astris : Euridice , is a deep or large judgement which is nothing else but that act of the intellect in b determining what is right , what wrong , what to be chosen , what avoided , and so the will , whose office it is , to chuse or refuse is directed and guided by the judgement : A wise man desires to injoy a right judgement , and to regulate his actions accordingly ; but this Euridice doth often fail Aristaeus , and is wounded by the serpent of our corrupt nature ; so that this failing , Aristaeus loseth his Bees , that is , faileth in his inventions , and wants the sweetnesse and comfort which he should take in his actions ; this made S. Paul confesse , that he did what hee would not doe , and what he would do , he did not . 2. Aristaeus is a King , a shepherd , and the best man of his Kingdom , by whose invention we have honey and oil , that is , delight , and all things necessary by his good government ; whose wisdom doth prevent the infectious heat of Dog-dayes ; that is , of oppression , tumults and rebellion ; but if at any time Euridice , right judgement , being stung by serpentine flatterers who mis-inform him be wanting , then the Bees perish , and the subjects go to ruine . 3. Aristaeus is the coelestiall heat , the effect of the Sun , joyned with moderate moisture , by which . Bees , and Olives , and all things usefull for our life are procreated and cherished ; by the secret influence of this heat , those Northern windes in Pontus , Aegypt , and other places are raised , which after the Summer solstice , blow , and last four dayes , by which the rage of the Dog-star is mitigated ; these winds are called Etesii , because every yeer they blow at the same season ; in Spain and Asia these Etesian windes blow from the East ; this heat working upon Iupiter and Neptune , that is , on the air and sea , doth cause and generate these windes ; now , as this coelestiall heat produceth and cherisheth Bees , so Euridice , mans judgement , art , and industry must be joyned ; otherwayes by the Nymphs , that is , too much rain , or by many other wayes the Bees may fail , and if they fail , the same heat , out of putrified matter may make a new generation . 4. Christ is the true Aristaeus , the good shepherd , the best of men , and the son of God , by whom we have honey and oil , comfort and spirituall joy , and all things else , at whose request the heat and Dog-star of Gods anger was appeased ; he is in love with our souls , as Aristaeus with Euridice ; but we run from him , and are stung by the serpent the Devil ; we dyed with Euridice , we were destroyed with Aristaeus his Bees , untill he restored us again to life by the sacrifice of his own body . When Aristaeus lost his troops Of honey , people , and their hopes ; And when Cyrene he ador'd , He had his swarms again restor'd . Wee are the Bees , and Christ is he Who would himself an offring be ; He was both Altar , Priest and Hoast , He found us out when we were lost . He got us pleasure by his pain , His death 's our life , his losse our gain . In that we do injoy our lives , In that our wexin Kingdom thrives : In that we sit on fragrant flowers , Bedew'd with pearly drops and showers ; In that our Cells with Nectar flow , In that our yong ones live and grow : In that we play in open air , In that the Heavens are so fair ; In that we have so long a Spring , And with our humming Meads do ring : All this we have , and more then this , By vertue of Christs sacrifice . It s he who with his gentle breath , Tempers the heat of Jova's wrath . It s he that loves us night and day , And yet like fools we run away . He is our husband , not our foe , Then whither will you from him go ? You run , but do not see , alas , The Serpent that lurks in the grasse . O Lord , when thou dost call on me , Uncase my eyes , that I may see Thy love , and beauty of thy face ; And so support me with thy grace That I may stand ; or if I fall , I may not lose my soul withall . ATALANTA . SHe was the daughter of King Ceneus , so swift in running , that no man could match her ; only Hippomenes overcame her , by casting in her way three golden apples , at which whilst shee stooped to take them up , she lost her race ; she was the first that shot the Calydonian Boare ; and with the sharpe point of her spear , brought water out of a rock ; but for lying in Cybeles temple with Hippomenes , shee was turned into a Lionesse , and he into a Lion , which drew Cybeles Chariot . THE MYSTERIES . HEre we have the picture of a whore , who runnes swiftly in the broad way that leadeth to destruction ; if any thing stay her course , it is wise counsell and admonition ; for wisdom is represented by gold . It is she that kils the Boars , that is , wanton and unruly youths , wounding both their bodies , soules and estates , and therefore hath a sharp speare , to draw water out of rocks ; because many who at first were senselesse like stones , being deepely wounded with remorse for their former folly and stupidity , fall to repentance , to weeping and lamenting , considering what they have lost : and as Atalanta defiled Cybeles temple , so doth a whore pollute her body , which is the Temple of the Holy Ghost ; so doth the whore-master make his body all one with the body of an harlot ; and so both degenerat from humanity , and participate of the cruelty and lasciviousnesse of Lions , and by this means become miserable slaves and drudges to Cybele , mother earth , that is , to all earthly affections and lust . 2. As Atalantas course was interrupted by golden apples , so is the course of Justice oftentimes stopped with golden bribes . 3. Here we see that one sinne draweth after it another , worse than the former ; fornication begetteth profanenesse , and profanenesse cruelty , and miserable servitude to earthly lusts . 4. Let us with Atalanta run the race that is set before us , and wound the boare of our wanton lusts , & draw water from our rocky hearts , let us take heed , that the golden apples of worldly pleasure and profit , which Hippomenes the Devil flings in our way , may not hinder our course ; commit not spirituall fornication with him in the temple of Cybele , lest God in his just anger , make our condition worse than the condition of the brute and savage beasts . We 're all in Atalanta's case , We run apace , Untill our wandring eyes behold The glitt'ring gold : And then we lose in vanity Our race , and our virginity . Gods holy Temple we pollute , And prostitute Our souls to foul Hippomenes , With all boldnesse ; So having lost humanity , Fierce Lyons we become to be . And then our heads we must submit , To curb and bit Of mother earth , whose heavie Wain We draw with pain : And yet we cannot cease to draw Earth , till earth hide us in her maw . O that we could our sins deplore , And kill the Boare Of wanton lusts , e're we hence go To shades below : O that our rocky hearts could rend , And from them Chrystall Rivers send . O God , all filthy lusts destroy , Which me annoy , And give my flinty heart a blow , That tears may flow : O let me not thy house profane , Which thou hast purchas'd with thy pain . ATLAS WAs the son of Iapetus , and brother of Prometheus , or as others say , he was begotten of heaven and the day ; if this was not another Atlas ; hee was King of Mauritania , and had a garden where grew golden apples , he was turned into a mountain by Perseus , Iupiters son , upon the sight of Gorgons head , because he refused to lodge him . THE MYSTERIES . ATlas is the name of an high hill , which for the height thereof , being higher than the clouds , was said to support heaven , and to be begotten of heaven and day , because of the continuall light on the top of it , as being never obscured with mists , clouds , and vapours . 2. This is the name of him who first found out the knowledge of Astronomy , and invented the Spheare ; which some think was Henoch , and for this knowledge was said to support heaven . 3. This is the name of a king in Mauritania , who perhaps from the bignesse , and strength of his body , was called a mountain ; and was said to have a garden of golden apples , because of the plenty of golden mines in his Kingdom . 4. God is the true Atlas , by whose Word and power the world is sustained ; that mountain on which we may securely rest , who only hath golden apples and true riches to bestow on us . 5. The Church is the true Atlas , a supporter of a Kingdom , the child of heaven , the hill on which God will rest , on which there is continuall light and day , a rock against which hell gates cannot prevaile ; where is the garden of golden apples , the Word and Sacraments . 6. A King is the Atlas of his Common-wealth , both for strength and greatnesse , there is the day and light of knowledge in him , which the people cannot see ; a Prometheus , that is , Providence is his brother ; by the meanes of his knowledge and providence the Kingdome is supported , and his gardens are filled with golden apples , that is , his treasures with mony . 7. He deserves not to be called a man , but a monster , who wil not be hospitable ; for homo ab humanitate ; and b Iupiter is the god of hospitality , who punisheth the violation of it . 8. As Perseus the son of Iupiter , sought lodging from Atlas , but could have none , and therfore turned him into a senselesse hill . So Christ the Son of God , knocks at the doors of our hearts , whom if wee refuse to let in , wee shew our selves to bee more senselesse and stupid then hill Atlas . Go too my soul , thy doors unlock , Behold the Son of God doth knock , And offers to come in : O suffer not to go from hence , So great a God , so just a Prince , That were a grievous sin . Refuse not then to intertain So great a guest , who would so fain Come lodge and sup with thee : If thou refuse , he can command The Gorgon which is in his hand Thy soul to terrifie . His word the Gorgon is , which can Turn unto senslesse stones that man Whose gates will not display Themselves to him , who still intreats To come unto our Cabinets ; And yet wee 'll not give way . O Lord , whose word doth me sustain , And all that 's in the earth and main , And in the painted skies : Let me those goodly fruits of gold Which in thy gardens shine , behold With these my feeble eyes . Lord give the King a lasting name , And strength , that he may bear the frame Of this great Monarchy : From whom if Prudence do not part , Nor light of Knowledge from his heart , Wee 'll fear no Anarchy . Make thou his golden splendor shine As far as did King Atlas Mine To earths remotest bound , And let his head ascend as high As Atlas did above the sky , With light and glory crown'd . AURORA . THe daughter of Hiperion and Thia , or as others write , of Titan and the Earth , the sister of Sol and Luna drawne in a chariot , sometimes with four horses , sometimes with two only ; she useth to leave her husband Tithonus with her son Memnon abed in Delos ; shee made old Tithonus young againe , by means of herbs and physick . THE MYSTERIES . AUrora is the daughter of Hiperion , which signifieth to go above ; for it is from above that we have the light of the a Sun , and every other good thing , even from the Father of lights ; her mother is Thia , for it is by divine gift we enjoy light , and nothing doth more lively represent the Divinity then the light , as Dionys. Areopagit . sheweth at large , she is the daughter of Titan , that is , the Sun , who is the fountain of light and of the earth , because the light of the morning seemes to arise out of the earth : The leaving of her husband abed with her son , is only to shew , that all parts of the earth doe not enjoy the morning at one time , but when it is morning with us , it is evening with those of the remotest Eastcountries from us ; whom she leaves abed when she riseth on us , and leaves us abed when she riseth on them : for all parts are East and West , and all people may be called her husbands , and sons , for shee loves all , and shines on all ; and by her absence , leaves them all abed by turns . Her chariot signifieth her motion ; the purple and rose colour , do paint out the colours that we see in the morning , in the aire , caused by the light and vapors : Shee hath sometime two , sometimes four horses , because she riseth somtime slower , sometime sooner . The making of old Tithonus young with physick , may shew that the physicall simples which come from the Eastern countryes , are powerfull for the preserving of health and vigour in the body . Again , faire Aurora leaving old Tithon abed ; doth shew , that beautifull young women delight not in an old mans bed ; or by this may be signified a vertuous woman , whom Salomon describes , who riseth whilst it is night , is clothed with scarlet and purple , who doth her husband good , &c. a Last , our Saviour is the true Aurora ; who was in love with mankind , whom he hath healed from al infirmities , and hath bestow'd on him a lasting life , which knoweth not old-age ; his light from the chariot of his word , drawen by the foure Evangelists , shineth over all the world . As fair Aurora from old Tithons bed , Flyes out with painted wings , and them doth spred Upon the firmament ; So from the heavens golden Cabinet , Out flyes a morning all with Roses set Of graces redolent . Whose presence did revive the hearts of those Whom night of sin and errour did inclose Within her darkest Cell ; This morning on a purple Chariot rides , Drawn by four milk-white Steeds , the reins he guides In spight of death and hell . Christ is this morning , who triumphantly On the bright Chariot of his Word doth flye ; The four white horses are The four Evangelists , whose light doth run As swift as doth Aurora , or the Sun , Or Moon , or any Star . It s he that Eagle-like our youth renews , And in us all infirmities subdues ; It s he whose radiant wings Displaid abroad , hath chas'd away the night , And usher'd in the day , which mentall light And true contentment brings . O thou whose face doth guild the Canopy Which doth infold fire , air , and earth , and sea , Extend thy glorious rayes On me , Oh let me see that countenance Which may dispell the night of ignorance , So shall I sing thy praise . CHAP. II. B BACCHUS . HEe was the sonne of Iupiter and Semele , who was saved out of his mothers ashes , after that Iupiter had burnt her with his thunder , and was preserved alive in Iupiters thigh ; he was bred in Aegypt , and nursed by the Hyades and Nymphs ; he subdued the Indians and other nations ; was the first who wore a Diadem , and triumphed , and found out the use of wine . THE MYSTERIES . BY Bacchus is ordinarily meant Wine , which is the fruit of Semele , that is , of the Vine , so a called , because it shakes the limmes ; for no liquor so apt to breed palsies , as wine ; ashes , because hot , make good dung for Vines , therefore Bacchus is said to proceed of his mothers ashes , and to be cherished in Iupiters thigh , because the Vine prospers best in a warme aire , and in a soile most subject to thunder , which is caused by heat which is most fervent , and thunders most frequent in July and August , when the grapes do ripen . He was bred in Egypt , because a hot aire , and mellow soile as Aegypt is , is fittest for wine ; and because moisture is required for the increase of wine ; therefore he was said to be nursed by the Hyades and Nymphs . Hee subdued the Indians , either because wine makes resolute souldiers , or because most countries are subdued with excessive drinking and abuse of wine : and indeed Bacchus may weare the Diadem , for he doth triumph over all nations , of all sorts of people and professions ; there be few that with Lycurgus will oppose him ; his Thirsus reacheth farther than any Kings Scepter , or the Roman Fasces ; if we would see his Orgia or sacrifices , his Priests or a Maenades , his Panthers , Tigers and Lynces , with which his chariot is drawen , the Satyrs and Sileni his companions , with their Cymbals and vociferations , we shall not need to go far ; he never had greater authority over the Jndians , than he hath over this Kingdom ; he once slept three years with Proserpina , but we will not let him rest one day . The Thebans tore Orpheus for bringing in Bacchus his sacrifices among them ; and Icarius was thought to have brought in poyson , when he brought in wine ; but the case is otherwise with us ; if any discommend the excesse of wine , he shall have Alcithoes doome , she for discommending Bacchus , was turned into a Bat ; and he shall be accounted no better , yet I discommend not the moderat use of wine , which is Iupiters sonne , or the gift of God ; for it strengthens the body , comforts the heart , breeds good bloud ; for which cause Bacchus was alwayes young , for wine makes old men look young , if it be moderate , otherwise it makes them children , for so Bacchus is painted ; he had also both a virgins and a bulls face , hee was both male and female , sometimes hee had a beard , and sometimes none , to shew the different effects of wine moderatly and immoderatly taken ; he was worshipped on the same altar with Minerva , and was accompanied with the Muses , to shew that wine is a friend to wisdome and learning . Mercury carried him , being a child , to Macris the daughter of Aristaeus , who anointed his lips with honey ; to shew that in wine is eloquence ; and so likewise the naked truth , therefore Bacchus is alwayes naked , and if Amphisbaena the Serpent , that is , sorrow or care bit the heart , let Bacchus kill him with a vine-branch : wine refines the wit , therefore the quick sighted Dragon was consecrated to Bacchus ; and to shew that much pratling was the fruit of wine , the chattering Pye was his bird . And because wine makes men effeminat , therefore women were his priests ; he slept three yeares with Proscrpina , to shew that Vines the first three yeares are not fruitfull ; he was turned unto a Lion , to shew the cruelty of drunken men ; he was torne by the Titans , buried , and revived againe , for small twigs cut off from a vine , and set in the earth , bring forth whole vines . He was called a Liber , because wine makes a man talk freely , and freeth the mind from cares , and maketh a man have free and high thoughts ; it makes a begger a gentleman . a Dionysus from stirring up the mind ; he was the first that made bargains , and so it seems to be true by the Dutch-men , who wil make no bargains till they be well liquored . 2. Bacchus is the Sun ; who is both Liber and Dionysus , free from all sublunary imperfections , and freeth the world from darknesse and inconveniencies of the night , and pricks forward the mindes of men to their daily actions ; he is still yong , not subject to age and decay , naked , for he makes all things naked and open to the eye of the author of generation of all things , as well as of wine , the son of Iupiter , because he is a part of heaven , and of burned Semela , because they thought that the Sun was of a fiery matter ; he dyeth and reviveth again , when after the cold winter he recollects his heat , strength , and vigour ; his sleeping with Proserpina , sheweth his abode under our Hemisphaer ; the wilde beasts which accompany him , sheweth the extremity of heat , with which beasts are exasperated ; he is a friend to the Muses , for by his influence our wits are refined ; a destroyer of Amphisbaena , that is , the winter , which stings with both ends ; for at its coming and going , it breeds diseases and distempers in our bodies ; he was painted sometimes like a childe , sometimes like a man , because in the winter the dayes are short , and his heat weak , but in summer his heat is strong , and dayes are long ; he is cloathed with the spotted skin of a Deer , to shew his swiftnesse , and multitude of Stars with which he seems to be covered at night ; the travels of Bacchus , do shew the motion of the Sun . 3. Originall sin , like Bacchus , received life by the death of Eva , who for her disobedience was struck with the thunder of Gods wrath ; and it hath been fomented by Adams thigh , that is , by generation ; this unruly evil hath travell'd farther then Bacchus did , and hath an attendance of worse beasts then Tygers , Panthers , &c. to wit , of terrours , and of an evil conscience , and actuall sins , it hath subdued all mankinde ; and as Bacchus turning himself unto a Lyon , made all the mariners in the ship wherein he was carried , leap into the Sea ; so this sin turned us all out of Paradise , unto the Sea of this world . 4. Christ is the true Dionysius , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , the minde of God , the internall Word of the Father , born of a woman without mans help , as the Graecians fable their Bacchus to be ; and yet they give a credit to their figment , and not unto our truth ; he is Liber , who makes us onely free , the great King , who hath subdued all Nations , whose Diadem is glory . He hath kill'd Amphisbaena the Devil , the two-headed Serpent , his two stings are sin and death , with the one he hath wounded our souls , with the other our bodies ; he triumpheth over all his foes ; his body was torn with thorns , nails , and whips , and went down to hell , but he revived and rose again ; he is the true friend of wisdom and learning , and who hath given to us a more comfortable wine , then the wine of the grape ; that wine which we shall drink new with him in his Kingdom ; his lips were truly anointed with honey , grace was diffused in them , and never man spake as he did ; he is that Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah , who hath overcome the Gyants , and the Pyrats vvho vvould have bound him , that is , the vvicked Angels and Tyrants of this vvorld ; he is still yong , as not subject novv to mortality . If you would a Monarch see All array'd in Majesty , Who triumphed first , and wore Such a Crown , as none before Could attain too ; Christ is he Who triumphing on a tree , Kill'd the Snake with his two stings , Death and sin , and captiv'd Kings , And the Titans who combine Heaven it self to undermine . This is he whose eloquence Doth surpasse all humane sence : From whose lips , as from a Still , Drops of Nectar down did drill ; When our hearts with fear did pine , He found out that pleasant wine Which hath made us laugh and sing Hallelujahs to our King . He flung over-board , and drown'd All the Pyrats that him bound : When they had his body torn With their whips and crown of thorn ; When they thought he had been slain , He reviv'd and rose again . Hecate queen of the night Held him not for all her might ; But this uncontrolled Prince Burst her gates , and got out thence . O thou onely God of wine , Comfort this poor heart of mine With that Nectar of thy blood , Which runs from thee like a flood . On thy fruitlesse servant pour From thy veins a crimson shower : Let that dew of Rubies which Fell from thee , my soul inrich ; Let me taste of that sweet sape Which dropp'd from this squeezed grape : T' was for me this grape was prest , Drink my soul , and take thy rest . BELIDES . THese vvere the 50 daughters of Danaus the son of Belus , vvho kill'd their husbands all in one night by the persvvasion of their father , except Hypermnestra , vvho saved her husband Lyncius : these daughters for their murther are continually in hell , dravving vvater in a sive vvhich is never full . THE MYSTERIES . OUr mother Eva , for murthering her husband vvith the forbidden fruit , hath this punishment imposed on her , and all her children , that they are still dravving vvater in a sive vvhich vvill never be filled ; that is , still toyling and labouring for that vvhich vvill never fill , and content them ; the covetous man is still dravving riches ; the ambitious man honours , the voluptuous man pleasures , the learned man is still labouring for knovvledge ; and yet they are never full , but the more they dravv , the more they desire ; the drunkard is still dravving liquor , but his body like a sive is never full ; there be also sives that we are still filling , but never full , unthankfull people , on whom whatsoever good turn we bestow is lost ; hollow-hearted people , to whom we can commit no secret , but pleni rimarum , being full of chinks and holes , they transmit all ; prodigall sons , for whom carefull parents are still drawing , but these sives let all run out , and sooner then the parents could put in ; Preachers and School-masters have to do with sives , whose memory can retain nothing of that they learn . 2. Let us take heed of sin , which hath a virgins face , but is secretly armed with a dagger to wound us . 3. Children must not obey their parents in that which is evil , lest they be punished in Gods just judgements . Children obey your parents , but if they Bid you do mischief , you must not obey : For sure you must not yield obedience Against Gods Laws , against your conscience , Least with these cruell sisters you partake , Of their vain toiling in the Stygian lake . Let all beware of sin , which men beguils With her inticing looks , and flattering smiles . She hath a virgins face , but traitors fist , Which without grace we hardly can resist . Let no man joyn himself to such a wife , Whose mouth presents a kisse , her hand a knife . BELLEROPHON . HE being falsly accused by Antea the wife of Praetus , for offering violence to her , was sent with In power and honour , and at last did soare On Fames swift wings , above the high extent Of air , and fire , and starry firmament . His Word 's a winged horse , which he bestrides , And over Lyons , Goats , and Dragons rides ; O thou who rides now on the arched skie ; Who for my sins was once content to dye ; Who hath subdu'd all monsters with thy word , And now triumphs with that two-edged sword ; Destroy in me these monsters which rebell Against thy Laws , save me from death and hell . Make me to spend my dayes without offence , And let my daily guard be innocence . And Lord , whereas I 'm mounted on the wings Of nimble Time , which fly'th with earthly things Swifter away then Pegasus ; teach me How I may fight to get the victory : That e're I go from hence , I may subdue Chimaera with Pentheselaea's crue . Whil'st I in holy raptures mount to thee , From swelling pride good Lord deliver me . And whil'st I 'm carried on Faith's golden wings , Keep back mine eyes from sublunary things : Least whil'st I gaze on them , I tumble down , And so lose both the victory and crown . BOREAS , BOREADAE , HARPIAE . BOreas being in love with fair Orithyia , whilest she vvas gathering of flowers neer the fountain Cephisus , carryed her away , of whom he begot two sons , Calais and Zetis , vvho vvere born vvith long blevv hair , and vvings at their feet ; these vvith their vvings and arrovvs drove avvay the Harpies , ravenous and filthy birds ( vvhich had Virgins faces , and Eagles talents ) from the Table of blinde Pheneus , whose meat was still polluted and devoured by the Harpies . THE MYSTERIES . THese Harpies are flatterers , they are called also Iupiters dogs ; hunting and flattering parasites have undon many mens estates . 2. Many fathers are like blind Pheneus , they are still gathering and providing wealth for rapatious children , of whose riotousnesse they take no notice ; who like Harpies , in a short time devour all , and are still hungry , like Pharaohs leane kine , pallida semper ora fame . 3. There be three Harpies very hurtfull in a Common-wealth , to wit , flatterers , usurers , informers . 4. Boreas is the son of Neptune , and brother of Iris or the rainbow , for the winds are ingenerated of the sea vapour , so are rains , clouds , and rain-bows by the help of the Sun . 5. Boreas is the Northern wind , who carrieth away faire Orithyia , for the cold wind taketh away beauty , his two sons Zetis and Calais , that is , frigidity and siccitie , drive away the Harpies , that is , Southern pestilentiall vapors , which consume and devour living creatures , for in the Southern wind there are three properties , answering to the three names of the Harpies , to wit , sudden and swift blasts , that is , Ocypete ; stormes , Aello ; and obscurity , Celaeno . 6. Sacrilegious Church robbers are these Harpies , who fell upon Christs patrimony like Ocypete or Aello , a sudden blast or storme ; and like Celaeno , have brought obscurity on the Church , and have eclipsed her light ; and indeed the names doe agree , for a Aello is hee that takes away another mans goods , Ocypere , suddenly , Celaeno blacknesse or darknesse , so they on a sudden snatcht away those goods that were none of theirs , and with the obscure cloud of poverty have turned the Churches beauty into blacknesse ; but these goods make them never the fatter , they passe suddenly from them , as Pheneus meat did thorow the Harpies , they are troubled with a continual b flix or lientery , neither can their crooked tallants hold them long , I grant the blindnesse and wickednesse of Pheneus , that is , of the Clergie , gave occasion to this ; but now their eyes are open , and their lives reformed : therefore the sons of Boreas , the Magistrate and Minister , with the arrows of authority , and wings of Gods word , may be expected shortly to drive away these Harpies . 7. Pheneus is a covetous miser who is blind , and seeth not what a number of Harpies gape for his death , that they may deyour these goods , which he himselfe had not power to touch . 8. Gods Spirit , like Boreas , a cooling and refreshing wind , which filled the Apostles , and came on them like the rushing of a mighty wind delighteth in the soule of man , whilst that in the flowry meadows of the Church , watered with the cleare fountain of Gods Word , shee is gathering spirituall comfort , and when shee is joyned to that blessed Spirit , Zetis and Calais , that is , divine raptures are begotten , whose haires are skie-coloured , and feet winged , that is , heavenly meditations and swift affections , which are nimble in the wayes of Gods Commandements , and ready to fly upward from earthly things , are the effects of this spirituall conjunction ; and so by these , all Harpies , that is , covetous and earthly desires are driven away . 9. God , like Boreas , being in love with his Church , hath begot in the wombe of the blessed Virgin that winged Conquerour , who with the arrowes of his power , and wings of his Word , have driven away all spirituall Harpies . Who think you may with priviledge Rob Churches , and the Priests annoy ? Know this , that for your sacriledge The Lord at last will you destroy : You 'r like those monsters virgin-fac'd , Whom Calais and Zetis chas'd . Your virgin-looks do shew you 'r pure , Your Feathers make you very gay : But by your tallents I am sure You 'r nothing else but birds of prey ; Which eat our tithes , and them pollute , But what you eat you quickly mute . These Tables shall you not avail , These Morsels shall not make you fat ; For still you eat , and still you 'r pale , Your craw's ne'r full , your belly 's flat : Those blew-hair'd winged sons one day Perhaps shall blow you quite away . And you rich grubs who do abound With wealth , and meat laid up in store , Hark how the Harpies wings resound About your windows and your dore : They wish you dead , that they might share Those goods among them which you spare . And now Lord with thy powerfull breath Drive all these hellish birds away , Which have conspir'd to work my death , And of my Table make a prey ; Restore my sight that I may see Their filthinesse and treachery . And whil'st I 'm gathering fragrant flowers Of comfort by the Chrystall springs Of thy pure Word , drop down sweet showrs Of grace on me , and give me wings To flye to thee , and make my hair In colour like the Azure sphaere . Make ( though my feet walk here below ) My head may alwayes be above ; O let thy cooling spirit blow , And ravish me with thy true love . Let me go with winged paces To injoy thy chaste imbraces . Sweet Boreas come blow on me With thy cold breath , and do not stay ; My soul longs much to joyn with thee , O let this be our wedding day , Wherein I ( which is still my wish ) Thy Myrrhe-distilling lips may kisse . CHAP. III. C CADMUS and HARMONIA . HE was King of the Thebans , to whom Iupiter gave Harmonia to wife , who was the daughter of Mars and Venus , the chief gods were present at the wedding , and gave severall gifts : This Cadmus was sent by his father to seek out his sister Europa , whom when he could not finde , and not daring without her to return home , built Thebes , and kill'd a Dragon which kept a Well , the teeth of which he sowed , and of them were begot armed men , who by means of a stone which Cadmus flung among them , fell to quarrelling , and kill'd each other ; afterward he was turned unto a Dragon , and by ▪ Iupiter was sent unto the Elysian fields . THE MYSTERIES . CAdmus may be meant of a wise Governour ; who marrieth with Harmonia , when he doth all things with order and Harmonie , and where this Marriage is , God bestoweth many blessings , Ceres will not be wanting with her corn , nor Apollo with his Cithern , nor Mercurie with his Harp , nor Minerva with her golden chain , and artificially wrought Cloak ; that is both profit and pleasure , and arts are to be found where wisdom and order go together in Government : it is this which seeketh out Europa , that is countries for new Plantations ; by this Thebes and Cities are built , by this the Dragon , that is , malicious and subtill enemies are slain , and if of one enemy many should arise ; it is the parr of a wise Prince , to fling among them , that is , to use some means wherby they may fall out among themselves that so they may be weakned , and their violence kept off from Him ; he must also be of a favourer of learning , for Cadmus brought from Phaenicia unto Greece sixteen letters Alphabeticall , and a Prince must have the Dragons eye ; and be turned unto a Dragon , when wickednesse gets the upper hand , that hee may be fearfull to those that do evill ; and such a Prince at last shall be received unto the Elysian fields , that is shall have rest and liberty , again a King must do nothing but by advise of Minerva , that is of his wise and learned Counsell ; the two cheif props of a Kingdom are Mars and Venus , warre and propagation , and these two live in harmony and order , as parents in their children ; a wise man that cannot live securely in a publick place , will with Cadmus turn himself unto a Serpent , that is , live a private and solitary life . 2. A good Minister , like Cadmus , must do all things with order and decencie , he must do nothing without advice from God ; he must seek out Europa his sister , that is , every lost soul , and if she cannot , or will not be found , he must not be idle , but must give himself to build the city of God ; for these two a Minister must do , seek those that be lost , and confirm or stablish those that stand ; he must also kill the Dragon that infecteth the Well , that is , the Heretick , who poysoneth the cleer fountain of Gods Word ; and if the destruction of one Heretick be the generation of many , as we see in the Arrian Heresie , being overthrown by the Nicene Synod , of which , as out of the Dragons teeth , arise Eusebians , Photinians , Eudoxians , Acacians , Eunomians , Macedonians , Aetians , Anomians , Exucontii , and Psatyrians ; wee must fling Minerva's stone , that is , wise Arguments out of Gods Word amongst them , that these armed men may destroy one another ; so we read in that the Councell of Selentia , the Arrians went together by the ears among themselves , being divided into Arrians and Semiarrtans ; a Minister also must be turned unto a Serpent for wisdom , and so shall be received unto the Elysian fields . 3. Christ is the true Cadmus , who was sent of his father to seek that which was lost ; he is the husband of order and harmony , the builder of a greater city then Thebes ; the destroyer of a the great Dragon the Devil , and of all his armed teeth , or associates ; he hath opened unto us the fountain of grace and knowledge ; upon him God bestowed all gifts and perfection ; that Serpent that was lifted upon the Crosse to cure all beholders , and at last was received unto glory . 4. Here is a type of the Resurrection . Behold that Prince which once with Majestie Invested was , whose throne was far more high Then is the starry Cabinet That over this low Globe is set . Yet was content to leave that state , and throw Himself upon his footstool here below . He stept down from his lofty throne To seek his Sister that was gone . And whilst he sought her , he rear'd up the wall Of that great City which shall never fall , And then the Dragon , he did wound And all his toothbread sonnes confound : He did those glassie springs of life discover Which drill the flowers , and pleasant meads run over , In his pure heart all graces met , And beauty in his face was set . But yet this all-commanding King was deem'd A worm , no man , and as a Snake esteem'd . Men hide their faces from this King , Whose face makes men and Angels sing . Though men despis'd him , yet he was received Into these joys which cannot be conceived ; By all the winged companies , Whose dwelling is above the skies . O thou who guides the heavens as with rain , And dwels in light which no man can attain , Vouchsafe to look from those high Towers , On these low Cottages of ours . Seek out my soul which hath forsaken thee To follow after lying vanity , Tread down the Dragon and his brood ▪ For they have still my soul withstood . The Picture of a King . He is of noble pedegree , His wife is called Harmony ; The chiefest Gods in their best state , His Nuptials do celebrate . Jove that shakes heaven with his brows Unto the King presents this Spouse ; Whose Father is the god of war , Whose Mother is the morning star . Minerva brings her golden chain , And Ceres makes them rich with grain ; Joves daughters , with their beardlesse King , From Helicon their musick bring ; Each one with flowers and Laurels crown'd , And Arca's harp doth sweetly sound . The gods all in their best array , With dances crown this wedding day . Thus honour , wealth , and pleasure wait , Where such a King doth rule the State ; He by Minerva's help can wound The Dragon , and his brood confound : That under him we freely may Drink of that fountain in the way . But yet he hath the Dragons jaws , To tear all those that break his Laws ; Thus in his life this King is blest , And in his death in peace shall rest . Now if there be above the ground , A Prince so perfect to be found , He 's either in King Arthurs chair , Or else he doth reside no where . CASTOR and POLLUX . THese were twinnes begot of Leda's egge , with whom Iupiter conversed in the forme of a Swan ; the one was a champion , the other a horse-man , they went against the Calydonian Boare ; and accompanied the Argonautes , upon whose heads , when two flames were seene , when they were in the ship , the storm ceased ; and they were afterward thought to be gods of the sea : when Castor was killed , Pollux obtained of Iupiter that the immortality should be divided between them ; therefore when one dieth , the other liveth . THE MYSTERIES . I Thinke , not unfitly against the Peripateticks , we may gather out of this fiction , the creation of the Sunne and Moone , for in the beginning the Spirit of God , like a Swan , moving on the waters , out of a confused egge , that is , out of the chaos brought forth these two glorious flames , whose dominion is over the sea , because by their influence , light , and motion , stormes and vapors are raised and setled : the Sun is the Champion , who by his heat subdueth all things : The Moon is the Horse-man , if you consider its swift motion , it is well and comfortable when they both shine , but if either of them be eclipsed , it is dismall and ominous : Immortality may be said to be divided between them , because when the one liveth , that is , shineth , the other is obscured , and in a manner dead , at least to us . They ride on white horses , to shew their light ; and they found out the golden Fleece , because no mettals are generated but by their influence , nor can they be found out , but by their light . 2. The soule and body are like Castor and Pollux , for when the one dieth , the other liveth ; and when the body is a sleepe , and as it were dead , then is the soule most active ; and when the body is most vigilant , the soule is lesse vigorous . 3. By this fiction the Gentiles wound themselves ; for if they believe that these Dioscuri were begot of a god and a woman ; why will they not believe the true generation of Christ , of a Virgin , and the Holy Ghost . 4. By this also , judiciall Astrologers may be confuted ; for we see that the soules and dispositions of men depend not on the Stars ; these two were twins , borne under the same constellation , yet of farr different studies and inclinations , the one being a wrestler , the other a horse-man . 5. Satan who can transform himselfe unto any shape , appeared to the Romans in the Latin war in the form of Castor and Pollux , on horse backe , for which cause a Temple was errected to them , by A. Posthumius dictator ; have not we more cause to errect the Temple of our hearts to Christ , who upon the two white horses of the two Testaments , hath brought us good news of our victorie against our spirituall foes . 6 : This temple was erected both to Castor and Pollux , but Castor the lesse worthy caried the name from the other , by which we see , that honour is not alwayes given to those that deserve best . 7. Dioscuri were preservers of men , but Helena came out of the same egge , which was the overthrower of Troy ; so in the same Church are good and bad , savers and destroyers . 8. It was love in Pollux to share his immortality with Castor , but in this he did him more hurt then good , for it had been better to dye once then so often ; thus our affections are oftentimes preposterous . 9. Christ hath done more for us then Pollux for Castor , for he lost his immortality for a while , that we might injoy it for ever . If Pollux was so kinde and free , To share his immortality With Castor that was slain ; That they might both participate Of life and death by turn , and that They both might grow and wain ; How much more gracious was he , Who was a King , and yet would dye For him that was a slave ; That he might never dye again , But might be freed from endlesse pain , And from the eating grave . O Lord thou art that King , and I The slave , who for my sins must dye , And to my dust return : O raise me by thy mighty aid In that last day , from deaths black shade , And from my silent Urn . And let me not with Castor trace So often too and from that place Where night and darknesse raign ; But joyn me to these winged wights , Which far above heavens twinkling lights With thee in blisse remain . CENTAURI . THese were half horses , half men ; begotten of Ixion , and of a cloud , which was presented unto him in the form of Iuno , with which he was in love ; they quarrell'd with the Lapithae , and carried away their wives being in drink , for which cause many of them were killed ; they were given to many naughty qualities , but Chiron , who was Achilles Schoolmaster , for his wisdom and justice was much commended , but was wounded accidentally by one of Hercules his arrows , which fell upon his foot out of his hand , and was cured by the herb Centurie , and was then made a Star . THE MYSTERIES . MAny many men are like Centaurus , whose fore-parts are of a man , but hinder-parts of a horse , they begin in the spirit , but end in the flesh ; their yonger yeers are spent civilly , their old age wantonly and profanely . 2. Kings have oftentimes Centaurs for their Counsellors , Achilles had Chiron for his Schoolmaster ; they have mens faces , fair and honest pretences for their advice , but withall a horse tail , for the event is cruell and pernicious oftentimes ; these are children of clouds , a for their intentions are oftentimes wrapped up in a cloud and mist , that they cannot be discovered . 3. A drunkard is a right Centaur , a man in the morning , and a beast in the evening ; the son of clouds , for whilest he is sober , he is heartlesse , melancholly , and as a dead man ; but when his head is full of clouds , and vapours arising from the wine , then he is full of life , talk , and mirth , and then he is most given to quarrell , with the Lapithae , even his dearest friends , and to offer violence to women . 4. Mis-shapen and hard-favoured men , have harsh and ill-favoured conditions . 5. Every regenerate man is in a sort a Centaur , to wit , a man in that part which is regenerate , and a beast in his unregenerate part . 6. There is no race or society of men so bad , but there may be some good amongst them , one Chiron among the Centaurs , as one Lot among the Sodomites , and one Iob among the Edomites . 7. Drunkennesse , whoredom , and oppression , are the overthrow of Kingdoms , as we see here by the Centaurs . 8. Sin is a Centaur , having a mans face to perswade , but a horses heels to kick us in the end . 9. Where things are not ruled by Laws , order , and civility , but carried head-long with violence and force , we may say that there is a Common-wealth of Centaurs . 10. A Comet may be called a Centaur , as having a horse-tail ; and the wisdom of a man , in fore-telling future events , it hath its generation in the clouds , or air , and upon the sight of it , blood-shed , wars , and desolation follow . 11. Just Chiron was wounded by Hercules , but was afterward placed among the stars ; so , although might doth oftentimes overcome right here , yet the end of justice and goodnesse shall be glory at last . 12. Our life is a Centaur , for it runneth swiftly away , and as the Centaurs are placed by the a Prince of Poets in the gates of Hell ; so is our life , as soon as we are born in the gates of death , Nascentes morimur . 13. Governours , Souldiers , School-masters , should be Centaurs , to have the wisdom of men , and the strength and courage of horses . He that runs in the way of grace , Must carefull be He fall not , lest he lose his race And victory : What folly is 't , to play the Saint At first , and in the end to faint . It 's not enough to seek and know God whil'st we 'r yong , And when age on our heads doth snow , To dote on dung : A good youth who in age doth fail , A mans head hath , but Centaurs tail . So drunkards , when they roare aloud , And fight and swear ; They shew that they 'r of that same cloud That Centaurs were : He that in drink will fight , and force A woman , is both man and horse . So every sin at first appears With man-like face , But we shall finde within few yeers The horses trace : Sin looks on us with smiling cheeks , But in the end it flings and kicks . And as the Centaurs had swift heels To run away , So hath our time , which runs on wheels , And cannot stay : O that we could consider this , How short a time , how swift it is . O Lord so order thou my time , That all may see My fall's as hot as was my prime , In love to thee ; That so of me they may not finde A man before , a horse behinde . CERBERUS . PLuto's dog , begot of Typhon and Echidna ; hee had three heads , and Snakes in stead of hair , and lay in the entry of Hell , who by Hercules was drawn from thence , who vomited when he saw the light ; and of his foame sprung up the poysonable herb Aconitum or Wolfbain . THE MYSTERIES . CErberus is a glutton , whose three throats are his three-fold desire to eat , much , often , and varieties ; he lyeth in the entry of Hell , for gluttony is indeed the gate of Hell , and that which brings many men to untimely deaths , Plures gulâ quem gladio ; and intemperance of Diet causeth oftentimes that Bulimia and Canina appetentia , dogs appetite , which is an unsatiable desire of eating , the effect whereof is vomiting : This proceeds of Typhon and Echidna , heat and cold ; to wit , of the heat of the Liver , and cold malancholly humours of the stomack , when the stomachicall Nerves are too much refrigerate ; but this is sometimes cured by Hercules the Physitian . 2. Cerberus is a covetous mā , a whose greedy desire of having is never satisfied , he is Pluto's dog , for he makes riches his God , which like a dog , he is continnually watching his wealth , and by consequence his desire of having proceedeth of Typhon the Gyant and the snake Echidna , that is of oppression & secret cunning , the 3 heads , or as some writ , a hundreth heads , do shew his unsatiable desire ; his snakie hairs doe shew how uggly he is in the sight of good men , and how much by them abhorred : he lyeth in the gates of Hell , from whence gold cometh , for his affections are there , and his punishments are already begun in this life , he lyeth in a den , as lying basely & obscurely , and when he is drawn out from thence by Hercules the King , to any publicke office , or service for the state , he frets and foames , and at last against his will , or else profusely without judgement vomits out his wealth , as a misers feast is alwayes profuse , and this breeds a poysonable hearb , which is bad example . 3 : Death is Cerberus : which is Plutos dog , Satans mastiffe , by which he bites us ; Typhon that is the devill begat death upon Echydna the serpent in which he poysoned our first parents . His three mouths or hundreth rather , do shew the many wayes that death hath to sease on us ; the snakie hairs doth shadow out the ugglinesse and fearfulnesse of death ; it lyeth in Hell gates , for the wicked must by death come to Hell , this dogge doth suffer all to goe in , but none to returne ; from Hell is no redemption ; but Hercules by his strength overcame and bound him , and Sybilla by her wisdom cast him asleep : so the Son of God by his power and wisdom hath overcome death , and taken away its sting . 4. An evill conscience is Cerberus stil barking , and with his snakes affrighting and stinging the wicked , and lyeth in hell gates , for the wicked mans hell is begun here , it vomits out all by confession , when it is convinced by the light of Gods Word , and that inward light which is in the mind . 5. The grave is Cerberus , the great a flesh-eater , still eating and never full : the snakie haires shew , that the ground is full of wormes , and snakes ; it is also the entrie of Hel. The light of Christ the great Hercules , when he went down to Hell , caused this dog to vomit up his morsells , for the graves were opened , and many of the Saints bodies arose , and at the light of Christ second comming , he shall vomit up all that he hath eat ; out of Cerberus his foame grew the accomitum , to shew that poysonable hearbes grow out of the corruption of the earth . 6 : Satan is this Hell-hound , whose many heads and snakes , doth shew his many malicious & cunning waies he hath to destroy men , he is begotten of the Giant Typhon and the snakie Echidna , because as parents live in their children , so violence and craft live in him , he is the vigilant dore keeper of Hell , lying in wait to tole in soules but never to let them out . The true Hercules Christ , by his strength and wisdome hath bound him , at the presence of whose light , he foames and fretts , and was forced to vomit and restore those soules which he held in captivitie , 7 : Time with his 3 heads , that is , past , present , and future , is this dog , which devoureth all things . And he shall vomit up all hid things , for time revealeth all secrets . He lyeth in the gate of hell , all must go through his throat , that go thither ; that is , all must have a time to die , and it is time that bringeth forth poysonable hearbs as well as profitable : and time hath brought us to the knowledge thereof . Loe then the hundred-headed dog at last Is bound with Adamantine chains so fast , That though he bark and foame , yet cannot bite , H'hath lost his power , but hath not lost his spite . How much are we beholding to our Lord , Who by his power and all-subduing word , Charms monsters three , black-mouth'd infernall hounds , Death , Hell , and Satan , and their power confounds . When he descended to black Pluto's Tower , Where this three-yawning Mastiff keeps the dore , He caus'd him to disgorge himself of those Which in his bowels he did long inclose . He durst not stare upon these glorious rayes , Which turn the darkest nights to cleerest dayes : But frets and foames ; his Snakes , as with a spell , Stood all amaz'd to see such light in Hell . Then let us all with one joynt harmony Chant forth his noble praise , and pierce the sky ; That as the winged quirristers still sing Coelestiall Hallelujahs to this King ; So we with them may chant , and Carroll forth With warbling notes his everlasting worth , Who freed us from this prison where we lay , And makes us now injoy a brighter day , Then any that within our Horizon Was ever seen , or in the burning Zone . And you rich hounds who almost split with store , And yet your jaws are yawning still for more , Your ill-got gobbets vomit up in time , Remember you 'r but dust , and gold 's but slime . Unlock your iron Goals , break up your caves , In which your gold lyes buried as in graves . And let your pale-fac'd money see the Sun , Let free these captives from their dungeon : That they may walk abroad , and let them serve Poor men that are in want , and like to starve . And thou , O Lord , who onely durst encounter , And only couldst , with that three-headed monster ; And who hath pull'd the prey out of his jaws , And broke his teeth , & par'd his scratching claws ; So satisfie my craving appetite , That it in thee alone may take delight ; For neither honours ( Lord ) nor wealth I see , This gaping heart of mine can satisfie : For what are these but transitory toyes , Compar'd with thee , compar'd with inward joyes . The more my soul feeds on these aicry dishes , The more she hungers , and the more she wishes . Hydropick men , still drink , and still are dry , The horse-leach cryes , Give , give , and so do I : Then seeing there's no end of my desire , But wealth , like oil , doth still increase this fire ; Give not too much , but what 's sufficient , And having thee , with thee I 'le be content . CERES . SHe was the daughter of Saturn and Ops ; of her brother Iupiter , she had Proserpina ; of Iason she did bear Plutus ; and of Neptune , a horse ; at which she was so much displeased , that she hid her self in a dark cave , and was found out by Pan , whilest her daughter Proserpina vvas gathering flowers vvith Iuno , Minerva , and Venus ; Pluto carried her away in his chariot ; therefore Ceres lighted torches , and sought her up and down the world , and in her journey being kindly lodged by Celeus , she taught him to sow corn , and nourished his son Triptolemus , by day with milk , by night in fire ; which Celeus too curiously prying unto , was slain by Ceres ; and Triptolemus was sent through the world in a chariot drawn with winged Dragons , to teach men the use of corn ; Proserpina could not be delivered from Hell , because she had tasted of a Pomegarnet in Pluto's Orchard ; yet afterward she was admitted to remain six moneths above the ground , and six moneths under . THE MYSTERIES . CEres is the Moon , which one half of the yeer increaseth , to wit , 15 dayes every moneth , which time she is above the earth ; the other half yeer , that she is decreasing , she is under ; her daughter Proserpina may be the earth , which she loseth when Pluto , that is , darknesse doth take away the sight of it ; and her lighting of torches , is the increase of her light , by which the earth is seen again ; her hiding in a cave is her eclipse by the earths interposition , but Pan the Sun makes her appear again . 2. Ceres is corn , which Saturn and Ops , that is , time and earth produce ; Proserpina is the seed , which Pluto ravisheth , because it lyeth a while dead underground ; Ceres hides her self , that is , the corn is not seen , till Pan the Sun by his heat bringeth it out ; Ceres begets Plutus , corn bringeth mony to the Farmer , and a horse also , because the desire of corn makes the Farmer labour like a horse , or because the plenty of corn makes men wanton and unruly like horses , as it did the Sodomites ; the lighting of Torches is the heat and light of the Sun and Moon , by whose influence the corn is produced , the nourishing of Triptolemus by day with milk , by night with fire , is the cherishing of the corn with rain by day , and heat in the bowells of the earth by night , the tasting of Pluto's fruit is the food which the corn receiveth from the ground . 3. Ceres is a the earth , by whose benefit , we have Proserpina , corn , Plutus , money , and a horse , that is , all cattell fit for use ; this is the nurse of all living creatures affording them milke and fire , food and heat ; hence come these phrases , cereale solum ; cereales caenae , for plentifull suppers , and a fruitfull ground ; and cerealis aura , for a temperate climat ; when Proserpina gathering flowers , that is , the corne which groweth with the b flowers , especially the Poppie ( therefore consecrated to Ceres ) was carryed away by Pluto , that is , faileth by reason of sterilitie of the ground , and intemperance of the air ; then Ceres hides her selfe , that is , the earth loseth her beauty ; but by the means of Pan , that is , the shepherd with his sheep fold , the land is inriched , and Ceres comes abroad in her best aray , and by the help of her two lamps , the Sun and Moon , she recovers Proserpina or corne again ; for halfe of the years she affordeth corn to Triptolemus the husband-man , who in the chariot of time , drawn by the winged serpents , that is , used , guided , and imployed by his diligence & prudence , he sendeth his corn abroad to those that want . 4. Ceres may be the tipe of an earthly minded man ; who is not content with one calling , but is still trying new wayes to grow rich , somtimes he is in love with Iupiter , or the aier , and of him begets Proserpina , that is , he will be a husband-man , then finding that life too laborious and not gainfull enough , falls in love with a Iason , and playes the Physitian , and of him begets blinde Plutus , that is , mony , and yet not being content , he courts Neptune , and will play the Merchant venturer ; and so being in love with the sea , begets a horse , that is , a ship , but losing this way what he had got before , hides himselfe and dares not shew his head , till Pan , that is , mony , ( for mony is every thing ) get him abroad again ; in the mean while he is run so far in the usurers bookes that his Proserpina , his land , to which he would fain returne , is carryed away by Pluto the usurer . 5. In this fiction is reproved curiositie , by the example of Celeus ; it is a dangerous thing to pry into the secrets of God . 6. Here also we see the reward of hospitalitie . 7. Triptolemus is a spend-thrift , who scatters abroad his goods , as he did his corn , in travelling ; being carried by winged serpents , cunning flatterers , who suddenly exhaust him . 8. Let us take heed , that whilst we are gathering flowers with Proserpina , that is , delighting our selves in these earthly vanities , Pluto the Devill do not take away our soules , & so shall we be forced to leave the company of Minerva , Iuno and Venus , that is , be taken from all our wordly wisdom , wealth and pleasures . 9. Ceres , that is , parents should be very watchfull over their daughters ; for a virgin , that hath Minerva , Iuno , and Venus with her , that is , wit , wealth , and beautie , is in danger to be carried away , by Pluto , by some debauched and untoward ruffian . 10. As Triptolemus could not be immortalized without Ceres milk , and fire , neither can we attain Heaven without the sincere milke of Gods word and the fire of affliction ; and as in the day of prosperitie we are content to drinke the milk of his good things , so in the night of adversitie we must not refuse to suffer the fierie triall of persecution . 11. Ceres was both a good Law-giver , and feeder of men ; therefore her sacrifices were called a Thesmophoria ; so Princes should be both . 12. Beware of eating Pomegranets in Pluto's orchard , for that hindred Proserpina's deliverie from thence ; so , it is a hard thing to reclaim those from the power of Satan , who do relish and delight in sin . 13. Ceres is a tipe of Gods church ; which is a grave Matron in rustick apparell , as being of little esteem in the world , having the spade of discipline in her right hand , and from her arm hangs a basket full of the seeds of Gods Word ; by this hand stands two husband-men , the one turning up the ground with a spade , the other sowing the seed ; on her left hand ( which holdeth the hook and flaile of correction and excommunication ) stands two other husband-men , the one reaping , and the other threshing , these are her ministers , whose office is a to root out , and pull down , to build and plant ; she sits upon the oxe of patience and labour , with a crown of wheat ears upon her head , as having power to distribute the bread of life , her brests are open and stretched forth with the b sincere milk of Gods words ; over her right side , Iuno is dropping down rain , and over her left , Apollo shineth ; to shew that by the heat of the Sun of righteousnesse , and influence of graces c from Gods spirit , she doth flourish and fructifie . 14. Christ is truly Ceres ; which having left mankind , being carried away by the devil , he came , and with the torches of his words found him out , and being drawn with the flying serpents of Zeal and Prudence , dispersed his seed through the world ; went down to Hell and rescued us from thence . You that walk among sweat flowers , Dasht with drops of twi-light showers , Which with smels refresh the sence ; Look about and carefull be , Of the plots and pollicie Of that black infernall Prince . Who 's still ready to incroach On your souls , and in his Coach , To hurl you from hence away To that dark and dismall place , Where you cannot see the face Of Apollo and the day . And let us take heed that we Taste not that Pomegranat tree , Which in his sad Orchard stands ; If we do , we shall remain Captives still , and ne're again Shall escape out of his hands . Juno then cannot help us With her wealth , nor fair Venus With her sea-froth countenance ; Neither yet that blew-ey'd maid , Which out of Joves head was said To proceed , can help us thence . Onely Christ did undertake , When he pass'd the joylesse Lake To release our souls again ; When we were in Pluto's power , All inthrall'd within his Tower , Where we should have ever lain . But he broke the gates of brasse , And made way for us to passe , Though we tasted of that tree Which bereav'd us of Gods grace , And inclos'd us in that place Where dwels endlesse misery . He dispersed hath that seed Of his Word , which doth us feed ; Dragons now his chariots draw , Who before were Gentile Kings , Fierce as Dragons , swift with wings , Are now subject to his Law . He holds out his burning Lamps , Which expell unwholsome damps From us that in darknesse lye : He doth raise us from below , Not for half a yeer or so , But for all eternity . O my God , amongst May flowers , When I spend some idle hours , When my joyes do most abound , I will think on Deaths black Coach ; That if then it should approach , I may be then ready found . Thou do'st feed me daily , Lord , With sincere milk of thy Word ; O then give me constancie , That I may by night indure Thy hot furnace , for I 'm sure Thou know'st what is best for me . CHARON . HE was the sonne of Erebus and night ; the boat-man of Hell , who admitted none to his boat without mony , and till they were dead and buried ; Yet Aenaeas by his pietie , Hercules and Theseus by their strength , Orpheus by his musick were admitted there before their death . THE MYSTERIES . BY Charon doubtlesse death was understood ; from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , to dig or make hollow , for death is stil holow eyed , or from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} joy , for good men in death have true joy ; {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , also is a benefit , and death is such , and an advantage to good men ; but so it is made by Christ , for in it selfe , death is the childe of Hell and night , and as Charon is described by a the King of Poets , to be old , but yet vigorous , uggly , furious , terrible , sad , covetous , so is death ; that which they fable of Aenaeas , Hercules , &c. was true in our Saviour , who overcame Charon , or death by his piety , strength , power of his word , &c. He that would be admited into Charons boat , that is , have a joyfull death , must carry money in his mouth , that is , make him friends of his unjust Mammon ; for what wee bestow on the poor , that we carrie with us , to wit , the benefit and comfort of it , and we cannot have a joyfull death , or be admited into Charons boat , till our body of sin be buried by repentance . 2. Charon is a good conscience which is a continuall feast ; this carrieth us over the infernall rivers , that is , over all the waters of affliction in this life . 3. Charon is the sin of drunkennesse , the cup is the boat , the wine is the river Phlegeton which burnes them , and Acheron wherin is no true joy , Styx which causeth sadnesse and complaints ; for these are the effects of drunkennesse ; Charons fierie face , ragged cloaths , brawling and scolding tongue , rotten boat still drinking in water , are the true emblems of a drunkard ; he is the childe of Hell , and begot of Satan , and the night , for they that are drunk , are drunk in the night ; he admits of no company but such as are dead in this sin , & buried in it , and such as have mony in their mouths , that is spend-thrifts who spend all on their throats . Remember this , all you that spend Your life on drink , and mark your end : As oft as cups and pots you tosse , So oft the river Styx you crosse . You 'r Owls , you do not love the light , You are the sons of Hell and night : Black Erybus begot you then , You 'r Monsters sure , you are not men . You are afraid , that if you dye , Your bodies should unburied lye ; And so your souls be forc'd to trade A hundreth yeers in death's black shade , Before you can admitted be In Charons boat ; this you foresee : And wisely to prevent this soare , You 'l be intomb'd in drink before . And thus you make your Funerall Your selves by times in wine and oil . You have an old and leaking throat , Still sucking in like Charons boat ; No company you will admit , But who are buried in the pit Of wine , whose mouths must fraughted be With coin , such are your company . O Lord , before I go from hence , Give me a joyfull conscience , That I may joyfully ride on The billows of affliction . Save me , O God , from this foul vice Of drunkennesse , and from avarice : When D ath's wherry shall receive me , Let not then thy comfort leave me ; So shall I not fear Charons looks , Nor be dismaid to crosse these brooks , Of Styx , Cocytus , Acharon , Nor waves of scalding Phlegeton . CHIMAERA . THis was a monster , having the head of a Lyon , breathing out fire , the bellie of a goat , and the taile of a Dragon ; which did much hurt , but was killed at last by Bellerophon . THE MYSTERIES . SOme thinke that this was a Hill , on the top wherof were Lyons , and Vulcans of fire , about the middle was pasture , and goates , at the foote serpents , which Bellerophon made habitable ; others thinke this was a Pirates ship , having the picture of these three beasts in it , others that these were three brothers called by these names , which did much hurt , others that by this fiction is meant a torrent of water , running furiously like a Lyon , licking the grasse upon the banks like a goat , and winding like a serpent , as may be seen in Natal . Comes , and others ; but I had rather thinke , that by this Monster may be meant a whore ; which is the wave or a scum of love , wherin many are drowned ; she hath a Lyons devouring mouth still craving , and devouring mens estates ; she hath the wanton belly of a goat , but in the end will sting and poyson like a Dragon . 2. By Chimaera I thinke wine may be meant , which makes men furious like Lyons , wanton like goats , and cunning or craftie like serpents . 3. The life of man may be meant by this Monster ; for man in his youthfull yeares is an untamed Lyon , in his middle age a wanton , or an aspiring goat , still striving to climbe upon the steep rockes of honour ; and in his old age he becomes a wise and crafty serpent . 4. Satan may be understood by Chimaera , who in the beginning of the Church did rage like a Lyon by open persecution ; in the middle and flourishing time thereof , like a goat made her wanton ; and in the end will shew himself to be that red Dragon , labouring by secret cunning , and slights , to undermine and poyson her ; but Christ already hath , and we in him , shall overcome this Monster . Then let us all take heed of wine and whores , If we will save these wretched souls of ours : Or if we would preserve our lands and monies From these devourers of mens patrimonies , Against these monsters rather fight then flye , I 'le rather kill them then they shall kill me ; The Lyons fury 's kill'd with patience , The goatish wantonnesse with abstinence , Against the Dragons sting use Antidotes , Resist his cunning plots with counterplots . Fear not , our life 's a warfare ; either we Must fight , or else where is our victory ? Without which , there 's no triumph , no renown , And where there is no conquest , there 's no crown . O Lord , in this great combate strengthen me , That through thy power I may victorious be ; And let thy presence cheer my heart , refresh My fainting spirits , and my trembling flesh ; Thou art the Lord of hoasts , O let thy word Be unto me a Buckler , Helmet , Sword : What can Chimaera do , if thou assist me ? Be thou my God , and then who dare resist me . CHIRON WAs a Centaur begot of Saturn in the forme of a horse , of Phyllyra the daughter of Oceanus ; he was an excellent Astronomer , Physitian and Musitian ; whose schollers were Hercules , Apollo , and Achilles , he was wounded in the foot by one of Hercules his arrows , of which wound he could not die being immortall , till he intreated Iupiter , who placed a him among the stars , with a sacrifice in his hand , and an Altar before him . THE MYSTERIES . THat Charon is begot of Saturn and Phillyra , is meant that Astronomie , Physick , Musick , and all other arts begot of time and experience , or of time and books ; for Phyllyra is a thin skin or parchment , or paper , or that which is betwixt the bark and the wood of the tree , and is called Tyllia , on which they used to write . 2. Saturn or time begets learned Chiron , that is , arts and sciences by the help of reading , but he must do it in the forme of a horse , that is , with much patience and labour . 3. Chiron may signifie to us the life of a Christian , which consisteth in contemplation , and so he is an Astronomer , whose conversion and thoughts are in heaven , and in action , which consisteth in speaking well , and so he is a Musitian , and in doing well , and so he is a Physitian ; and because Christianitie is more a practick then speculative science , he hath his denomination Chiron from a the hand , not from the head ; lastly , suffering is a part of Christianitie , and so Chiron patiently suffered the wound of Hercules his arrow . 4. Chirons feet were wounded before he was admitted amongst the stars ; so our affections must be mortified , before we can attain heaven . 5. Chirons pain made him desire to die , so affliction makes us weary of this world , and fits us for heaven . 6. Chiron hath his Altar still before him , and his sacrifice in his hand , so Christ our Altar must be still in our eyes , and our spirituall sacrifices still ready to be offered . 7. In that a Centaur had so much knowledge , we see that sometime in mis-shapen bodies are eminent parts , as were in Aesop , Epictetus , and others . 8. Achilles so valiant , Hercules so strong , Apollo so wise , yet were content to learne of a deformed Centaur ; so all should hearken to the Ministers doctrine , be his life never so deformed , though he be a Centaur in his life , yet he is a man , nay an Angel in his doctrine . To gaze upon nights sparkling eyes , Which still are rolling in the skies , Is Chirons head ; but we Must have his curing hands also , And 's feet , which may indure Gods blow , And 's voice of melody . Our hands must work salvation , Our heads must meditate upon Heavens shining Canopy : Our tongues must praise Gods actions , The feet of our affections For sin must wounded be . I will before my Altar stand , With sacrifices in my hand , And thus to God will pray : Lord heal these wounded feet of mine , Then make me as a Star to shine , Or as the brightest day . Give me the head of knowledge , and A well-tun'd tongue , a working hand , And feet which may thy blow Indure ; O wound me , so that I By wounds may be prepar'd to dye , And wean'd from things below . CIRCE . THe daughter of Sol and Persis , and by her grandchilde of Oceanus ; she was a witch , & skilfull in hearbs , she poysoned her husband , King of Scythia , and for her cruelty was banished thence , and carryed by her father Sol in a chariot , and placed in the Iland Circaea : she turned Vlisses fellowes unto swine , but over him she had no power ; she could not procure the good will of Glaucus , who loved Scylla better then Circe ; shee infected the water , in which Scylla was wont to wash , and was ( having touched this water ) turned unto a Sea-Monster . THE MYSTERIES . CIrce , saith Nat. Comes , is the mixture of the Elements , which is caused by heat and moysture ; the 4. Elements are the 4 hand-maids ; she is immortall because this mixture is perpetuall ; and the strange shapes shew the varietie of strange forms brought in by generation , she had no power over Vlisses because the soul commeth not by mixtion of the Elements , or generation . 2. By Circe , I suppose may be fittly understood death ; caused by Sol and Oceanus grand-childe , because death and corruption proceed out of heat and moysture ; the poysoning of her husband shews that death is no accepter of persons ; Sol carrieth her in his chariot , for where the Sun shines there is death and corruption ; her turning of men unto beasts , shews that man is like the beast that perisheth , yea a living dog is better then a dead man ; but she hath no power over Vlisses , that is , over the soul which is immortall , death hath no power ; the four hand-maids that gathered poyson for her , were Adams pride , gluttonie , infidelitie , and curiositie , which made Adams death poyson all his posteritie . 3. By Circe may be meant the Devill , who hath caused beastly dispositions in the nature of man , and hath poisoned us all ; as Circe infected Vlisses fellows , but not himself ; so he poysoned Iobs body , but had no power over his soul ; and because God had set his love upon man , and had rejected him for his pride , being an Angel , he to be revenged poysoned man , as Circe did Scylla . 4. Circe is physicall knowledge consisting much in herbs ; she is the daughter of Sol , because herbs proceed of his heat ; she turneth men unto beasts , because some physitians searching too much unto nature , become beasts , in forgetting the God of nature ; she dwelt on a hill full of physicall simples , to let us understand wherein the physitians skill and studie lyeth ; he hath no power over Vlisses , the soul , but the bodies of men he may poyson or preserve ; his 4 hand-maides are , Phylosophy , Astronomie , Anatomie , and Botancie or skill of simples . 5. Sin is a Circe , chiefly drunkennesse and whoredom which poyson men , and turn them unto swine ; Circe hath both a cup and a rod , with which she poysoned men ; so in sin there is a cup of pleasure , and the rod of vengeance ; though Vlisses fellows were poysoned , yet he would not himself be enticed by Circe ; but by means of the herb Moly , and his sword , he hath defended himself , and made Circe restore his fellows again to their wonted shapes ; so Governers and Magistrates must not be overtaken with the Circe of drink and fleshly pleasure , howsoever others are ; but they must use Moly , that is , temperance in them selves , and use the sword , against this Circe in others . All you that love your souls , Beware of Circes bowls ; And go not to her feasts , Where men are turn'd to beasts . Remember whil'st you 'r drinking wine , How Circe turned men to swine . The whore with painted smiles The wanton youth beguiles , She hath a pleasant cup , Which silly fools drink up : But whil'st you 'r drinking , eye the wand Which Circe beareth in her hand . At first sin seems to be A pleasing thing to thee , And fools with vain delights Do cloy their appetites ; But every pleasure hath its pain , In sweetest honey there is bane . If men of meaner sort Make drunkennesse but a sport , Yet let not men of place Their state so much disgrace : Ulisses must have temperance , Although his servants lose their sence , Lord arm me with thy Word , Which like Ulisses sword , From Circe may defend me , And then herb Moly send me : Having this sword and herb , O God , I 'le shun the cup , I 'le scape the rod . CAELUS . THis was the son of Aether , and Dies , who married with Terra , and of her begot Gyants , Monsters , Cyclopes , Harpe , Steropes , and Brontes ; he begot also of her the Titanes and Saturn ; mother earth being angry that Coelus had thrown down his sons to Hell , caused the Titans to rebell against him , who thrust him out of his Kingdom , and Saturn cut off his testicles ; out of the drops of bloud which fell from them , the Furies were ingendred . THE MYSTERIES . BY Caelus I understand the upper region of the air ; for the air is called heaven , both by Poets and divine Scripture : this may be sayd to be the son of Aether and Dies , not only because it is alwayes cleer , free from clouds and mists , but because also it hath the nature of elementary fire , to which it is next ; for it is hot and drie , as that is , and more properly may this fire be called Aether from its continuall burning , then the heaven which hath no elementarie heat at all ; his mariage with the earth , of which Titans , Cyclopes , &c. are procreated , do shew that those fierie Meteors in the upper region of the air , are procreated by its heat and motion , of these thin and drie smoaks which arise out of the earth ; the names of Steropes and Brontes shew that lightning and thunder are generated there in respect of their matter , which being received within the clouds of the middle region , cause the rumbling , as if there were some rebellion and wars within the clouds ; Saturn his son , that is , time the measurer of heavens motion , shal geld his father ; that is , the heaven shall grow old , and in time shall lose that power of generation ; for this shall cease , when there shall bee a new heaven ; and upon this new change in the heaven , the Furies shall be ingendred , that is , the torments of the wicked shall begin . 2. They that geld ancient records , fathers and scripture , are like Saturn , rebelling against heaven , being incouraged thereto by those spirituall monsters , enemies of truth , who were thrust down from heaven , and that light of glorie , wherein they were created ; unto the lowest Hell ; and of this gelding proceed nothing but Furies , that is , heresies , schismes , dissentions . 3. Saturninus , Tatianus and his schollers , the Encratites , Originists , Manichaeans , and all other heriticks who have condemned matrimonie , as an unclean thing , and not injoyned by God ; they are all like Saturn , being assisted by their brethren the Monsters of Hell , and do what they can to geld their father Adam , of his posteritie , and to rebell against heaven ; and what ensueth upon this gelding or condemning of wedlocke , but Furies and all kinde of disorder and impuritie . 4. The children of heaven and of the light , must not as Caelus did , joyne themselves in their affections to the earth ; for of this union shall proceed nothing but Monsters , to wit , earthly and fleshly lusts , thoughts , and works which will rebell against our souls , and geld us of all spirituall grace , and of our interest in the kingdom of Heaven ; and then must needs be ingendred the Furies , to wit , the torments of conscience . You sons of heaven , and of the day , Stoop not so low , As to betroth your souls to clay ; For then I know That of this match will come no good , But rather a pernicious brood . A race of Monsters shall proceed Out of thy loins , If thou in time tak'st not good heed To whom thou joyn'st Thy soul in wedlock , earth 's not fit For thee to fix thy heart on it . For she will bring thee such a brood That shall resist thee , And when thy soul they have withstood , They will devest thee Both of thy Kingdom and thy strength , And bring thee under them at length . And if earths Adamantine knife Emasculate Thy soul , then shall thy barren life And gelded state Ingender in thee endlesse cares , And Furies with their snaky hairs . Lord joyn my heart so close to thee With fervent love , That I may covet constantly The things above , Where glory crowns that princely brow To which both men and Angels bow . Lord let not earth effeminate My heart with toyes , But let my soul participate Thy heavenly joyes , Where Angels spend their endlesse dayes In singing of Elysian layes . And if my mother be the light , And heaven my fire , Then let my soul dwell in that bright Aetheriall fire , Where Gyants , Furies , and the race Of Titans dare not shew their face . CUPIDO . OF Cupids parents , some say he had none at all ; others , that he was ingendred of Chais without a father ; some say he was the son of Iupiter and Venus ; others , of Mars and Venus ; others , of Vulcan and Venus ; others of Mercurie and Venus , &c. He was the god of love painted like a childe , with wings , blinde , naked , crowned with Roses , having a Rose in one hand , and a Dolphin in the other , with bow and arrows , &c. THE MYSTERIES . THere is a two-fold love , to wit , in the creator , and in the creature ; Godslove is two-fold , inherent in himself , and this is eternall as himself , therefore hath no father nor mother : or transient to the creature , this love was first seen in creating the Chaos , and all things out of it ; therefore they sayd that love was ingendred of Chaos without a father ; and when they write that Zephyrus begot Cupid of an egge ; what can it else mean , but that the spirit of God did manifest his love , in drawing out of the informed and confused egge of the Chaos , all the creatures ; the love of the creature is two-fold , according to the two-fold object therof , to wit , God and the creature ; that love by which we love God , is begot of Iupiter and Venus ; that is , God , and that uncreated beautie in him , is the cause of this love ; and because the main and proper object of love is beautie , ( for we do not love goodnesse , but as it is beautifull ) and it is the object that moveth and stirreth up the a passion , therfore Venus goddess of beautie is still the mother of Cupid or love , which notwithstanding hath many fathers because this generall beautie is joyned to many particular qualities ; which causeth love in men according to their inclinations and dispositions ; some are in love with wars , and count militarie skill and courage a beautifull thing , so this love is begot of Mars and Venus ; others are in love with eloquence , and thinke nothing so beautifull as that ; and so Mercurie and Venus are parents of this love ; some love Musick , and so Apollo begets this Cupid , and so we may say of all things else which we love , that there is some qualitie adherent to beautie , either true or apparent , which causeth love in us ; now that love which all creatures have to creatures of their own kind , in multiplying them by generation , is the childe of Vulcan and Venus ; for it is begot of their own naturall heat & outward beautie ; by beauty I mean whatsoever we account pleasing to us , whether it be wealth , honour , pleasure , vertue , &c. 2. The reasons why love was thus painted , I conceive to be these ; Cupid is a childe , because love must be still young , for true love cannot grow old and so die ; amor qui desinere potest , nunquam fuit verus ; Hee hath wings , for love must be swift ; he is blind , for love must wink at many things , it covereth a multitude of sins ; he is naked , for amongst friends all things should be common , the heart must not keep to it self any thing secret , which was the fault that Dalila found in Sampsons love ; he is crowned with roses , for as no flower so much refresheth the spirits , and delights our smell as the rose ; so nothing doth so much sweeten and delight our life as love ; but the rose is not without prickles , nor love without cares ; the crown is the ensigne of a King , and no such King as love , which hath subdued all the creatures rationall , sensitive , vegetative , and senslesse have their sympathies ; the image of a Lionesse with little Cupids playing about her , some tying her to a pillar , others putting drinke into her mouth with a horne , &c. do shew how the most fierce creatures are made tame by love ; therefore he hath a rose in one and a Dolphin in the other , to shew the qualitie of love ; which is swift and officious like the Dolphin , delectable and sweet like the rose ; his arrows do teach us that love wounds deeply , when we cannot obtain what we love ; some of his arrows are pointed with lead , some with gold ; he is wounded with a golden arrow , that aimes at a rich wife , and cannot obtain her ; to be wounded with leaden arrows , is to be afflicted for want of ordinary objects which we love ; and so his burning torches , shew that a lover is consumed with grief , for not obtaining the thing loved , as the wax is with heat ; Ardet amans Dido ; Vritur infaelix ; Caeco carpitur igne , Est mollis flamma medullas ; Haeret lateri laethalis arundo &c. These are my conceits of Cupids picture ; other Mythologists have other conceits , applying all to unchast and wanton love , whose companions are drunkennesse , quarrelling , childish toyes , &c. Alas my soul , how men are vext That fix their love on gilded dung , Which when they want they are perplext , And when they have it they are stung . Great riches wounds With cares mans heart ; As wealth abounds , So doth their smart . Doth not the love of earthly things , Devest men of their richest robe , And then they fly away with wings , And leaves them naked on this Globe : Besides all that , They blinde men eyes , That they cannot Behold the skies . And doth not earthly things besides , With burning torches men torment ; And with sharp arrows wound their sides , So that our dayes in pain are spent : Then why should I Affect these things , Which misery And sorrow brings . This love makes men like foolish boyes , Who place their chief felicity In bits of glasses , shels , and toyes , Or in a painted Butter-flye : So riches are ( Which we , alas , Scrape with such care ) But bits of glasse . Lord let me see thy beauty , which Doth onely true contentment bring ; And so in thee I shall be rich : Oh if I had swift Cupids wing , Then would I flee By faith above , And fix on thee My heart and love . That Christ is the true God of Love . Christ is the onely God of Loves , Who did his secrets all disclose ; Whose wings are swifter then the Doves , Who onely hath deserv'd the Rose : Thou onely art That potent King , Both of my heart And every thing . Both Principalities and Powers , And all that 's in the sea and land , Men , Lyons , Dolphins , Birds and Flowers , Are all now under thy command : Thy Word 's the torch Thy Word 's the dart Which both doth scorch And wound my heart . It was not Cupid ( sure ) that spoil'd The gods of all their vestiments ; But thou art he that has them foil'd , And stript them of their ornaments : Then thou alone Deserves to be Set in the Throne Of Majesty . Sometime a Crown of Thorns did sit Upon that sacred head of thine ; But sure a Rose-crown was more fit For thee , and Thorns for this of mine : O God , what love Was this in thee , That should thee move To dye for me ! Thy youth is alwayes green and fresh , Thy lasting yeers , Lord , cannot fail ; O look not on my sinfull flesh , But mask thy eyes with mercy's vail . O Lord renew In me thy love , And from thy view My sins remove . CYCLOPES . THese were the sons of heaven , their mother was earth and sea ; men of huge stature , having but one eye , which was in their forehead ; they lived upon mens flesh , Polyphemus was their chief , he was a shepherd , and in love with Galathaea , he having devoured some of Vlisses his fellowes , was by him intoxicated with wine , and his eye thrust out ; These Cyclopes dwelt in Sicily , and were Vulcans servants in making Iupiters thunder , and Mars his chariots , &c. THE MYSTERIES . THese Cyclopes are by some meant the vapours which by the influence of heaven are drawn out of the earth and sea , and being in the air , ingender thunder and lightning to Iupiter , as their a names shew ; they dwelt in Sicilie about hill Aetna , because heat is the breeder of thunder ; they were thrust down to Hell by their father , and came up againe , because in the cold winter these vapours lie in the earth , and by heat of the spring are elevated ; wise Vlisses overcame Polyphemus , that is , man by his wisdome and observation found out the secrets of these naturall things and causes thereof ; Apollo was sayd to kill these Cyclopes , because the Sun dispelleth vapours . 2. I think by these Cyclopes may be understood the evill spirits , whose habitation is in burning Aetna , that is , in Hell burning with fire and brimstone , being thrown down justly by God , from heaven for their pride , but are permitted sometimes for our sins to rule in the air , whose service God useth sometimes , in sending thunder and stormes to punish the wicked ; they may well be called Cyclopes from their round eye , and circular motion ; for as they have a watchfull eye , which is not easily shut , so they compasse the earth to and fro ; they may be sayd to have but one eye , to wit , of knowledge which is great ; for outward eyes they have not ; their chief food and delight is in the destroying of mankinde ; Polyphemus or Belzebub is the chief , who having devoured Vlisses fellowes , that is , mankinde ; the true Vlisses , Christ the wisdom of the father , came , and having powred unto him the full cup of the Red wine of his wrath , bound him , and thrust out his eye ; that is , both restrained his power and policie ; these evill spirits , because they are the chief sowers of sedition and wars among men , may be said to make Mars his chariots . 3. Here we see that little Vlisses overcame tall Polyphemus ; policie overcomes strength . 4. We see also the effects of drunkennesse , by it we lose both our strength , and the eye of reason . 5. Servius a thinks that Polyphemus was a wise man , because he had his eye in his forehead neere the braine , but I say , he was but a foole because he had but one eye , which only looked to things present ; he wanted the eye of providence , which looks to future dangers , and prevents them . 6. Here we are taught to beware of crueltie , and securitie , for they are here justly punished . 7. The state of Rome , which at first had two eyes , to wit , two Consulls , became a Polyphemus , a huge body with one eye when one Emperor guided all ; this Gyant fed upon the flesh of Christians in bloody persecutions ; but when she was drunk with the blood of the Saints , Vlisses , that is , wise Constantine , thrust out the eye , and weakned the power of Rome ; of that Gyant which had made so much thunder of war in the world , and so many chariots for Mars . 8. A common wealth without a King , is like great Polyphemus without an eye ; and then there is nothing but a Cyclopian crueltie and oppression , great men feeding on the flesh of the poor ; then is nothing but intestine wars and broils , the servants of Vulcan making thunder bolts and chariots for Mars ; Aetna b resounding with the noyse of their hammers on the anvill ; Brontesque Steropesque , et nudus membra Pyracmon ; so it was in Israel , when every man did what he listed . 9. An envious man is like blinde c Polyphemus , he hath no charitable eye ; he feeds and delights himself with the ruine and destruction of other men . 10. The Sun in the firmament is that great eye in the forehead of Polyphemus , which is put out oftentimes by vapours and mists arising out of the earth . When that one-ey'd Cyclopean race , Which in earths burning entralls dwell , Had pull'd us down as low as hell , Where we should ne're have seen the face Of that bright Coachman of the day , Whose horses drive all clouds away . We had been all for ever lost , For Polyphemus in his den Was feeding on the souls of men , When Christ sent by the holy Ghost , Entred into that horrid cave Which should have been our endlesse grave . The deadly wine he made him drink Of his just indignation , And bound him in his dungeon So fast , that now he cannot shrink , And with his word he hath made blinde That eye which fascinates mankinde . If sometimes this Aetnaean brood Are heard to thunder in the air , And if with lightnings they do tear The mountains that have so long stood : It is because our sins do reign , That he will not their power restrain . And when we see the earth is stained With blood-shed in our cruell wars , We may be sure they break their bars , And that their power is not restrained ; It 's for our sins God suffers them To reign thus to our losse and shame . O Lord of hostes , with mercy's eye Look on this torn estate of ours , And now at last dissolve the powers Of that Aetnaean company Whose bellows coals of envie blow , Who still amongst us discord sow . Whose hammers on their anvils sound Continually , who chariots make For Mars , and so our peace they break ; But thou , O Lord , their work confound , Let fire their chariots all consume , And turn their armour all to fume . And as thou with thy mighty word Didst thrust out Polyphemus eye , So save me from this tyrannie ; And let thy wisdom guide me Lord , In that last day out of the grave , Which is his flesh-consuming cave . CHAP. IV. D DAEDALUS . HE was a famous artificer ; who having killed his sisters son fled to Creta , and was intertained of King Minos , whose wife Pasiphae being in love with a Bull , or a man rather of that name , she obtained her desire of him , by the help of Daedalus , who shut her within a woodden Cow ; and she brought forth the Minotaure , or man with a Bulls head , which the King perceiving , shut the Minotaure and Daedalus with his son Icarus within the labyrinth that Daedalus had made ; but by a thread he got out , and flew away with wings which he made for himself and Icarus : who not obeying his fathers advice , but flying too neer the Sun , fell and was drowned ; the wings he used were sails and oares . THE MYSTERIES . HEll is the labyrinth unto which we were cast for our sins , by a juster Judge then Minos ; and should have bin devoured by Satan the Minotaure , had not Christ helped us out by the thread of his word , and wings of faith . 2. They that give themselves to unlawfull pleasures , with Pasiphae , shall bring forth that Monster which will devoure them . 3. Daedalus made this labyrinth , and was cast into it himself ; so the wicked are caught in their own nets , and fall into the pit which they dig for others . 4. Daedalus was guiltie of murther , therefore is justly pursued , for murther is never secure . 5 Icarus is justly punished for refusing to hearken to his fathers counsell , a good lesson for all children . 6. Let us take heed of curiositie , pry not too much into the secrets of God , least we have Icarus his reward ; for all human reason is but waxen wings . 7. Here we see for the most part that young men are high-minded and proud , but pride alwayes hath a fall . 8. Astronomers , and such as will undertake to foretell future contingencies , or will take upon them such things as passe humane power , are like Icarus ; they fall at last into a Sea of contempt and scorn . 9. The golden mean is still best , with what wings soever we flye ; whether with the wings of honour , or of wealth , or of knowledge and speculation ; not to flye too high in pride , nor too low in basenesse . 10. If we will fly to Christ with the wings of faith , we must not mount too high in presumption , nor fall too low by desperation . 11. We see by Pasiphae , that a dishonest , and disloyall woman , will leave no means unattempted , to fulfill her lustfull and wanton desires . 12. Many women are like Pasiphae , outwardly they seem to be mortified , having the skin of a dead Cow , or woodden cover ; but within they burne with wanton lusts . He who hath Faith's swift wings to flye Out of the labyrinth of sin , In pride will neither soare too high , Nor flye too low , lest he fall in The sea of desperation ; He knows the golden mean is best . Or if he with the pinion Of honour flyes ; or if he 's blest With Fortunes wing , hee 'l alwayes hold The middle way ; and when he flyes With mounting thoughts , he 'l not be bold In needlesse curiosities . On that bright lamp he will not stare , Nor draw too nigh with waxen wings Of humane reason , but forbear To pry into transcendent things . What mortall blear-eye can abide The splendour of those flaming rayes , From which the purest Angels hide Their faces ; O who knows his wayes , Whose light is inaccessible ; Whose paths in the deep waters lye , Whose wayes are all unsearchable , Whose judgements no man can discry . O that I had Faiths nimble wing , To cut this airy region , Away how quickly would I spring Out of this sinfull dungeon ; Where Satan that great Minotaure Lyes feeding on the souls of men ; Lord let him not my soul devoure , But raise me out of his black den : For none can furnish me with wings , But thou alone , whose mighty pow'r Exceedeth all created things . And thou can'st kill the Minotaure . Lord guide me in my flight , lest I Should flye too low in vain desire Of earthly things , or least too high In proud conceits my heart aspire . I crave not honours airy wing , For golden Feathers I 'le not call : And if I flye not with a King , Then with a King I shall not fall : High hils , tall trees , and lofty towers , To storms and windes are subject more Then vallies , shrubs , and poor mens bowers ; The mean estate give me therefore . Each fall doth answer his ascent ; The highest elevations Of Planets in the firmament , Have lowest declinations . DEUCALION . HE was the son of Promethus and Pandora , a just and religious man , who was the first that built a temple to the Gods , when the earth was drowned ; he and Pyrrha his wife were saved on Pernassus ; and being advised by Themis they flung behinde them the bones of mother earth , that is , stones , and they became men and women , with which the earth was again peopled . THE MYSTERIES . BY the circumstances of the dove which Deucalion sent out , and by the ark in which he was saved , it is plain , the scripture hath been used in the contriving of this fiction . 2. Deucalion may be the tipe of a minister ; he must be the son of Prometheus , and of Pandora , that is , he must have both prudence and forecast , as also all gifts fit for his function ; his name should be Deucalion , which may be made of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , to moisten or water , and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to call ; for their office is , to water the barrē ground of mens hearts , & to call them to repentance & grace ; they must be just as Deucalion was , and build up the living temple of God ; they must strive to save both thēselves & others from the floud of Gods wrath ; and if others will not be saved , yet let them do their dutie , and be Deucalions still , and so they shall save them-selves when others shall perish ; Pyrrha , which may be derived from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , must be their wife ; that is , they must have the fire of Zeal ; and Gods word must be in their mouth like a fire to burne up the chaffe ; Pernassus the hill of the Muses must be their place of retreat and aboad ; without universitie learning they are not fit to save themselves and others , and when they come down from Pernassus , or come abroad out of the universities they must strive , of stones to raise up children to the God of Abraham ; and they must fling behinde them all earthly and heavie burthens , forgetting that which is behinde , and striving to that which is before , and so they shall make the stony hearts of men , hearts of flesh . 3. By this fiction , the Gentiles might have taught themselves the doctrine of the resurection ; for if stones cast on the ground could become men ; why should they not beleeve that a our bodyes fallen to the earth , shall in the last day resume their ancient forme , by the power of him who first gave it . 4. Magistrates and such as would bring rude and barbarous people to civilitie , and of stones to make them men , must have the perfections of Deucalion ; prudence , religion , justice , &c. Themis or justice must be their counsellor , without which nothing should they do ; but chiefly let them take heed of couetousnesse ; they must cast the love of earthly things behinde them ; and so they shall make men of stones , that is , men will be content to forsake their stonie caves and rocks , and will frame themselves to the Citie life ; and what are men without a religion and civilitie but stones , representing in their conditions the nature of the place where they live . 5. Deucalion turned stones to men , but Idolaters , of stones make gods , such a god was Iupier lapis among the Romans , by whom they used to sweare ; and these stony gods turned the worshippers unto stones , for they that make them are like unto them , and so are all they that worship them ; the Idolater is a spirituall fornicator , commiting whoredom with the earth , which affordeth the materialls , and he brings in the forme . 6. It is not the least happinesse , to hide ones self in Pernassus amongst the Muses ; for a scholler to spend his time privatly and quietly in his studie , whilst the tumultuous floods of troubles and crosses prevail abroad in the world . 7. Here we see that God is a punisher of impietie , and a preserver of good men . 8. By Deucalion and Pyrrha may be understood water and fire , heat and moysture , of which all things are generated in the earth . The happinesse of Britain . Clap hands , O happy British clime , Thrice happy , if thou knew the time Of this thy happinesse : Wherein thou dost injoy sweet peace , With health , and freedom , and increase Of wealth and godlinesse . Thy roses and thy thistles blow , Thy fields with milk and honey flow , Thy ships like mountains trace In Neptunes watry Kingdom ; and With traffick they inrich thy land And goods from every place : From where the morning wings are spread , From where the evenings face looks red , And from the torrid Zone : And from the pole and freezing Bares , Thou furnishest thy self with wares , And with provision . Thou hast no foe to crosse thy gain , Thy Altars are not made profane With vain Idolatry : Thy Priests are cloath'd with holinesse , Thy Saints sing all with joyfulnesse , And calm security . Here each man may at leasure dine Under the shadow of his vine ; Thou hear'st no Canons rore : Thou hear'st not Drums and Trumpets sound , Dead carkasses spread not thy ground ; Thy land 's not red with goare : Thy Temples Hymns and Anthemns ring , And Panegyricks to the King Of this great Universe ; Down from thy sounding Pulpits fall Gods Word like Nectar , who can all Thy happinesse rehearse ? Sure thou art that Pernassus hill , On which Deucalion did dwell When all the earth was drown'd : So whil'st the earth now swims in blood , And men walk through in a Crimson flood , Thy head with peace is crown'd . Here all the Muses with their King , Bay-brow'd Apollo fit and fing Their envied quietnesse : So nothing's wanting as we see , To make thee blest , except it be Submissive thankfulnesse . Here we have just Deucalions Who make wise men of stupid stones , And who behinde them cast The love of earth ; whose innocence Keeps off the flood of wars from hence , So that our hill stands fast . Much of this happinesse we gain By him , whose sacred brows sustain The three-fold Diadem Of these Sea-grasping Isles , whose ground Joves brother doth not onely round , But as his own doth claim . Great God , prime author of our peace , Let not this happinesse decrease , But let it flourish still : Take not thy mercie from this land , Nor from the man of thy right hand , So shall we fear no ill . DIANA . SHee was the sister of Apollo , and daughter of Iupiter and Latona ; the Goddesse of hunting , dancing , child-bearing , virginitie ; who still dwelt in woods and on hills , whose companions were the Dryades , Hamadryades , Orades , Nymphs , &c. she was carried in a silver chariot , drawn with white staggs ; she was painted with wings , holding a Lyon with one hand , and a Leopard with the other ; on her altar men were sacrificed . THE MYSTERIES . DIana is the moone , called Apollos , or the Suns sister , because of their likenesse in light , motion and operations ; the daughter of God , brought out of Latona or the Chaos , she came out before her brother Apollo , and helped to play the midwife , in his production ; by which I thinke was meant that the night wherof the Moon is ruler , was before the day ; the evening went before the morning ; so that the Moon did as it were usher in the Sun ; therfore the Calends of the months were dedicated to Iuno , or the Moon , she hath divers a names for her divers operations , as may be seen in Mythologists ; in Macrobius she is called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , fortune , from her variablenesse , as both being subject to so many changes , and causing so many alterations . Scaliger observeth that she was called Lya , or Lua , from lues the plague , because she is the cause of infection , and diseases , by which the soul is loosed from the body ; she was called Fascelis from the bundle of wood , out of which her image was stolen , by Iphigenia Agamemnons daughter ; but I should thinke that she was called Lya , from loosing or untyjng of the girdle which yong women used to do in her temple , called therefore {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , in which temple virgins that had a minde to marrie , used first to pacifie Diana with sacrifices ; she was also called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , that is , earthly ; because they thought there was another earth in the Moon , inhabited by men ; doubtlesse in that they called her Hecate , or Proserpina . the Queen of hell , they meant the great power that she hath over sublunarie bodies , for all under the Moon may be called Infernus or Hell , as all above her is heaven ; this free from changes , that , subject to all changes ; and perhaps she may be called Hecate , from the great changes that she maketh here below , every hundreth yeere ; she may be called Diana from her divine power , Iuno , from helping , Proserpina from her creeping , for though she is swift in the lower part of her Epicycle , yet in the upper part therof she is slow ; Luna quasi vna , as being the only beautie of the night , Dyctinnis from a net , because fishers and hunters use nets , and of these she is sayd to have the charge ; for the Moon light is a help to both , they called her {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} quasi , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , from cutting the air ; Lucina , from her light ; her hunting and dancing was to shew her divers motion , for she hath more then any planet , six at least , as Clavius observes ; her virginitie sheweth , that though she is neere the earth , yet she is not tainted with earthly imperfections ; she is a help to childe-bearing , for her influence , and light when she is at full is very forcible , in the production and augmentation of things ; her conversing on hills and in woods shews that her light and effects are most to be seen there ; for all herbs , plants and trees feel her influence ; and because she hath dominion over the fiercest beasts , in tempering their raging heat by her moysture ; she holds a Lyon and Leopard in her hands , whose heat is excessive , but tempered by the Moon ; her silver chariot shews her brightnesse ; the staggs and wings do shew her swiftnesse ; and because her light increasing and decreasing appeareth like horns , therefore the Bull was sacrificed to her , as Lactantius observes ; her arrows are her beames , or influence by which she causeth death and corruption ; in respect of her corniculated , demidiated , and plenarie aspect , she is called a triformis , and trivia , because she was worshipped in places where 3 ways met , the dancing of all the Nymphs and Satyrs , shews how all take delight in her light ; her hunting is to shew how in her motion she pursues and overtakes the Sun . 2. A rich usurer is like Diana , for he is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , an earthly man , a great hunter after wealth ; who hath his nets , his bands and bills , he wounds deeply with his arrows , Proserpina and Lya ; for he creeps upon mens estates , and he brings a plague upon them ; though he dwells in rich Cities , yet his hunting and affections are set in hills and woods , that is , in farmes and mannors , which by morgages and other tricks he catches , he is caried in a silver chariot drawn with staggs ; because fearfulnesse doth still accompanie wealth , with which he is supported ; he would fain fly up to heaven with the wings of devotion , but the Lyons and Leopards in his hands with which he devoures mens estates , keeps him back . Diana was a virgin , yet helped to bring out children ; so mony though barren in it self , yet bringeth great increase ; he will not be appeased without bribes , no more then Diana ; nay many a mans estate is sacrificed upon his altar ; who doth not unloose their girdles , as in Diana's temple , but quite bursts them . 3. They that will live chast , must with Diana live on hills and woods , and use continuall exercise ; for idlenesse and great Cities are enemies to virginity . 4 Every good man should be like Diana , having the wings of divine meditation , the courage of the Lyon , and swiftnesse of the stagge , his feet should be like Hinds feet , to run in the way of Gods commandements . 5. Gods Church is the true Diana , the daughter of God , the sister of the son of righteousnesse , who is a virgin in puritie , and yet a fruitfull mother of spirituall children , whose conversation is sequestred from the world ; she is supported in the silver chariot of Gods word , in which she is carried towards heaven , being drawn with the white staggs of innocencie and feare ; she holdeth in her hands Lyons and Leopards , the Kings of the Gentiles who have suffred themselves to be caught and tamed by her ; she flieth with the wings of faith & devotiō ; and hunts after beasts , that is , wicked men , to catch them in her nets , that she may save their souls , and with her arrows to kill their sins ; Diana was midwife to bring forth Apollo ; so the Church travells in her birth , till Christ be formed in us , and brought forth in our holy lives ; and as it fared with Diana's temple , which was burned by Erostratus , so it doth with the Church , whose Temples have bin robbed , defaced , and ruinated by prophane men . Who would a chaste and constant virgin be , Must shun the worlds impure society ; And idlenesse , for want of exercise , Corrupts our limbs , and kills our souls with vice . On cloud-transcending meditations We must have still our conversations ; In Cities , chaste Diana never dwels , But in green woods , and on the airy hils : In woods she hunts wilde beasts , on hils she dances , And on her shoulder blades her bow advances : Oreades about her in a ring In measures trace the ground , and sweetly sing . Oh that I had Diana's wings , that I From tumults to these calm retreats might flye , Where she amongst her Nymphs doth reign as queen , Where Flora keeps her fragrant Magazin ; Where wood-Musitians with their warbling throats Chant forth untaught , but yet melodious notes Neer Chrystall-brested rivers ; O that I Could still enjoy this harmlesse companie , Which know not pride , nor malice , nor deceits , Nor flattery , the moth and bane of states . O that I had Diana's silver bow , To kill my beastly sins , before they grow Too savage ; if I had the nimble feet Of her two Stags , then would I be as fleet As they , to run the way of Gods commands , Then would I hold the Lyon in my hands , And Leopard ; O if I could subdue My wilde unruly fins , a savage crew . O let my weary soul be carried , Lord , In that bright silver chariot of thy Word ; And let thy fear , and milk-white innocence , Be these two Stags to draw my soul from hence . And whil'st my glasse runs in obscurity , Let me not lose my virgin purity ; And let not fair Diana , thy chaste love , Thy spotlesse Church , thy silver feather'd Dove Abuse her self with grosse idolatry , And lose the honour of virginity . Let that Ephesian perish with disgrace , Who would her Temple and her state deface : Let no Records eternize that foul name , And let it not be mention'd but with shame . CHAP. V. E ELYSIUM . THe Elysian fields were places of pleasure , in which the souls of good men after this life did converse ; enjoying all those delights , which they affected in this life . THE MYSTERIES . ELysium is a place of libertie , as the word sheweth ; for they only enjoy it , who are loosed from their bodies ; not only Poets , but scriptures also have described those heavenly joyes under earthly tearmes for our capacitie ; there is Paradise , in which is the tree of life ; there shines another Sun then here , to wit , the sun of righteousnesse , there are rivers of pleasure ; there are the flowers of all divine graces ; there is a perpetuall spring , the Musick of Angels , the supper and wedding feast of the Lamb ; the new Ierusalem , all built of pretious stones ; the fountain of living waters , all kinde of spirituall fruits ; the continuall breath of Gods spirit , &c. And as none could enter the Elysian fields , till he was purged , so no unclean thing can enter into the new Ierusalem ; the blood of Christ must purge us from all sin ; and as they must passe Acharon , Phlegeton , and other rivers of Hell , before they can have accesse to those delightfull fields , so we must passe through fire & water , troubles and persecutions , before we can enter into heaven ; and thus we see the Gentiles were not ignorant of a reward for good men , and of punnishment for the wicked . You that delight in painted meads , In silver brooks , in cooling shades , In dancing , feasts , harmonious layes , In Chrystall springs , and groves of bayes ▪ Draw neer , and I will let you see A Tempe full of majesty , Where neither white-hair'd Boreas snows , Nor black-wing'd Auster ever blows ; But sweet-breath'd Zephyr still doth curl The meads , and purest streams here purl From silver springs which glide upon Rich Pearl , and Orientall stone : Here on the banks of Rivers grows Each fruitfull tree , here Laurell groves Ne're fade ; here 's a perpetuall spring , With Nightingales the woods still ring : Meads flourish here continually In their sweet smelling Tapestry ; The Pink , the gilded Daffadilly , The shame-fac'd Rose , the white cheek'd Lilly ▪ The Violet , the Columbine , The Marigold , the Eglantine , Rosemary , Time , and Gilli-flowers , Grow without help of Sun or showers . Vines still bear purple clusters here , New wine aboundeth all the yeer . The ground exhales that pleasant smell Which doth all earthly sents excell , And this place of it's own accord Doth all these benefits afford : There needs no husbandmen to toil , And labour in this happy soil ; Rage , tyranny , oppression , Fraud , malice , and ambition , And avarice here are not known , And coals of discord are not blown , But in this blessed mansion Dwels perfect love and union . Here are no cares , nor fears , nor death , Nor any pestilentiall breath Which may infect that wholsom air , But here 's continuall dainty fare ; Ambrosia here on trees doth grow , And cups with Nectar overflow ; Tables with flowry carpets spread , Are still most richly furnished ; Drums , Trumpets , Canons roaring sounds Are never heard within these bounds ; But sacred Songs , and Jubilees , Timbrels , Organs , and Psalteries , Sackbuts , Violins , and Flutes , Harps , silver Symbals , solemn Lutes ; All these in one joyn'd harmony , With Hallelujah's pierce the sky . Here 's neither night nor gloomy cloud Which can that world in darknesse shroud ; But there 's an everlasting day Which knows no evening , or decay : There shines a Sun , whose glorious fire Shall not with length of time expire ; And who shall never set or fall In Neptunes azure glassie hall . Here are no birds or beasts of prey , Here is no sicknesse nor decay , Nor sorrow , hunger , infamy , Nor want , nor any misery ; Nor silver-headed age , which bows The back , and furrows up the brows : But here 's the ever-smiling prime , Of youth , which shall not fade with time . Mirth , plenty , glory , beauty , grace And holinesse dwell in this place . Such joys as yet hath never been By mortals either heard or seen . What tongue is able to rehearse , What Muse can sing , or paint in verse This place , to which all earthly joys Compared , are but fading toys . Sure , if I had a voice as shrill As thunder , or had I a quill Pluck't from an Angels pinion ; And if all tongues were joyn'd in one ; Yet could they not sufficiently Expresse this places dignity : Which golden feather'd Cherubims , And fire-dispersing Seraphims Have circled with their radiant wings , To keep away all hurtfull things . O thou whose glory ne'r decayes , When these my short and evil dayes Are vanish'd like a dream or shade , Or like the grasse , and flowers that fade ; Lord let my soul have then accesse Unto that endlesse happinesse , Where thy blest saints with warbling tongues Are chanting still celestiall songs ; Where winged quiresters thy praise Still Caroll forth with heavenly layes : When shall my bondage Lord expire , That I may to that place retire ? When shall I end this pilgrimage ? When wilt thou ope this fleshly cage , This prison , and this house of clay , That hence my soul may fly away ? Untye the chains , with which so fast I 'm bound , and make me free at last ; And draw aside this Canopie Which keeps me from the sight of thee ; Lord let me first see thee by grace Here ; then , hereafter face to face . ENDYMEON . HE was a fair shepherd , who falling in love with Iuno , who was presented to him in the forme of a cloud , was thrust down from heaven , into a cave , where he slept 30 years , with whom the Moon being in love came down oftentimes to visit and kisse him . THE MYSTERIES . IT is thought that Endymeon being an Astronomer , and one that first observed the divers motions of the Moon , gave occasion to this fiction , that the Moon loved him ; but I think these uses may be made of this fiction . 1. Endymeon is a rich man ; and riches make men fair , though never so deformed ; and with such the Moon , that is , the world , as unconstant as the Moon , is in love , these are the men whom the world kisses and honoreth , but when these rich Endymeons set their affections upon wealth , ( for Iuno is the goddesse of wealth ) then do they lose heaven , and fall into the sleep of securitie , saying , Soul take thy rest , thou hast store layd up for many years , with that rich farmer in the Gospell ; and so they lose their souls for a shadow , for such is wealth ; and this shadow brings upon them spirituall stupiditie , they that cannot be roused from their cave , though Gods word should shine on them as cleer as the Moon . 2. By Endymeon , Adam may be meant , who was fair whilst Gods image continued with him , but when he fell in love with Iuno , Iupiters wife , that is , affected equalitie with his maker ; he was thrust out of Paradise , into this world as unto a cave ; where he was cast into a dead sleep , or the sleep of death , from which he shall not be awaked though the Moon so often visit him , that is , so long as the Moon shall shine and visit the earth , which shall be till the dissolution of all things , man shall sleep in the grave . 3. By Endymeon may be meant these , over whom the Moon hath dominion ; for Astrologers observe , that every man is subject to one Planet , or other , more or lesse , such men then over whom the Moon ruleth are instable , subject to many changes ; nimble bodied , quick in apprehension , desirous of glory , and such a one perhaps was Endymeon ; therefore the Moon was sayd to love them ; and such because they affect hohour and popular applause , which is but air , may be sayd to be in love with Iuno , which is the air , and indeed honour is but air , or a cloud . 4. Every man may be called Endymeon , for we are all in love with air and emptie clouds , with toyes and vanities which makes us so sleepie and dull in heavenly things , and the Moon is in love with us ; changes and inconstancie , still accompanie mans life , to signifie which instabilitie of human affaires , the feast of new Moons was kept among the Iews ; and the Roman Nobilitie used to weare little pictures of the Moon on their shooes , to shew that we are never in one stay ; for which cause I thinke the Turks have the half Moon for their Armes . 5. When Endymeon , that is , mankinde slept in sin ; the Moon , that is , our Saviour Christ , ( whose flesh is compared to the Moon , a by S. Augustin , as his divinitie to the Sun ) in his flesh visited us , and dwelt amongst us , this Moon was eclipsed in the passion , and this Moon slept in the cave with Adam ; and the full of this Moon was seen in the resurrection ; this is he who hath kissed us with the kisses of his mouth , whose love is better then wine , whose light shined in darknesse , and the darknesse comprehended it not . 6. The Moon fals in love with sleepie Endymeons ; that is , carnall and sensuall pleasures , and earthly thoughts invade those , that give themselves to idlenesse , securitie , and lazinesse ; for the Moon , in regard of her vicinitie to the earth may be the Symboll of earthly mindes ; and because she is the mistris of the night , and of darknesse , the time when carnall delights are most exercised , she may be the Symboll of such delights ; and because of her often changing she may represent to us the nature of fooles , which delight in idlenesse , as the Moon did in Endymeon . 7. Endymeon in this may signifie the Sun , with whom the Moon is in love ; rejoycing , and as it were laughing in her full light , when she hath the whole veiw of him ; and every month running to him , and overtaking him , whose motion is slow , and therefore he seems to sleep in regard of her velocitie . What means the Moon , to dote so much upon The fair Endymeon ? Or why should man forsake his Soveraign good , To catch an empty cloud ? From heaven shall any man for riches fall , And lose his soul and all ? How can we sleep in such security , As that we cannot see Our dangers , nor that lamp , whose silver ray Drives black-fac'd night away ? What madnesse is 't for thee to lose thy share Of heaven , for bubling air Of honour , or of popular applause , Which doth but envie cause , And which is nothing but an empty winde , That cannot fill the minde ; How changable is man in all his wayes , Now grows , anon decayes ; Now cleere , then dark , now hates , anon affects , Still changing his aspects . Much like the Moon , who runs a wandring race , And still doth change her face . But Lord give me strait paths , and grant to me The gift of constancie : And quench in me , I pray , the sinfull fire Of lust , and vain desire . Be thou the onely object of my soul , And free me from the hole Of ignorance and dead security ; O when shall I once see The never fading lustre of thy light , To chace away my night ; The golden beauty of thy countenance To clear my conscience . O Lord , thou cam'st to rouze Endymeon Out of his dungeon , Wrapp'd in the black vail of Chimerian night , Who could not see the light Of Moon or Star , untill thou didst display Thy all-victorious ray ; Brighter then is fair Phoebe's glitt'ring face , Which is the nights chief grace , Whose silver light , as sometimes it does wain , And then it primes again : So was thy flesh eclipsed from it's light By Pluto's horrid night , And muffled for a while from that bright eye Of thy Divinity . But when black deaths interposition Was overcome and gone , The silver orb of thy humanity Did shine more gloriously , Then when the white-fac'd empresse of the night Shines by her brothers light . O rouze me from my drousinesse , that I May see thy radient eye Which pierceth all hearts with its golden beams , From which such glory streams That all the winged Legions admire ; Lord warm me with thy fire , And stamp the favour of thy lips on mine , Whose love exceeds new wine ; Then will I sing uncessantly thy praise , And to thy honour will due Trophees raise . ERYCHTHONIUS . THis was a monster , or a man with Dragons feeet , begot of Vulcans seed shed on the ground , whilst he was offering violence to Minerva the virgin ; which monster notwithstanding was cherished by Minerva , and delivered to the daughter of Cecrops to be kept , with a caution , that they should not look into the basket to see what was there ; which advice they not obeying , looked in and so grew mad , and broke their own necks . THE MYSTERIES . VUlcan shedding his seed on the ground , is the elementarie fire , concurring with the earth , in which are the other two elements , and of these all monsters are procreated ; and by Minerva , that is , the influence of heaven or of the Sun , cherished and fomented , though not at first by God produced , but since Adams fall , and for the punishment of sin . 2. Vulcan offering wrong to Minerva , is that unregenerate part of man , called by the Apostle , the law of our members , rebelling against the law of the minde ; of which ariseth that spirituall combate and strife in good men , which is begun by the flesh , but cherished and increased by the spirit , till at last the spirit get the victorie . 3. Minerva , that is , he that makes a vow to live still a virgin , must look to have the fierie Vulcan of lust to offer him violence , and so he shall never be free from inward molestation and trouble ; therefore better marrie then burne ; and if he intertains any unchast thoughts , though his bodie be undefiled , yet he is no pure virgin , as Lactantius a sheweth , that Minerva was not , because she cherished Erychthonius ; therefore an unchast minde in a chast body , is like Minerva fomenting Vulcans brat ; he is a pure virgin , sayth a S. Hierom , whose minde is chast , as well as his body ; and this he ingeniously confesseth was wanting in himself . 4. Minerva , that is , wisdom , hath no such violent enemie as Vulcan , that is , firie anger , which doth not only overthrow wisdom in the minde for a time , for it is short fury ; but is also the cause of Erychthonius , that is , of all strife and contention in the world . 5. War is a firie Vulcan , an enemie to learning or Minerva ; the cause of Erychthonius , of monstrous outrages and enormities ; and oftentimes fomented by seditious schollers , and learning abused . 6. Erychthonius is a covetous man , as the world shews ; for {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is contention , and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is the earth , and what else is covetousnes but a presumptious desire of earthly things , and the cause of so much strife and contention in the world ; this monster came of Vulcan the god of fire , that is of Satan the god of this world , who reigns in the fire of contention , and in the fire of Hell , and is fomented by Minerva the soul , which is the seat of wisdom . 7. Tertullian b sayth , that Erychthonius is the devil , and indeed , not unfitly , for he is the father of all strife , and of avarice , he hath a mans wisdom , or head to allure us to sin , but a Dragons feet to torment us in the end for sin ; whosoever with delight shall look on him , shall at last receive destruction . 8. Let us take heed we pry not too curiously in the basket of natures secrets , lest we be served as Cecrops daughters , or as Pliny and Empedocles were . 9. A Magistrate or Governour must be like Erychthonius , who was himself King of Athens ; he must be both a man and a Dragon ; if the face of humanitie and mercy will not prevail , then the Dragons feet of vigour and justice must walk . 10. If any firy or chollerick Vulcan shall offer us wrong , we must wisely defend our selves with Minerva ; and conceal the injury & our own grief , as she did Erychthonius . 11. Though the preserving and cherishing of Vulcans childe is no certain proof that Minerva lost her virginitie , neither did shee lose it though Vuloffred her violence , because there was no consent ; yet it becoms all , chiefly virgins to aovid both the evil & the occasion therof , that there may be no supition , 1. Why Vulcans fire With Vesta did conspire , To make the monster Erychthonius : It was because Man would not keep Gods Laws , But run the course that was erroneous . 2. There was no hell , Nor death till Adam fell , Nor monster , or deformed Progeny : Minerva's thigh , Nor Sols resplendant eye Did neither cherish , nor such monsters see . 3. Now Vulcan sues Minerva to abuse , And to pollute her pure virginity : So doth the coal Of lust inflame my soul ; The flesh against the spirit strives in me . 4. O if my minde . Could peace and freedom finde From inward broils , and Vulcans wanton eye ! O if the fire Of lust , and all desire Of earthly things in me would fade and dye ! 5. My soul is vext , And too too much perplext With angers , fear , and fiery violence ; Which breeds in me Much strife continually That darkneth both my judgement and my sence . 6. And how shall I Resist the tyrannie Of Vulcan , if I have not arms of strength ? Therefore , O Lord , Lend me thy conquering sword , That I may be victorious at length . EUMENIDES . THese were the 3 furies , the daughters of Pluto and Proserpina , or of hell , darknesse , night , and earth ; in heaven they were called Dirae , in earth Harpiae , in hell Furiae , they had snakes in stead of hairs , brasen feet ; torches in one hand , and whips in the other , and wings to fly with . THE MYSTERIES . COmmonly these 3 furies are taken for the tortures of an evill conscience , proceeding from the guilt of sin , they cause feare , and furie , as the word Erinnys signifieth ; hell is the place of their aboad , and where they are , there is hell ; the tortures wherof are begun in the conscience of wicked men . 2. There are three unruly passions in men , answering to these three furies ; covetousnesse is Alecto , which ●ever giveth over seeking wealth , and indeed this is the greatest of all the furies , and will not suffer the 〈…〉 r to eat & injoy the goods that he hath gotten ; a 〈…〉 riarum maxima , juxta accubat , et manibus p 〈…〉 contingere mensas ; this is a Harpie indeed , 〈…〉 ly delighting in rapine , but polluting every t 〈…〉 hath ; b contracting omnia faedat immund 〈…〉 may be called Iupiters dog , or rather a dog 〈…〉 manger , neither eating himself , nor suffering others to eat ; the other furie is Megaera , that is , en●●● , full of poyson and snakie hairs ; the third is Tisiphone , which is inordinate anger , or a revengefull dispositiō ; the burning torch , and wings shew the nature of anger ; all these have their begining and being fr●● Hell , from darknesse and night , even from Satan , and the two-fold darknesse that is in us , to wit , the ignorance of our understanding , and the corruption of our will ; but as the Furies had no access unto Apollo's temple , but were placed in the porch c ultricesque sedent in lumine Dirae , although otherwayes they were had in great veneration ; so neither have they accesse unto the minds of good men , which are the temples of the holy Ghost . 3. Gods three judgements which he sends to punish us , to wit , plague , famine , and sword , are the three furies ; a Megaera , is the 〈…〉 t sweeps and takes away multitudes ; the fa 〈…〉 lecto , which is never satisfied ; and the 〈…〉 Tisiphone , a revenger of sin , and a murtherer ▪ ●●●se have their seat in hell , as they are sent from , 〈…〉 ed by Satan , and in heaven also , as they are 〈…〉 y God , without whose permission Satan can 〈◊〉 nothing ; they may be called b Harpies , as the furies were ; because they snatch and carry all things h●ad-long with them ; and , Dirae quasi dei irae , being the effects of Gods anger , they are Iupiters dogs , the ●●●cutioners of Gods wrath , and devourers of sinn●●s ; they come swiftly with wings , and tread hard with their brasen feet ; the plague is the snake that poysoneth , the famine is the torch that consumeth and burneth , the sword is the whip that draweth blood . 4. Ministers should be c Eumenides , that is , gracious , benevolent , of a good minde , as the word signifieth , being properly taken ; they should have the wisdom of Serpents in their heads , the torch of Gods Word in one hand , the whip of Discipline in the other ; the wings of contemplation , and the brasen feet of a constant and shining conversation . See how the grim-fac'd hags from Hells black lake Ascend , and all their hissing tresses shake : They look as fearfull as their mother night , Their black flam'd torches yeeld a dismall light : Who rais'd these monsters from hot Phlegeton , These ghastly daughters of sad Acharon To torture men ; hark how their lashes sound , See how they poyson men , and burn and wound . Alas , we can accuse none but our selves , We are the raisers of these dreadfull elves , And we 'r the cause of all the misery That fals on us and our posterity . Our sin , alas , procures us all our woe , Sin makes our dearest friend our greatest foe : Almighty God , whose high-born progeny We are , is now become our enemy , And he gives way to these infernall hounds To roame abroad , and rage beyond their bounds . Gold-fingred avarice , with yawning jaws , And piercing eyes , and ever-scraping claws : Whose heart like bird-lime clings to every thing It sees , and still is poor in coveting : Flyes over all , and which ( the more 's the pitie ) Hath poyson'd both the Country and the City ; A greedy dog , that 's never fill'd with store , But eating still , and barking still for more . The cryes and grones of poor men wrong'd , can tell That this devouring fury came from hell . Then pale-fac'd , squint-ey'd , black-mouth'd envie flyes , And with her sable wings beats out mens eyes , That they cannot on vertues glitt'ring gold Look cheerfully , nor good mens works behold . Like Owls they see by night , black spots they spy , Then run their tongues on wheels of obloquy , But have not eyes to see the shining day Of goodnesse ; nor good words have they to say . This fury is the bane of each good action , And is the spightfull mother of detraction : She blasts the bads and blossomes of true worth , And chokes all brave atchievements in their birth . Her pestilentiall breath , her murth'ring eye , Her slandring tongue which goodnesse doth belye ; Her whip , and torch , and crawling looks can tell , That she 's one of those hags that came from hell . Then raging anger with a scarlet face , And flaming eyes , and feet that run apace To shed mans blood , who for a harmlesse word Will make thy heart a scabberd for her sword ; Whose heart is alwayes boyling in her brest , And whose revengefull thoughts are ne're at rest . The panting breath , the trembling lip , the eyes Sparkling with fire , the grones and hideous cryes : The stammering tongue , the stamping foot of those That are possess'd with these infernall foes , May let us see , that when there 's so much ire Without , the heart within is set on fire . By that sulphurious torch of Tisiphon , Kindled with flames of fiery Phlegeton ; The cry of so much blood shed in this age , Doth shew how much these hellish monsters rage . These are the hellish furies , but from them Swarm multitudes , which now I cannot name ; As pride , theft , lust , bribes , rapes , ambition , And sacriledge , drunkennesse , oppression : And thousands more which I cannot rehearse , And , if I could , I would not put in verse This damned crue ; these furies causes are That we are scourg'd , with famine , plague , and war : Famine with meagre cheeks , and hollow eyes , Lank belly , feeble knees , and withred thighs , Doth often by th'Almighties just command , Rage , roare , and domineer within our land . The wasting plague with sudden unseen darts Invades the stourest , and assaults their hearts ; And with a secret fire dryes up the bloud , And carries all before her like a flood . How often doth this spotted fury rage , With pale-fac'd horrour on this mortall stage , And makes our Towns and Cities desolate , And doth whole countries too depopulate : But War the barbarous mistresse of disorders , How doth she rage within our Christian borders ? Good God , who can without a briny flood Of tears , behold the losse of so much bloud ? Who can , but such whose hearts are made of stones , Hear ( with dry eyes ) the mournfull sighs and grones , The screechings , yellings , roarings of all ages , Weltring in blood , where this grim monster rages : Temples profan'd , maids ravish'd , Cities raz'd , And glory of Christs kingdom thus defac'd ; Where ought to raign peace and tranquillity , With love , and goodnesse , truth , and civility . And then to see the Turk that barbarous Lord , Inlarge his horned Moon by our discord , And daily to insult on Christs poor sheep , These things would make a Niobe to weep . O turn for shame your fratricidall swords Into the sides of those proud Scythian Lords , Who rais'd themselves by our unhappy fall , And now aim at the ruine of us all . Recover once again your ancient glories , And make your valour Themes of future stories . Alas , I may with tears expresse my grief , Which hath a tongue to speak , but no relief : Except , O thou that art the God of wars , Compose in time our too too civill jars . We grant , O Lord , thy plagues we have deserved , Who have so often from thy precepts swerved ; And that of thee we should be quite sorlorn , And be the objects of contempt and scorn : But Lord , let not thy wrath for ever burn , Remember those that now in Sion mourn : And save us though we have deserv'd thy stroke , And keep us from the proud imperious yoke Of Ottomans , who like dogs lap our blood , And take our flesh like Canibals for food . And Lord preserve in constant union The little world of this our Albion ; Inlarge his life , who doth inlarge our peace , And make his glory with his life increase : That being mounted on the wings of fame , This age may see his worth , the next admire his name . CHAP. VI . F FORTUNA . SHee was the daughter of Oceanus , and servant of the gods , a great goddesse her self , in sublunarie things ; but blinde , and carried in a chariot drawn by blinde horses , she stood upon a globe having the helme of a ship in one hand , and the horn of plentie in the other , and the heaven on her head . THE MYSTERIES . FOrtune is either an unexpected event , or else the hid cause of that event ; the blinde Gentiles made her a blinde goddesse , ruling things by her will , rather then by counsell ; therefore they used to raile at her , because she favoured bad men , rather then good ; and called her blinde , as not regarding mens worth ; but I think , that the wiser sort , by fortune understood Gods will or providence ; which the Poet a calls omnipotent , and the Historian , the ruler of all things ; she may be called fortuna quasifortisuna , being only that strong ruler of the world ; she had many temples at Rome , and many names ; she stood upon a Globe , to shew her dominion of this world , and the heaven on her head , did shew that there is her begining ; the helm & the horn of plentie in her hands , are to shew , that the government of this world , and the plenty we injoy is from this divine providence ; and though they called her blinde , yet we know the contrarie , for she is that eye which seeth all things , and a far off , and before they are , as the word providētia signifieth ; therefore they called her , and her horses blinde , because they were blinde themselves , not being able to know the wonderfull wayes and secret ends of this providence , why good men should here live in affliction and miserie , and the wicked in honor and prosperitie ; wheras they should have known , as some of the wiser men did , that no miserie could befall a good man , a because every hard fortune doth either exercise , amend , or punish us ; he is miserable , saith Seneca , b that never was miserable ; they are miserable who are becalmed in the Sea , not they who are driven forward to their haven by a storm ; a surfeit is worse then hunger ; but see himself speaking excellently to this purpose ; therfore they had no reason to rail at Fortune when she crossed them ; for to a good man all things fall out for the best ; yet in good sence Gods providence may be called blinde , as Justice is blinde ; for it respecteth not the excellencie of one creature above another , but Gods generall providence extendeth it self to all alike , to the worme as well as the Angel ; for as all things are equally subject to God in respect of casualitie , so are they to his providence ; he is the preserver of man and beast , his Sun shineth , and his rain falleth upon all alike ; now the 4 horses that draw fortune , are the four branches of providence , whereby Gods love is communicated to us ; to wit , creation , preservation , gubernation , and ordination of all things to their ends . In that they called fortune the daughter of the Sea ; by this they would shew her instabilitie still ebbing and flowing like the Sea ; therefore they made her stand upon a wheel , and she was called in a common by-word fortuna Euripus , a because of the often ebbing and flowing therof , I grant , that as one and the same effect may be called fortune and providence ; fortune in respect of the particular cause , but providence in regard of the first , and generall cause , which is God ; so the same may be called instable in respect of the particular cause , but most stable in respect of God , with whom there is no variablenesse , nor shadow of turning ; though contingent causes produce contingent effects , yet nothing is contingent to God , for all things come to passe which he foreseeth , and yet his foreknowledge imposeth no necessity on contingent things , but indeed we are instable our selves and evil , and we accuse fortune of instabilitie and evill ; a good man may make his fortune good ; quisque suae est fortunae faber , I have read that in some places fortune was wont to be painted like an old woman , having fire in one hand and water in the other ; which I thinke did signifie that providence doth still presuppose prudence , wherof old age is the Symbol , and because of the mutable and various effects of fortune , she was represented by a woman , the Symbol of mutabilitie ; but the Romans upon better consideration , made her both male and female , to shew , that though the particular and secondary causes , of fortunall effects be various and unconstant like women , yet the supreme cause hath the staidnesse of a man ; the fire and water shews , that our firie afflictions ( which fall not without Gods providence ; ) are so tempered with water of mercy , that though they burne good men , yet they consume them not ; as we are taught by Moses fierie bush , and the furnace of Babylon . Though fools in their grosse ignorance Stile providence A cruell stepdame , wavering , blinde , Light as the winde , Which kicks off Princes sacred Crowns , And makes them objects of her frowns . And from the dunghill raiseth drones , To sit on thrones ; And flings man like a Tennis-ball , From wall to wall : And makes a sport , to raise a Clown To honour , then to kick him down . Yet we know Providence to be That piercing eye Which sees and orders every thing That hath being ; Directing them unto that end Which God Almighty did intend . Who blesseth wicked men with wealth , And ease and health , And lets them swim in wine and oil , And know no toil ; And sets them on the pinacle Of honour , as a spectacle . What cuts with wing the liquid air , Is for the fare : What silver brooks and lakes contain , Or glassie main : What hills , and dales , and woods afford , Meet altogether on their board . Whereas the just and innocent Are pinch'd with want ; With banishment , and have no place To hide their face ; The Fox hath holes , the Bird a nest , But good men know not where to rest . Much hunted like the Pelican By wicked men , And like the Turtle sit alone , And make their mone ; And like the Owl with groning strain , To God of all their wrongs complain . But though the good mans portion here , Be whipping cheer ; Though bad men surfeit with excesse , And all possesse Their hearts can wish ; yet we from hence Must not deny Gods Providence . For he hath plac'd these men upon , A slipp'ry stone , Where they shall quickly slide and fall , And perish all ; There life shall vanish like a dream , There glory shall conclude in shame . There vain imaginary joyes , And fruitlesse toyes , Like clouds and smoke shall flye away , And so their day Shall end in darknesse , none shall know The place where these green bayes did grow . Then why should we our selves displease , To look on these , And t' envie such prosperity Which soon shall dye , And end in woe , and so be seen No more then if it had not been . Then wealth we see , and worldly state Is but a bait ; The bad mans Table 's but a snare , And all his share Of earth is but a heap of sand , On which his building cannot stand . But as the fire refines the gold , And as the cold Revives the fire ; and as in frost The stars shine most : And as the palm lifts up his crest The higher that it is opprest : So crosses and affliction Which fall upon The just , makes not their faith to fail , Nor courage quail ; Who shine , burn , sparkle , fructifie As gold , fire , stars , and the palm tree . I 'le rather have a blustring gale , And swelling sail , Then lye becalmed in the main , And ne're attain My wished port ; O let the blast Of troubles drive me home at last . That tree is strong and firmly fixt , Which is perplext With frequent storms , which when they blow , The roots below Take deeper hold ; O if I were Strong as this tree my storms to bear . The idle sword breeds rust , the cloth Begets the moth , Not worm ; the standing water dyes , And putrifies : We first must tread the Camomell , Or else it will afford no smell . The Pilots skill how can we know , Till Tempests blow ? How is that Souldiers valour seen , Which ne're had been In fight ; they scarse stout Souldiers are , That have no wound to shew , nor scar . Those Souldiers which the Generall Culls out of all His army , to attempt some great And brave exploit , Are those sure whom he means to grace With honour , and some higher place . Except we fight , there is no crown , And no renown ; Unlesse we sweat in the vineyard , There 's no reward : Unlesse we climb Mount Calvary , Mount Olivet we shall not see . God loves his sons , and them corrects Whom he respects , And whips them when they gad and roame , And brings them home , And fits them , that he may advance Them to their due inheritance . Sick men , although against their wills , Take bitter pills , And in their Feaver , think it good To part with blood ; The fire and lance they can indure , And all for an uncertain cure . All whom God means shall bear his blows , He hardneth those ; He wrestleth with these sons of his , Whom he will blesse : With Jacob if he make thee lame , He 'l blesse thee , and inlarge thy name . If in the Sea God makes our way , We must obey , And follow Moses leading wand To Jacobs land ; Through seas of blood we must all passe Unto the land of happinesse . We must drink vineger and gall , And tears withall ; With whips , nails , spears we must be torn , And Crowns of thorn : All this with Christ we must sustain , Before that we with Christ can raign . Lord , if this be thy Providence , Teach me from hence , How I may patiently drink up That deadly cup Which thy Son drank ; help me to bear His crosse , that I his Crown may weare . When thou correct'st me , quench the fire Of thy just ire , With mercies water in thy hand ; And with thy wand Divide the Sea , that I may go Where milk and honey still doth flow . If in a flaming chariot I To heaven must hye ; Lord let that flame refine me , but Consume me not : Guide thou the coach through all the nine , Still rowling arches chrystalline . CHAP. VII . G GANIMEDES . HE was the King of Troys son , who whilst he was hunting , was caught up to heaven by an Eagle , Iupiters bird ; and because of his extraordinary beautie , Iupiter made him his Cup-bearer . THE MYSTERIES . GAnimedes , is one that delights in a divine counsell or wisdom ; and wisdom is the true beautie of the minde , wherin God takes pleasure . 2. Every Eagle is not Iupiters bird , as Aelian observeth , but that onely which abstains from flesh , and rapine ; and that was the bird that caught up Ganimedes ; so fleshly mindes , and thoughts set upon rapine and carnall pleasures , are not fit to serve God , nor to carrie the soul up to heaven . 3. The quick-sighted Eagle , is divine contemplation or meditation , by which Ganimedes , the soul is caught up to heaven . 4 When by holy raptures , we are carried up to heaven , the best Nectar that we can power out to God , is the teares of repentance , and of a broken heart . 5. Ganimedes was caught up by one Eagle only ; but if we have the true inward beauty of the minde , we shall be caught up in the air by Legions of Angels , to meet the Lord , and shall for ever serve him , at his table in the Kingdom of heaven . 6. I wish that the Roman Eagle would not delight so much in rapine and mans flesh , as he doth ; but rather endeavour to be carried up to heaven , that is , o their ancient dignity , the decayed and ruinated parts of the Empire . 7. As the Eagle caught up Ganimedes , so the wings of a great Eagle were given to the woman , Revel. 12. to carry her from the Dragons persecution ; the great Eagle was the Roman Empire , whereof Constantine was the head , by whose power and help the Church was supported . 8. Our Saviour Christ is the true Ganimedes , the son of the great King , the fairest among the sons of men , the wisdom and counsell of the father , in whom God delighted , and was well pleased , who by the power , and on the wings of his Divinity , was caught up to heaven , where he is powring out his prayers and merits before God for us ; and like Aquarius ( to which Ganimedes was converted ) is powring down the plentifull showers of his grace upon us . 9. Vespasian set up the image of Iupiter and Ganimedes , caught by the Eagle in the Temple of peace ; so the image of God , and heavenly raptures , are found in that soul wherein is the peace of conscience . 10. As the Eagle carried Ganimedes , so Moses compareth God to an Eagle , who carried the Israelites on his wings through the desert ; and S. Ambrose saith , that a Christ is the Eagle who hath caught man from the jaws of Hell , and hath carried him up to heaven . God is a substance immateriall , Whose love is not like ours ; we dote upon The peeling , shell , and outward fashion Of things , but Gods love is spirituall : The inward beauty he affects , And outward vanity rejects ; A pleasing look , a velvet skin , Are toyes he takes no pleasure in . Did Roses in our cheeks , and Lillies dwell , And were our dangling tresses gold , our eyes Like twinkling Tapers in the rowling skies , And did our breath like fragrant gardens smell ; Yet if we be not fair within , But if our souls be stain'd with sin ; For all our outward form , we are But like the painted Sepulchre . Although our lips were like a Chrystall spring , From which flow streams of sweetest Eloquence , Which ravisheth the heart , and charms the sence ; And though our tongues could like a Cymball ring : Yea , though the richest Magazine Of graces could in us be seen ; Yet if within we be but fair , God will not for our outside care . He is the fairest Ganymede , whose minde Is pure and fair , whose heart is white as snow , Whose thoughts in whitenesse doth the Swans out-go , Whose life is bright as gold that is refin'd : He who hath these perfections , Shall flye on Eagles pinions , And shall be mounted far above All earthly things to serve great Jove . But Christ is he whose beauty far excells The fading beauty of our humane race , And from whose lips flow silver streams of grace , In whom all goodnesse and perfection dwels ; He was a harmlesse spotlesse Dove , The Center of his Fathers love ; The object of my chief desires , And he in whom my soul respires . Who on the wing of his Divinity Was elevated far above our sight , And now inhabits that eternall light Which with our mortall eyes we cannot see ; He Nectar of his merit pow'rs Before his Father , and down show'rs On us his graces from above , Out of the bottles of his love . O if some cloud-dividing Eagle would Under my feet spread forth his airy wings ; And lift my minde from these inferiour things , That I my God in glory might behold : Lord let my prayer pierce the skies , And from the bottles of mine eyes Receive the Nectar of my tears , And drink them with thy gracious ears . O if I could with Eagles pinions cleave The highest clouds , and with their piercing eye Could my Redeemer in his glory see , Triumphing over death , and o're the grave : And as the Eagles do repair To places where dead bodies are ; So where thy flesh is , Lord let me Resort , that I may feed on thee . And when my soul shall leave this house of clay , Command thy winged Messengers ( who still Are ready to obey thy blessed will ) To be my soul-supporters in that day : And in the Resurrection , When soul and body meets in one , Let them uphold me then and there , Where I shall meet thee in the air . GENII . THese were the sons of Iupiter and Terra in shape like men , but of an uncertain sex , every man had two from his nativitie waiting on him , till his death ; the one whereof was a good Genius , the other a bad ; the good ones by some are called Lares , the bad Lemures ; and by Tertullian , and his Commentator Pamelius they are all one with the Daemones ; they were worshipped in the forme of Serpents . THE MYSTERIES . GEnius a gignendo , for by them we are ingenerated ; and so whatsoever is the cause or help of our generation , may be called Genius ; thus the elements , the heavens , the stars , nature , yea the God of nature in whom we live , move , and have our being , may be called Genii ; in a large sence , and Genii quasi Geruli , a gerendo vel ingerendo , from supporting us , or from suggesting good & bad thoughts into the mind ; therfore gerulofiguli in Plautus , is a a suggestor of lyes , and so by these Genii may be understood , the good and bad Angels which still accompanie us , and by inward suggestion stir us up to good or evill actions . The form of Serpents , in which the b Geni were worshipped , doth shew the wise and vigilant care , which the Angels have over us ; when after this life they punish us for sins , they are called c Manes Therefore the Genii were painted with a platter full of flowers and garlands in one hand , and a whip in the other ; to shew that they have power both to reward & punish us . They have oftentimes appeared in the forme of men , therefore they are painted like men , but they have no sex , nor do they procreate ; for which cause perhaps the fruitfull Palm tree was dedicated to them , with which also they were crowned ; & because they were held of a middle kind , between Gods and men , they were called the sons of Iupiter and earth ; or rather in reference to Plato's opinion , which held Angels to be corporeall ; our souls also are Genii , which from our birth to our death , do accompanie our bodies ; every mans desire and inclination may be called his Genius , to which it seemes the Poet alluded saying , an sua cuique deus fit dira cupido , and perhaps Aristotles intellectus agens , is all one with Plato's Genius , for without this we have no knowledge ; because the passive intellect depends in knowledge , from the active , in receiving the species from it ; which by the active intellect is abstracted from time , place , and other conditions of singularitie ; and this is all one , as if we should say we receive no information of good or evill , but from our Genius ; and as the Gentiles beleeved the stars to be Genii , so the Jews thought them to be Angels , and that they were living creatures , therefore they worshipded them , called them the hoast of heaven ; but indeed Christ is our true Genius , the great Angel who hath preserved and guarded us from our youth , by whom we are both generated & regenerated , the brasen Serpent ; from whom we have all knowledge , who alone hath power to reward and punish us ; who appeared in the forme of man ; and in respect of his 2 natures was the son of Iupiter and Terra , of God and earth ; and who will never forsake us , as Socrates his Genius did him at last ; who came not to affright us , or to bring us the message of death , as Brutus his Genius did to him ; but to comfort us , and to assure of eternall life ; let us then offer to him the sacrifice not of blood , crueltie , or oppression ; which the Gentiles would not offer to their Genius , thinking it unfit , to take away the life of any creature that day , in which they had received life themselves ; but let us offer the wine of a good life , and the sweet fumes of our prayer ; a and let us not offend this our Genius , or deprive him of his due ; but make much of him , by a holy life ; and though the Gentiles assigned unto every man his Genius , and Iuno to the women ; yea we know that Christ is the Saviour and keeper both of men and women , & that with him there is no difference of sex . To what high dignity and place Hath God advanc'd our humane race , To whose beak and command He did subdue all things that creep , And flye within the air and deep , And move upon dry land . Besides , heavens blessed Harbingers , Gods nimble-winged Meslengers , Are with a watchfull eye By his appointment to defend Us from all hurt , and to attend On us continually . Lord send to me these winged Posts , And guard me with these heavenly hoasts From Satans pollicies : And let them with their shady wings Protect me from all hurtfull things , And from mine enemies . And let this hoste in squadrons flye Before me ; Lord unclose mine eye , That I may see my guard : How with their Tents they me inclose , And how they fight against my foes , And keep their watch and ward . And let these be my Tutors to Instruct my minde , what it must do , And how it must obey : O by these sacred Pursuvants Shew me thy just commandements , And guide me in my way . And let these comforters asswage The pains of this my pilgrimage In my last agony ; Let these swift-winged Legions , Through all the starry regions My soul accompany . And when the trump Angelicall Shall sound , which must awake us all , And raise us from our dust ; Let these intelligences bring Me to the presence of my King , And place me with the just . O thou great Angel , who hath still Been my protector from all ill , Even from mine infancie : Whom winged Heralds all adore With covered face , be evermore A God and guide to me . Thy help I did depend upon When I was but an Embryon , Thou took'st the charge of me , And when I suck't my mothers brest , And ever since , thou hast profest That thou my God wilt be . O let me not go then astray , Or with my sins drive thee away , Or misbehaviour ; But as thou hast been still to me A Guardian , so cease not to be My God and Saviour . Inspire me with thy good motions , That with my best devotions I may thee feed and feast : I have prepar'd the sweet incense Of prayers , and wine of innocence ; Come then and be my guest . GIGANTES . GIants were hairie , and snakie footed men of a huge stature , begot of the blood of Caelus , and had earth for their mother ; they made war against Iupiter , but were overcome at last by the helpe of Pallas , Hercules , Bacchus , and Pan ; and were shot through by Apollo's and Diana's arrows . THE MYSTERIES . IF by Gyants we understand winds and vapors , they have the Earth for their mother , and Heaven for their father ; they are bred in the belly of the earth , & are begot of the raine , which may be called the blood of heaven ; they may be sayd to war against Iupiter ; when they trouble the air ; and they were shot with Apollo's and Diana's arrows : when the beames and influence of the Sun and Moon do appease and exhaust them . 2. Notorious prophane men are Gyants , and are begot of blood ; to shew their cruell dispositions ; and of earth because they are earthly minded : their hairie bodyes and snakie feet , do shew their rough , savage , and cunning disposition ; they war against Iupiter , when they rebell against God with their wicked lives ; but Hercules and Pallas , strength and wisdom overcome and subdue such monsters ; and oftentimes they are overthrown by Bacchus and Pan , that is , by wine and musick ; drunkennesse and pleasure , at last prove the bane of these Gyants . 3. Rebellious Catelins , who oppose authoritie , are harie snakie footed Gyants , of a sanguinarie and cunning disposition , warring against Magistrates ; which are Gods ; but at last come to a fearfull end . 4. Arius , and all such as appose the divinitie of Christ , are like these Gyants warring against God ; but are overthrown with the thunder and arrows of Gods word . 5. Let us take heed as S. Ambrose a exhorts us , that we be not like these Gyants , earthly minded , pampering our flesh , and neglecting the welfare of our soules ; and b so fall into contempt of God and his ordinances ; if we doat too much on earth , wee shew that she is our mother ; and that she is too much predominant in us ; if we think to attain heaven , and yet continue in sin and pleasure ; we mount our selves upon ambitious thoughts , and do with the Gyants imponere Pelion Ossae , climbe up on those high conceipts , to pull God out of His Throne . O how the serpent-footed Giants are Increased every where , Opposing God , and all his Ordinances , And on high pitch'd fancies Scale heaven , and fain would pull the holy one Down from his Chrystall throne . They study to intrap and circumvent The just and innocent ; Their chief delight is in rebellion , Rapine , oppression ; They hunt , and vex , and persecute the good , They shed and drink their blood ; They rent the Church of Chtist with Heresies , They belch out blasphemies Against the son of that fair mother-maid ; By whom the world was made ; Who lodg'd within that maiden-cherubin Nine moneths to purge our sin ; From whose mouth issues out the two-edg'd sword Of his unconquered word , With which he will cut off , and quite subdue That proud and barbarous crue ; Great master-Gunner of heavens Ordinance , Which makes thy lightnings glance , And shakes earths pillars with loud roaring thunders : Great Architect of wonders , Fling down thy thunder-bolts , and with thy darts Pierce all the Giants hearts Which would subvert our Church , and State , and King And all to ruine bring ; Which sorrow at the peace and union Of happy Albion . Support me that I may not fall from grace , With that Aetnean race ; And that I may not set my heart upon Earth and corruption , And so neglect my soul the better part , Lord humble so my heart , That I may not so in my thoughts aspire , As to incense thine ire ; And keep me from ambitious fantasies , Proud words , and lofty eyes ; And hold me back , lest I should clamber on Cloud-neighbouring mountains of Presumption . GORGONES . These were the 3 daughters of Phoreus , whose chief was Medusa ; she preferring her fine hairs to Minervas , and profaning her Temple in playing the whore there with Neptune , had her hair turned into snakes , and her head cut off by Persius , being armed with Minerva's shield , Mercuri's helmet and wings , and Vulcans sword ; this head Minerva still wore in her shield , and whosoever looked on it was turned into a stone ; these Gorgones had fearful lookes ; but one eye , and one tooth amongst them , which continually they used as they had occasion ; they never used their eye at home , but still abroad ; when Persius had got this eye , he quickly overcame them ; they had also brasen hands and golden wings . THE MYSTERIES . Many men are like the Gorgons , they are quick-sighted abroad , but blind at home ; they spye moats in other mens eyes , but not beames in their own . 2. Satan deals with us , as Persius did with Medusa , he first steales away our knowledge , then with the more ease he destroyes our soules . 3. Wee see here in Medusa , that pride , sacriledge , and whordome shall not go unpunished . 4. From whence let us learne not to be proud of our beauty , for all beauty , like the Gorgons shall end in deformitie , and as Abolous hair and Medusas here , brought destruction on them ; so it may bring upon others ; and shall if they doat too much on it . 5. The sight of these Gorgones , turned men into stones , and so many men are bereft of their sences and reason , by doating too much on womens beauty . 6. They that would get the mastery of Satan that terrible Gorgon , must be armed as Persius was ; to wit , with the helmet of Salvation , the shield of faith , and the sword of the word . 7. Minerva by means of her shield , on which was fastned Medusas head , turned men to stones ; so the nature of wisdom is , to make men solid , constant unmovable . 8. I wish that among Christians there were but one eye of faith and religion , and one tooth , one common defence , that so they might be Gorgons indeed , and terrible to the Turks their enemies ; that with a brasen hand they might crush the Mahumetans , and with the golden wings of victorie , they might fly again over those territories which they have lost . 9. Medusa by seeing her own face in Persius his bright shield , as in a glasse , she fell into a deep sleepe , and so became a prey to Persius ; so many falling in love with themselves ; grow insolent and carelesse , and falling into the sleepe of securitie , become a prey to their spirituall enemie . 10. If a woman once loose her modestie and honor , be she never so fair , she will seeme to wisemen but an ill-favored Gorgon , he accounts her hair as snakes , her beauty as deformitie . 11. A Captain or whosoever will encounter with a snakiehaired Gorgon , that is , a subtile headed enemie , stands in need of Minerva for wisdom , of Mercurie for eloquence and expedition , and of Vulcan for courage . 12. Persius got the victorie over Gorgon by covering his face with the helmet ; that he might not be seen of her ; the best way to overcome the temptations of lewd women , is to keep out of their sight , and to make a covenant with our eyes . 13. The Gorgons are like those that live at home a private life ; and so make no use of their eye of prudence , till they be called abroad to some eminent place and publick office . 14. They that have fascinating and bewitching eyes , by which many are hurt and infected , especially yong children , may be called Gorgons , and that such are , both ancient records , experience , and reason doth teach us , for from a malignant eye , issues out infections , vapors or spirits , which make easie impressions on infants and tender natures , ; therefore the Gentiles had the goddesse of cradles called Cunina , to guard infants from fascination ; and we read that in Scythia and Pontus , were women whose eyes were double balled , killing and bewitching with their sight , these were called Bithiae and Thibiae and they used the word praefiscine , as a charme against fascination , and in Africa whole familes of these fascinating haggs were wont to be ; and Thy eyes do shine , And with divine Nectar thy lips doth flow . If thy teeth orient Pearls were , And were thy neck white ivory , If Musk , Perfume , or rosed air , Or Balm could vaporate from thee : If heav'ns best peece thou wert , Whose sweet aspect Could all subject , And maze each mortall heart . Yet shall these rare endowments all Prove in the end but vanity ; Sweet honey shall conclude in gall , And beauty in deformity ; See then you be not proud Of that which must Be laid in dust , Which Deaths black rail will shroud . Take heed likewise you dote not on Medusa's face and golden locks , For beauty hath kill'd many a one , And metamorphos'd men to Rocks : Then lest it should intice Thee , guard thy self From this strange elf , And hide thy wandring eyes . Lend me the shield of faith , O Lord , And helmet of salvation ; And with thy Word that two-edg'd sword Cut off all foul infection : Support me with thy grace , And hide mine eyes , Lest sin surprise Me with her Gorgons face . O if there were but one fair eye , Of faith , truth , and religion Amongst us , O if we could flye With conquests golden pinion ! And if we could subdue With brasen hands , Our captiv'd lands And circumcised crue . Lord with thy watchfull eye so keep Thy servant from security , That he may not be found asleep By his night-watching enemy : So with thy grace prevent me , Lest vanities My soul intice , Then in the end torment me . Great Captain of heavens winged troops , Redoubted and victorious Knight ; To whose beck man and Angel stoops , Who puts thy enemies to flight : Who lets thine arrows flye , And dies their wings In blood of Kings Who will not bow to thee ? Unsheath thy two-edg'd thundring sword , Cut off the dreadfull Gorgons head Which hath bewitch'd my soul , O Lord , And with grim looks hath struck me dead : Then will I sound thy praise , And magnifie Thy Majesty , And to thee Trophees raise . GRATIAE . THe graces were three sisters , daughters of Iupiter and Euronyme ; they were fair , naked , holding each other by the hand , having winged feet , two of them are painted looking to wards us , and one from us , they waite upon Venus , and accompanie the Muses . THE MYSTERIES . a SEneca and the Mythologists by the 3 graces understand 3 sorts of benefits some given , some received , and some returnd back upon the benefactor , two look towards us , and one hath her face from us , because a good turne is oftentimes double requited . They hold each other by the hand , because in good turnes there should be no interruption , they are naked , or as others write , their garment is thin and transparent , because bountie should stil be joyned with sinceritie , their smiling face shew that gifts should be given freely ; they are still yong because the remembrance of a good turne should never grow old ; they have winged feete , to shew that good turnes should be done quickly , bis dat qui cito dat . 2. They that will be bountifull , must take heed they exceed not , least they make themselves as naked , as the graces are painted , there is a meane in all things ; and no man should go beyond his strength ; he may be bountifull that hath Euronyme for his wife , that is , large possessions and patrimonies , as the word signifieth . 3. There be many unthankfull people who are content still to receive benefits , but never returne any ; these are they that strip the Graces of their garments , and have reduced free-harted men to povertie . 4. The Graces are called in Greek Charites a from joy , or from health and safety , and they still accompanie the Muses , Mercurie and Venus ; to shew that where learning , eloquence , and love are conjoyned , there will never be wanting true joy , health and contentment . 5. I thinke by the three Graces may be meant three sorts of freindship ; to wit , honest , pleasant , and profitable , honest and pleasant freindships , which are gtounded on vertue and delight looke toward us , because they both aime at our good , but profitable freindship lookes from us , as aiming more at her own gaine then our weale , which as Seneca sayth , is rather traffick then friendshipp , but all friendshipp should be naked , and without guile and hypocrisie like the Graces still yong and cheerefull , and still nimble and quick to helpe . 6. By the three graces I suppose also , may be meant the three companious of true love ; of which b Arist. speaks ; to wit , 1 good wil or benevolence 2 concord or consent of minds , idem velle et idem nolle ; 3 bountie or beneficence , these three like three graces looke on upon another ; and hold each other by the hand , these ought to be naked , pure , still yong ; and where these three are sound , to wit , good will , concord , and bountie , there shall not be wanting the three Graces , that is , c Thalia a flourishing estate . 2. Agliae honour or glorie . 3. Euphrosyne true joy and comfort , for these are the hand-maids of love . 7. Faith hope and charitie , are the three divine graces , pure and unspotted Virgins , daughters of the great God ; sincere and naked without guile ; looking upon on another , and so linked together , that here in this life they cannot be separated one from the other , but there positure is somewhat different from the other Graces ; for of the other , two look on us , the third hath her back to us , but in these three divine sisters , one only looketh to us , to wit , charitie ; the other two , faith and hope , fix their eyes from us upō God ; faith is Aglaia the glory and honour of a Christian , hope is Euphrosyne , that which makes him joyfull , we rejoyce in hope , and charitie , that is Thalia , which would make our christian state flourish and abound with all good things , if we would admit of her companie amongst us ; but by reason there is so little charitie , I doubt me , there is as little faith and hope ; for reject or admit of one , you reject and admit of all . O if my mournfull eyes Could from their Chrystall casements tears distill ! O if sad Elegies Dipp'd in salt fountains could drop from my quill ! O if I could in Seas of tears Drown all my sorrows and my fears ! 2. For when alas I see How these three sister-Graces sit and grone , Faith , Hope , and Charity , And weep their wrongs , and threaten to be gone From Christs poor Church , how can I chuse But mourn with this my mourning Muse . 3. Faiths cloud-transcending eye , Thick mists of Verball combates do so blinde , That scarse can she descry The light from darknesse , and scarse can she finde Her Sun ( which makes her so lament ) Shining within his firmament . 4. She makes a grievous mone , That she is wrong'd 'twixt Infidelity And Superstition , Against the Laws of Christianity ; The one with false fears makes her cry . The other would pull out her eye . 5. The swelling Pharisie Kicks her with his suppos'd perfection , And wrangling Heresie Would poyson her with strong infection ; She is despised of the Jew , And laugh'd at by the heathen-crew . 6. The wanton Libertine Hath stript her of good works , her ornaments ; And thus the fairest queen Of graces is abus'd by miscreants : Now would not this make hearts of stone Wring out a tear , and strain a grone . 7. Her sister Hope also Complains she 's wrong'd by Desperation , And by her other foe , Bold-fac'd , self-will'd Presumption ; They pull and hale with violence The Anchor of her Confidence . 8. With ghastly looks Despair , With horrid thoughts , and with blasphemous words , With uncomposed hair , Armed with poyson , halters , knives and swords , Doth threaten that she 'l choke the breath Of Hope with some untimely death . 9. And fond Presumption Belyes poor Hope , and saith that she 's the cause Of lust , ambition , Of pride , and of the breach of all Gods Laws : So th'one , Gods Mercie doth reject , The other doth his Justice check . 10. Thus Christian Hope is toss'd Between two rocks , and in the sinking sands , Her Anchor's almost lost ; Therefore she sighs , and weeps , and wrings her hands : None but whose eyes are Adamant Can see this sight , and not lament . 11. And as for Charity , How is she hiss'd at , by a barbarous croud ? And this her misery She doth lament , wrapt in a sable cloud ; And threatens that she will be gone With speed out of this freezing Zone . 12. Where black-mouth'd obloquy , And squinting self-consuming envie reigns : Where brawling loves to be , Where murther with gore blood the country stains ; Where Schisme with false opinion Disturbs the Churches union . 13. Where barbarous Mars resides Lord of mis-rule and desolation , And by whose bloody sides , Burning , rapes , ruine , rage , and oppression , Ride galloping , and furiously Tread down Laws , Arts , Civility . 14. Where discord , pride , scandall , Teeth-grinding anger , with fierce-glowing eyes , Where thefts and treasons dwell : Church-robbing , cheating , self-love , cruelties ; This is that wicked company , All enemies to Charity . 15. What wonder is it then , If Charity be sad , and discontent , And hides her self from men ? Amongst whom reigns this hellish Regiment ? How can Joves lovely daughter dwell Amongst such monsters hatcht in hell ? 16. O how my heart doth burn , And melt into a tide of tears , mine eyes ! How night and day I mourn To see such wars , such wrongs , such cruelties , And love exil'd , which was as we All know , Christ's Will and Legacie ? 17. O Lord confound all those Who would confound our peace and unity , And trample on the face Of thy three daughters , Faith , Hope , Charity , And let them in thy Church bear sway So long as evening crowns the day . 18. Lord give me Faiths cleer eye , And Hopes sure Anchor to rely upon , And hands of Charity , That I may work out my salvation ; And with this Anchor , hands and eye , Let me in peace and comfort dye . 19. And let the good ship ride Call'd Charity , securely on the main ; Be Pilot Lord , and guide Her to the cape of good Hope ; let her gain The land of promise , with the gale Of thy good Spirit fill her sail . 20. And let her Compasse be Thy Word , and with the helm of Discipline From sinfull rocks keep me , And let the Pole-star of thy truth be seen ; Let Faith the bright eye of my soul Be alwayes looking on that Pole . 21. The man of thy right hand Preserve Lord as the apple of thine eye ; And from this sinfull land Let not true love with her two sisters flye But as it's name is Albion , So in it still let all be one . FINIS . ●mprimatur April 26. 1642. THO: WYKES . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A57657e-1510 a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} robur . a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} & {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . b {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} & {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} blandus . b {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , misceo & tempero . a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} perdo {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} salvo & solvo {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} quasi {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a late●●● . b Erythraeus , i. e. ruber Actaeon splendens Lampas fulgor . Philogeus terram amans . a Vide Virgil . Geor. 1. b Cortini potens dictus Apollo . a Phaneus dictus Apollo a manifestando . b Daphne a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , Thucid. a Vide Aelian . Plin. &c. a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} optimus . b {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} latus {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} iudicium . a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . b {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . a Prov. 31. Notes for div A57657e-11800 a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . a Vel T●yades & Mimallones & bacch. . a Liber & 〈◊〉 idem . a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} mentem & {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} pungo . a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} bonus filius ; nomen Bacchi . a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , id est , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} alienum tollens . b Foedissima ventris proluvies . Notes for div A57657e-14440 a Si veteres sapientes satis hydrae dentibus , armatorum segetem inhorruisse crediderunt , &c. quanto magis credendum , &c. Ambr. de fide resurrectionis . a Nubigines bimembres . Virg. a Centauri in foribus stabulant . Virg. a Crescit amori nummi quantum , &c. a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} b Cereale papaver . Virg. a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} sano , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} sanatio . a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . a Ier. 1. 10. b Mammosa Ceres . c Sive quod gerat omnia , sive quod creat omnia . a Aen. 6. a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . a Sagitarius . a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} manus . a Passio movetur ab obiecto . a Brontes , Steropes , Harpes , Pyracmon . a In Lib. 3. Aen. a Cyclopum vita . b Resonat positis incudibus Aetna . c Invidus non videns . Notes for div A57657e-25160 a Idoneus est reficere qui fecit . Tertul. a Petrones Festo : Rupices apud Tertul. l. 1. de anima . a Iuno , Luna , Diana , Lya , Hecate , Proserpina , Dyctinnis , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , Lucina , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , Fascelis , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a Tria virginis ora Dianae . Notes for div A57657e-28120 a In Psal. 73. a De falsa religione . l. 1. c. 17. a Lib. 1. Adver. Iovini . b Lib. de spectaculis . a Aen. 6. b Aen. 3. c Aen. 8. a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . b {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . c {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . Notes for div A57657e-32830 a Aen. 8. ia omnire dominatur . Salust . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . a Boetius , l. 4. Pros. 6. b Cur bonis viris mala fiunt . a Eras. in adag. Notes for div A57657e-35000 a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . a Hominem inferni raptum faucibus portavit ad coelum . Serm. 62 a Scaliger in Fest. b Pinge duos angues , &c. c Quisq suos patimur Manes Virg. a Defraudare Genium indulgere genio . a Ambros. cap 4. Dearca & Not : & cap. 34. b Contumac● praeliantur affectu , &c. a Lib. de benef. c. 3. Phornutus de n●● . deor . Eras. in adag. Tur●eb ▪ ●dver . nat. Comes . a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . b Ethic. l. 9. c. 5. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . c {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} floridus ; {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} florens vitae status & rerū affluentia ; {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ornare seu honorare ; {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} laetū reddere .