THE INTERPRETER.

1. AChates signifieth care, or solicitude, from [...], [...]o sh [...]w th [...]t Princ [...]s and great m [...]n are never with­ou [...] ca [...]s: as Antig [...]nus told his son, when he w [...]s g [...]zing on the riches of his Di [...]dem, If (saith hee) th [...]n kn [...]w [...]st with what cares and v [...]x [...]tions thi [...] Crown is stuffed, th [...] wouldst not take it up if it w [...]re flung to thee. 2. Achates was Aenaeas his go [...]d angel, or gen [...], which had a conti­nu [...]ll care of him, and still wait [...]d on him. For the An­cients held, that [...]very man had either a good or a bad geni­us st [...]ll attending on him. Aenaeas had Achates, but T [...]nus had one of the Dirae, the daughter of Megae [...]a the Furie, which transformed her selfe into the sh [...]pe of an howl to [Page 2] wait on him before his death: so the evill genius appeared to Bru [...]us the night b [...]fore he was slain: and Saul we know was still h [...]unted with an evill sp [...]rit. 3. Achates accom­pani [...]d Aenae [...]s both in prosperity and adversity; in him we [...]ee th [...] nature of a t [...]ue fri [...]nd, which is known in affli­ction: but false and coun [...]rfeit f [...]iends, like swallows, bear us company in the su [...]mer of prosperity, but in the winter of adv [...]rsity [...]o [...] sake us. 4. Achates was A [...]nae [...]s his arm [...]ur-b [...]rer, and st [...]ll [...]u [...]nis [...]ed him with w [...]pons as hee had [...] F [...]us quae tela ge [...]e [...]at Achates, Aen. 1. Achares fuggere tela nula A [...]n. 2. So the good Angels are our [...] and armour-bearers, our swords and shields, to defend us, and hurt our enemies. 5. A [...]hates is commend­ed in the Poet for his fidelitie to Aeneas, therefore to him Aenae [...] committed his secrets: as in all servants saith and silence are required; so especially in Princes favourites: which are the two ve [...]tu [...]s that old Simo comm [...]nds in his s [...]rv [...]nt S [...]sia; In [...]e semp [...]r intellexi [...]sse sitas si [...]em & [...]aci­nonitat [...]m. 6. Achates (Aen. 6.) brings S [...]bylla the god­d [...]sse of [...] to Aenaeas: so a P [...]inces f [...]vorite should be wi [...]e, and still abl [...] and ready to give good counsell. 7. Aenaeas committed the care of his son, and the charge of hi [...] a [...]ms to Achates: the two main thin [...]s of greatest cons [...]qu [...]nc [...] in a kingdome are the education of the Kings childr [...]n, and [...]he managing of his Militia; with which he ought to trust none but A [...]ates, such as in care, fid [...]li­tie, silen [...], diligenc [...], [...]nd wisdome exceed [...]ll others: and [...]ho shoul [...] th [...]s be but his gr [...]a [...] Councell? These ought to w [...]lk ha [...]d in h [...]nd, and be p [...]rtn [...]rs in the same care.

8. Wh [...]n Ae [...] was wounded, and could not stand, hee was supported by his sonne Ascanius, and faithfull Achates:

Kings. [...], [...]ubject to e [...]rours and mortality; from [Page 3] mortalitie they are kept by their children; from errour, by their wise Councell. 9. A [...]ha [...]es [...]s the name of a pa [...]ty­coloured g [...]m. King Py [...]hus had one which naturally [...]e­presented Apollo and the nine Mus [...]s; to shew us perhaps, that wisdome and l [...]arning should still accompany Kings.

The INTERPRETER.

1. AChel [...]us was a River, and all Rivers are painted like men, with long haire, and long beards, leaning on their elbow ov [...]r a great [...]arthen pitcher of water: the hair and b [...]ard may signifie the weeds and sedges of the river: the leaning on the elbow over a pitcher of wa [...]r, sheweth that wat [...]r is h [...]avie, tending do [...]nwards, and is supported by the [...]rth, and contain [...]d within the conc [...]vities there­of: they are painted like men, because the supposed Dei­ties of the rivers appeared in the form of m [...]n: so did the god of Tyberis appear to Aenaeas, Aenaeid. 8.

2. Achelous was a river, which as all others, hath its begin­ning and increase from the Sun, the Sea, and the Earth: it was called a Serpent from the many windings th [...]reof; and a Bull, from its noise and bellowing. 3. The two horns are its two streams, the one whereof was cut off by Her­cules, [Page 4] and divided unto divers brooks, by which the countrey was enriched; and Hercule for his pains received the grea­ter increase. 4. They that strive against mighty men had need to be both Serpents in policie, and Buls in strength. 5. They who turn themselves into wanton Buls, and spend their horn, that is, their strength, on women and wine, are at last choak [...]d with melancholy and hydropicall humours. 6. If great men lose their horn, that is, their power and honour, let them redeem them with their wealth, for honour is better then money. 7. If God for thy sinnes take thy power and glory away, or thy bod [...]es strength by sicknesse, let the poo [...] patake os thy plentifull horn, and choak thy sins in the river of repentance.

The INTERPRETER.

1. ACtaeon was a proud man, for hee preferred himself to Diana, and bragged that his skill in hunting ex­ceeded hers; 'Tis a dangerous thing to speak irreverently of God: neither is there any punishment fitter for a proud man, then to be metamorphised into a beast; so was Actaeon here, so was Nebuchadnezzar in holy Writ. Hee that will not honour God▪ shall not abide in honour, but shall be like the beasts that perish. 2. Diana is the Moon, by whose light influence, and motion the Sun worketh on sublunary bodies. Dogs madnesse (by which they prove dangerous to their masters) is an effect of the Moon; which ruleth much over the brain. 3. Curiosity is dangerous; [Page 5] pry not too much into the secrets of heaven, lest with A­ [...]taeon, your understanding be taken from you, and ye be­come a prey to the beastly imaginations of your own brain. 4. Cruelty is here forbid: hee that takes delight in mur­thering of beasts, proves sometime with Nim [...]ed [...] murther­er of men; and such for want of humanity may be said to be turned into beasts, and tortu [...]ed with their owne dogs, that is, by an evill conscience. 5. Wh [...]n men neglect their estates and callings, and spend their patrimonies pro­fus [...]ly on dogs and hunting, they may be said to be de­v [...]ured by their own dogs. 6. They who suffer themselves to be abused, and th [...]ir [...]st [...]tes w [...]st [...]d by Parasites and slat­terers, not unfitly may be said to be a prey to their owne dogs. 7. They who look upon women, and lust after them, lose their reason, and are devoured by their own lusts. 8. [...]f D [...]ani's nak [...]dnesse seen unawares was the occasion of his [...]sfortune; how bl [...]me-worthy are these women, who with n [...]ked br [...]asts, immodest looks, light beh [...]viour, phan­tast [...]call attire, entice m [...]n to their d [...]struction, and of m [...]n, do metamorphose them unto beasts?

The INTERPRETER.

1. THe Atheni [...]ns had certain festivall dayes called Ado­nia, in memory of Adonis his untimely death: in thes [...] feasts the women used to carry upon bi [...]rs or hearses the image of a dead youth to the grave, with much mourn­ning [Page 6] and shedding of tears: and therefore Venus was wont to be painted in the forme of a mournfull woman shedding of tears, with a vail over her head, bewailing the losse of Adonis. By Venus may be meant the earth, for this is the beautifull and [...] mother of all living creatures. By Adonis may be understood the Sun, who in winter is in a sort killed, when his hea [...] and presence is lessened, then the earth mourns, and loseth her beauty; the shedding of tears is the increasing of the springs and rivers, by great and continuall rains. 2. If by Adonis wee understand wh [...]at, 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 air with Venus, by which the beau­tie of the year is signifi [...]d; by the boar may be meant the cold, frosty and snowy season, in which the wheat seems to be killed. 3. If with Macrobius, by Adonis we understand the San; hee may be [...] to lodge six months with Proser­pina, in respect of his [...] declination; the other six months with Venus, for then the creatures give themselves to procreation: hee is killed by the boar, and lamented by Venus, for in winter his beams are of no force to dispell the cold, which is the enemy of Adonis and Venus, that is, of beautie and procreation. 4. [...] in the form of a bo [...]r kils him▪ [...] and hunting are masculine exerci­ses, and not fit for weak bodies and eff [...]minate spirits. 5. Adonis is from [...] to sing, for beauty and musick are friends to Venus. 6. 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. 7. Beautifull Adonis is turned into a fading flower; to shew, that beauty quickly [...]. 8. Young and faire Adonis is killed by a Boar; so wantonnesse and letchery are the destroyers of youth and beauty. 9. Our resurrection in this may b [...] typed out; for although death kill us, it shall not annihilate us, but our beauty shall [...]crease, and [Page 7] we shall spring out of the ground again like a beautiful flower in the Resurrection. 10. Though our bodies die, yet our good name shall flourish, and like a fair flower, shall live and smell when we are gone. 11 Myrrha of her owne Father begot this child 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 child; because the Sun the common Father, begot the sweet Gum Myrrhe of that Arabian tree of the same [...]; 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. 12. Let them remember, who hunt too much after pleasure, that the devil is that great boar who lyeth in wait to kill them.

The INTERPRETER.

1. ADmetus was King of Thess [...]lie, whose sheep Apollo fed: Every King is a shepheard, who without A­pollo, that is, wis [...]dom, can never rule and guide his people. 2. Admetus was the husband of Alceste, which signifieth strength; and a King is or should be the husband of his Countrey, which is the Kings strength. 3. By the means of Apollo and Hercules Admetus procured his wife; so by wisdome and power Priaces bring people to subjection. 4. He that intends to [...], had need take the aid of Apollo and Hercules, that i [...], of wisdom, and strength of body. [Page 8] 5. A [...] is one that cannot be tamed, as many lusty young men are; therefore it is good to marry with ^(a) Alceste. 6. Many foolish women like Alceste, refuse many good matches, and at last are carryed away by a Lyon and a Boar, that is, by one that is lasciviously given, and who can put on the bold face of a Lyon. 7. Fruitful women are like Alceste, who cast themselves unto the jawes of death by child-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. 8. Alceste is our hope, with which we shall marry if first we can subdue the Lyon of pride, and the Boar of concupiscence. 9. 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 Al [...]ides had not delivered it from thence.

The INTERPRETER.

1. NOne were admitted into the presence of these three Judges, but naked souls, destitute of clothes, beauty, money, or any thing else that might move these Judges to partiality: in this world we must not look for justice; when we are stript of all▪ then shall we have it, for here somthing will be found about us that shall corrupt [Page 9] the Judge. And is it not a shame that there should be more justice in hell then on earth? 2. Just Judges are the sons of God, as these three were the sons of Jupiter. 3. The good laws of just Judges shall not be forgotten, but when they are in hell, that is, when they are dead. their laws shall be still in force. 4. These three Judges are the three effects of a wicked mans Conscience, to wit▪ to accuse, condemn, and torment the sinner: and in this sense, a man may be said to be in hell, whilst he is on earth. 5. Aeacus by his wisdom causing the barbarous inhabitants to fo [...]s [...]k [...] their caves and holes wherein they dwelt; and to build houses, to leave their diet of roots and fruits, and to sow corn; in teaching of them civility, and military discipline, whereby they overcame the Pirats which us [...]d to mol [...]st them: for these respects he was said to turn them from Ants into men. 6. In relieving Grae [...]ia by his prayers from the plague, doth shew us, That the prayers of the faithful avai [...]eth much. 7. Before Christ came, the Gentiles were but Ants, men of earthly conversation, being sed with roots of superstition; molested with spiritual pirats; but by the preaching and in­tercession of Christ, the wisdom of the Father, and the Judge 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 [...]ight against their spiritual enemies. 8. These three Judges w [...]re so placed, that Aeacus and Rhada [...]nanthus being more loving brothers, [...] alwaies together, but Minos by himself; this is noted for his cruelty, the other two for their gentlenesse and mercy: to shew us, that as there are two mild Judges for one cruel, so justice should be tempered with mercy, but so, that mercy be alwaies prevalent. 9. When Jupiter sent th [...]se his three sons to be judges in hell, he directed them to take their journey through a delightful meadow, called the field of truth; I wish all Judges would passe through this field; for neglect in passi [...]g through this field in these di­st [...]ct [...]d tim [...]s, many good and innocent men have been un­done by false and lying informations.

The INTERPRETER.

1. AEGaeon, as the other Giants, were painted like [...] the waste, but like serpents under; Comm [...]us that blo [...]y Emperor, when he would represent Hercules with a Lyons skin about his shoulders, and a club in his hand; caused some men whom he meant to kill in sport be sent for. Now that he might seem to fight for the gods against the gyants, he would cause the leggs and thigh [...]s of these men to be set away, or wrest aside, that so they might seem to be like the gyants, and then with his club he knocked them down and bruised them. This was not indeed to sight for the gods, but to satisfie his own cru­elty and bloody nature: there be too many that pretend they sight for God, when indeed they sight for their own ends; and to make the matter the more plausible, they will by tra­ducing give the enemies serpents feet, though they have none, and make them seem to be gyants against whom they fight, though they be not such. 2. By this many handed and many headed monster, is meant the Wind, the power and [...] whereof are many and wonderful; it is begot of they [...] of the earth and sea, by the heat and i [...]sl [...] ­ence of heaven, when Jupiter, that is, the heaven is obscu­red, [...] bound up from u [...] with thick mists extra­cted [Page 11] by Minerva, that is, the Sun, out of Neptune or the Sea, and received by Juno, or the Aire; these three are said to conspire against Jupiter, then comes the wind and blowes away these mists; and so Jupiter is relieved, and the heavens cleared. AEgaeon is said to keep hell gates, because the winds are often inclosed in the bowels of the Earth and Sea. 3. AEgaeon sights against Jupiter, when the South­wind obscures the Heaven with clouds, then with his Sun­beams, or thunder, the Air 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 lie and move there. 4. G [...] hath made our stomack and belly to be the recepta­cle o [...] [...] vapors, which notwithstanding sometimes [...] the heaven of our brain, and fight a­gainst our Jupiter, that is our judgement and reason; but oftentimes are overcome and [...] back by the strength of nature, and proper [...]. of the [...]. 5. Juno, that is, vapors; Neptune, that is, too much moisture; and Pall [...]s, that is too much [...] the brain, and assault judge­ment and reason; but the h [...]lp of AEgaeon, or the strength of the animal spirits do relieve the brain and make peace. 6. In 88. the Spanish Juno, that is, their wealth; Minerva, their policie [...]; and Neptune their Sea-god, I mean their great Fleet, which [...] 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 relieved our Jupiter. [...]. Every pyratical ship, robbing honest men of their goods, may be called AEgaeon, for they fight against God himself, and their end for the most part is featful. 8. 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. 9. All seditious persons rebelling against the Church and State, are AEgaeon fighting against God, and they must look for this reward.

The INTERPRETER.

1. WHen AEnae [...]s went down to hell, the dog Cerbe­rus barked against him, which used to sawn up­on others; even so, the Devil is an enemie to vertuous men, such as AEnaeas was, but he is a friend to the wicked. 2. He was called the son of Venus, because that planet was mistresse of his horoscope, or because of his beauty and comely proportion; and to shew that love is the chiesest guard of Princes, and that which doth most subdue and keep people in subjection. 3. Juno and AEol [...]s, the aire and wind conspired against him to drown him; so some­times Princes are oftentimes vexed and endangered by the storms of civil dissention. 4. Neptune was his friend both in the T [...]jan war, and to help him forward to Italy; Vulcan made him armour, Mercury was his Counsellor and spokes­man; 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. 5. The golden Branch made way for him to Proserpins, and brought him to hell, and so doth the inordinate▪ love of gold bring many unto hell: Again, gold maketh way through the [Page 13] strongest gates, and overcometh the greatest difficulties; besides, gold is the symbole of wisdome, without which no man can overcome difficulties: Lastly, hee that will goe through the dangers of hell, that is, the pangs of death with cheerfulnesse, must carry with him a golden branch, that is, a good conscience; and perhaps this gold [...]n branch p [...]ay be the symbole of a Kings [...], the ensigne of go­vernment, wherein a King is happy, if his [...] be streight and of gold, that is, [...]f wealth, and justice, and wisdome go together. 6. A [...]naeas had not found the branch without the Doves, his mothers birds; so without love, innocency and chastity, wee cannot attain to true wisdome. 7. 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 [...]wo Doves, the Old and the New Testament, they will shew us where hee [...]s. 8. Aenaeas, by the help of Sibyl, went safely through Hell; so by the assistance of Gods counsell (for [ [...]] Sibyl signifieth so much) we shall overcome all difficulties. 9. His companion was Acha [...]es, for great Princes are never without much care and sollicitude, as the word [ [...]] sign fieth. 10. Aenaeas went [...]he [...]ow the [...]a [...]gers of hell, sea and land, before he could have quiet possession in Italy; so wee must thorow many dangers enter into the kingdome of heaven. 11. Aenaeas is the Idea of a perfect Prince and Govern [...]ur, in whom wee see piety towards his gods in carrying them with him, having [...] them from the fire of Troy, in worshipping the gods of the places still where hee came, in going to Apollo's Temple as soon as hee lands in Italy, in his devout prayers hee makes to Jupiter, 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 C [...]eusa, in lamenting, and casting himself into open danger for her; his love was great to his sonne Ascanius, in the [Page 14] good breeding and counselling of him; to Palinurus, My­sen [...], and others; his vigilancy in gu [...]ding th [...] [...]lm midnight, when his people were asleep; his liberal [...] to his souldiers; his magnanimity, [...], wisdom [...], fortitude, justice, temperance are fit by all Princes to be imitated, and the Aeneads to be diligently read.

The INTERPRETER.

BEfore that Aeolus was made King of the winds, they were very unruly, and had amongst themselves divers conflicts and encounters, so that not onely ships on the s [...]a, but castles and whole towns also on the land were o­verthrown by them: even so, till Kings and Governours were chosen by the people to rule and guide them, they were subject to con [...]inuall disorders, [...], and [...]ivill broils, oppressing one another; but a wi [...]e King, like an­other Aeolus,

2. He is called Jupiters son, [...] the w [...]nds are begotten by the influence and motion of the heavens. 3. Hee was an Astronomer, and c [...]uld [...] storm and [...], there­fore it was thought hee had the command of the winds. 4. His City was [...] to [...] with b [...]sse, because it was guarded with armed [...]. 5. He kept the winds in a hollow cave; because so [...] vapours, which sometimes burst forth with violence. 6. He reigned [Page 15] over Ilands, because they are most subject to storms. 7. Juno could not sink Aenaeas his ships without the help of A [...]olus; neither can the air violently work, if it be not moved by the vapours, which are the winds, or [...]lse without vapours, by the planets. 8. The marriage between Aeolus and the sea Nymph, shewes the relation that is between the wind and the sea. 9. Hee may be called A [...]olus, and the God of winds, that can [...] keep under anger, and other unruly p [...]ssions. 10. [...] a dangerous [...], when Juno and Aeolus, th [...]t is, wealth and power band themselves against innocent men.

The INTERPRETER.

1. I Finde Aesculapius painted like an ancient man with a l [...]ng b [...]ard, crown [...]d with [...], having in one hand a knottie or knobbed staste, with the other hee leans upon a serpent, and hath a dog at his feet, by which are repre­sented the qualities of a Physi [...]ian; hee [...]ught to be grave and aged, wise as the serp [...]nt, vigilant as the dog, and should be a conquer [...]ur of [...], as his [...] garland shewes; the knobbed [...] sign [...]ieth the d [...]fficultie and [...] of physick. 2. As the Tyrant [...] robbed [...] of his golden beard, [...]ffi [...]ming that it was unfit he should have so [...] [...] beard, whereas his father Apollo was [...]: even so did Julian [...] Tyrant and [...] [Page 16] rob the Churches of Christians, affirming that it was unfit, they being disciples▪ should be rich, whereas their M [...]ster was poor, and that being poor, they shall be meet [...]r for heaven. 3. Aes [...]ul [...]pius was brought from Epi [...]aurus in shape of a serpent to Rome, where he drove away the pesti­lence; it seems the Romans had heard of the b [...]sen s [...]rpent which in the defart h [...]aled all the beholders of their stings and wounds. 4. Aesculapius is the milde temper of the air, as the word [ [...] blandus] sheweth, which is the effect of the Sun, or Apollo, and is the cause of health; therefore Hygiaea and [...]aso, that is, health &c cure are the children of Aesculapi­ [...]. His mother is [...], [ [...] misi [...] & [...]mpe [...]o] or the due mixture and temper of the aire; which because it de­pends from the influence of the Sun, therefore Apollo is said to bege [...] Aesculapius of her; but when he killed her with his arrowes, is meant, that the Sun with his beams [...] over­heat and in [...]ct the air with a pest [...]lence. 5. I had rather understand by this fiction the true temperament of a sound mans body, caused by Apollo and co [...]cnis, that is, the due proportion of the naturall heat and radicall moisture, cal­led [...], and the true cause of health. Then [...] is killed with Apollo's arrows, when the naturall heat dege­ [...] into a feverish inflammation, and dri [...]th up the moisture; but when the heat returns to its former tem­per, [...], that is, health is recovered, and nourished by a goat, because goats milk is good to seed and restore decayed nature. 6. By this fiction, I think, is represented to us the properties or a good Physician; hee is the son of Apollo and Co [...]enis, that is, of knowledge and experience; knowledge kils experience, when the learned Physician trusts not to experiments, but by art and knowledge hee 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 pecul [...]r constitution, which is also still differing from it selfe? as [...] was nursed by a goat or [...], [Page 17] so, Physicians are maintained by gluttony and Venery. Chi [...]on, Saturn's son, was Aesculapius School-master; for time hath brought the knowledge of physick to perfection; or because Chiron being half a man, and half a horse, sheweth that a Physician must be a Centaur, that is, a man in judge­ment, and a horse in courage: it is fit that Physicians 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 Physician must have the Serpents wisdome, the Co [...]ks vi­gil [...]ncy, the Ravens eye and forecast, and the Goats swif [...] ­nesse; for delayes are dangerous, and if Physicians cure desperate 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. 7. Christ is the true Aesculapius, the Son of God, and the God of Physick, who was cut out, as it were of his mothers womb, by the power of God, without mans help, and cured all diseases; the true brazen Serpent, hee onely who was struck with the thunderbolt of his Fathers wrath, and sent to hell, to deliver us from death and hell.

The INTERPRETER.

1. ALphaeus was worshipped as a god, and his image was placed upon the same altar with Diana, either be­cause they both delighted in the same sport, to wit, in hun­ting; or to signifie the mutuall relation the one hath to the other: Diana was the goddesse of woods, Alphaeus [Page 18] was a River; b [...]t woods prosper best that are nee [...] to ri­vers: or Diana is the Moon; but the moon is a friend to rivers and all moist things, which are begot, preserved and moved by the Moons heat, light, and in [...]uence. 2. Al­phaeus is a River of Elis in Arcadia, through secret passa­ges running under the earth and sea, it empt [...]es it self in the spring Arethusa, in Sicilie; which, though Strabo denyeth i [...], it cannot be otherwise, seeing so many witnesses con­firm that whatsoever is cast into Alphaeus is found in Are­thusa. 3. As this water running thorow the Sea, loseth not its sweetnesse, by receiving any salt rellish; so neither must we lose our integrity and goodnesse by conver [...]ing with the wicked. 4. Husbands must learn of Alphaeus to be kinde to their wives, and to make them partakers of all their goods, as Alphaeus imparts all it receives to Are [...]husa. 5. Wee must never rest, till we have obtained him whom our soule loves; the salt sea of afflictions, and the distance of place must not hinder our course. 6. Are [...]busa is from [...] vertue, which we should still run after. 7. Alphaeus is from [...], a spot; wee are full of spots and sin, there­fore had need to be washed in Are [...]husa, that is, in the wa­ter of B [...]ptisme. 8. This water was held good to kill the Morphew, called therefore Alphos, for which cause it was consecrated to Jupiter; and it was unlawfull to wash the altar of Jupiter Olympius with any other water; so Bap­tism doth wash us from originall sinne, and by i [...] wee are consecrated to God. 9. Alphaeus is as much as [...], the light of truth, which runs after [...], or ver [...]ue; to shew that knowledge and theory should alwayes be joyn­ed with goodnesse and practice.

The INTERPRETER.

1. WHereas there were three sorts of musick, to wit; the Lydian, the Doric, and the Phrygian; the first was mournfull, and for funeralls; the second mascu­line, and for warres; the third esseminate, and for marri­ages: Marsyas was the inventer of the Ph [...]ygian, [...] of the Dorian, and Amphion of the Lydian musick. 2. Am­phion was Jupiters 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 an harmony, as well as in musick: or if by Jupiter wee un­derstand the ai [...]; as sometimes Poets do, then, as Jupi­ter gave life to Amphion, so doth aire to musick; for no found is either by voice, instruments, or water, without air. 3. Jupiter in the form of a Satyr begot Amphion; Satyrs were great dancers, and dancing requires musick. 4. 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 whistling of the wind among the trees, or by the running of waters. 5. He [...] was born in a remote hill, because musicall inventions re­quire quietnesse, and a private life far from troubles and businesse. 6. 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. 7. His build­ing Thebes walls by his musick, shews what is the force of e­loquence, to draw rude people to religion, policie, and ci­vility. [Page 20] 8. 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 soule by the ear, then the light of the Sun and Moon doth the eye: So that Mu­sick may as it were challenge the Light. 9. Amphion may be said to be killed by Laton [...], when musicall knowledge is lost by negligence and oblivion. 10. 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. 11. 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.

The INTERPRETER.

1. ANtaeus was King of Tingitania, who compelled his guests to wrestle with him, and then killed them. This is the trick of Tyrants, who make use of their strength and power to undoe and ruine the weake and meaner sort: and here wee may see what danger it is for means men to contend with Princes and great [Page 21] ones, they can expect nothing but ruine: Polen [...]ioris i­ram sapiens nunquam provocabit, Seneca. 2. The big­nesse of his body shewed that earth and water were ex­traordinarily predominant in him, therefore hee was cal­led the son of Neptune and the Earth. 3. A covetous man is like Antaeus, the mo [...]e that his affections touch earthly things, the stronger is his covetousnesse; till hee be listed up from the earth with heavenly thoughts, and then covetous thoughts die. 4. Satan is like Antaeus, for the more hee is beat down by the Herculean strength of Gods Word, the more violent and fierce hee groweth; but being squeezed by the brest-plate of justice, hee loseth his force. 5. Satan deales with good men, as Hercules with Antaeus; hee flings them down by oppres­sion and persecution; but when hee perceiveth, that by this means they grow stronger and more resolute, hee lifteth them up by [...]pride and prosperity, by which ma­ny are overthrown which grew strong by adversity. 6. The Sunne, like Antaeus, when hee is come to his perigaeum, or that point neerest the earth, hee 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. 7. Hee that will cure a Fea­ver with hot things, or an Hydropsie with cold and moist things, hee doth as Hercules to Antaeus, increase the disease by applying things of the same nature; whereas diseases should be cured by contraries. 8. Every thing in its own element, with Antaeus, doth gather strength and prospereth; but being put into another element dieth, as fishes in the air, and beasts in the sea.

The INTERPRETER.

1. BY Apollo may be meant God himself: for as they painted Apollo with his harp, and tho three Graces in one hand, with a shield and two arrows in the other; so by this perhaps they meant that God was not onely a punisher of wickednesse, but a rewarder of goodnesse; as hee had two arrowes, so be hath many punishments: but yet he hath the comfortable harp of his mercy to sweeten them in the other hand; and having but two arrowes, hath three graces, to shew that hee hath more mercies then punishments: and therefore the same hand that holds the arrowes, holds also the shield, to shew that even when his arrowes flye at us, yet with his shield hee defends and sup­ports us. God shot his arrowes at Abraham, when hee rai­sed so many Kings against him; yet at the same time hee forbids him to feare; for faith hee, I am thy shield, Gen. 15.1. And that by Apollo was meant the supreme God, is plain by the Alsyrians, in joyning the pictures of Apollo and Jupiter together, whom they painted with a whip in one hand, and the thunder in the other, to shew, that God hath diversitie of punishments, according to the diversitie of offences, some gentle, some more rigorous. For this cause the Egyptians represented him by a Scepter with an Eye, to signifie both his knowledge and providence, by which the world is guided: And they painted him with wings, to signifie the [...] of his motion; by which it appears, that Jupiter and Apollo were with them one and the same god. 2. I finde that Apollo is painted with one side of his head shaved, the other hairy; by which I think they meant, that while [...] the Sun shined to one hemispere, [Page 23] the other was dark; for by his hair they meant his beams, and by his baldnesse darknesse, caused by his absence. 3. By Apollo is ordinarily understood the [...]unne, which as his ^(a) name sheweth, is both the destroyer and preserver of things; he is the son of Jupiter, 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 purrefied va­pours, and cleareth the air from mists; for of purrefaction venemous beasts are procreated; so he kill'd Jupiters Thun­der-maker, because the Sun cleers the air, and consumes those exhalations and moistures, 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; hee 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) Atythraeus, 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; hee 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 ^(c) sublunary mu­tations, [Page 24] he was called the great Prophet, and god of Di­vination; hee was also called the god of physick, both because Physicall herbs 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 all things; therefore the birds do welcome his approach with their melodious harmonie; 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 nine, 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 ^(d) Cortina, from Pythons skin, with which it was covered, others a three-footed vessell, others a three-footed chair, wherein they fate that prophesied; I say, this Tripos may signifie the three circles in the Zodiack, which every yeer hee 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 infection [...] Fea­vers. Thus he was said to shoot with his arrows Amphi [...]ns children; to him were dedicated the strong Bull, the white Swan, the quick-sighted Raven; to ^(e) signifie the power, and beauty, and piercing light of the Sun; which because it detecteth obscure things, hee 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 an hot quality like the Sun, therefore he was said to be in love with ^(f) Daphne, the daughter of the River [Page 25] 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; hee with Neptune built the walls of Troy, to shew, that without Gods assistance no City or State can stand or be built. His love which hee bare to the flower Hyacinthus, is to show, that flowers doe bud and prosper by the Sun, and die with cold winds; therefore Zephyrus 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 help of heat and water; or because Lao­medon either stole or borrowed some treasure out of the Temples of Apollo and Neptune. 4. Our Saviour Christ is the true Apollo, both a destroyer of Satans Kingdome, and a saver of his people; for [...] is asmuch as to loose by paying the price of redemption; hee is the Sun of righteousnesse, by whose beams and arrowes, that is, his word, Python the divell is subdued: he is the Son of God, and the God of Wisdom, the great Prophet, the Son of La­tona, that is, of an obscure 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; hee hath subdued our Giants, that is, our spirituall foes, by whose malice the thunder of Gods wrath was kindled against us: Hee is immortall, and the good Shepherd who hath laid downe his life for his sheep; having for his sheeps sake forsaken his Fa­thers glory; and hee it is who hath built the walls of Je­rusalem. Apollo was never so much in love with Hyacin­thus, as Christ was with the sons of men. 5. As the Sun amongst the Planets, so is a King amongst his subjects; [...] King is Apoll [...], 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 rot [...]en and hurtfull members, to purge out all grosse humours, that is, bad manners, with the pils of justice, and to cheer up with [Page 26] cordi [...]ls or rewards the sound and solid parts of the poli­tick body; hee is a God of musick also, for where there is no King or head, there can be no harmony nor concord; hee is a prophet, to foresee and prevent those dangers which the people cannot; hee is a subduer of Pythons and Giants, that is, of all pestiferous disturbers and oppressors of the State: his arrowes are his Lawes and power, which rea­cheth thorow all the parts of his dominion: hee is a good shepherd; and Kings are ^(g) so called; and a King thus qualified shall be like the Sun, still glorious, immortall, youthfull, and green like the Palm, Olive, and Bay-tree; but if hee doth degenerate into a tyrant, then hee is the cause of mortality, as the Sun is, when hee inflames the air with excessive heat.

The INTERPRETER.

1. THe cause of Arachnes overthrow, was the rejecting of the old womans counsell, into whose shape Pal­las had transformed her selfe: then are young people rea­die for ruine, when they will follow their own heads, and despise the counsell of the aged, whose experience and gravitie should temper their temeritie:

— Seris venit usus ab annis.

2. This Arachne did learn of the Spider to spin and weave; for the beasts are in many things our School-masters. 3. It is not good to be proud and insolent of any art or know­ledge. 4. Subtill and trifling sophisters, who with in­tricacies [Page 27] and querks intangle men, are no better then Spi­ders, whose captious fallacies are no lesse hatefull to the wise, then Arachnes web was to Minerva. 5. Partial Judg­es use their lawes, as Spiders do their webs, to catch little flyes, and let the great ones passe thorow. 6. 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. 7. En­vie and a slandering tongue is like a Spider, which doth crack the purest glasses, so do they poyson the best men. 8. Wee 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 ruine of an house, by falling and running away, as Pliny showeth.

The INTERPRETER.

1. WHen the Tyrrbenian mariners robbed Bacchus, he made them mad; for they supposing the sea to be a meadow full of flowers, leapt into it and so became Dolphins; which is the reason they delight to be neere shipps: the meaning may be this; that drunkards who in­toxicate [Page 28] themselves with wine, become mad, and have their imaginations distempered: hence the sea to them is a meadow, and nothing seemes dangerous; but indeed, then do drunkards leap into the sea, when by their intem­perance they fall into hydropsies and then are they turned, into dolphins, for they drink like fishes, nor is their thirst quenched: Crescit indulgens sibi dirus hydrops. 2. This Dolphin was a ship ^(a) so called, from the image of the dolphin upon the sterne. 3. Here also we may see the force of eloquence, by which wilde men are charmed. 4. No sin is done in secret, but shall be revealed, especi­ally murther, which oftentimes is strangely discovered. 5. God doth not let good turns goe unrewarded, which is signified by the Dolphin made a constellation. 6. Here wee see Arions ingratitude, who let the Dolphin die on the shoar. 7. The love of Dolphins to man, may teach us love one to another. 8. The ^(b) 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 shoar. 9. 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.

The INTERPRETER.

1. THe Minister ought to be Aristaeus, that is, the best man of the parish in spirituall gifts, and holy con­versation, as he is the best in respect of his sacred calling. And hee should pursue Euridice, and be in love with her, that is, with right judgement: but shee is fled from Ari­staeus, and is stung by the Serpent; right judgement hath forsaken many of our Ministers, in these troublesome times, and shee is oppressed by that old Serpent the divell. 2. By Aristaeus may be meant Wisdome, which is the best thing in man, as the word [...] op [...]imus 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 sitted for the exercise of wisdome; by which honey and oyl, things most pleasant and usefull for the life of man, were invented: by wisdome the heat of the Dog-dayes is tempered, because a wise man knowes how to prevent and avoid the inconvenien­cies of the heaven, Sapiens dominabi [...] astris: Euridice is a deep or large iudgement, 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 di [...]ected and guided by the Judgement. A wise man desires to enjoy 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 hee should take in his actions; this made Saint Paul confesse, that he did what he would not do, and what hee would doe, hee did not. 3. Aristaeus is a king, a shepherd, and the best man of [Page 28] [...] [Page 29] [...] [Page 30] his Kingdome, 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 Dogdayes; that is, of oppression, tumul [...]s and rebellion; but if at any time Euridice, right judgement, being stung by serpentine flatterers who mis-inform him, be wanting, the Bees perish, and the subjects go to ruine. 4. Aristaeus is the celestiall 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, Egypt, and other places are raised, which after the Summer Solstice blow and last fourty dayes, by which the rage of the Dog-star is miti­gated: these winds are called Etesii, because every yeere they blow at the same season; In Spain and Asia these E­tesian windes blow from the East: this heate working upon Jupiter and Neptune, that is, on the air and sea, doth cause and generate these winds: now as this celestiall heat produceth and cherisheth Bees; so Euridice, mans judge­ment, art and industry must be joyned; otherwaies 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. 5. Christ is the true Aristaeus, the good shepherd, the best of men, and the Son of God, by whom wee have honey and oyle, comfort and spirituall joy, and all things else, at whose request the heat and Dog-star of Gods anger was appeased; hee is in love with our souls, as Aristaeus with Euridice: but wee run from him, and are stung by the Serpent the Divell; wee died with Euridice; we were destroyed with Aristaeus his Bees, untill hee restored us again to life by the sacrifice of his own body.

The INTERPRETER.

1. HEre we may see how odious ingratitude is to God, which is expressed in the person of Hippomanes, who neglected to return thanks to Venus, that had by the means of her golden apples got him the victory over Atalanta; therefore shee made him so mad and eager on her, that hee was not afraid or ashamed to deflowre her in Cybeles tem­ple. God suffers men to fall into grievous sinnes, when they are not thankfull for received favours. 2. Here we see what danger there is in idlenesse; whilest Atalanta was imployed with Diana in hunting, shee kept her virginitie, and did help, yea, was the first that wounded the Chaledo­nian Boar; but when shee gave her self to idlenesse, shee fell into lust and profanesse. 3. Here wee see how ir­reverence to God is punishable, when such a fearfull pu­nishment was laid upon this couple, as to be turned into beasts, and made [...]aves to Cybele, for profaning her temple. 4. 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 presented by gold. It is she that kils the Boars, that is, wanton and unruly youths, wounding both their bo­dies, souls, and estates, and therefore hath a sharp spear, to [Page 32] 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 r [...]pentance, 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 whoremaster make his body all one with the body of an harlot; and so both degenerate from humanity, and participate of the cruelty and lasciviousnesse of Lions, and by this meanes become miserable slaves and drudges to Cybele, mother earth, that is, to all earthly affecti­ons and lusts. 5. As Atalantas course was interrupted by golden apples, so is the course of Justice oftentimes stop­ped with golden bribes. 6. Here we see that one sinne draweth after it another, worse then the former; fornica­tion begetteth profanesse, and profanesse cruelty, and mi­serable servitude to earthly lusts. 7. Let us with Ata­lanta run the race that is set before us, and wound the boare of our wanton lusts, and draw water from our rocky hearts, let us take heed that the golden apples of worldly pleasure and profit, which Hippomenes the Devill slings 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 then the condition of the brute and savage beasts.

The INTERPRETER.

1. ATlas was said to be transformed into a mountaine either because he was confined to that hill being driven from his own country by Perseus; or else b [...]cause he delighted to be upon that hill, or because he called it by his owne name. 2 Atlas is the name of an high hill, which for the height thereof, being higher then the clouds, was said to support heaven, and to be begotten of heaven day, because of the continiall light on the top of it, as being never obscured with mists, clouds, and vapours. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. God is the true Atlas, by whose Word and power the world is sustained; that mountain on which wee may securely rest, who onely hath golden apples and true riches to bestow on us. 6. The Church is the true Atlas, a supporter of a kingdome, the childe 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. 7. 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; 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. 8. Hee deserves not to be called a man but a monster, who will not be hospitable; for homo ab huma­nitate; [Page 34] and [ [...]] Jupiter is the god of hospitality, who pu [...]isheth the violation of it. 9. As Perseus the son of Jupiter, sought lodging from Atlas, but could have none, and therefore turned him into a senselesse hill: So Christ the Son of god, knocks at the dore of our hearts, whom if we refuse to let in, we shew our selves to be more senselesse and stupid then the hill Atlas.

The INTERPRETER.

1. AVrora was said to be the mother of Lucifer, and of the windes, because at certain times the star of Ve­nus is seen in the morning, and then shee is named Phos­phorus, or Lucifer: and at sometimes in the evening, then shee is called Hespe [...]us, Vesper, Vesperugo. Aurora is said to be the mother of the windes, because after a calm in the night the windes rise with the morning, as attendant upon the Sun, by whose heat and light they are begot, if winds be vapours; or if they be nothing else but the motions of the air, then they may be called the daughters of Aurora; for th [...] Sun with his heat and light moves the air, Auro­ra or the morning b [...]ing nothing else but the first appear­ing of the Suns light: and so perhaps aura a breath or winde may be derived from Aurora. 2. Aurora is the daughter of H [...]peri [...]n, which signifieth to goe above; for [ [...]] it is from above that wee have the light of the Sun, and every other good thing, even from the Fa­ther [Page 35] of lights; her mother is Thia, for it is by divine gift wee enjoy light, and nothing doth more lively represent the Divinity then the light, as Dionys. Areopagit. sheweth at large: Shee 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 seems to arise out of the earth. 3. The leaving of her husband abed with her son, is only to shew, that all puts 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 remot [...]st East-countries from us, whom shee leaves abed when shee riseth on us, and leaves us abed when shee 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 [...]r absence, leaves them all abed by turns. 4. Her chariot signifieth her motion; the purple and rose-colour doe paint out the colours that wee see in the morning in the air, caused by the light and vapours. 5. Shee hath some­time two, sometime four-horses, because she riseth some­time slower, sometime sooner. 6. The making of old Tithonus young with physick, may shew that the physicall simples which come from the Eastern countreys are power­full for the preserving of health and vigour in the body. 7. Again, fair Aurora leaving old Ti [...]hon abed, doth shew that beautifull young women delight not in an old mans bed: or by this may be signified a vertuous woman, whom Sol [...]mon describes, who riseth whilest it is night, is clothed with scarlet and purple, who doth her husband good, &c. Prov. 31. 8. Last, our Saviour is the true Aurora, who was in love with mankind, whom he hath healed from all infirmities, and hath bestowed on them a lasting life, which knoweth not old age; his light from the chariot of his word, drawn by the foure Evangelists, shineth o­ver all the world.

The INTERPRETER.

1. BAcchus is painted sometimes with a bald head, with a sythe or sickle in one hand, with a jugg or pitcher in the other, also with a womans garment, and a garland of roses about his head, which may signifie to us these effects of wine; It causeth baldnesse, because being immoderately taken, it dryeth up the radicall moisture of the he [...]d, and fils it with waterish and adventitious hu­mours, which cause baldnesse. 2. The sythe shewes wine-bibbing (represented by the pitcher) to be the main cause of the shortning and cutting off of mans life. 3. The womans garment and garland of roses represent the effe­min [...]tenesse of drunkards, and that pronesse to Venery, to which wine and roses are strong provocations. 4. By [Page 37] Bacchus is ordinarily meant wine, which is the fruit of Semele, that is, of the Vine, so called, because it doth [...] shake the limins; for no liquour 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 Jupiters 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 doe ripen. Hee was bred in Egypt, be­cause an hot air and mellow soyle, as Egypt 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. 5. 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 Thyrsus reacheth further then any Kings Scepter, or the Roman Fasces; if wee would see his O [...]gia 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 Cymballs and vocifera­tions, we shall not need to go far; he neever had greater authority over the [...]ndians, then he hath over this King­dom; he once slept three yeare with Proserpina; but wee will not let him rest one day. The Thebans tore Orpheus for bringing in Bacchus his sacrifices among them; and Icarus was thought to have brought in poyson, when hee brought in wine; but the case is other wise with us; if if any discommend the excesse of wine, he shall have Al­cithoes doome, shee for discommending Bacchus, was turn­ed into a Bat; and he shall be accounted no better; yet I discommend not the moderate use of wine, which is Jupi­ters [Page 38] son, or the gift of God; for it strengthens the body, comforts the heart, breeds good bloud; for which cause Bacchus was allwayes 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 a virgins and a bulls face, he was both male and female, sometimes he had a beard, and sometimes none, to shew the different eff [...]cts of wine moderatly and immoderatly taken; he was worshipped on the s [...]me altar with Minerva, and was accom­panied with the Muses, to shew that wine is a friend to wis­dom and learning. Mercury carried him, being a child, to Macris the daughter of Aris [...]aeus, who anointed his lips with hony; to shew that in wine is eloquence; and so [...]ike­wise the naked truth, therefore Bacchus is allwayes naked; and if Amphisbaen [...] the Serpent, that is, sorrow or care bite 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 effemiuate, therfore women were his priests; he sl [...]pt three yeares with Proserpina, to shew that Vines the first three yeares art not fruitfull; he was turned into a Lion, to shew the cruelty of drunken men; he was [...]orn by the Titans, buried, and revived again; 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 [...]rom cares, and maketh a man have free and high thoughts; [...]t makes a begger a gentleman. Dionysius from [...]amentem, & [...] pungo, stirring up the mind; he was the first that made bargains, and so it seemes to be true by the Dutch­nen, who will make no bargains till they be well liquored. [...]. Bacchus is the Sun; who is both Liber and Dionysius, [...]ee from all sublunary imperfections, and freeth the [...]orld from darknesse and inconveniencies of the night, [Page 39] and pricks forward the mindes of men to their daily acti­ons: hee is still young, not subject to age and decay; na­ked, for hee makes all things naked and open to the eye of the authour of generation of all things, aswell as of wine; the son of Jupiter, because hee is a part of heaven, and of burned S [...]mele, because they thought that the Sun was of a fiery matter; hee dieth and reviveth again, when after the cold winter hee recollects his heat, strength, and vigour; his sleeping with Proserpin [...] [...]eweth his abode under our Hemisphere; the wilde beasts which accompany him, sheweth the extremity of heat with which beasts are exas­perated; hee 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: hee was p [...]inted 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: hee is clothed with the spotted skin of a Deer, to shew his swiftnesse, and multitude of starres with which hee seems to be covered at night; the travels of Bacchus do shew the motion of the Sun. 7. Originall sin, like Bacchus, reeceived 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 evill hath travelled farther then Bacchus did, and hath an attendance of worse beasts then Tygers, Panthers, &c. to wit, of te [...]rours, and of an evill conscience, and actuall sins; it hath subdued all mankind; and as Bacchus turning himself unto a Lion, made all the mariners in the ship wherein he was carried, leap into the sea; so this sin turned us all out of Paradise into the sea of this world. 8. Christ is the true Diomsius, [...], 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, [Page 40] and not unto our truth; hee is Liber, who makes us onely free, the great King, who hath subdued all Na­tions, whose Diadem is glory. Hee hath killed Amphis­baena the divell, the two headed Serpent, his two stings are sinne and death, with the one hee hath wounded our soules, with the other our bodies; hee triumpheth over all his foes; his body was torn with thorns, nailes, and whips, and went down to hell, but hee revived and rose again; he is the true friend of wisdome and learning, and who hath given to us a more comfortable wine then the wine of the grape; that wine which wee shall drink new with him in his kingdom; his lips were truely an­nointed with honey, grace was diffused in them, and ne­ver man spake as hee did; he is that Lion of the Tribe of Judah, who hath overcome the Giants, and the Pirats who would have bound him, that is, the wicked Angels and Tyrants of this world; hee is still young, as not sub­ject now to mortality.

The INTERPRETER.

1. HEre wee may see that incestuous marriages are un­fortunate, and the end of them for the most part fearfull; for Danaus and Egyptus were brothers, the fifty daughters of Danaus married with the fifty sons of Egyp­tus, too neer an affinity, and against the law of nature. 2. Whereas these women murthered their owne husbands, [Page 41] wee see how little trust is to be given to many of that sex; and that there is no security here, nor confidence, if the friends of our own bosome prove treacherous. 3. Our mother Eva, for murthering her husband with the forbid­den fruit, hath this punishment imposed on her and all her children, that they are still drawing water in a sieve, which will never be filled; that is, still toyling and labouring for that which will never fill and content them▪ the co­vetous man is still drawing riches, the ambitious man ho­nours, the voluptuous man pleasures, the learned man is still labouring for knowledge; and yet they are never full, but the more they draw, the more they desire; the drunkard is still drawing liquor; but his body, like a sieve, is never full: there be also sieves that we are still filling, but never full, unthankfull people, on whom whatsoever good turn wee 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 sonnes, for whom carefull parents are still drawing, but these sieves let all run out, and sooner then the parents could put in; Preachers and School-masters have to do with sieves, whose memory can retain nothing of that they learn. 4. Let us take heed of sin, which hath a virgins face, but is secretly armed with a dagger to wound us. 5. Children must not obey their parents in that which is evill, left they be pu­nished in Gods just judgements.

The INTERPRETER.

1. THe Poets by the fictions of Bellerophon riding in the air upon a winged horse, of Phryx [...]us riding on a ramme over the sea, of Daedalus flying in the air, of Phaeton riding in the chariot of Phoebus, of Endymion with whom the Moon was in love; by these fictions, I say, they did encourage men to vertuous actions, and to sublime and heavenly cogitations. 2. Here wee see the malice of a whore in the wife of Praetus, who not attaining her fleshly desire of Bellerophon, goeth about by false accusations to un­doe him. 3. Here all men in authority are taught not to be too rash in giving credit to accusations, though their owne wives be the accusers. 4. Bellerophon was a good Navigator, who in the swift ship called Pegasus, pursuing the Lycian Tyrant, who in the ship called Chimaera (on whose snout was the image of a Lion, on the poop a Dra­gon, in the middle a Goat) had done much mischiefe, gave occasion to this fiction. 5. Bellerophon is an A [...]tro­nomer, who finding out the qualities and effects of the Starres, was said to ride up to heaven; but when they fail in their predictions, as oftentimes they doe, then their horse Pegasus may be said to sling them down. 6. They that search too much into the secrets of Predestination are like Bellerophon; they climb so high, till at last they are o­verthrown in their imaginations, Caelum ipsum peti [...]us stul­titia. 7. Bellerophon may be the Sun, who by the help of swift Pegasus, that is, the winde, which Neptune the sea affords, doth overcome Chimaera, that is, the pestilentiall air, and drives away infectious mists. 8. A wise man is Bellerophon [ [...]], who encountring with dif­ficulties, joyneth with prudence, the courage of an horse, and celerity of a winged horse, by which means Alexander [Page 43] became such a conquerour. 9. By the example of Belle­rophon beware of pride, which will spoile all good actions in us, and at last will give us a fall. 10. Mark here, that God is the miraculous preserver of innocencie; a cleer conscience will at last overcome all false accusations, and like Pegasus, carry us through all difficulties. 11. A good Christian must like Bellerophon, fight against Chimaera, Soly­mi, and Amazons, that is, the divell, the world, and the flesh; and then he must be alwayes mounting upward in holy meditations, and his conversation must be in Heaven. 12. If with Bellerophon wee affect heaven, wee must take heed wee doe not look down upon the earth as hee did, whose head grew giddy, and so he fell; wee must not put our hands to the plough and look back, Remember Lots wife. 13. Wee see how hospitable and just the Gentiles were, for neither Praetus nor Jobates would kill Bellerophon, be­cause they had entertained him into their houses. 14. Christ is the true Bellerophon, the Wisdome of God, who brought to us counsell and wisdome; hee was exposed to all ma­lice, but overcame all; hee sub [...]ued the spirituall mon­sters, and rid [...]s triumphantly on his word, as on a wing­ed horse, and by the pow [...]r of his Divinity mounted up to heaven.

The INTERPRETER.

1. THe Harpies, Furies, Stryges, Lamiae are promiscu­ously sometimes taken one for another; and they are painted with womens faces, and dragons tails: but the Harpies are fained to have their abode on the earth, the Furies in h [...]ll, the Stryges and Lamiae to domineer in the night, and to suck childrens bloud: therefore they were wont to pacifie Corva, or the goddesse of flesh, with sacrifi­ces, that these Stryges might have no power over their children: but it seems these were naughty women, as our wi [...]ches are, who having commerce with the divell, had power to hurt not onel [...] beasts and children, but men and women also. 2. Sinfull delights are like these Harpies, they have womens faces and dragons tails; their begin­nings are delightfull, but their end is poysonable and ter­ [...]ible. 3. These had the faces of women, but their hands were clawes of ravenous birds, which they hid under their wings: such are hypocrites, who make fair shewes and pret [...]nces, but have fowle and beastly actions; remove their wings, and you shall finde their pawes. How many under the fair wing of religion hide the fowle pawes of their wicked actions? 4. These Harpies are flatterers, they are ca [...]led also Jupiters [...]ogs; hunting and flattering parasites have undone many mens estates. 5. Many fa­thers are like blind Pheneus, they are still gathering and providing wealth for rapacious 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 o [...]a fame. 6. There be three Harpies very hurtful in a common-wealth, to wit, flatterers, usurers, informers 7. Boreas is the son of Neptune, and brother of Iris or the rainbow, for the winds are ingenerated of the sea vapour, so are raines, clouds, and rainbows by the help of the Sun. 8. Boreas is the Northern wind, who [Page 45] carrieth away faire Orithyia, for the cold wind taketh away beauty; his two sons Zeris and Calais, that is frigidity and and sic [...]tie, drive away the H [...]rpies, 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, Ocyp [...]te; storms Aello; and obscu­rity Celaeno. 9. Sae ilegious Church-robbers are these Harpies, who fell upon Christs patrimony like Ocypete or Ae [...]lo, a sudden blast or storm; 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, Ocypete sud­denly, Celaeno, blacknesse or darknesse; so they on a sudden snatcht away those goods that were none of theirs, and with the obscure clo [...]d of poverty have turned the Chur­ches beauty into blacknesse; but these goods make them never the fatter, they passe suddenly from them, as Phe­neus meate did thorow the Harpies, they are troubled with a continuall ^(b) flix or lientery, neither can their crooked talons 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 arrowes of authority and wings of Gods word, may be expected shortly to drive a­way these Harpies. 10. Pheneus is a covetous miser who is blinde, and seeth not what a number of Har­pies gape for his death, that they may devoure those goods which hee himselfe had not power to touch. 11. Gods Spirit, like Boreas, a cooling and refreshing winde, which filled the Apostles, and came on them like the rushing of a mighty winde, delighteth in the soule of man, whilest that in the s [...]owry meadows of the Church, watered with [Page 46] 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 aff [...]ctions, which are nimble in the wayes of Gods Commandements, and ready to fly upward from earthly things, are the [...]ffects of this spirituall conjunction; and so by these, all Har­pies, that is, covetous and earthly desires are driven a­way. 12. God, like Boreas, being in love with his Church, hath begot in the womb of the blessed Virgin that winged Conquerour, who with the arrowes of his power, and wings of his word, hath driven away all spiri­tuall Harpies.

The INTERPRETER.

1. AS Cadmus was sent to find out his lost sister, with­out whom he durst not returne to his earthly fa­ther; so wee are imployed to seeke out the image of God which we have lost, but except we find it, we must not re­turne to our heavenly father. 2. when Cad [...]us lost his sister, he was turned into a Serpent; so we having lost the image of God, are become base, contemptible, and earthly minded with the Serpents. 3. Cadmus may be meant of a wise Governor; who marrieth with Harmonia, [Page 48] when hee 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 [...]ound where wisdome and order goe together in Gove [...]nment: 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 part of a wise Prince to sling a stone among them, that is, to use some means whereby they may fall out among themselves, that so they may be weakened, and their viol [...]nce kept off from him: hee must also be a fav [...]urer of learning; for Cadmu [...] brought from P [...]oenicia into Greece sixteen let­ters Alphabeticall; and a Prince must have the Dragons eye, and be turned into a Dragon, when wi [...]kednesse gets the upper hand, that hee may be fearfull to those that doe evill; and such a Prince at last shall be received into the Elysian fields, that is, shall have rest and liberty. Again, a King must no nothing but by advice of Minerva, that is, of his wise and learned Counsell; the two chief props of a kingdome 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 himselfe into a Ser­pent, that is, live a private and solitary life. 4. A good Minister, like Cadmus, must do all things with order and decency, hee must doe nothing without advice from God; hee must seek out Europa his sister, that is, every lost soul; and if shee cannot, or will not be found, hee must not be idle, but must give himselfe to build the City of God; for these two a Minister must doe, seek those that be lost, and confirm or st [...]blish those that stand; hee must also kill the Dragon that infecteth the Well, that is, the Here­tick, [Page 49] who poisoneth the cleer fountain of Gods word; and if the destruction of one heretick be the generation of ma­ny, as wee see in the A [...]rian heresie, being overthrown by the Nicene Synod, of which, as out of the Dragons teeth, arise [...]usebians, Pho [...]inians, Eudoxians, A [...]acians, Eunomians, Macedonians, Aetians, Anomians, Exu [...]en [...]ii, and Psa [...]y [...]ians; we must sling Minerva's stone, that is, wise Arguments out of Gods word amongst them, that these armed men may destroy one another; so wee read, that in the Councell of Selentia, the A [...]ians went together by the ears among them­selves, b [...]ing divided into Arrians and Semiarrian [...]; a Mi­nister also must be turned into a Serpent for wisdom, and so shall be received unto the Elisian [...]ields. 5. Christ is the true Cadmus, who was sent of his father to seek that which was lost; hee is the husband of order and harmo­ny, the builder of a greater city then Thebes; the destroy­er of ^(a) the great Dragon the Devill, and of all his ar­med teeth or associates; hee 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 [...]rosse to cure all beholders, and at last was received unto glory. 6. Here is a type of the R [...]surrection.

The INTERPRETER.

1. CAstor and Pollux are these flaming exhalations or meteors which appeare in the aire neer the ground in the night time; these we call ignis fa [...]us or Jack in the candle; because they are ingendred of the aire, and are seen there, they are call [...]d Juno's companions. These two in the habit of young men on horse back, with spears in their hands, and caps on their heads appeared to the Lacedemoni­ans. So did they also to the Lorenses, when they were fight­ing against the Crotonia [...]s; and to the Romans likewise; bringing them news of the overthrow of Perses; there­fore the wearing of the cap, was used in signe of liberty, as we may read at the death Cesar lances were carried about with c [...]ps on their tops; and at the death of Nero the Romans put on their caps. The Roman coine had stampt on it two daggers with caps, when Tarqu [...]nius the king was banished. 2. I Think, not unfitly against the Peripa­tetikes we may gather out of this fiction, the creation of the Sunne and Moon; 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 va­pours are raised and setled: the Son is the Ch [...]mpion, 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. 3. The [Page 15] soule and body are like Castor and Pollux; for when the one dieth, the other liveth; and when the body is asleepe, and as it were dead, then is the soule most active; and when the body is m [...]st vgil [...]t, the soule [...]s lesse vigorous. 4. By thi [...] fiction the Gentiles wound themselves; for if they believe that th [...]se Dioscuri were begot o [...] a god and a wo [...]an; why will they not believe the true gene­ration of Christ, of a Virgin and the Holy Ghost. 5. By this also judiciall Astrologers may be confut [...]d; for wee see that the soules and dispositions of men de­pend not on the Stars. These two were twins, borne under the same const [...]llation, yet of far d [...]fferent studies and in­clinations, the one being a wrestler, the other a horse man. 6. Satan who can transform himselfe unto any shape, ap­peared to the Romans in the Latin war in the forme of Castor and Peliux on horse back, for which cause a Temple was erected to them, by A. P [...]sthumius dictator; have not wee more cause to erect the Temple of our hearts to Christ, who upon the two white ho [...]ses of the two Testa­ments, hath brought us good News of our victorie against our spirituall foes? 7. This temple was erected both to Castor and Pollux; but Castor the lesse worthy carried the name from the other; by which wee see, that honour is not alwayes given to those that deserve best. 8. Di [...]s [...]i 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. 9. It was love in Pol [...]ux to share his immortality with Castor: but in this he did him mor [...] hurt then good, for it had been better to dye once then so often: thus our aff [...]ctions are oftentimes preposterous. 10. Christ hath done more for us then Pollux for Castor, for he lost his immortality for a while, that wee might injoy it for ever.

The INTERPRETER.

1. THe Centaurs were said to be begot of Ixion and a cloud, because they were the subjects of Ixion King of Thessaly, which Countrey is called by Plautus Centau­romachia; and the town where they dwelt was called Ne­phele, which signifies a cloud. 2. In Thessalie was the first use of horse-manship, therefore the Centaurs were said to be halfe men, half h [...]rses. Pele [...]nius found out the use of bridle and saddle: the Lapithae and Centaurs were peo­ple at first different, but afterwards made one, as the Ro­mans and Latins. 3. Many men are like Centaurus, whose fore-parts are of a man, but hinder-parts of an horse, they begin in the spirit, but end in the flesh; their younger yeers are spent civilly, their old age wantonly and pro­fanely. 4. Kings have oftentimes Centaurs for their Councellours, A [...]hilles had Chiron for his Schoolmaster; they have mens faces, fair and honest pretences for their advice, but withall an horse-taile, for the event is cruell and pernicious oftentimes; these are children of clouds, ^(a) for their intentions are oftentimes wrapped up in a [Page 53] cloud and mist, that they cannot be discovered. 5. A drunkard is a right Centaur, a man in the morning, and a beast in the evening; the son of clouds; for whilest hee is sober hee is heartlesse, melancholy, and as a dead man; but when his head is full of clouds, and vapours arising from the wine, then hee is full of life, talk, and mirth, and then hee is most given to quarrell with the Lapithae, even his deerest friends, and to offer violence to women. 6. Mis-shapen and hard-favoured men have harsh and ill-favoured conditions. 7. 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. 8. 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 Sodo [...]i [...]es, and one Job among the E­domites. 9. Drunkennesse, whoredome, and oppression are the overthrow of kingdoms, as wee see here by the Cen­taurs 10. Sin is a Centaur, having a mans face to per­swade, but a horses heels to kick us in the end. 11. Where things are not ruled by lawes, order, and civility, but car­ried headlong with violence and force, wee may say, that there is a Common-wealth of Centaurs. 12. A Comet may be called a Centaur, as having an horse taile, and the wisdome of a man in fo [...]etelling future events; it hath its generation in the clouds or air, and upon the sight of it, bloudshed, warres, and desolation follow. 13. 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. 14. 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 wee are born in the gates of death; Na­scentes morimu [...]. 15. Governours, Souldiers, School-ma­sters [Page 54] should be Centaurs, to have the wisdome of men, and the strength and courage of horses.

The INTERPRETER.

1. AS Pluto was held the god of riches, so Cerberus was his dog, who is painted with three heads, still barking; by Pluto's feet, to shew us the great c [...]re and vi­gilancy that rich men have over their wealth. 2. 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 g [...]te of hell, and that which brings many men to untimely deaths, Plu­res gula quam gla [...]io; and intemperance of Diet causeth of­tentimes that Bulimia and Canina appetentia, dogs app [...]tite, 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 melan­choly humours of the stomack, when the stomachicall nerves are too much refrigerate; but this is sometimes cu­red by Hercules the Physician. 3. Cerbe [...]us is a covetous man, ^(a) whose greedy desire of having is never satisfied: hee is Pluto's dog, for hee makes riches his God, and like a dog hee is continually watching his wealth, and by con­seq [...]ce his desire of having proceedeth of Typhon the Gi­ant, and the sn [...]ke Echidna, that is, of oppr [...]ssion and se­cret cunning; the three heads, or as some write, an hundred [Page 55] heads do shew his unsatiable desire; his snakie hairs do shew how ugly hee is in the sight of good men, and how much by them abhorred: hee lieth in the gates of Hell, from whence gold cometh, for his affections are there, and his punishments are already begun in this life: hee lyeth in a den, as lying basely and obsurely, and when hee is drawn out from thence by Hercules the King, to any publick of­fice or service for the State, hee frets and foams, 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 herb, which is bad example. 4. Death is Cerberus, which is Pluto's dog, Satans mastiffe, by which hee bites us; Typhon, that is, the divell begat death upon Echidna the serpent, in which hee poysoned our first parents; his three mouthes, or hundred rather, doe shew the many wayes that death hath to sease on us; the snakie hairs doth shadow out the uglinesse and fearfulnesse of death; it lyeth in hell-gates, for the wicked must by death come to hell; this dog doth suffer all to go in, but none to return, from hell is no redemption; but Hercu­les by his strength overcame and bound him, and Sybilla by her wisdome cast him asleep: so the Sonne of God by his power and wisdome hath overcome death, and taken away its sting. 5. An evill conscience is Cerberus, still barking, and with his snakes affrighting and stinging the wicked, and lieth 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 minde. 6. The grave is Cerberus, the great [ [...]] flesh-eater, still eating and never full: the snakie haires shew, that the ground is full of worms and snakes; it is also the entry of hell. The light of Christ the great Hercules, when hee went downe to hell, caused this dog to vomit up his morsels, for the graves were opened, and many of the Saints bodies arose, and at the light of Christs second coming, he shall vomit [Page 56] up all that he hath eat; out of Cerberus his foame grew the aconitum, to shew that poysonable herbs grow out of the corruption of the earth. 7. Satan is the hell-hound, whose many heads and snakes doth shew his many malici­ous and cunning wayes hee hath to destroy men; hee is begotten of the Giant Typhon and the snakie Echidna, be­cause as parents live in their children, so violence and craft live in him: hee is the vigilant door-keeper of hell, lying in wait to toll 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 frets, and was forced to vomit and restore those soules which hee held in captivitie. 8. Time with his three 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: hee lyeth in the gate of hell, all must goe thorow his throat that goe thither; that is, all must have a time to die, and it is time that bringeth forth poysonable herbs as well as profitable: and time hath brought us to the knowledge thereof.

The INTERPRETER.

1 CEres being the goddesse of corn, is painted with peace by her, holding Plutus the god of riches in her hand, to shew, that corn, with other fruits of the earth, doe flourish and increase, and money also abounds in time of peace, which in time of warre are destroyed. Therefore Ceres would not bestow her daughter Proserpina upon Mars, though he was a suter to her; nor yet upon Apollo the god of Wisdome, to shew perhaps that as souldiers are not friends to husband-men, so wise men are sitter to sit at the helme of Government, then to hold the plow; husband-men are not Statesmen. 2. Of such reverend esteem were the sa­crifices of Ceres, that none were admitted to them who were conscious of any crime; for this cause Nero being guilty of so many wickednesses, durst never a [...]venture to be present at these sacrifices: What boldnesse then is it in no­torious and scandalous sinners to present themselves to the Lords table? And what neglect is it in Ministers to give that which is holy to dogs? Precul, O procul este profani. 3. Ceres is the Moon, which one h [...]lfe of the yeer increas­eth, to wit, fifteen dayes every month, which time shee is above the earth; the other half yeer that shee is decreasing, shee is under; her daughter Proserpina may be the earth, which shee 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. 4. Ceres is corn, which Saturn and Ops, that is, time and earth produce; Proserpina is the seed which Pluto ravish [...]th, because [Page 58] 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 Sodomits: 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 bowels of the earth by night; the tasting of Pluto's [...]ruit, is the food which the corn receiveth from the ground. 5. Ceres is ^(a) the earth, by whose benefit, we have Proserpina, corn; Plutus, mony, and a horse, that is, all cattell fit for use: this is the nurse of all li­ving creatures astording them milk and fire, food and heat: hence come these phrases, cereale solum, cereales caenae, for plentiful, suppers, and a fruitfull ground: and cerealis aura, for a temperate clim [...]: when Proserpina gathering flowers, that is, the corn which groweth with the ^(b) flowers, espe­cially the Poppie (therefore consecrated to Ceres) was car­ry [...]d away by Plu [...]o, that is, faileth by reason of sterilitie of the ground, and intemperance of the air: then Ceres hides her self, that is, the earth loseth her beauty: but by the me [...]s of Pan, that is, the shepherd with his sheep-fold, the land is inriched, and Ceres comes abroad in her best a­r [...]y, and by the help of her two lamps, the Sun and Moon, shee recovers Prose [...]pina or corne again: for halfe of the year he affordeth corn to Ti [...]ptolemus the husband-man, who in the chariot of time, drawn by the winged serpents, that is, used, guided, and imployed by his diligence and prudence, hee sendeth his corn abroad to those that want. 6. Ceres may be the type of a earthly minded man: who is not content with on [...] c [...]lling, but is still trying new wayes to grow rich▪ sometimes he is in love with Jupiter, [Page 59] or the air, 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) Jason, and playes the Physitian, and of him begets blind 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 bo [...]es, that his Proserpina, his land, to which he would fain returne, is carryed away by Pluto the usurer. 7. In this fiction is reproved curiositie, by the ex­ample of Celeus; it is a dangerous thing to pry into the se­crets of God. 8. Here also we see the reward of hospit [...]y. 9. 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. 19. Let us take heed, that whilst [...]we are gathering flowers with Proserpina, that is, deligh [...]ing our selves in these earthly vanities, Pluto the Devill do not take away our soules, and so shall we be forced to leave the company of Minerva, Juno and Venus, that is, be taken from all our wordly wisdom, wealth and pleasures. 11. Ceres, that is, parents should be very watchfull over their daughters; for a Virgin, that hath Minerva, Juno, 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. 12 As Triptolemus could not be immortalized without Ceres milk, and fire, neither can we atain Heaven without the sincere milke of Gods word and the fire of affliction; and as in the day of prosperi [...]ie we are content to drinke the milk of his good things, so in the night of adversitie we must not refuse to suffer the fiery triall of persecution. 13 Ceres was both a good Law-giver, and feeder of men; therefore [Page 60] her sacrifices were called [ [...]] Thesmophoria; so Princes should be both. 14. Beware of eating Pomegra­nats in Pluto's orchard, for that hindred Proserpina's delivery from thence; so it is an hard thing to reclaim those from the power of Satan, who do relish and delight in sin. 15. Ce­res is a type 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 book and [...]ail 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 breasts are open and stretched forth with the ^(b) sincere milk of Gods word; over her right side Juno 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. 16. Christ is truly Ceres; which ha­ving left mankind, being carried away by the divel, 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.

The INTERPRETER.

1. BY Charon Time may be meant, who was the son of Erybus and Night; because Gods secret decree which was hid from man in an eternall night, gave being to time, before which was night or darknesse; his aboad is said to be in hell, or here below, (for this sublunary world may be called hell in respect of heaven) because above in heaven there is no use of time, for there is eternity. 2. Cha­ron was said to ferry souls over the river Styx to the other bank, to shew that Time brought us in, and time will bring us out of this world, which is like a troublesome river, the two banks whereof are our coming in and going out, or our estate before our birth, and after our death: whilest wee live here, we are sailing in the rotten, feeble, and brittle boat of our bodies over the river Acheron, by which is expressed the comfortlesse condition and joylesse state of this life. 3. Charon was old, but not weak; his age diminished no­thing his strength or vigour, sed [...]uda suit viridisque senectus: so time suffers no diminution of vigour by continuance or diuturnity. 4. Charons garments were ragged and fordid, so is the condition of this life, being compared to that of heaven. 5. By Charon doubtlesse death was understood, from [...] to dig or make hollow, for death is still hol­low eyed; or from [...] joy, for good men in death have true joy: [...] also is a benefit, and death is such, and an advantage to good men; but so it is made by Christ, for in it self death is the child of Hell and Night, and as Charon is described by the King of Poets, Ae [...]aead. 6. to be old, but yet vigorous, ugly, 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, [Page 62] strength, power, of his word, &c. He that would be admit­ted into Charons boat, that is, have a joyfull death, must carry mon [...]y in his mouth, that is, make him friends of his unjust Mammon; for what wee bestow on the poor, that wee carry with us, to wit, the benefit and comfort of it; and wee cannot have a joyfull death, or be admitted into Charons boat, till our body of sin be buried by repentance. 6. Charon is a good conscience, which is a continuall feast; this carrieth us over the infernall rivers, that is, over all the waters of afflict [...]on in this life,. 7. Charon is the sin of drunkennesse, the cup is the boat, the wine is the river Phlegeton which burns them, and Acheren wher [...]in is no true joy, Styx which causeth sadnesse and complaints; for these are the effects of drunkennesse: Charons f [...]ry face, ragged clothes, brawling and scolding tongue, rotten boat still drinking in water, are the true emblems of a drun­kard; hee is the childe of Hell, and begot of Satan and the Night, for they that are drunk are drunk in the night; hee ad­mits of no company but such as are dead in this sin, and bu­ried in it, and such as have money in their mouthes, that is, spend-thrifts, who spend all on their throats.

The INTERPRETER.

1. THe Church of Rome is a Chimaera, her head was a Lions head breathing out fire; for her devotion was then awfull and majesticall to the world, her zeale was hot like fire, and her words were powerfull: but a­bout the middle of her raign shee shewed her Goatish belly, for wealth made her wanton and insolent; but in the end [Page 63] shee shewed the Dragons tail, by open persecution in de­vouring the bodies, and striving to poyson the souls of the Saints. 2. Some think that this was a hill, on the top whereof were Lions and Vulcans of fire, about the middle was pasture and Goats, at the foot Serpents, which Bellero­phon made habitable: others think this was a Pir [...]ts ship, having the picture of these three beasts on it: others, that these were three brothers called by these names, which did much hurt: others, that by this [...]iction is meant a torrent of water, running furiously like a Lion, licking the grasse upon the banks like a Goat, and winding like a Serpent, as may be seen in Natal. Comes, and others. 3. But I had rather think, that by this Monster may be meant a Whore, which is [ [...]] the wave or scum of love, wherein many are drowned; shee hath a Lions de­vouring mouth, still craving and devouring mens estates; shee hath the wanton belly of a Goat, but in the end will sting and poyson like a Dragon. 4. By Chima [...]a I think Wine may be meant, which makes men [...]urious like Li­ons, wanton like Goats, and cunning or crafty like Ser­pents. 5. The life of man may be meant by this Mon­ster, for man in his youthfull yeers is an untamed Lion, in his middle age a wanton or an aspiring Goat, still striving to climb upon the steep rocks of honour; and in his old age hee becomes a wise and crafty Serpent. 6. Satan may be understood by Chimaera, who in the be­ginning of the Church did rage like a Lion by open persecution; in the middle and flourishing time thereof, like a Goat made her wanton; and in the end will shew himselfe to be that great red Dragon, labouring by secret cunning and slights to undermine and poyson her; but Christ already hath, and wee in him shall overcome this Monster.

The INTERPRETER.

1. CHiron was halfe a horse and halfe a man; God doth oftentimes punish the adulteries of the parents with monsterous and deformed children, for Ops was the wife of Saturn and not Phyllyra 2. The deformitie of children proceeds ordinarily from the distempered imagination of the parents. 3. That Chiron is begot of Saturn and Philly­ra, is meant that Astronomie, Physick, Musick and all o­ther arts are begot of time and experience, or of time and books; for Phillyra 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. 4. 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. 5. Chiron may signifie to us the life of a Christian, which consisteth in contemplation, and so he is an Astronomer, whose con­vers [...]tion 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 [Page 65] his denomination Chiron from [...] ma [...], the hand, not from the head; lastly suffering is a part of Christianitie, and so Chiron patiently suffered the wound of Hercules his arrow. 6. Chirons feet were wounded before he was ad­mitted amongst the stars; so our affections must be morti­fied, befor we can attain heaven. 7. Chirons pain made him desire to die, so affliction makes us weary of this world, and fits us for heaven. 8. 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. 9. In that a Centaur had so much knowledge, wee see that sometimes in mis-shapen bodies are eminent parts, as were in Aesop, Epicte [...]us, and others. 10. 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.

The INTERPRETER.

1. Circe was a famous witch who was said to transforme men into Wolves, Bears, and other beasts; which is not true indeed; for the devill cannot cause such a trans­formation, [Page 66] because it is a kind of creation, proper to God onely, who could change Lots wife into a pillar of salt, and Nebuchadnezzar into a beast; but these transformati­ons of witches, are onely melancholy conceipts and dis­stempers of the imagination caused by herbs, or oynt­ments, or else they are delusions of the eye. 2. Circe, saith Nat. Comes, is the mixture of the Elements, which is cau­sed by heat and moysture; the four Elements are the four hand-maids; shee is immortall because this mixture is perpetu [...]ll; and the strange shapes shew the varietie of strange forms brought in by generation; shee had no power over Vlysses, became the soul cometh not by mixtion of the Elements, or generation. 3. By Circe, I suppose may be fitly understood death; caused by Sol and Oceanus grand­childe, because death and corruption proceed out of heat and moysture; the poysoning of her husband shews that death is no accepter of persons; Sol carried 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 shee hath no power over Vlysses, 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. 4. By Circe may be meant the divell, who hath caused beastly dispositions in the nature of man, and hath poysoned us all; as Circe infe­cted Vlysses fellows, but not himself: so he poysoned Jobs body, but had no power over his soule; 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. 5. Circe is physicall knowledge con­sisting much in herbs; shee is the daughter of Sol: be­cause herbs proceed of his heat: shee turneth men into beasts, because some physicians searching too much into nature, become beasts in forgetting the God of nature: [Page 67] shee dwelt on a hill full of physicall simples, to let us understand wherein the Physicians skill and studie ly­eth; hee hath no power over Vlysses the soule, but the bo­dies of men hee may poyson or preserve: his four hand-maids are Philosophie, Astronomie, Anatomie, and Bo­tanie or skill of simples. 6. Sinne is a Circe, chiefly drunkennesse and whoredome, which poyson men, and turn then into Swine: Circe hath both a cup and a rod, with which shee poysoneth men; so in sin there is a cup of pleasure, and the rod of vengeance: though Vlysses fel­lowes were poysoned, yet he would not himself be enticed by Circe; but by means of the herb Moly and his sword, hee hath defended himself, and made Circe restore his fellowes again to their wonted shapes; so Governors 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 themselves, and use the sword against this Circe in others.

The INTERPRETER.

1. COElus and Terra make an unequall match, therefore of them proceed strange and monstrous children: the matches of Nobles and pesants prove for the most part unfortunate and mischievous. ‘ [Page 68]Sique voles apte nubere, nube pari.’ 2. By Coelus I understand the upper region of the air; for the aire is called heaven both by Poets and Divine Scri­pture: this may be said to be the son of Aether and Di­es, not onely 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 dry as that is; and more properly may this fire be called Ae­ther from its continuall burning, then the heaven which hath no elementary heat at all: his marriage with the earth, of which Titans, Cyclopes, &c. are procreated, doe shew, that those fiery Meteors in the upper region of the air are procreated by its heat and motion, of these thin and dry 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 warrs within the clouds: Saturne his sonne, that is, Time the measurer of heavens motion, shall 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 be a new heaven: and upon this new change in the heaven, the Furies shall be engendred, that is, the tor­ments of the wicked shall begin. 3. They that geld ancient Records, Fathers, and Scripture, are like Saturne rebelling against heaven, being encouraged thereto by those spirituall monsters, enemies of truth who were thrust down from heaven, and that light of glory where­in they were created, unto the lowest Hell; and of this gelding proceeds nothing but Furies, that is, heresies, schismes, dissentions. 4. Saturnious, Tatianus, and his Scholars, the Encratites, Originists, Manichaeans, and all o­ther hereticks who have condemned matrimonie as an un­cleane thing, and not enjoyned by God, they are all like Saturne, being assisted by their brethren the Mon­sters [Page 69] of hell, and doe 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 wed­lock, but furies and all kinde of disorder and impuri­ty? 5. The children of Heaven and of the light, must not (as Coelus did) joyn 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 soules, and geld us of all spi­rituall grace, and of our interest in the kingdom of heaven, and then must needs be engendred the Furies, to wit, the torments of conscience.

The INTERPRETER.

1. I finde Cupid painted sometime standing close by For­tune, to shew how much fortune prevails in love mat­ters: and sometimes I find him standing between Mercury and Hercules, to let us see, that love is most prevalent when it is attended on by eloquence and valour. 2. There is a twofold love, to wit, in the Creatour, and in the Crea­ture: Gods love is twofold, inherent in himselfe, and this is eternall as himselfe, therefore hath no father nor mother; Or transient to the creature. This love was first [Page 70] seen in creating the Chaos, and all things out of it; therefore they said that Love was engendred 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 twofold, according to the twofold object thereof, to wit, God and the creature: that love by which wee love God, is begot of Jupiter and Venus, that is, God; and that uncreated beauty in him is the cause of this love: and because the maine and proper object of love is beauty (for wee doe not love goodnesse, but as it is beautifull) and it is the object that moveth and stirreth up the ^(a) passion, therefore Venus goddesse of beauty 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 military skill and courage a beautifull thing, so this love is begot of Mars and Venus; others are in love with eloquence, and think 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 wee may say of all things else which wee 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 kinde, in multiply­ing them by generation, is the childe of Vulcan and Ve­nus; for it is begot of their own naturall heat and out­ward beautie: by beauty I mean whatsoever wee account pleasing to us, whether it be wealth, honour, pleasure, ver­tu [...], &c. 3. 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; [Page 71] Amor qui desinere potest, nunquam fuit verus. Hee hath wings, for love must be swift; hee is blinde, for love must wink at many things, it covereth a multitude of sins; hee 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 Samsons 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 creatures; rationall, sensitive, ve­getative, and senselesse have their sympathies. The image of a Lionesse with little Cupids playing about her, some tying her to a pillar, others putting drink into her mouth with an horn, &c. do shew how the most fierce creatures are made tame by love: therefore hee hath a rose in one hand, 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 arrowes doe teach us, that Love wounds deeply, when wee cannot obtain what we love: some of his arrowes are pointed with lead, some with gold; hee is wounded with a golden arrow, that aims at a rich wife, and cannot obtain her; to be wounded with leaden arrowes, is to be afflicted for want of ordinary ob­jects which wee love: and so his burning torches shew, that a lover is consumed with griefe for not obtaining the thing loved, as the wax is with heat: Ardes amans Dido; Vtitur infoelix; Coeco carpiturigne, Est mollis flamma medul­l [...]s; Haeret lateri laethalis arundo, &c. These are my con­ceits of Cupids picture; other Mythologists have other con­ceits, applying all to unchaste and wanton love, whose companions are drunkennesse, quarrelling, childeish toyes, &c.

The INTERPRETER.

1. BY the Cyclopes is meant water, for they were begot of Neptune and Amphitrite, as some say; and yet they were servants to Vulcan, which is fire, to shew that in generation the fire can doe nothing without water, nor water without fire. 2. 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, engender thunder and lightning to Jupiter, as their ^(a) names shew; they dwelt in Sicilie, about hill Aetna, because heat is the breeder of thunder; they were thrust downe to Hell by their father, and came up again, because in the cold winter these vapours lie in the earth, and by heat of the spring are elevated; wise Vlysses overcame Polyphemus, that is, man by his wisdome and observation found out the secrets of these naturall things, and causes thereof; Apollo was said to kill these Cyclopes, because the Sun dispelleth vapours. 3. 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 [Page 73] air, whose service God useth sometimes, in sending thun­der and storms 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 said 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 mankind; Polyphemus or Bel­zebub is the chiefe, who having devoured Vlysses fellowes, that is, mankinde, the true Vlysses, Christ the Wisdome 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 warres among men, may be said to make Mars his chariots. 4. Here wee see that little Vlysses overcame tall Polyphemus; policie overcomes strength. 5. Wee see also the effects of drunkennesse, by it wee lose both our strength, and the eye of reason. 6. Servius [ in lib. 3. Aenaead.] thinks that Polyphemus was a wise man, because hee had his eye in his fore-head neer the brain: but I say, hee was but a fool, because hee had but one eye, which onely looked to things present: hee wanted the eye of providence, which looks to future dangers, and prevents them. 7. Here wee are taught to beware of cruelty and security, for they are here justly punished. 8. The State of Rome, which at first had two eyes, to wit, two Consuls, became a Polyphemus, an huge body with one eye when one Emperour guided all; this Giant fed upon the flesh of Christians in bloudy persecutions; but when shee was drunk with the bloud of the Saints, Vlysses, that is, wise Constantine, thrust out the eye, and weakned the power of Rome, of that Giant which had made so much thunder of war in the world, and so many chariots for Mars. 9. A Common-wealth without a King, is like great Polyphemus without an eye: [Page 74] and then there is nothing but ^(a) Cyclopian cruelty and oppression, great men feeding on the flesh of the poor; then is nothing but intestine wars and broyls, the servants of Vulcan making thunderbolts and chariots for Mars; Aetna ^(b) resounding with the noyse of their hammers on the anvill; ‘Brontesque, Steropesque, & nudus membra Pyracmen.’

So it was in Israel, when every man did what hee lifted. 10. An envious man is like ^(c) Polyphemus, hee hath no charitable eye: hee feeds and delights himselfe with the ruine and destruction of other men. 11. 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.

The INTERPRETER.

I. PAsiphae being taken with the love of Astronomie, and with the knowledge of the twelve celestiall signs, especially of the Bull, which Daedalus taught her, gave oc­casion to this fiction of Pasiphaes falling in love with the Bull. 2. Dedalus was a cunning Artificer, who found out divers tooles and instruments for workmen, and the first that either made images, or made their eyes movable. [Page 76] Hence cunning engines and workes, are called Daedali machera, Daedalaea opera. 3. Hell is the labyrinth into which wee were cast for our sins, by a juster Judge then Minos: and should have been devoured by Satan the Mi­notaur, had not Christ helped us out by the thred of his word, and wings of faith. 4. They that give themselves to unlawfull pleasures, with Pasiphae, shall bring forth that monster which will devoure them. 5. Daedalus made this labyrinth, and was cast into it himselfe; so the wicked are caught in their own nets; and fall into the pit which they dig for others. 6. Daedalus was guiltie of murther, therefore is justly pursued; for murther is never secure. 7. Icarus is justly punished for refusing to hearken to his fathers counsell, a good lesson for all children. 8. Let us take heed of curiosity, pry not too much into the secrets of God, lest wee have Icarus his reward: for all humane reason is but waxen wings. 9. Here wee see for the most part that young men are high-minded and proud, but pride alwayes hath a fall. 10. Astronomers, and such as will undertake to fore-tell 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. 11. The golden mean is still best, with what wings soever wee 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. 12. If wee will flye to Christ with the wings of faith, wee must not mount too high in presumption, nor fall too low in desperation. 13. Wee see by Pasiphae, that a dishonest and disloyall wo­man will leave no means unattempted to fulfill her lustfull and wanton desires. 14. Many women are like Pasiphae, outwardly they seem to be mortified, having the skin of a dead cow, or wooden cover; but within they burn with wanton lusts.

The INTERPRETER.

1. DEucalion was said to make men of stones, because he brought them down from their habitation in the stonie hils, to dwell in the fruitfull plains below. 2. Par­nassus on which hee was saved, was called first Larnassus, from [...] an ark, or covered cock [...]boat, in which hee and his wife were saved. 3. 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. 4. Deucalion may be the type 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 Leucalion, which may be made of [...] to moisten or water, and [...] to call; for their office is to water the barren ground of mens hearts, & to call them to repentance and grace: they must be just as Deucalion was, and build up the living temple of God: they must strive to save both themselves and others from the floud of Gods wrath; and if others will not be saved, yet let them doe their duty, and be Deucalions still, and so they shall save themselves when others shall perish. Pyrrha, which may be derived from [...], must be their wife; that is, they must have the fire of zeale, and Gods word must be in their mouth like a fire to burn up the chaffe: Parnassus [Page 78] 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 downe from Parnassus, 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. 5. By this fiction, the Gentiles might have taught themselves the doctrine of the resurrection; for if stones cast on the ground could become men, why should they not beleeve that ^(a) our bodies fallen to the earth, shall in the last day resume their ancient form, by the power of him who first gave it? 6. 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 counsellour, without which nothing should they doe: but chiefly let them take heed of covetousnesse, 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 ^(b) religion and civility but stones, representing in their conditions the nature of the place where they live? 7. Deucalion turned stones into men, but Idolaters of stones make gods; such a god was Jupiter Lapis among the Romans, by whom they used to sweare, and these stony Gods turned the worshippers into stones, for they that make them are like unto them, and so are all they that worship them: the Idolater is a spirituall fornicator, com­mitting whoredome with the earth, which affordeth the materials, and hee brings in the forme. 8. It is not the least happinesse to hide ones selfe in Parnassus amongst the [Page 79] Muses, for a Scholar to spend his time privately and qui­etly in his studie, whilest the tumultuous floods of trou­bles and crosses prevail abroad in the world. 9. Here we see that God is a punisher of impietie, and a preserver of good men. 10. By Deusalion and Pyrrha may be under­stood water and fire, heat and moisture, of which all things are generated in the earth.

The INTERPRETER.

1. DIana was wont to be painted sitting in a chariot drawn with two horses, the one white, the other black; by which doubtlesse was meant both the swistnesse of her motion, and the diversity of her aspects; for the white horse represented her brightnesse in the full, and the black her darknesse in the wane or change. 2. Diana is the Moon, called Apollo's or the Suns sister, because of their likenesse in light, motion, and operations: the daughter of God, brought out of La [...]ona or the Chaos, shee came out before her brother Apollo, and helped to play the mid-wife in his production; by which I think was meant, that the night, whoreof 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: therefore the Calends of the months were dedicated to June, or the Moon. Shee hath [Page 80] divers ^(a) names for her divers operations, as may be seen in Mythologists; in Macrobius she is called [...] for­tune, from her variablenesse, as both being subject to so many changes, and causing so many alterations. Scaliget observeth that shee was called Lya, or Lua, from lues the plague, because shee is the cause of infection, and deseases, by which the soul is loosed from the body; shee was cal­led Fasceli [...] from the bundle of wood, out of which her image was stolen, by Iphigenia Agamemnons daughter; but I should thinke that shee was called Lya, from loosing or untying of the girdle which yong women used to do in her temple, called therefore [...], in which temple virgins that had a mind to marrie, used first to pacifie Diana with sacrifices; she was also called [...], 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 Insernus or Hell, as all aboue her is heaven; this free from changes, that subject to all changes; and per­haps shee may be called Hecate, from the great changes that shee maketh here below, every hundreth yeer; she may be called Diana from her divine power, Juno from helping, Pro­serpina from her creeping; for though shee is swift in the lower part of her Epicycle, yet in the upper part thereof she is slow; Luna quasi una, as being the only beautie of the night, 'Dyctinnis from a net, because f [...]shers and hunters use nets, and of these shee is said to have the charge; for the Moon-light is a help to both; they called her [...], quasi [...], from cutting the air; Lucina, from her light; her hunting and dancing was to shew her divers motions; for she hath more then any planet, six at least, as Clavius observes; her virginitie sheweth, that though shee is neere the earth, yet shee is not tainted with earthly [Page 81] imperfections; shee is a help to child-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 seene there; for all herbs, plants and trees feel her influence; and because shee hath dominion over the fiercest beasts, in tempering their raging heat by her moysture, shee holds a Lion and Leopard in her hand, whose heat is exc [...]ssive, but tempered by the Moon; her silver chariot shews her brightnesse; the staggs and wings do shew her swistnesse; 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 shee causeth death and cor­ruption; in respect of her corniculated, demidiated, and plenarie aspect, shee is called ^(a) triformis, and trivia, be­cause shee was worshipped in places where three ways met. The dancing of all the Nimphs and Satyrs, shews how all take delight in her light; her hunting is to shew how in her motion shee per [...]u [...]s and overtakes the Sun. 3. A rich usurer is like Diana, for he is [...], an earthly man, a great hunter after wealth; who hath his nets, his bands and bils, 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 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 hee catches; he is carried in a silver chariot drawn with stagg [...] because fearfullnesse doth still accompany wealth, with which he is supported; he would fain fly up to heaven with the wings of devotion, but the Lions and Leopards in his hands with which he devoures mens estates, keeps them 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 [Page 82] 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. 4. 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 virginitie. 5. Every good man should be like Diana, having the wings of divine meditation, the courage of the Lion, and swiftnesse of the stagg, his feet should be like Hinds feet, to run in the way of Gods Commande­ments. 6. 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 frutfull mother of spirituall chil­dren, whose conversation is sequestred from the world: shee is supported in the silver chariot of Gods word, in which shee is carried towards heaven, being drawn with the with the white staggs of innocencie and feare; shee hold­eth in her hands Lions and Leopards, the Kings of the Gen­tiles who have suffred themselves to be caught and tamed by her: shee flieth with the wings of faith and devotion: and hunts after beasts, that is, wicked men, to catch them in her nets, that shee may save their souls, and with her arrows kill their sins: Diana was midwife to bring forth Apol­lo: so the Church travells in 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 Erostra [...]us, so it doth with the Church, whose Temples have bin robbed: defaced, and ruinated by prophane men.

The INTERPRETER.

1 LVu [...]ian ( Lib. 2. ver. Hist.) shews, that among other de­lights of the Elysian fields, the trees that grew there were of glasse all, and the fruits of these trees were curious and diversly wrought drinking glasses, which were filled pre­sently with delicate wine as soon as they were pluckt off. There was also continuall f [...]asting and good cheer; a brave Paradise for our Epicures and drunk [...]rd [...], who would desire no other heaven then this. 2. Elysium is a place of liberty, as the word sheweth; for they onely enjoy it who are loo­sed from their bodies: not only Poets, but Scriptures also have described those heavenly joyes under earthly terms for our capacity; 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, t [...]re are the flowers of all divine graces, there is a perpetuall [...]pring, the musick of Angels, the supper and wedding-feast of the Lamb, the [Page 84] new Jerusalem all built of precious 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 hee was purged, so no unclean thing can enter into the new Jerusalem; the bloud of Christ must purge us from all sin: and as they must passe Acheron, Phlegeton, and other rivers of hell before they can have accesse to those delightfull fields; so wee must passe tho­row fire and water, troubles and persecutions, before wee can enter into heaven. And thus we see the Gentiles were not ignorant of a reward for good men, and of punishment for the wicked.

The INTERPRETER.

1. ENd [...]meon was King of Elis, who for his justice, obtained of Jupiter that hee should [...]eep perpetual­ly; to shew, that after a toylesome life there can be no greater happinesse then continuall rest and quietnesse: and this should en [...]urage Kings and Magistrates to endure the molestations of their Government with patience, seeing their short troubles shall end in perpetuall rest. 2. It is thought that Endymeon being an Astronomer, and one that fi [...]st observed the divers motions of the Moon, gave occasion to this fiction, that the Moon loved him: but I think these [...] may be made of this fiction. I. En­dymeon is a rich man, and riches make men faire though never so deformed; and with such the Moon, that is, the [Page 85] world, (as unconstant as the Moon) is in love, these are the men whom the world kisseth and honoureth: but when these rich Endymeons set their affections upon wealth, (for Juno is the goddesse of wealth) then doe they lose heaven, and fall into the sleep of security, saying, Soule, take tby rest, thou hast store laid up for many yeers, with that rich farmer in the Gospel, and so they lose their soules for a shadow, (for such is wealth) and this shadow brings up­on them spirituall stupiditie, that they 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 faire whilest Gods image continued with him; but when hee fell in love with Juno, Jupiters wife, that is, affected equality with his Maker, hee was thrust out of Paradise into this world, as into a cave, where hee was cast into a dead sleep, or the sleep of death, from which hee 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 those 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 said to love him: and such, because they affect honour and popular applause, which is but air, may be said to be in love with Juno, which is the air; and in­deed honour is but air, or a cloud. 4. Every man may be called Endymeon, for wee are all in love with air and empty clouds, with toyes and vanities, which makes us so sleepy and dull in heavenly things: and the Moon is in love with us; changes and inconstanci [...] still accompany mans life; to signifie which instabilitie of humane affairs, the feast of new Moons was kept among the Jewes; and [Page 86] the Roman Nobilitie used to wear little pictures of the Moon on their shooes, to shew that wee are never in one stay: for which cause I think the Turks have the halfe Moon for their Armes. 5. When Endymeon, that is, man­kinde slept in sin, the Moon, that is, our Saviour Christ (whose fle [...]h is compared to the Moon (in Psal. 73) by S. Augustine, as his divinitie to the Sun) in his flesh v [...]ited us, and dwelt amongst us; this Moon was eclipsed in the passion, and this Moon slept in the cave with Ad [...]m, and the full of this Moon was seen in the r [...]surr [...]ction: this is hee who hath kissed us with the killes of his mouth, whose love is b [...]tter then wine, whose light shined in darknesse, and the darknesse co [...]prehended it not. 6. The Moon falls in love with sleepy Endymeons, that is, carnall and sensuall pleasures, and earthly thoughts invade those that give themselves to idlen [...]sse, security, and lazinesse: for the Moon, in regard of her vicinity to the earth, may be the symboll of earthly mindes; and because shee is the m [...]stris of the night and of darknesse, the time when car­nall delights are most exercised, shee may be the symboll of such delights: a [...]d because of her often changing, shee may represent to us the nature of fooles, which delight in idlenesse, as the Moon did in Endymeo [...]. 7. Endyme­on in this may signifi [...] the Sun, with whom the Moon is in love, rejoycing and (as it were) laughing in her full light, when shee hath the full view of him, and every month running to him and overtaking him, whose mo­tion is slow, and therefore hee seems to sleepe in regard of her velocitie.

The INTERPRETER.

1. ERychihonius was the first that found out the use of coaches and chario [...]s to hide his deformed and ser­pentine feet in:

So many men goe about to hide their sowle actions, and excuse them, but not to reforme them. 2. Vulcan shed­ding his seed on the ground, is the elementarie fire, con­curring with the earth, in which are the other two [...]le­ments, and of these all monsters are procreated: and by [...]inerva, that is, the influence of heaven or of the Sun, cherished and somented, though not at first by God pro­duced, but since Adams fall, and for the punishment of sin. 3. Vulcan offering wrong to Minerva, is that [...]re­generate 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 increas [...]d by the spirit, till at last the spirit get the victorie. 4. Mi­nerva, that is, he that makes a vow to live still a virgin, must looke 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 (De falsa religione, lib. 1. cap. 17.) sheweth, that Minerva was not, because shee cherished Erych [...]honius; therefore an un [...]h [...]st mind in a ch [...]st body, is like Minerva somenting Vulcans brat: he'is a pure virgin, saith S. Hi [...]rom, (Lib. 1. Adver. Jovini) whose mind is chast, as well as his body; [Page 88] and this he ingenuously consesseth was wanting in himself. 5. Minerva, that is, wisdom hath no such violent enemy as Vulcan, that is, firie anger, which doth not onely over­throw wisdom in the mind for a time, for it is short [...]ury; but is also the cause of Erych [...]honius, that is, of all strife and contention in the world. 6. War is a firie Vulcan, an enemie to learning or Minerva; the cause of Erych [...]honius, of monstrous outrages and enormities; and oftentimes fomented by seditiout schollers, and learning abused. 7. Erych [...]honius is a covetous man, as the word shews; for [...] is contention, and [...] is the earth; and what else is covetousnesse 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 firie, that is of Sat [...]n the god of this world, who reigns in the fire of contention, and in the fire of Hell, and is somen­ted by Minerva the soul, which is the seat of wisdom. 8. Tertullian (Lib. de spectaculis) saith, that Erych [...]honius is the devill; and indeed, not unsitly, 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 torments us in the end for sin; whosoever with delight shall look on him, shall at l [...]st receive destruction. 9. Let us take heed we pry not to curiously in the basket of natures secrets, lest we be served as Ce [...]rops daughters, or as Pliny and Em­pedocles were. 10. A Magistrate or Governor must be like Erych [...]honius, who was hinself King of Athens; he must be both a man and a Dragon; if the face of humanity and mer­cie will not prevail, then the Dragons feet of vigour and justice must walk. 11. If any firie or cholerick Vulcan shall offer us wrong, we must wisely defend our selves with Minerva; and conceal the injury and our own grief, as shee did Erych [...]ho [...]ius. 12. Though the preserving and cherishing of Vulcans child is no certain proof that Minerva lost her virginitie, neither did shee lose it though Vulcan [...] ▪ red her violence, because there was no consent; yet it [Page 89] becomes all, chiefly virgins to avoid both the evill and the occasion thereof, that there may be no suspition.

The INTERPRETER.

1. THe Ancients did worship the Furies with sacrifices altars and temples, as they did the other gods; not, that these might doe them any good, but that they might doe them no hurt: There they worshipped the gods A­ [...]errunci, so called ab averrun [...]ando, or Aver [...]endo, that they might forbeare to hurt them. It is the part of every wise man not to exasperate a potent adversary, but to miti­gate his furie. Thus wee must deale with tyrants; though they doe not love us, yet wee must fawne upon them, that they may not wrong us. 2. There was a temple in A­chaia dedicated to the Furies, into which whosoever went, that was guilty of murther, incest, or such like impieties, fell presently distracted and mad. I doubt mee that tem­ple is yet extant among us, and that too many have been in it, there is such ma [...]nesse, and so many distractions and distempers among us. 3. Commonly these three furies are taken for the tortures of an evill conscience, proceeding from the guilt of sinne; 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 whereof are begun in the conscience of wick­ed men. 4. There are three unruly passions in men, [Page 90] answering to these three furies: covetousnesse is Al [...]to, which never giveth over seeking wealth; and indeed this is the greatest of all the furies, and will not suffer the miser to eat and enjoy the goods that hee hath gotten:

This is an Harpie indeed, not only delighting in rapine, but polluting every thing it hath, Contacts omnia foed [...] immundo, Aen. 3. this may be called Jupiters dog, or rather a dog in the m [...]nger, neither eating himselfe, nor suffer­ing others to ear. The second furie is Megaera, that is, En­vie, full of poyson and snakie hairs. The third is Tis [...]pho­ne, which is Inordinate anger, or a revengefull disposition: the burning torch and wings shew the nature of anger: all these have their beginning and being from Hell, from Darknesse, and Night; even from Satan, and the twofold darknesse that is in us, to wit, the ignorance of our under­standing, and the corruption of our will: but as the Fu­ries had no accesse unto Apollo's temple, but were placed in the porch, ( ul [...]ic [...]sque sedent in lumine Dirae, Aenead. 8.) although otherwise they were had in great veneration: so neither have they accesse unto the mindes of good men, which are the temples of the holy Ghost. 5. Gods three judgements which hee sends to punish us, to wit, plague, famine, and sword, are the three furies: ^(a) Megaera is the plague, it sweeps and takes away multitudes: the fa­mine is Alecto, which is never satissied: and the sword is Tis [...]phone, a revenger of sin, and a murtherer. These have their seat in hell, as they are sent from, or raised by Satan; and in heaven also as they are sent by God, without whose permission Satan can do nothing: they may be called Har­pies from [...], as the Furies were, because they snatch and carry all things headlong with them: and Dirae, quas [...] Dei irae, being the effects of Gods anger; they are Jupiters [Page 91] dogs, the executioners of Gods wrath, and devourers of sinners; they come swistly with wings, and tread hard with their brazen feet: the plague is the snake that poy­soneth, the famine is the torch that consumeth and burneth, the sword is the whip that draweth bloud. 6. Ministers should be Eumenides, from [...], that is, gracious, bene­volent, of a good minde, as the word signifieth, being pro­perly taken. They should have the wisdome 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 brazen feet of a constant and shining conversation.

The INTERPRETER.

1. FOrtune and the Moon are taken for one and the same Deity; for as the Moon, so Fortune is still change­able and unconstant; and as the Moon, so Fortune hath the command and dominion over sublunary things; and as from the Moon, so from Fortune the generation and cor­ruption of things have their dependence. 2. Neer to Fortune stood the image of Favour, in the habit of a youth with wings, standing upon a wheele; to shew us that favour is procured by Fortune; and that this is as unstable and ready to fly from us as Fortune it selfe. 3. Amongst many other images of Fortune, there were two of speciall note; the one was called Fortuna calva, bald Fortune: [Page 93] the other Fortuna vi [...]ea, glassie fortune; to shew that it is a difficult thing to lay hold upon Fortune being bald; so when we have caught her, shee is quickly broke being glas­sie. 4. The Roman Emperours put more confidence in Fortune then in any other Deity; therefore they alwayes kept in their closets the golden image of Fortune, and when they travelled abroad, that was still their compani­on. I wish wee Christians would as much esteem and honour Gods providence, and rely on it, as the Romans did on their Fortune. 5. 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 shee favoured bad men rather then good, and called her blind, as not regarding mens worth. 6. 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: shee may be called fortuna, quasi fortis un [...], being onely that strong Ruler of the world. She had many temples at Rome, and many names; s [...]ice stood upon a globe, to shew her dominion of this world; and the heaven on her head did shew, that there is her beginning; the helm and the horn of plenty in her hands are to shew, that the government of this world, and the plenty wee enjoy, is from this divine providence; and though they called her blinde, yet wee know the contrary, for shee is that eye which seeth all things, and a [...]ar off, and before they are, as the word Providentia 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 honour and prosperitie; whereas they should have known, as some of the wiser men did, that no [Page 94] 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; therefore they had no reason to rail at Fortune when shee 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 exteneth it self to all alike, to the worme as well as the Angel: for as all things are equ [...]lly 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. 7. Now the four horses that draw fortune, are the four branches of providence, whereby Gods love is communi­cated to us: to wit, creation, preservation, gobernation, and ordinations of all things to their ends. 8. 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 shee was called in a common by-word fortuna Euripus, ( Er [...]s. in adag.) because of the often ebbing and flowing thereof. 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 c [...]use, 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 for [...]knowledge imposeth no necessity on contingent [Page 95] things; but indeed we are instable our selves and evill, and wee accuse fortune of instabilitie and evill; a good man may make his fortune good; [...]uisque suae est fortunae faber. 9. I have read that in some places fortune was wont to be pained like an old woman, having fire in o [...]e hand, and water in the other; which I thinke did signifie that providence doth still presuppose prudence, whereof old age is the Symbol, and because of the mutable and various effects of fortune, shee was presented 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 secondarie causes of fortunall ef­fects be various and unconstant like women, yet the supreme cause hath the staiednesse 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.

The INTERPRETER.

1. WHen Ganimedes was caught up to heaven, hee let fall his pipe on which hee was playing to his sheep; so whilest we are carried up by divine raptures and contemplations, wee must sling away all earthly delights. 2. Whilest Ganimed was piping on his cane, and keeping of his fathers sheep, then was hee caught up to heaven; God is never better pleased with us, then when wee are faithfull and diligent in our calling: Not the sad and me­lancholy, but the cheerfull minde is f [...]rtest for God and heavenly r [...]ptures. 3. Ganimedes ( [...]) is one that delights in divine counsell or wisdo [...]me; and wisdome is the true beauty of the minde where n God takes pleasure. 4. Every Eagle is not Jupiters bird, as Aelian observeth, but that only which abstains from fl [...]sh and r [...]pine, and that was the bird that caught up Ganimedes; so fleshly mindes and thoughts set upon rapine and carnall pleasures, are not sit to [Page 97] serve God, nor to carrie the soul up to heaven. 5. The quick-sighted Eagle, is divine contemplation or meditati­on, by which Ganimedes, the soul is caught up to heaven. 6. When by holy raptures, we are carried up to heaven, the best Nectar that wee can powre out to God, is the teares of repentance, and of a broken heart. 7. Ganimedes was caught up by one Eagle only; but if we have the true in­ward beauty of the mind, 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. 8. I wish that the Roman Eagle would not delight so much in rapine and mans flesh, as he doth; but rather indeavour to be carried up to heaven, that is, to their ancient dignity, the decayed and ruinated parts of the Empire. 9. As the Eagle caught up Ganimedes, so the wings of a great Eagle were given to the woman, Rev. 12. to carrie 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. 10. 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 Divintie▪ was caught up to heaven, where hee is powring out his pray­ers and merits before God for us: and like Aquarius (to which Ganimedes was converted) is powring downe the plentifull showers of his grace upon us. 11. Vespasian set up the image of Jupiter 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. 12. 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 jawes of Hell, and hath carried him up to heaven.

The INTERPRETER.

1. IT was a high degree of honor among the the Romans to swear by the princes Genius; therefore Caligula put many to death, because they never swore by his Geni­us; so to falsifie that oath which was taken by the princes Genius, was most severely punished: by which we see, that swearing by a superiour is an honour held due to him; and therefore Anabaptists rob God of his honour, when in ca­ses of necessity they will not swear at all by him. On the other side, how doe they dishonour God, who swear by his Name rashly and falsely, and yet are not punished? The Romans were more religious towards their Princes, which were but men, then we are towards the true God. 2. The Roman Genius was wont to be painted with the horn of plenty in one hand, and a dish with offerings reached out towards the altar in the other hand, to shew, that the Ro­man State, and consequently all others, are supported by outward plenty, and religious bounty or devotion towards God. 3. Genius, à gignendo, for by them we are ingenera­ted; and so whatsoever is the cause or help of our generati­on, may be called Genius: thus the clements, the heavens, the starts, nature, yea, the God of nature, in whom wee live, move, and have our being, may be called Genii in a large sense: And Genii, quasi geruli, á gerendo, vel ingerendo, from [Page 99] supporting us, or from suggesting good and bad thoughts into the mind; therefore gerulofiguli in Plautus, is a ^(a) sug­gester of lies: and so by these Genii may be understood the good and bad angels which [...]ill accompany us, and by in­ward suggestion [...]tir us up to good or evil actions. 4. The form of Serpents, in which the ^(b) Genii were worsh [...]pped, doth shew the wise and vigilant care which the angels have over us. 5. When after this life they punish us for sins, they are called ^(c) Manes. Therefore the Genii were painted with a platter ful of garlands and flowers in one hand, and a whip in the other, to shew, that they have power both to reward and punish us. They have oftentimes appeared in the form of men, therefore they are painted like men; but they have no sex, neither do they procreate: for which cause perhaps the fruitfull Palm-tree was dedicated to them, with which also they were crowned; and because they were held of a middle kind, between gods and men, they were called the sons of Jupiter and Earth; or rather in reference to Plato's opinion, which held angels to be corporeall. 6. Our souls also are Genii, which from our birth to our death do accom­pany our bodies. 7. Every mans desire and inclination may be called his Genius, to which it seems the Poet allu­ded, saying, Ansua cuique deus fit dira cupido? 8. And perhaps Aristotle's Intellectus agent is all one with Plato's Genius; for without this we have no knowledge; be­cause the p [...]ssive 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 singularity: and this is all one, as if wee should say, wee receive no information of good or evill, but from our Genius. 9. As the Gentiles beleeved the starrs to be Genii, so the Jews thought them to be angels, and that they were living creatures, therefore they worshipped them, called them the hoast of heaven. 10. But indeed, Christ is on [...] [Page 100] true Genius, the great Angel who hath preserved and guard­ed us from our youth, by whom wee are both generated and regenerated, the brasen Serpent from whom wee have all knowledge, who alone hath power to reward and punish u [...]; who appeared in the form of man, and in respect of his two natures was the son of Jupiter and Terra, of God and Earth; and who wil never for [...]ake 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 assure us of eternall life: let us then offer to him the s [...]crifice not of bloud, cruelty, 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 prayers; and let us not ^(a) 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 Juno to the women [...] yet we know that Christ is the Saviour and keeper both of men and women, and that with him there is no difference of sex.

The INTERPRETER.

1. THat there were men of an huge stature, fier [...]e looks, and of wicked dispositions, and of high and proud minds, which they called Giants, is not to be doubted, see­ing [Page 101] the Scripture so often mentions them both before and after the flood: besides divers Historians, Scaliger saw one of them at Millan, so tall that he could not stand, but lay a­long, and filled two beds joyned in length, Exerc. 163. All ages have produced some such Giants: but that these were begot of divels and women is ridiculous; for these Giants were men, not differing from other men either in their mat­ter or form, but only in greatnesse, which makes but an ac­cidentall difference: neither have spirits seed, or organs of generation: and whereas spirits and women differ general­ly, it must needs follow, that what is begot of them must be different from them both, as wee see a mule is different from the horse and thee-asse, which differ but specifically. 2. If by Giants 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, and are begot of the rain, which may be called the bloud of heaven: they may be said to war against Jupiter, when they trouble the air; and they were shot with Apollo's and Diana's arrows, when the beams and influence of the Sun and Moon do appease and exhaust them. 3. Notorious profane men are Giants, and are be­got of bloud, to shew their cruell dispositions; and of earth, because they are earthly-minded: their hairy bodies and snakie feet do shew their rough, savage, and cunning dispo­sition; they war against Jupiter 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 b [...]ne of these Giants. 4. Rebellious Ca [...]alines who oppose authority, are hairy, snakie-footed Giants, of a sanguinary and cunning disposition, warring against Magi­strates, which are gods; but at last come to a fearfull end. 5. Arius, and all such as oppose the divinity of Christ, are like these Giants warring against God; but are overthrown with the thunder and arrows of Gods word. 6. Let us take [Page 102] heed, 'as Ambrose ^(a) exhorts us, that wee be not like these Giants, earthly-minded, pampering our slesh, 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, we shew that she is our mother, & that she is too much pre­dominant in us: if we think to attain heaven, and yet conti­nue in sin & pleasure, we mount our selves upon ambitious thoughts, and do with the Giants, imponere Pelion Ossae, climb up on those high conceits, to pull God out of his throne.

The INTERPRETER.

1. A Then [...]us writes, that Gorgo [...]es are certain wilde beasts in Lybia, which by their breath and looks kill other [...]reatures: one of them being killed, was brought to Mari­us, whose partie-coloured skin was sent to Rome, and hung up for a monument in the temple of Hercules. Hereticks [Page 103] and false teachers are worse then these Gorgones, which with their breath killed men bodies, whereas the other poyson mens soules; and little better are they who with the vene­mous breath of their lying and slandering tongues, poyson and kill mens good names. 2. Many men are like the Gorgones, they are quick-sighted abroad, but blind at home▪ they spie moats in other mens eyes, but not beams in their own. 3. Satan deals with us, as Persius did with Medusa, he first steals away our knowledge, then with the more ease he destroyes our souls. 4. We see here in Medusa, that pride, sacriledge, and whoredom shall not go unpunished. 5. From whence let us learn not to be proud of our beauty; for all beauty, like the Gorgons, shall end in deformity; and as Ab­soloms hair, and Medusa's here brought destruction on them, so it may bring upon others; and shall, if they doat too much on it. 6. The sight of these Gorgones turned men into stones; and so many men are berest of their senses and reason, by doating too much on womens beauty. 7. 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. 8. Minerv [...], by means of her shield, on which was fastened Medusa's head, turned men to stones; so the nature of wis­dom is, to make men solid, constant, unmoveable. 9. 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 Gorg [...]ns indeed, and terrible to the Turks their e­nemies; that with a brasen hand they might crush the M [...] ­hume [...]ans, and with the golden wings of victory they might fly again over those territories which they have lost. 10. Medusa, by seeing her own face in Persius his bright shield, as in a glasse, she fell into a deep sleep, and so became a prey to Persius; so many falling in love with themselves, grow insolent and carelesse, and falling into the sleep of security, become a prey to their spirituall enemie. 11. If a woman once lose her modesty and honour, be shee never so [Page 104] fair, shee will seem to wise men but an ill-favoured Go [...] ­ [...]on, he accounts her hair as snakes, her beauty as deformity. 12. A Captain, or whosoever will encounter with a snakie­haired Gorgon, that is, a subtile-headed enemy, stands in need of Minerva for wisdom, of Mercury for eloquence and expedition, and of Vulcan for courage. 13. Persius got the victory 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. 14. 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. 15. They that have fascinating an [...] bewitching eyes, by which many are hurt and infected, especially young 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, vapours 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 wee read, that in Scythia and Ponius were women whose eyes were double-balled, killing and bewitching with their sight; these were called Bithi [...] and Thibiae, and they used the word praes [...]s [...]ine, as a charme a­gainst fascination, and in Africa whole families of these fascinating haggs were wont to be; and let it not be thought more impossible, for a tender nature to be thus fascinated, then for a man to become blear-eyed by look­ing on the blear-eyes of another; or for one to become dumb at the sight of a woolf; as for a glasse to be infe­cted and spotted at the looks of a menstrous woman, as Aristotle sheweth, it is too manifest what passions and effects the sight of divers objects doe produce; as love, sorrow, feare, &c. and so wee read that the Basili [...]k kils with his looks, though some say it is with his breath; and I deny not, but the apprehension of the parties thus [Page 105] look'd upon, helps much to the producing of the foresaid ef­fects; there is allso fascination by the tongu [...]; [...]e vati noce­ [...]l mala lingua fa [...]uro. 16. These Gorgons which were so beautiful, are placed by Virgil in hell to torment men; so sin and pleasure here with pleasant looks delight us, but hereaf­ter they will torment us. 17. Satan at first a beautifull An­gell, but by pride in making himself equ [...]ll with his maker, was turned into a terrible Gorgon, and with his snakie hairs, that is, his cunning inticements infected our first parents, and turned them in [...]o stones, by bereaving them of spirituall understanding; but Christ the true P [...]rsius, and son of God, armed with a better shield then Minerva's, a better helmet then Mercuries, a sharper sword then Vulcans, cut off the head of this Gorgon.

The INTERPRETER.

1. VEnus and Cupid were said to accompany the Graces, to shew that mankind is preserved by generation re­presented by Venus and Cupid; and by mutuall benevolence and bountie expressed by the three Graces. 2. The temple of the Graces was built in the midst of the street, that all passers by may be put in minde of benevolence and thank­fullnesse. 3. Apollo and Mercurie are painted sometimes ushering of the Graces, to shew that prudence and celerity are requisite in thanksgiving & bounty. 4. Seneca ^(a) & the [Page 106] Mythologists by the 3 Graces understand 3 sorts of benef [...]s; some given, some received, and some returned back upon the benefactor; two look towards us, & one hath her face from us, because a good turn 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 & transparent, because bounty should stil be joyned with sinceriti [...]; their smiling face shews, that gifts should be given freely; they are stil young, because the remembrance of a good turne should never grow old; they have winged feet, to shew that good turns should be done quickly, bi [...] da [...] qui cito dat. 5. They that will be bounti­full, must take heed they exceed not, lest 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 bou [...]tifull that hath Euronyme for his wife, that is, large possessions and patrimonies, as the word signifi­eth. 6. 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 hearted men to povertie. 7. The Graces are called in the Greek Charites, [...], from joy, or from health and safety, and they still accompany 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 8. I thinke by the three Graces may be meant three sorts of friend­ship; to wit, honest, pl [...]asant, and profitable; honest and pleasant friendships, which are grounded on vertue, and delight, looke towards us, because they both aime at our good; but profitable freindship lookes from us, as aiming more at her owne gaine then our weale, which as Seneca saith, is rather traffick then freindship; but all friendship should be naked, and without guile and hypocrisie, like the Graces still young and cheerefull, and still nimble and quick to help. 9. By the three Graces I suppose also, may [Page 107] be meant the three companions of true love; of which Aristotle ^(b) speaks; to wit, 1. good will or benevolence 2, concord or consent of minds, idem velle et idem nolle; 3. bountie or beneficence, these three like three Grace, look one upon another, and hold each other by the hands; these ought to be n [...]ked, pure, still young; and where these three are found, to wit, good will, concord and boun­tie, there shall not be wanting the three Graces, that is, 1. ^(c) Thalia a flourishing estate. 2. Agalia honor or glory. 3. Euphresyne true joy and comfort, for these are the hand­maides of love. 10. 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 one another, and so linked together, that here in this life they cannot be separated one from the other, but their 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 upon God; faith is Aglaia the glory and honor 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 wee 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.

The INTERPRETER.

1. BY Juno is meant the air, by Apollo the Sun, by Hebe the fertility of th [...] earth, which is caused by the air being warmed with the Sun, and refreshed with cold and moist exhalations, which is meant by the lettuce. 2. By Hebe is meant the Spring, by Ganymed the Winter; both are Jupiters cup-bearers, both moisten the earth: Hebe is beautifull, because the Spring is pleasant; but when Hebe falls, Ganymed succeeds; so when the pleasant time of the [Page 109] yeer is gone, Winter follows. 3. I think rather, that He [...]e was the daughter of Jupiter and Juno; for Jupiter being the heaven, and Juno the air, by the influence of heaven upon the air, is caused both serenity and fertility in this inferiour world. 4. Jupiter would have none to serve him but such as were beautifull as Hebe and Gany [...]hed; neither would God be served in the Tabernacle by such as had any defor­mity or blemish; much lesse can they be fit to serve him who have deformed and maimed soules: God is beauty it self, Christ was the fairest amongst the sons of men, and he will have hi [...] sister and spouse to be all fair; and for this cause hee hath redeemed his Church, that shee might be without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing. 5. Though Hebe had disgraced her self, yet Jupiter married her afterward to Her­cules, by which is intimated, that youth is accompanied with strength and vigour of body. 6. Hebe was the sister of Mars, to signifie, that warrs doe accompany youth, and ferti­litie, or richnesse of soyl. 7. Hebe had a temple erected to her at Corinth, which was a sanctuary for sugitives and idle persons; so idlenesse and wantonnesse abound mos [...] in those Countries which are blessed with a temperate air and a fruitfull soile. 8. Hebe was wont to be painted in the form of a childe, clothed with a rich garment of divers co­lours, and wearing garlands of flowers on her head: by this they represented the nature of the Spring, which is the infancie and beauty of the yeer, clothed with partie colou­red fields and meadowes, and graced with delightfull and fragrant flowers. 9. Adam was created beautifull both in body and soule, therefore God delighted in him, and made him his servant; but by his fall hee discovered his naked­nesse in the fight of God and Angels, therefore was reje­cted and banished from Gods presence, and that earthly heaven in which hee was: but afterward God taking pitie of him, married him to Christ the true Hercules, who on­ly by his power subdued all the monsters of the world. 10. Though Jun [...] was at the feast with Apollo in Jupiters [Page 110] own house, yet shee conceived not till shee ate lettuce; this may signifie, that the influence of heaven and heat of the Sun are but universall causes, and do not work without the concurrence of the secondary: and that the matrix is un­apt to conceive, if there be not a due proportion in it of heat and cold; for if it be too hot, it corrupteth the seed, so excessive heat is a main cause of sterility. 11. Jupiter would be served by young Hebe, and young Ganymed, to si­gnifie, that God will be served by us in our youth, which is the prime of our life; therefore young men are not made for themselves, and their own pleasures, but to serve God: Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth. And, remem­ber young man, that thou must come to judgement. Josiah in his youth served the Lord. 12. Hebe fell in her younger yeers, and when shee was at a feast; youth and feasting are dange­rous ten [...]ations, and occasions of falling: young peoples feet are slippery, youth is more apt to fall then old age; which made David pray, Lord, remember [...] the sins of my youth. And that feasting is the occasion of much falling, is too apparent, for it made Job goe to sacrificing when his children went to feasting: and doubtlesse, if they had not first fallen then in sin, the house had not fallen then on them. Therefore let all, especially youth, beware of feast­ing and drinking; which drinking matches, and merry-meetings were fitly from the ancient Gre [...]ks from Hebe, called Hebetria. 13. If Jupiter did not spare his own daugh­ter which hee had of Juno, but thrust her out of her office, and drove her from his presence when she fell; then let not the children of God think that they are more priviledged from punishment when they fall, then others are; [...]ay judge­ment oftentimes begins at Gods own house, and hee will correct every son whom he receiveth: he neither spared the An­gels, nor Adam, that were his sons by creation; hee spared not Christ his onely begotten son by an in [...]fsible generati­on; much lesse will hee spare them that are his sons onely by adoption: Qui flagellat unicum sine pecca [...]o, [...]kin relinquet [Page 111] adop [...]iv [...]m cum peccato, saith Augustine? 14. Hercules was not married with Hebe till hee was received into heaven, and his spirit placed among the starrs; so whilest our sou's are in this earthly tabernacle, they are deprived o [...] that true beautie, youth, vigour, and alacrity which they shall enjoy in heaven. 15. In that Juno conceived not till she had eat of the lettuce, by this perhaps they did intimate, that lettuce accidentally is the cause of fecundity: for as Dioscorides, Mattheolus, and oth [...]rs shew, lettuce, or the seed thereof is good against the Gonorrhoea, and also against nocturnall pollution in sleep, which are hinderances to procreation. 16. In that Jupiter removes Hebe from her office and his presence, wee see in what slippery places Princes favourites are, and how suddenly the affections of Princes are al­tered: Ste [...] quicunque volet lubens aulae culmine lub [...]ico, me dul­cis sa [...]e [...] quies.

The INTERPRETER.

HEca [...]e is so called, either from [...], that is, an hun­dred, because she hath a hundred waies of working upon sublunary bodies, or because of the hundred-fold increase of grain which Proserpina or the earth yeeldeth; or from the heca [...]ombe or 100 sacrifices that were offered to her; or from the 100 yeeres walking about the river S [...]yx of those soules whose bodies are unburied: ‘Cenium e [...]rant anno [...], volitantque haec littora circum.’ [Page 112] or from [...], which is one of the titles of Apollo, whose sister Hecate was; and hee is so called, from shooting his darts or rayes afar off. 2. Hecate was said to be accom­panied with dogs, by which are meant the Furies, and by these the tortures of an evill conscience, which most of all howle and rage in the night time, of which Hecate is queen:

therefore her s [...]crifices were performed in the night, and she was howled or called upon in the night by her pri [...]sts, ‘Nocturnisque Hecate [...]riviis ululata per urbes:’ and her sacrifices were black, by all which the Poets elegant­ly signifie the terrours that accompany the guilt of sin, chiefly in the night; for then it was that Job complains, hee was affrighted with visions, and terrified with dreams: and David saith, that his sould refused comfort in the night. 3. He­cate was said to be the goddesse or protectrix of witches, be­cause witches doe work most in the night, and the time of darknesse is most fit for such works of darknesse, and for such as are the servants of the prince of darknesse. 4. Rich men were wont at night when they were going to bed, to place a table for Hecate in the high wayes, which they fur­nished with lupins, mallowes, leeks, and other mean and savourlesse cates, which the poor in a confused manner snatched all away, while the rich men were asleepe: hence arose those Proverbs, Heca [...]ae coena, for a meane and beggarly supper; as also for a tumultuary or con­fused Feast: And, Anus digna Hecatae sacris, for a mi­serable, beggarly, or poor woman. Rich men now adayes use (when they are ready to sleep their long sleep, or to die) to bequeathe some small share of their ill gotten goods to the poor; and as it fared with these rich Ro­mans, so doth it now with our rich cormorants; the wealth which they have with much care and pains been scraping together all their life, is oftentimes dissipated and snatched [Page 113] away by strangers; and wee see that the poor are more beholding to rich men in their death, then in their life. 5. Hecate is called Trivia, because shee hath the charge of high-wayes; because the high-waies are discernable by the Moon-light, which in the dark are not easily found out; and because the high-wayes are barren or fruitlesse: hence Hecate is said to be a perpetuall virgin. 6. Hecate was said to affright and terrifie men; by which I suppose the Poets meant, that fear and terrours proceed from an evill con­science. 7. Hecate was the name of a cruell woman, who delighted in hunting, and in stead of killing or shooting beasts, murthered men: sure shee had been a fit wife for that mighty hunter Nimrod. 8. The common conceit is, that Hecate is so called whilest shee is in hell, Luna while shee is in heaven, and Di [...]na on the earth: but I could never finde the reason of this conceit; therefore I doe suppose that the Moon hath these three names from her divers affections or aspects: for in the full shee is Luna, quasi Lucens una, giving light alone, for then the Starres shine not, though some of then are seen. So shee is called also Lucina and Diana, [...], for the light of the Moon is a speciall gift of God. Her other name Proser­pina, which is a serpendo, hath relation to her increase and decrease; for her light (as it were insensibly creeping) comes and goes. But the third name Hecate was given to signifie the change, in which shee affords us no light at all, but then seems to be the Queen of hell, or of dark­nesse: Hence shee is called Dird [...]rifor [...]is by Hora [...]e; Tri­via and Tergemina by Virgil; T [...] by the Greek Po­ets. 9. By Hecate may be meant affliction, which is [...], from afar, for all affl [...]ctions are from heaven: as He­cate was the Queen of hell, so affliction subdues hellish affections in us, It is good for mee that I was afflicted, saith David. Hecate was deformed and terrible, so afflictions to flesh and bloud are unpleasant and ungratefull: the doggs which accompany Hecate, are the molestations and [Page 114] anxietles of minde that follow afflictions: the Serpents, haire, and feet of Hecate doe signifie the prudence and wisdome which is got by affliction: the three heads, of [...] horse, a man, and a dog, may shew us, that whosoever is af­flicted, must have the strength of an horse, to bear that burthen; the faithfulnesse of a dog, who will not for sake his master, though hee beat him; and the wisdome of [...] man, to know that correction is needfull to subdue our corruption. 10. Hecate is the true embleme of a whore, who is indeed the childe of hell, and queen of the night, for shoe domineers in times of darknesse: her snaki [...] hairs and serpentine feet shew her crafty and poysonable disposition: the body of Hecate was not so ugly and de­formed as the soule of an harlot is; though abroad she [...] hath the face of a man, yet at home shee is no better then a ravenous dog, a wanton jade, a wilde bore; her com­pany are barking dogs, as bad as Acteons, who in time will worry the young gallant, and devour his estate also: Qu [...] cum for is sunt, nihil videtur mundius, &c. Omnia haec scire sa­lus est adolescenin, Terent. in Eun.

The INTERPRETER.

1. BY Hercules some understand the Sun, who is [...], the glory of the air, which is then glorious, when by the Sun beams it is illuminate. His twelve la­bours are the twelve signes of the Zodiack, which every yeer hee passeth thorow: hee is the son of Jupiter and Alc­mene, [Page 116] [...] signifieth strength or power, because God by his almighty power created the Sun; and gives power to the Sun to overcome all the oppositions of clouds, mists, vapours which ( [...] or Juno) the air cast before him, to obscure his light. Hebe the goddesse of youth is married to him, because when he returns to us in the spring, he re­neweth all things, and makes the world as it were youth­full again. Geryon, whome Hercules overcame, is the winter which the Sun masters, and rescues the cattle which the winter would destroy. 2. Hercules was called Alcides, his mother was Alemene; both are from [...] strength; by which may be meant spirituall fortitude, which is the child of Jupiter, that is, the gift of God; and by which we are made able to overcome all difficulties: by this David over­came the Lion, and the Bear, and Goliah too. Daniell ma­stered the Lion; S. Paul overcame the beasts at Ephesus, the viper at Malta, and all dangers of sea and land; fire and sword; and whosoever hath this vertue, shall be truely Hercules, [...]. Juno, or riches and glory shall be the end and reward of that man, and a higher advance­ment then Hercules, above the starrie heaven, yea above all heavens shall be his habitation. 3. by Hercules may be meant every good Christian, who must be a valiant cham­pion to encounter against the snakes of malice and envie, the Lion of anger, the Boar of wantonnesse▪ and to subdue the Thespian daughters of lust, the Centaures and wilde horses of cruelty, the Hydra of drunkennesse, the Cacus of theft and robberie, the Busiris of tyrannie, yea, hell it selfe, and the devill that Great Dragon. 4. Hercules may be the type of a good king, who ought to subdue all monsters, cruelty, disorder, and oppression in his kingdom, who should support the heaven of the Church with the shoul­ders of authoritie; who should purge the Augean stable of superstition and profanation; who should releeve the op­pressed, and set at liberty the captives. 5. Hercules disho­nored all his former actions by doating upon Omphale; let [Page 117] good men learn from the searfull death and dotage of Her­cules to have circumspection, and a watchfull eye over themselves; for ' [...]is not enough to begin wel; he only shall be saved that continues to the end: it is the end that crowns the worke: Exisus acta prob [...]. 6. the end of Hercules his lust and dotage was a miserable death, and conslagration of his owne body: let young men remember, that the end of pleasure is p [...]ine, and that love, (or lust either) which in the beginning is all hony, determines in gall and wormewood: Amor & melle & selle foecundissm [...]. 7. Her­cules was persecuted and maligned by Juno, not withstand­ing all his heroik actions: soelici [...]atis comes est inuidia; hap­pinesse is stil accompanied with envie. 8. Hercules who o­verc [...]me others, could not overcom himself; he is the great­est conquerer that can conquer himself: sor [...]ior est qui se, quam qui for [...]ssima vincit m [...]nia, 9. Some understand these passages of Hercules literally; the stable of Augits was a large field over-laden with dung, which Hercules cleered by cutting the river Achelous, and causing it to overflow that field: Antaeus and Busiris where tyran [...]s whom Hercu­les overthrew: Diomedes that sed his horses with mans flesh, was a tyrant, who by the strength and number of his horses overrun the country, plundering and murthering men▪ Cerberus was the name of the king of the Molossians dog, which devored men; threfore called the dog of hell: Theseus should have bin devoured by him, but that he was rescued by Hercules: The birds called Stymphalides were robbers neer Stymphalis the towne and lake of Arcadia: The Dragon that kept the gardens of Hesperides, was a winding river or arme of the sea, repr [...]senting the wind­ings of a serpent; this arme encompassed these gardens. Cacus spitting fire, was a tyrant in Compania, who used to fire mens houses and corne: The Contaures were the Thes­salians, who first learned to ride on horse back; these Hercules subdued; as likewise he overcame the Lion, bull and stag; that is, notable theeves and robbers: By sup­porting [Page 118] the heaven with Atlas, is meant his knowledge in the spheare, which Atlas king of Mauritania found out: The three-bodied Geryon, were three brothers in Spain, all princes and intirely loving each other, whome Hercu­les also overcame. 10. By Hercules the Acients did not onely meane valour and strength of body, but the force of eloquence also; which they did expresse by that picture of Hercules clothed in a horse skin armed with a club, with a bow and arrowes, having small chaines proceeding from his tongue, and tied to the ears of people whome he drew after him; by which they signified how sharpe and power­full eloquence is, to pierce and subdue the affections of people, and to draw them far. 11. The Romans used to worship Mercury within the Citie, but Hercules without; to signifie, that by strength and policie they maintained their Empire; at home they used eloquence and policie; abroad, strength and industrie. 12. Wrestlers and souldi­ers used to woship Mercury and Hercules together; to signifie that in wrestling and warrs strength and policie must go together. 13. It was not lawfull for women to sweare by Hercules, nor to enter into his temple; this was a pu­nishment laid upon that sex, for the insolencie of Queen Omphale over Hercules, in causing him so effeminatly to serve her. 14. It is recorded that Hercules never swore but once; I wish we could say so of Christians, who make no consci­ence in swearing by the name of god upon all occasions. 15. Children & young men were not permitted to swear by Hercules but bare-headed, and abroad in the open air; perhaps to make them the more wary and fearfull in swearing, and to strike a greater reverence of an oath in them. I wish our children and young people would learn the like reve­rence to the true God when they take his name in their mouths. 16. They used in old times to offer the tenth part of their goods to Hercules, therefore the tythe was called Herculana, and they that offered this, were said Pollucere Herculi: But Tertullian complaines (in Apoll.) that the [Page 119] Gentiles cosened their God, promising to him the tenth, but scarce offering the fourth part of that. Are there not too many Christians now, who prosesse much, but practise little; not caring how they serve God, so they may serve him at an easie rate; who would willingly go to heaven so they may save their purses? 17. The new married bride was wont to be girded with a girdle having a strong knot, called nodus Herculanus, an Herculean knot; in signe of secunditie, because Hercules in one night begot 50 sons of Thespius his daughters. But wee know, that it is the Lord only who doth open and shut the wombe, who maketh the barren to rejoyce. 18. Whilst Hercules was a­live, he was slighted, and persecuted; but being dead, he was deisied, and placed among the Stars, he was solemnly cal­led upon, he had temples and altars erected, holy dayes dedicated, Priests called Poli [...]ii and Penarii consecrated to him; hee was called [...], the driver away of evill: when any thing fell out well, it was though to be so by Hercules his meanes; hence arose these proverbs, Amico Hercule, Dexiro Hercule. They used to carve or paint him up­on their dice in the habit of a King, whose cast was coun­ted luckie; hence arose that phrase, Hercules Basilicus, for good luck. Rich men gave the tenth of their goods, to Hercules; this they called Polluctum, and they thought thereby to prosper. They called the richest, and most sumptuous and capacious things by the name of Hercules; as, Herculea coena, Heraclia pocula; balnea Herculana, lecti Herculani, Hercules hospitatur: By this we see the foolish­nesse of the world, in persecuting, hating, and murther­ing these men, whom afterward they honor, and adore. Thus it sared with the Prophets, Apostles, and Mar­tyrs; of this Christ accuseth the Scribes and Pharisees, for building the tombes of the Prophets, and garnishing the sepulchres of the righteous, &c. Mat. 23.19. 19. Our blessed Saviour is the true Hercules, who was the true and only Son of God, and of the virgin Mary: who was perse­cuted [Page 120] but of malice, and exposed to all dangers, which he overca [...]e: he subdued the roaring Lion that red Dragon, that tyran [...] and devourer of mankind, the Devil; he subdued the [...] of sin, the Ant [...]us of earthly affections: he by his word supporteth the world; Satan is that Oac [...]s [ [...]], that sea monster, from whom by Christ we are delivered; it is hee only that went down to hell; and delivered us from thence; hee alone travelled through the Torrid Zone of his Fathers wrath; he purged the Aug [...]n stable of Jewish superstition and heathenish profanation; hee overcame the world, and all his enimies, and hath killed the Eagle of an evill conscience, which continually fed upon the heart of man: he was that only true [...], the expel­ [...]er of all evil from us; who with the club of his power, and chams of his eloquence hath subdued and drawne all men after him; who at last was burned, but not consumed by the fire of his fa [...]hers wrath; who having subdued principalities and powers, was received up into glory, and exalted above all heavens; where now he sits at the right hand of God, being adored by the Angels in heaven, by men on earth, and by spirits under the earth; to whom be glory and dominion, and power for ever and ever Amen. 20. Let me complain with [...], de falsa rel.l. 1. c. 9. of the pra­vitie and madnesse of the Gentiles, who would make a god of Hercules, who scarce deserved the name of a man, if we consider his adulterous b [...]rth, his whoredom [...]s, oppres­sions mi [...]thiers, glutony and other sins; whose titles and epithits the poets give him; shew us what he was, when they call him [...], that is a great eater, a devouter of every thing, an eater of raw flesh, a devouter of oxen. Clem. Alexandrinus, in proir [...]pt. complains of his whoredomes with the Thespian daughters, with the Elian women, with Chalcipoe, with sole, with Omphale, and many others. What fooles were they to make him a god who killed a Lion, and could not kill his owne violence, and the wild beasts of his anger and fury? who [Page 121] killed a few ravenous birds, but could not kill his owne ravenous affections; who could subdue Ama [...]ons, but not his owne lusts; who could purge a stable of dung, but not his owne heart of wickednesse? And indeed, as he was in his life, so he was honoured aster hi [...] death, with sacrifices sull of railings and cursings, as Lactanius shews, de fals. Relig. lib. 1. c. 21.

The INTERPRETER.

1. SOme by these golden apples understand sheep of a yel­low fleece like gold; for [...] signifieth both an ap­ple and a sheep, these sheepe Hercules brought from Africa to Greece, after hee had killed Draco the shepheard. 2. By these golden apples may be meant, a golden mine neere mount Atlas in Africa, which Hercules first discovered. 3. By this garden kept by a Dragon, may be understood some rich orchard invironed by a winding arme of the sea, which Hercules p [...]ssed over; or by cutting it, and direct­ing the tide another way, made the passage open. 4. By the daughters of Hesperia, and the golden apples, may be meant the stars, which because they begin to appeare in the evening, may be called the daughters of Hesperia, or Hesperus; and because the starrs are round like apples, and of a golden colour, they were called golden apples. By the Dragon, may be meant the Zodiac, which windeth about the earth, as a serpent or Dragon; by Hercules killing the Dragon, and carrying away the apples, may be meant [Page 122] the Sun, who by his light taketh away the sight of the starrs and Zodiac. 5. As the golden apples were kept by a vigilant Dragon; so wealth is got and preserved by care and vigi­lancie; and as these apples belonged to the three daughters of Hesperia, to wit, Aegle, Arethusa, and Hesperetusa; so riches should belong properly to these who are eminent for honor, and vertue; for [...] signifieth honor and glory, and [...] vertue. But as these apples were consecrated to Venus; so commonly the wealth of this world is dedicated to, and imployed on our lusts and pleasures. 6. Hercules could not obtaine the golden apples, till he had killed the Dragon; neither can we attain to the pretious fruits of faith and holinesse, untill we have destroyed the Dragon of envie and malice. 7. The covetous wretches of this world, whose affections are set upon wealth, can no more rest and sleepe, then the Dragon did, that kept the golden apples, but doath that all subduing Hercules comes and kills these Dragons, and carries away the wealth from the owners, and bestows them oftentimes on strangers.

HIPPODAMIA, See TANTALUS.

The INTERPRETER.

1. JAson is from [...], which signifieth medicine or the art of curing diseases; and Medaea from [...], that is, counsell; to shew us that where health of body is conjoyned to counsel and judgement of mind; their great actions and brave exploits are atchived. 2. That a Physitian who would cure a disease, must doe nothing without Medaea, that is, without advise or counsell. 3. By Jasons voyage to find out the golden fleece, was meant that iourney of the Gre­cians to Colchis to find out a golden mine. By the golden fleece may be understood a book guilded, and covered with a sheeps skin, teaching the Philosophers stone, or art of [Page 124] converting metals into gold. Th [...]t was a long and charge [...]ble voyage; but the paines which our Chymist [...] take to find out the Philosoph [...]rs, [...]tone is more tedious, and chargeable; and which is worse, Jason found the golde [...] fleece; but these men have not yet found, and I beleeve never shall find the Philosophers stone. 4. They that with Jason will find the golden fleece of honor and immortality, must with him undergoe and overcome all difficulties, dangers and obstacles; he was content to receive co [...]rection and instruction from Chiron the Centaure; so must good men be content to submit themselves to those who scarce deserve the name of men; and to live in holes and caves of the earth, in obscuritie, as Jason did in Chirons cave. Jason with his Argon [...]u [...] were forced to carrie their owne ship two dayes together on their shoulders through [...]he deserts of Lybia; so good men th [...]t aime at eternall honor, must b [...]re con [...]agiously the pressures and heavie burt hens that are laid upon them. Jason passed through and overcame the dange [...]s of those troublesome rocks called Symplagides; s [...] must all good men passe through and overcome the dan­gerous rocks of pride, lust, anger, covetousnesse, &c. Jason overcame the sirie mouthed bull; so m [...]st all good men overcome the sirie and sl [...]nderous tounges of wicked men: and so they must subdue their owne firie lusts and impotent affections. Jason mastered the Dragon, and kil­led the armed men that sprung up of [...]is teeth; so must we subdu [...] malice and envie; and overcome with watch­ing fasting and prayer that old red Dragon the Devill, [...]nd destroy all his works in us. 5. We may see how an­ci [...]nt the greedie desire of gold hath bin among men, by [...]is voyage of Jas [...]n & his Argonauts for the golden sleece, which was performed [...]no mundi, 2716. and before the building of Rome, 920 years: in honor of which expedi­tion, Cha [...]les Duke of Burgundie instituted the Order of the Golden Eleece. This disease in [...]he latter age, is come to the hoight; for now such is [...]ri sa [...]ra sames, that men [Page 125] adventure dayly beyond Hercules Pillars, even to the re­motest Jndies for gold: and as if they had not adventured far enough, they are content to dig downe as f [...]r as h [...]ll for it; and to use Plinie [...] phrase, In sede Manium opes quaerimus. This made the America [...]s bel [...]eve that gold was the Chri­stians god. 6. The ship in which Jason s [...]iled was taken out of the speaking grov [...] Dodona; for the ship sp [...]ke and gave good counsell to Jason, and his Argonauts, that they should avoid the danger they were in [...]or the murther of Absyrius, and repaire to Circe, and expi [...]te that murther: such a ship is the church in which we are sailing towards heaven; shee is a speaking ship, couns [...]lling us to avoid danger, to r [...]p [...]ir to him who is only able to [...]xpiate our sins. 7. Jason was the type of [...] good Prince; for he is commended by the Greeke poets for his feature, and sta­ture, and strength of body, for his judgement, valour, and wisdome, for his prudence, and providence, for his pietie to Juno and Minerva, for his eloquence and vigilancy; all which vertue [...] are requisite in a Prince; who ought to be Jason, that is whole, or sound in body and mind; he should be married to Medaea, that is, judgment and counsell; he should be care [...]ull with Jason, to avoid the inchanting longs of the Syrens; that is, parasites and slatterers; hee ought to be like both to Mars and Apollo; that is, be both a good souldier and a wise man, full of M [...]jestie as the golden Su [...] is full of glory, as Orpheus describes Jason.

THE INTERPRETER.

1. IO was married to one whose name was Bull; or shee was carried from Argos to Egypt in the ship called the Bull; hence arose the fiction of Io become a cow. 2. Be­cause the cow in respect of her benefit to mankind, was by the Egyptians worshipped for their god; and Io after her death was worshipped by the Egyptians; hence arose the fa­ble of Io's being turned to a cow. 3. Io or Isis did not only first bring unto Egypt husb [...]ndrie or the way of sowing and reaping of corne, but also arts, and lawes: therefore shee w [...]s fi [...]st worshiped in Egypt, then at Rome, who erected a temple to her, in Campus Martius; and amongst the Germans, also before Christianitie was planted among them: and because she was carried to Egypt in a ship, they made her a goddess over the winds & seas, and res [...]rved her hairs at Memphis as a sacred relique, and dedicated a holy day yeerly to the honor of the ship that carried her; Against this idolatrie of Isis and of others, S. Austin disputes learn­edly in his books of the Citie of God, lib. 8. c. 27. l. 18. c. 37. &c. 3. Laclantius de falsa religione, l. 1. c. 11. Eu­sebius in his books of the preparation of the Gospell; and others. 4. By Isis m [...]y be meant the Genius or nature of the soile of Egypt, as her picture sheweth, which moveth a timbrell with her right hand, shewing thereby the coming of Nilus; and holdeth a bucket in the left hand, signi­fying a repletion of all the channells; for Isis in the Egyp­tian tongue signifieth earth, as Vives sheweth in his not [...]s upon Austins Citie of God; l. 18. c. 3. out of Servius upon Virgil. 5. Tertullian in his Apolegetic against the Gen­tiles, shews how unsetled the Rom [...]ns were in the gentiles religion; for they admitted the worship of Osiris and Isis, the [...] ov [...]rthrew their altars, under Piso and Gabinius, and [Page 127] cast them out of the Capitoll; and then admitted the [...] again into their citie: this is the condition of men without Christ; still wav [...]ring, and unsetled in religion. 6. Neer to the image of Isis and Osiris, which is the same with Se­rapis, stood the image of Harpocrate [...] the god of silence whome they held to be their sonne; intimating, that the secret [...] of their religion must not be divulged, but that the preist should be [...]lent. Doutle [...]le this shewed the vile­nesse of that religion, which was afraid to come unto the light. 7. Some take Isis for Juno, and Osiris for Jupiter, called also Ammon: others by Isis think. Cer [...]s is meant, and so understand the earth; which Jupiter or the heaven loveth by its continuall embracements and influence: the turning of Isis into a cow, is to shew us the benefit we receive by the earth, in that shee both supports us, and feeds us: in that they say shee was the daughter of Inachus the river, they shewed by this that they were of Thales his mind, in making water the originall of all things: By many eyed Argus that kept her, they meant the starry heaven that incompasseth her; the half of whose eyes are asleep, the other half awaked, because whil [...]st the starrs are seen in one hemisphere they are not seen in the other. By Isis assuming her owne shape againe in Egypt, is meant (as I suppose) that the earth re-assumes its ancient shape & beau­tie upon the receding of Nilus, whose overflowing took a­way the shape of the earth; and turned Isis to a cow, that is, made Egypt fertill both in pasture, cattell and graine. 8. I think by isis is meant the Moon, is which is called the daughter of the river, because the Moon is mistr [...]sse of the Night, which is the moistest time; and of waters also, and all moyst bodies; Jupiter is in love with h [...]r, because the heaven embraceth the orbe of the Moon, and the Sun once [...] month is conjoyned to her; and Argus, that is, the star­rie heaven doth ke [...]p her, in that she being in the low [...]st sphere is encompassed by the greater and higher; which Argus is killed by Mercurie, because the Sun takes away the [Page 128] fight of the st [...]rrs. The turni [...]g of Isis to a cow by reason of Juno, shews that the Moon is horned shortly after the conjunction; and so shee appeares to us, it Juno, that's the aire, be cleere. But shee re-assumed her form again when shee came to Egypt, because the Egyptians made her a goddesse, and worshiped her in the forme of a woman: her travelling through the world shewes her wandring motion without the eclyptick, sometimes to the North, sometimes towards the South. 9. Mercurie killing of Argus may be understood thus; that the most vigilant and prudent men are oftentimes mastered by an eloquent and cunning tongue. 10. Io was turned into a cow by Jupiter, and delivered to Juno; so many men by gods permission, degenerate into beastly affections, and are made ll [...]ves to Juno, that is, to there wealth; and are made subject to many-eyed Argus, that is, to watching and continuall cares; untill Mer [...]ury, that is, the preaching of Gods word kill these cares, and beastiall affections; then the stinging Bee of their guiltie conscience drives them to repentance, and so they receive their old shape again, and become more wise and holy then before; and by repentance and holi­nesse are made, though not gods, yet the sons of God. 11. To Isis was dedicated the garland of corne cares, which garland was in cheifest esteem among the Romans; her preists were cloathed in white linnen, and had their beards and heads shaved, as Tertullian shews: in lib. de Spectac. They were also initiated by water and blood; and used to worship her in the forme of a dogs head; which by Virgil, Acn. 8. is called Latrator Anubis. All these may signifie the qualities and effects of the Moon; for in the night time when shee shines, the harvest people worke hardest in hot countryes, when they cannot work by day; therefore the garlands of corn cars were dedicated to her: the white linnen represented the Moons white colour; the shavings of the hairs away, shewed the smoothnesseof the Moon, for shee looks not so rugged [Page 129] with beams as the Sun; the initiation by water and blood, may represent her white and red colours which shee hath for shee is red in the horizon, white in the meridian: or it may shew the p [...]wer sh [...]e hath over waters, and the blood of living creatures: the dog and goose were thought fitt [...]st creatures to be dedicated to her, because these are most watchfull in the night, the time of the Moons dominion. 12. Isis, so called by the Egyptians, and Io by the Greeks, was clothed in white, as Apulaeus sheweth, lib. 11. some­times in red, and somtimes in a black garment [...] by which they intimated, that the Moon looked white in cleer wea­ther; but red against wind; ‘—Vento semper [...]uber aurea Phoebe:’ her black garment was to represent her duskie colour after the change, and in her eclipse. 13. The Egyptians pla­ced the image of Sphynx in the porch of Isis temple, partly to shew, that the mysteries of religion were not to be de­vulg [...]d among the vulgar but enigmatically; and partly to shew, that the causes o [...] the variations and many motions of the Moon are nor knowne to us, no more then the riddles of Spbynx, were to the vulgar people.

The INTERPRETER.

JAnus is thought to be the same with Noah, for he is so called from the hebrew Jain wine, because he taught [...]en to plant vineyards; and is said to have two faces, be­ [...]ause he saw two worlds, one before, an other aft [...]r the [Page 130] stood: he was also a Law-giver, and lived in the golden age of the world▪ and the first that taught navigation, as the ship on his coine sh [...]weth. 2. Macrobius by Janus un­derst [...]nds the Sun; therefore the Gentiles made him the keeper of the four doors of heaven, to wit, the East [...]rn and Spring, out of which hee seems to come; and the Western and Winter, into which hee seems to goe when hee moves from us: They gave him two faces, because the Sun seeth as wll backward as forward: and they put in one of his hands a Scepter, in the other a Key, to shew both his do­minion over the world, and that by his light hee openeth it in the morning, and shuts it up again in the evening. 3. Janus is said to be the first that taught men religion, to build temples, to offer sacrifice and prayers; therefore per­haps they made him the god of gates and doors, to shew that r [...]ligion is the door of heaven, and prayer the key to let us in: and as they made hi [...] the god of doors, so they make him to be the same that Por [...]unus, the god of sea port [...] and harbours; to teach us, as I suppose, that prayer is the saf [...]st harbour to an afflicted conscience, and the best porter or door-keeper of our houses; so that without this Janitor w [...] should neither go out, nor in: Hierom tells us, Egredien [...] de [...]ospitio a'met oratio: regredientibus de platea occurra [...] oratio: So that this one porter is better then all the door-keeping gods amongst the Romans; to wit, Janus the god o [...] gates, Forulus of dores, Limentius of thresholds, and Ca [...] or Cardinea, the Nymph or goddesse of hinges. 4. Jan [...] married with Carne the goddesse of bowels, this may ver [...] fitly (as I think) teach us, that prayer or devotion must b [...] j [...]yned with the works of mercy; for if prayer be the key doubtlesse mercy is the lock, and without th [...]se two we [...] can h [...]ve no accesse into heaven. What is prayer withou [...] bowels of mercy, but like a key without a lock, or li [...] Janus without Carne? 5. Janus his two faces may sign [...] f [...] the two chiefe s [...]asons of the yeer, to wit, the Sprin [...] and the Winter; therefore one of the faces looked youn [...] [Page 131] and cheerfull, the other old and sad: or they signifie the two kinds of life which hee lived; the one [...]ude, the other civill: or the knowledge and providence of Prin­ces; for not onely must they be skilfull in the Histories of times past, but also th [...]y must have a forecast and eye unto the things that may or shall come to passe: they must have for their companions An [...]voria and Postvorta, as the old gods had. 6. Sometimes Janus had but two faces, sometimes foure; by this th [...]y signified, that the world which was represented by Janus, had foure parts; but two chiefe, to wi [...], the East and West; or that the year had four seasons, whereof the Summer and Winter were the two principall. But S. Austin laughs at them who gave him so many faces, and but one power; fa [...]iem duplam, sed potesta­tem dimidiam, De Civil. Dei lib. 7. cap. 7. [...]or they made him onely the god of initiation, but they made another god for termination, which was called Terminus: but wee are taught that the true God, who by his power gave the world its beginning, will by the same power dissolve and finish it; so that hee alone is to the world both Janus and Termi­nus, the Alpha and Omega of all things. 7. Many men are like Janus, with two faces, one towards heaven, another towards earth: with a youthfull and smiling countenance they look upon the world, but with a sowre face upon heavenly things. Such men are not fit for heaven, for they cannot serve two masters, neither must they look back if they put their hand to the plow. If their heart be fixed on Janus, which was that place in Rome where the mony­changers dwelt, that is, if they love the world, they can­not lov [...] heaven. 8. In time of peace the temple of Janus was shut, in time of warre it stood open, Numa appointed it should be so, because once the gate was open [...]d by strength of water that suddenly issu [...]d thence when the Romans were at warre with their enemies: so in time of their wars they still opened Janus, as expecting his aid. But in our wars it is quite otherwise; for our temples are either shut [Page 132] up, or pulled down, religion banished, the priests silen­ced. 9. By the image of Janus there was placed a serpent biting his taile, by which they intimated how the yeer re­turns still into it self, beginning where it ends: but I would have all men learn from hence, not only the wisdom of the serpent in generall, but the posture of this serpent in particular, to wit, to hold their tail in their mouth; that is, to be still talking and thinking of their end.

IRIS, See JUNO.

The INTERPRETER.

1. WHen Juno is called Jupiters sister, is meant the air, which doth much resemble the heaven, cal­led Jupiter by the Poets: but when shee is c [...]lled Jupiters wife, is meant the earth, which like a fruit [...]ull wom [...]n con­ceiveth and bringeth forth the creatures by the heavens in­fluence; which the prince of Poets intimates, when he saith, that in the Spring Jupiter comes down into the bosome of his beloved wife, Conjugis in laetae germinum descendit.

2. Juno was painted of old in the form of a matron in a long robe, having a lance in one hand, and a platter in the other; perhaps to shew us, that wealth is every thing; it is both meat, drink, clothes, armour, it is that which doth command all things: therefore Juno is stil termed a Queen, and she carrieth a scepter in her hand in some pictures, and [Page 133] is carried in a rich chariot of gold and silver drawn by lions; to shew, that riches adds beauty, and strength, and courage to men, and who is able to resist it? 3. The peacock was dedi­cated to Juno, and so was the raven and goose; doubtlesse to shadow out unto us the nature of rich men, for pride, rapa­citie and watchfuln [...]sse are incident to them; the peacock is not so proud, nor the vulture so ravenous, nor the goose so watchfull as rich men; but while with the peacock they look big at the sight of their fine feathers, let them cast their [...]yes upon their black feet, and remember their end, which will be blacknesse and darknesse: and while they feed upon the hearts of poor men, as that raven in Caucasus did upon the heart of Prometheus, let them know, that death shortly will feed upon their flesh, and the worm of conscience upon their souls. And though they be as watchfull to pre­serve their wealth as the geese of the Capitol were; yet there be they that watch as narrowly over them, and for their death are still watching and wishing; and what bet­ter are rich men without grace and literature, then the geese of the Capitol, which were carefully looked to and fed by the command of the Censors, and at last killed and car­ried at their solemn feasts with great solemnitie in silver platters? so rich men are fed and pampered, then die, and in solemn pomp carried to their graves, where their carcasses tot with their names, corum vitam mor [...]emque jux [...]a aestimo.

4. Some by Juno understand the Moon, therefore they cal­led her Lucina; and painted her with beams about her face, sitting upon lions, holding a scepter in one hand, and a spindle in the other; by which I think may be meant both her light and operations: for the Scepter signifieth domi­nion, and she bears rule over the humid bodies; hence shee is called Fluona: the spindle which properly belongs to one of the Parcae or Fates, may shew us, that the Moon hath a great influence upon our lives: and her sitting upon lions may signifie, that her moist influence doth temper and moderate the fiery and cholerick heat of our bodies. And [Page 134] because the moisture of the Moon is a great help to facili­tate child-bearing, therefore shee was called Juno Lucina, as the goddesse that did help to bring forth children to the light, and for this cause shee was called upon by women in their labour: Juno Lucina fer opem. 5. I think Juno may be the embleme of an honest, carefull, and frugall ma­tron; for shee is commonly painted sitting, to shew, that a woman must not be given to gadding shee hath a scepter and a pair of sheers in her hands, for shee must both rule her family by her authoritie and discretion, and shee must clothe and feed them, which is intimated by the platter in her hand, and sheers with which shee shears her sheep: she is clothed with a goats skin, to signifie her frugalitie, which is a rare thing to finde in the women of this age, whose excesse in apparell are badges of their pride and lu­xury: shee is crowned and girded with vine branches, to shew her fruitfulnesse; to which David alludes, when hee saith, Thy wife shall be like the fruitfull vine upon the walls of thine house: shee treads upon a lionesse, as all honest and laborious matrons should do; to wit, subdue lust and wan­tonnesse: shee is armed with a lance and a target; for a matron should have a sharp tongue to reprove, and the tar­ged of modestie to keep off all lascivious assaults and ten­tations. 6. By Juno may be meant the air, which that pi­cture sheweth, wherein she holds thunder in the one hand, and a drum or cymball in the other: shee wears a party­coloured garment, and is attended by Iris the rain-bow, by Castor and Pollux also, which are two fair meteors pre­saging serenitie: the fourteen Nymphs which Virgil gives her, are so many exhalations begot in the air: her holding of a pomegranite in one hand, and a cuckow upon her scepter in the other, shews the serenitie of the air in which the cuckow, that sings onely in the spring, takes delight; and the fruits doe prosper in a temperate air: That the rain-bow is ingendred in the air by the reflex of the sun­beams upon a waterish cloud, is manifest; the diversitie of [Page 153] whose colours is caused by the light shining upon the un­equall parts of the cloud, some being thicker, some thinner, which the Poet shews in that verse, ‘Mille trahit varios diverso Sole colores. Aen. 4.’

Although the rain-bow may represent riches, whereof Ju­no is goddesse, for indeed wealth makes a fine shew like the rain-bow, but quickly vanisheth;

and whereas the learned Poet makes Juno petitioning Aeo­lus to send out the winds against Aenaeas; hee shews, that the wind is something else then the bare moving of the air, and that it is an exhalation raised out of the earth and waters, without which the air could not be so vio­lently moved. 7. Juno was the goddesse of marriage, therefore called Pronuba, and jugalis from jugum, or the yoke that was put over the new married couple. There was at Rome an altar dedicated to Juno juga, in the street called Jugarius, because at this altar they were joyned, and here their feet were fettered; whence the Poet calls marriage Vinela jugalia: but because they thought her power not sufficient, they joyned an help to her, whom they called Hymen, and the god of marriage; in one hand hee bare a torch, in the other a red vail called flammeum, with which the bride was covered to hide her blushing: these two might signifie the two properties that ought to be in women; to wit, fervent love represented by the torch, and modestie shadowed out in the vail: and it is observable, that when the parties who were to be married offered sacrifice to Ju­no, they flung away the gall behind the altar, to shew that in marriage there ought to be no gall or bitternesse. 8. I finde that Juno had her education from the hours, and was nourished by the Ocean and Thetis, or as some say, the sea-Nymphs; to shew, that Navigation, and Time or op­portunity beget riches; or that the airy exhalations are be­got of, and nourished by moisture. 9. As Juno signifieth [Page 136] the air, Vnlcan was her son; because the fire is begot of air oftentimes: But as Juno signifieth wealth, Mars was her son; for wealth begets quarrels, pride, and warres: But as Juno was the goddesse of marriage, Hebe was her daugh­ter; because in our you [...] and vigour wee are fittest for mar­riage. 10. Juno's temple was open roofed, and by Nu­ma's law no who [...]e must enter into it; to shew, that mar­riage must not be performed in dark corners, but publickly; and that marriage ought to be honourable among all men, and the bed undefiled. 11. Juno shed her milk rather then shee would be nurse to Hercules, of which milk the Poets [...]eign lilies received their whitenesse; and the milkie way in heaven, called Galaxia, had its originall thence; which, as Aristotle (1. Meteor. c. 8.) tels us, is a bright white­nesse proceeding from the beams of the lesse [...] starres resle­cted on a cleer cloud; others hold it to be no Meteor: but however Juno in this may paint out unto us wanton mo­thers, who will rather lose and spill the milk which nature hath given them, then nurse their own children; which the wildest beasts will not doe. 12. Juno was said to have the government of kingdoms, because wealth commands and rules all things; that is able to make a maid the wise and sister of Jupiter: therefore not without cause was shee so much adored and called upon by maids that were to marry, under the names of Imerduca, Domiduca, Vnxia, Ci [...]xia; for it is wealth that can bring in, and bring home, anoint, and gird the maid with a wedding girdle; and without that shee may sit long enough without house, ointment, or hus­band: but if shee be rich, shee shall not want a Jupiter to woo her, who will rather abuse himself, to take on him the shape of a cuckow, then misse her. 'Shee is Populonia, the goddesse of the common people; and Curetis, the souldiers goddesse, for wealth is that they fight for: this is the rich mans Soticena, or S [...]spitatrix, or Opipena, that is, his saviour and helper: but as Juno was a weak help to others, who could not help her selfe when Hercules wounded her; so [Page 137] riches will prove such helps in the end, when the dying wretch shall say to his bags, Miserable Comforters are ye all.

The INTERPRETER.

1. JUpiter is so called, quasi juvant pater; because he is a helping father, and Diespiter the father of the day, and in Greek [...], from life; for it is he that gives life to all things: by this name they understood that divine power by which all things are moved and preserved, as may be seen in the Epithets given to him by Virgil, and the other poets, as also by the descriptions of him in Orpheus and others; and by the ancient pictures which they made of him, for they placed him in a throne, to shew his im­mutabilitie; they crowned him, to shew his authoritie; they clothed him with garments representing light and Rimes of fire, and all besparkled with Starrs, to show his heavenly nature and divine glory; they put a pair of globes in one hand, the one of amber, the other of gold, to signifie that both the globes of heaven and earth are in his power: in the other hand there is a violl or citron, intimating that he is the cause of that admirable harmony that is in the world: his throne is covered with a garment of peacocks tailes, to signifie his providence and omniscience: he hath the look of an ancient man, because he is the ancient of [Page 138] dayes: his sandals or shoos are green, and he treads upon Neptunes Trident, to shew that sea and land are subject to him. They paint him sometimes with the thunder in his hand, to show that he is the punisher of impietie: some­time they paint him with a scepter in one hand, and a circle in the other; signifying that he is that great King who rules the world; for which cause they place the eagle by him, who is the king of birds: they give him sometimes the image of victorie in his hand; because conquests and victories are from him; sometimes they make all his upper parts naked, his lower parts clothed, to shew that he disco­vers himself to the Angels and blessed souls, which he doth not to us mortalls, who see nothing of him but his lower parts; and these clothed, because here wee see him onely in his effects and works, and some of his attribu [...] but obscurely, and in a dark speech as the Apostle faith: [...] Celtae or ancient Galles worshiped Jupiter under the shape of an oake, and so the Romans used to crown Jupiters image with oaken leaves; to shew that he who gave being to all things, doth also feed them; for akorns were the first food of the old world. And for the same cause was he worshiped by the Egyptians and Assyrians under the shape of a ram, to shew us, that it is he who feeds and clothes us; and therefore the horne of his nurse Amaethaes was filled by him with all kinde of food, called therefore cornu copiae, because from him wee have our food, for he openeth his hands and filleth all things with his blessings. And to signifie th [...]t he both rules and sees all things, they repre­sented him in their hieroglyphicks by a scepter with an eye on the top of it, called Jovis oculus, Jupiters eye. 2. By Jupiter may be meant kings and judges: for as Jupiter is called king by the poets, so kings were called [...]oves. They paint­ed him sometime without eares, sometime with four years; to shew that kings must have no eares for flatterers, infor­mers, and slanderers, but must have many eares for com­plaints and advise: they must never want eares to hear the [Page 139] grievances of their subjects, nor the wholesome advice of their councellers: they gave him also three eys; whereof one in his forhead, to shew that princes must see more, and high­er, and further off then private men; their knowledge must be more eminent and sublime. Justice is alwayes painted by Jupiter; to signifie that kings actions must be alwaies just. Jupiter subdued Aegaeon and the rest of the Giants, to shew that kings must not suffer tyrannie and oppression to goe a­way unpunished. Jupiter taught people who before fed upon mens flesh, to eat akornes, therefore the oake was de­dicated to him; so princes should endeavour to civillize their people, and to provide by good lawes fit and whole­some food for them. Jupiter is said to have begot divers daughters which were called prayers, intimating, that Prin­ces must have a fatherly care of their peoples intreaties and petitions, and not slight them. Jupiter drove away the swarms of [...]ies that infested Hercules (therefore called Mu­sidarlus) whilest he was sacrificing; so Princes must drive out of their kingdome all busie bodies and disturbers of religion. Jupiter married Me [...]is, which signifieth counsell, and after hee swallowed her hee conceived Pallas in his brain; so Princes must unite themselves to good coun­sellours, and by swallowing their good advice, their heads shall be filled with wisdome, and they shall produce wise actions. Jupiter was the father of the Muses, so should Kings be the nursing fathers of learned men. 3. Jupiter may be the type of a Tyrants for his banishing of his father, and usurping his kingdome, and cutting off his testicles, his marrying with his own sister, his devouring of his own wife Me [...]is, his ravishing of Ganymed, his many whore­domes and adulteries, his transforming himselfe into so many sh [...]pes of beasts and birds, as into the cuckow, the swan, the bull, the ram, &c. What, I say, do all these mean, but lively represent unto us the cruell manners and wicked qualities of Tyrants? therefore when hee began to reign, the golden age ceased, the lamb durst play no longer with [Page 140] the wolfe, men could not live securely and happily as they did before: in his reign began rebellions, when the giants consp [...]red against him; for what could hee else expect, but that his subject, should rebell against him, who rebelled a­gainst his own father? His advancing of the Swan his whore, and placing her amongst the starrs, the honour hee gave to the Goat his nurse, in making her a constellation, and in wearing her skin upon his target, called therefore Aegis, doth shew us how Tyrants advance licentiousnesse and wantonnesse, and rapacity also, as they intimated by the [...]gle that still waited on him, and drew his chariot: As Kings may be called Joves, so Tyrants should be called Vei­ores; who are sicly represented by that picture of Jupiter in the form of a boy, with horns on his head, arrowes in both his hands, and a goat by him, shewing to us the childish, hurtfull, and wanton disposition of tyrants. 4. Jupiter is taken sometime for the air in Poets; sometime for the ele­ment of fire, and Juno for the air, therefore they made her Jupiters wife, and they used to paint him with a rail fla­ming about his head: and sometime by Jupiter they meant the heaven, as by Saturn they understood time; so then when they write that Saturn devoured his children, except Jupiter, Juno, Neptune, and Pluto, their meaning was, this Time destroyes all compounded bodies; but the hea­ven with the element of fire, the air, the sea, and the earth are not subject to Times lawes and tyranny: And because there is no commixtion but between the neighbouring elements, therefore it is, that Jupiter took Juno to wife, but could not be permitted by the rest of the gods to mar­ry with The [...]is the sea. 5. Austin ( Lib. 3. de Civ. cap. 10.) sh [...]ws the Gentiles vanities, who held the world was eter­nall, and yet acknowledged that Jupiter and Juno, that is, heaven and earth to be the children of time; for if they had their beginning of time, then they must acknowledge the creation of the world, and of time also. 6. He laughs likewise at their madnesse, who called Jupiter the chiefest­of [Page 141] all the gods, by the name of Pecunia money, the basest of all things; which no wise man will cover, as hee shew­eth out of Salust, ( Lib. 7. de Civil. cap. 12.) and may wee not laugh at them who not onely call, but have also made mo­ney their great god and Jupiter, which now hath their commanding power of all things: This is that idolatry the Apostle speaks of,; this is that Jupiter that can make p [...]ssage to Donae through a tower of brasse; who more vio­lently then a thunder bolt can break through the strongest armies;

This is the covetous mans Jupiter S [...]a [...]or, and Tereulus, and Liberator, and Elicius, and Invictus, and Omnip [...]tens too, and Hospitalis, and what not? for hee hath said un [...]o the wedge, Thou art my hope; and to the gold, Thou art my confi­dence: But in the house of death the coverous wretch will finde no more comfort in this Jupiter of gold, then the Romans did in their Jupiter of stone, when they swore by him, Jovem lapidem jura [...]. 7. Jupiter is said to be born in Crete or Candle, because the people of that Iland were more religious then others; and to shew that God is chiefly to be found there where reli­gion is most cherished. 8. Saturn could not devou [...] his son Jupiter, but devoured a stone in stead of him, to shew us, that Time which destroyeth all things, even the hardest stones, yet cannot consume or destroy that eter­nall Minde or Deity which they called Jupiter. 9. The Curetes and Coribantes saved Jupiter from his fathers fury, by the sounding of brasse and clashing of arms, that the childes crying might not be heard; even so kingdoms are preserved from outward violence or for­raigne forces, by armes and military discipline. 10. Ju­piter had divers titles given to him, as Xenius the god of hospitalitie, Philus the god of love, Heterius the god of fellowship, Homognius the god of kindred, Phras [...]ius the [Page 142] god of tribes, and Enhorcius the god of oaths, &c. to shew what care men should have of hospitalitie, love, fellowship, kindred, tribes, and oaths. 11. At Rome Jupiter was wor­shipped upon the Capitoll, and had a temple there, thence he was called Jupiter Capitolinus: he was named also Jupiter Latialis, and was worshiped by shedding of human blood, as Tersullian and Lactan [...]ius shews; and he was stiled Jupiter Pistor, or the baker, because hee taught the Romans is their sleep, when the Galles besieged the capitoll, to fling out their bread to them, by which the Galles forsook the siege, supposing the Romans to be stored with bread. May not this fitly be applyed to the Pope, who is now Jupiter of the Roman Capitol, and the Latin Jupiter whose name is [...], 666. whose worship consists not in wine, but in blood, in the Eucharist: not to speak how his power and religion have been still maintained by blood of martyrs? and may not he be called Jupiter the baker, who hath cast the bread out of the Sacrament, by which means he hath lost not onely many of the Galls, but also of the Dutch, Eng­lish, Scots, Swedes, Danes, &c.?

The INTERPRETER.

1. THese Lares were the Gentiles houshold gods; and this word is sometime used for house or houshold goods; so Salus: nobis Larem familiarem nullum. The place where these Lares were worshiped or kept, was called Lararium; they were called also penares from penu or peni [...]u [...], from whence comes penetrale, for they were kept in the most retired and inward places of the house: and some­times Penates and Lares were of whole cities and kingdoms. 2. The Lares were painted like young boyes wearing a dogs skin about their shoulders, and having a dog alwayes by them, to signifie that they were the faithfull keepers of houses and goods, as dogs are; and that they are terrible to strangers, but familiar with domesticks. 3. They were painted also with their heads covered, which was a signe of libertie, and preservation; so wee reade [Page 144] that Castor and Pollux the deliverers and preservers of Greece were painted covered: so Sueton [...]us writes that the Roman people covered their heads with caps when Claudiu [...] Nero was dead, in signe of their re-obtained libertie. By their covered Lares then they signified, that men in their own houses ought to be free and protected from wrong and violence. 4. Arnobius tels us, that Lares were the gods of high-wayes and travellers, Lib. 3. cont. Gent. and that they were the same that the Curetes were, which with the noise of their brasen instruments preserved Jupiter from devouring by Saturn. I finde also that they were the same with Larva, and Lenures, and Genii; save onely that the Genius waited on the living, but the Lares upon the dead: yet the name Genius is given to these also by Virgil, speak­ing of the serpent that came out of Archises his grave; ‘Incerius Geni [...]e loci, &c. — Aenaead. 5.’ By this it seems, the Gentiles thought it unfit that those gods who were assigned to preserve men in their houses, should forsake them when they went abroad; for the dog which was consecrated to them, doth not only preserve the Masters house, but also waits upon him when hee goes a­broad; ‘— Gressumque ca [...]es comi [...]a [...] herilem [...]’ and so they thought it unfit, that the gods which waited on men in their life time, should forsake them in death, and not wait upon their souls: and by that fiction of the Cu­ [...]es preserving Jupiter, they did shew, that as soon as Lucina brings us out to the light, the Genii or Lares, as so many Angels, wait upon us to preserve us from hurt. But what madnesse was this, to multiply so many gods, whereas that same God who gave us life and being, gives us also his protection and custodie both in life and death. 5. They used to offer to their Lares and Genii wine and the smoke of frankincense; and they thought it abomination to offer any living creature to them, or to worship them with the losse of any beasts life, by whom they had the preservation of their own life: I wish they would truely consider this, [Page 145] who think they cannot worship the true God of peace, ex­cept by warre; whereas hee turned the sacrifices of bloud unto the Sacrament of wine, to shew that hee delighted not in the bloud of beasts, much lesse in the bloud or death of men: nor doth hee think that hee is worshipped by shed­ding of their bloud, for whom hee shed his own bloud. 6. The chief place where they worshipped their Lares was in the chimney; by which they signified, that they were the gods of fire, as well as of their houses: and therefore Lar [...] taken for the fire or chimney sometime; and Servi [...] Tullius gave out, that his mother conceived him of Lar, whom shee saw in the fire as shee was one night warming of her self in the chimney; in token of which conception, a flame was seen afterward issue out of Servius his head: It seems that too many Princes are conceived of fire, and they are too much addicted to the worship of their fiery gods, as appears by their too great delight they take in the fire of strife, war [...]s, and contention. 7. I finde that Lares, Larva, Lemures and Mares signified the souls of men after death, seeming to appear to men sometimes: if they were good souls, they were called Lares, and did no hurt; if they were wicked souls, they were called Larva and Leo [...]res, and affrighted men: these are called by Apul [...]; No [...]tium acc [...]s [...]cula, Busl [...]r [...]n [...], sepulchrolum urriculameusa; therefore Romulus instituted the feasts cal­led Lemuria, or Remulia, to pacifie the soul of Remus his brother, whom hee killed: But I finde Manes a generall word for good and evill souls. Upon these Gentile fi­ctions the Church of Rome hath grounded the fained apparitions of souls after death, to confirm superstition, and their doctrine of Purgatorie. 8. In that the Lares were begot of a dumb goddesse, and the god of speech as they were going to hell; I suppose, they might by this signifie, that the departed souls, though they cannot speak with corporeall organs, as wee doe; yet they have a spi­rituall speech, whereby they communicate the conceptions [Page 146] of their mind to each other, as Thomas sheweth, Prima pri­mae, quest. 107. art. 1. for there is no hindrance why one soule or Angel should not understand another, but onely the will: for in us our bodies hinder the apprehension of one anothers conceptions; but in spirits the will one­ly; so that as soon as the Spirit is willing to impart his conceptions to another, hee is said to speak, and the other to hear. 9. Among the Romans there were Lares publici and familiares, publick and houshold gods; also Lares hostitii, gods to drive away their enemies; Lares marini, gods of the sea; Lares viales, gods of high wayes; Lares querquerulani, gods of the oaks or woods; neither was there any place in the world which had not these pettie gods, besides their great gods: But what pretty gods were these, whom a man must rescue out of the flames of Troy, or else they had been burned? Therefore not without cause doth S. Austin (De Civit. lib. 1. c. 3. laugh at the Ro­mans; who made these conquered gods their protectors, who thought that by their help they subdued the world, that could not help themselves when they were subdued by the Grecians; as hee proves out of Virgil, whom hee call [...] the greatest, most excellent, and best of all Poets. What better are the new Romanists in multiplying to them­selves tutelar saints, forsaking the fountain of living wa­ters, and digging to themselves cisterns that will hold [...] water?

The INTERPRETER.

1. THe Platonists, which held the souls existence long before their bodies, affirmed that the souls before their entrance into their bodies, drunk of this river, that they might not think of or remember the happinesse they had lost, which had been a continuall torture to their life: this opinion Virgil followeth, Ae [...]ad. 6. But I think that by this fiction may be meant, that the Saints who depart from hence, forget all forepast miseries: for what happi­nesse or rest can there be in the glorified soules, if they should remember the miseries, disgraces and wrongs which they have suffered, or the sins which they have committed here? Surely, even in this life, if it were not for sleep and oblivion, our condition should be most miserable; [...]. How sweet is oblivion of e­vils, saith Orestes in Euripides? 2. The river Lethe is in Africa, running by the Citie Berenice, which is swallow­ed up by a great gulfe, and runs under the ground many miles, then breaks out not far from Berenice, which gave occasion to the country people to think that this river sprung out of hell. 3. They that went to the cave of Tro­phonius to consult with the oracle, used to drink of two rivers; the one was Lethe, at the entring in, that they might forget their forepast affairs; the other was the river Mnemosine, or memorie, which they were to drink at their coming out, that they might remember what there they had seen and heard: I wish that they who run so eagerly to Church to the Sermon, would drink of Lethe when they goe in, and lay aside thinking upon worldly businesses: and that they would drink Mnemos [...]ne at their coming out, and remember carefully what they have heard: but 'tis far­otherwise with them; for they drink Mnemos [...]ne when they goe in, and have their mindes altogether busied with wordly affairs; but when they come home, they re­member [Page 148] no more, then if they had drunk of Lethe, with those which Securos latices & longa oblivia posans.

4. There were said to be four rivers in hell, to wit, Lethe, Acheron, Plegeion, Cocytus. This world may be called hell, being compared with heaven which we lost by sin: in this hell or sinfull condition in which wee live, there are first the river Lethe, or forgetfulnesse of our duty to God, for which cause wee are urged with so many memento's in Scri­pture. Secondly, Acheron, or the losse of that spirituall joy of conscience, and comfort of the holy Ghost, of which sinfull men are depr [...]ved. Thirdly, Phlege [...]on, the fire of lusts and anger with which wee are inflamed. Fourthly, Cocy [...], sorrow or groaning; for [...] is to lament: and this ariseth from Styx, which signifieth sadnesse, [...].

The INTERPRETER.

1. LUna is called the daughter of Hyperion, either because hee was the first Astronomer that found out her di­vers motions, or because her motion is far above this aeri­all world in which wee breathe. Shee is the daughter of Thia, because her originall is immediately from God: shee is the wife of the air, because by her influence and the Air [...] frigiditie Dew is engendred in the night: shee is the sister of Phoebus, because amongst all the starres shee is likest in light and beauty to the Sun, and in ma­gnitude also, according to our appearance. Some call her the daughter of the Sun, because perhaps shee hath her light from him. 2. The Poets give her a partie-coloured­garment, [Page 149] to shew her various aspects; and doe sacrifice black bull to her, to shew how black and horned shee ap­pears after the change. But to declare her brightnesse in the full, they gave her a coach drawn with white horses: and whereas they ascribed four horses to the Sun, but only two to the Moon; by this they intimated, that the Suns motion is far swifter then the Moons, in respect the or [...] in which hee moves is far more capacious then that of the Moons. 3. They held her to be both male and female, because of her active quality of heat, and the passive qua­lity of moisture: therefore men did sacrifice to her in wo­mens apparell, and women in the habit of men. Her masculine power is seen in moving the inferiour bodies: her feminine in receiving light. 4. Luna is the same with Lucina, because by her light and influence shee helpeth child-birth: shee is painted with a torch in one hand, and arrows in the other, to shew the servent and sharp pains of women in child-birth; and that shee is the light and torch of the night: shee is painted sometimes with wings, to shew the swiftnesse of her motion; and sometimes all co­vered with a vail, I think, to intimate her eclipses and ob­scuritie in the conjunction. The Egyptians in their hie­roglyphicks represented the Moon by a white skinned man having an hawks head, to signifie, that the Moons white­nesse or light proceeded not from her self, but from the Sun, of which the hawk was the embleme, and dedicated to the Sun, either because of her high flying, or quick sight. 5. The Romans used to wear half-moons upon their shoo [...], either to shew their originall from the Arcadians, who did brag that they were more ancient then the Moon; or else to signifie the inconstancie of wealth, honours, and all hu­mane glory, which waxeth and waineth with the Moon. And perhaps from the Romans the Turks have borrowed the same custome of wearing half-moons in their colours. 6. The Moon in her eclipse looketh red, and the foolish Gentiles thought that it was for shame she looked thus, as [Page 150] blushing at the madnesse of the witches, who thought by charms to bring her down from heaven, according to that, ‘Carmina vel coelo p [...]ssunt dedusere Lunam:’ and therefore they used to beat brasen instruments, which the Poet calls ara auxiliaria Lunae, as it these sounds did dull the Magicians charms, and ab [...]e their force upon the Moon. Indeed, if the Moon could blush, shee would be much ashamed at such madnesse, as also at many other im­pieties committed in the night-time: but the true cause of her rednesse is the mixture of her own light with the sha­dow of the earth; or rather, as Scaliger saith, ( Exer. 62.) because she is in the point of the pyramide not far from the first beams of the Sun; and situated in the second beams, which are the species of the first beams, as the first are the species of the light.

The INTERPRETER.

1. MArs was called the god of warr, he was the first that found out military discipline; he was borne of Juno, because wealth begets strise and warrs; Thero or fiernesse was his nurse; for fierce and salvage dispositi­ons are most given to quarrelling: therefore he was said to be bred in the cold Northern countries, for the Northen people by reason of abundance of blood, and excessive drinking, are most given to strike and contention. He was worshppied in Lemnos, where men were sacrificed to him, to shew the crueltie of souldiers, and of that place in particular: his companions were fear, and anger, and clamor; for these do inseparably accompany war. Therefore terror and feare were the two horses that drew his chariot, and Bellona his sister with a bloodie whip did still wait upon [Page 152] him: for this cause the woolfe, of all creatures most savage, and the ravenous vulture, and the watchfull dog, and the chattering pye, and the cock also, which is a warlike and quarrelsome bird, were all dedicated to him. The Scythians dedicated onely to Mars temples, altars, and statues, and to no other gods, because they delighted in wars, and by rapine, spoils, and oppression of their neighbours, they maintained their own estate; hence Mars was said to be born in Thracia, to shew what a warlike nation that was: and because the horse is a warlike creature, therefore hee was sacrificed to Mars; and his chariot was drawn by horses in ancient pictures, hee himself sitting on high in his compleat and terrible arms, both offensive and defen­sive: Fame having her body and wings full of eyes, ears, and tongues, sounds the trumpet before him, to shew that warres oftentimes follow upon evill reports. And because the Romans would intimate how much they detested ci­vill warres in their Citie, they would not suffer the picture of Mars to be painted on their gates and private doores, but in stead of him the picture of Minerva; and for Mars his picture, they thrust out of the Citie, to be painted upon the doors of countrey mens houses abroad: for by main­taining warres abroad, they kept peace at home. 2. By Mars the Gentiles understood the Sun, as appears by that picture of Mars adorned with the Sun beams, and anci­ently worshipped in Spain: or rather the heat and vigour of the Sun, which heateth the blood, and occasioneth strife and warre, as may bee seen in cholerick and hot constitutions: and because such hot temperaments are prone to Venerie, hence the Poets saigned, that Mars lay with Venus; and withall to shew, how much souldiers are given to Venereall lusts: ‘At non ad Venerein nocturnaque praeliae tardi.’

3. Not without cause doe the Fathers laugh at the Gen­tiles, who made Mars their god, that was both a murther­er, as also unjust, impious, mad, and persidious, as Homer [Page 153] describes him; who was detained a prisoner by Vulcan for his adultery, and was wounded by Diomedes. This is that god from whom the Romans bragged they had their originall, whom they made the patron of their Citie, and dedicated the first moneth of the yeer to him, assigned to him certain priests whom they called Salii, and many di­vine honours: I wish that Christians, who professe them­selves the disciples of the Prince of peace, did not too much worship this impious god of war: wee erect not temples and altars to him abroad, but wee doe this in our hearts; wee doe not sacrifice to him horses alone, but men also, even those for whom Christ died: so that nei­ther Lemnos nor Thracia did more adore him, then Chri­stians doe. But however the Gentiles worshipped him, yet Homer tels us, that Jupiter hated him: I am confident that the true God, whose name is Jehovah Shalom, the Lord our peace, hates and detests warrs among brethren of the same faith; for hee breaks their bows, knaps their spears in sunder, and burns their chariots in the fire. I wish with S. Austin, that it were as certain there were no warre, as it is certain that Mars is no god: Vtinam quam manifestum est quod non sit deus, tam non sit bellum: Lib. 7. de Civit. cap. 14. But so long as pride, ambition, covetous­nesse, and malice reign among us, so long Mars must be worshipped by us. 4. Mars is described by the Poets as a great enemie to Minerva the goddesse of wisdome and arts; wee see by experience how true this is; for wisdome, arts, learning, justice, and true pietie are trampled upon in time of warre. 5. Mars, who by Homer is described the swiftest of all the gods, was caught in a net by limping Vulcan, the slowest of them all; Tardus velocem assequteur: let men run never so swiftly in wayes of wickednesse, yet slow-paced vengeance at last will overtake them: Ra­ro antecederuem s [...]elestum deseruit pede poena [...]laudo. 6. Though Mars thought to have committed adultery with Venus in secret, yet hee was seen by all the gods; there is no [Page 154] wickednesse done so secretly, which is not made obvious to the all-piercing eye of the Almighty. There is nothing so secret that shall not be revealed, saith Christ. 7. Mars was absolved from the murther which hee committed in the Areopage, a place where the Athenian Magistrates used to judge; to let us see that the smallest homicides are punished in time of peace, whereas the greatest and most horrible murthers goe free in time of warre: As Se­neca complained of theft, so may I of murther; Parva furia puniuniur, magna in triumphis aguniur: small murthers are punished, great ones are honoured with triumphs. 8. Mars was conceived of Juno by touching a flower: what is more specious to the eye, and yet what more frivolous then a flower? By this wee may see, that rich and potent men have specious pretences for their warrs; but when they are sifted, they prove no lesse frivolous then a fading flower. 9. Vulcan bound Mars and Venus together, but Neptune got them to be loosed; I think they meant by this, that lust is caused by the heat of youth; but given off in old age, which is cold and moist, represented by Neptune.

The INTERPRETER.

1. HEe is called Mercurius, quasi Medius currens; for speech, whereof hee is said to be god, is that which runs between man and man, and by which we converse one with another; and Merchants by this trade with each o­ther, therefore he is called the god of Merchants; and by the Greeks Hermes, from [...], th [...]t is, Interpretation; for speech is the interpreter of the minde. And to shew the forc [...] of eloquence, they painted him drawing of people af­ter him by the ears with a small chain reaching out of his mouth; therefore they called him the messenger and em­bassa [...]our of the gods; for el [...]quence is required in Princes embassadou [...]s. Or this fiction may shew, that they who are born when Mercurie bears rule in their Horoscope, are ingenuous, and eloquent, and nimble also both in their wits and fingers; for hee was a notable thiefs, who stole from Admeius his oxen, from Apollo his arrows, from Vul­can his tongs, from Venus her girdle, from Neptune his tri­dent, and would have stole Jupiters thunder too, if hee had dared. 2. Hee was the finder out of the harp or lute, hee taught the Egyptians all arts and sciences, hee taught men to leave their rudenesse, and become civill and religious: therefore they make him still to be waiting upon the gods, especially upon Jupiter; I think, to let us see, that learned and wise men should be entertained in Princes Courts, and such as are eloquent and ingenuous. 3. They write, that hee sucked the brests of Juno; to shew us, as I suppose, that Juno, that is, rich and potent Princes ought to be the nursing fathers, and nursing mothers of learned and elo­quent men. 4. They used to paint Mercuries picture on their doors, that hee being the god of theeves, might keep off other theeves from their houses: a goodly religion, that punisheth men for theeving, and yet adore him for their god, who was the author and patron of theeves and [Page 156] theeving. 5. They called him the son of Jupiter, to shew, that eloquence, sciences, and ingenuous arts are the gifts of God. 6. They made him winged both in his head and feet, to shew the swiftnesse and various motions of the planet Mercurie, and the nimblenesse of their wits, tongues, and fingers who are born under that star; as also the nimble force and power of eloquence in moving mens affections. 7. Hee killed (by Jupiters command) many­eyed Argus; to shew, as I conceive, that Princes by the tongues of eloquent Oratours are able to tame and sub­due the many-eyed multitude, which are sooner brought in subjection by tongues, then by swords; therefore the tongue was consecrated and offered in sacrifices to Mercury:

For this cause they gave power to Mercurie to appease storms and tempests: for as Neptune seeleth the tempe­stuous seas; so doth Mercurie or eloquence pacifie a stor­mie and tempestuous State. 8. I finde that sometimes Mercurie and Minerva were painted together, to shew how needfull the tongue and hand are to beget wisdome, the one by speaking, the other by writing; and that all Common-wealths stand in need of eloquent men, and ski [...]full artificers; for by liberall sciences, and handi­crafts the State is supported: And is it not fitting that they who are verball professorus, and Mercuries in their tongues, should be also Minervaes in their hands, and do­ers of good works? 9. Mercurie was painted with a rod in his hand wrapt about with two serpents embracing each other; by which is signified, that eloquence must be joyned with wisdome, whereof the serpent is the em­bleme; and where wisdome and eloquence are conjoyn­ed, there the State is well governed, which is signified by the rod or scepter, the symboll of Government. By this rod also is shewed, that the most brutish and serpentine [Page 157] dispositions are made tame, and brought to agreement by eloquence, as two serpents are upon Mercuries rod; which is called Ceduetus, a radendo; for all anger and hostilitie falls to the ground, when that rod doth me­diate, that is, when eloquence doth interpose; therefore Princes Embass [...]dours that are imployed to mediate a peace, are called Gaducealores. 10. I finde, that Mer­curie is painted in some pictures not onely with winged head and feet, but also with a purse in his hand; to shew, that hee is the god of gaine, which is not got but by diligence, expedition, and wit: hence hee is painted with a goat and a cock by him, to shew that as vigilancie, whereof the cock is the embleme, is required in a Mer­chant, and in him that will be rich; so likewise must hee venture, and overcome all difficulties, as the goat that chambers up the highest rocks. Or is it be true that the goat breathes not with his nose, but with his ears; then by this may be meant, that from the mouthes of Oratours the mindes of the rude multitude are fed, and live by the ears; and to shew that vigilancie and fagacitie are requi­red in those that will be rich, eloquent, and learned: Mercurie was worshipped in Egypt under the shape of A­rubin, with a dogs head. 11. Mercurie may signifie the Sun, for his wings may represent the Suns velocitie; his killing of Argus may shew, that the Suns appearance puts out the light of the Starres to us, which seem to be as so many eyes of heaven. The Sun seems to look upon us with a threefold aspect, pale, red, and blew; the first presages rain, the second windes, the third sereni­tie; therefore it was perhaps, that they painted Mercurie with three heads upon a square stone, to signifie the four parts of the world, or the four seasons of the yeer. And to shew that the Sun never grows old, or decayes in strength, they painted Mercurie alwayes young, beard­lesse, and cheerfull: and perhaps that picture of Mercurie like a youth carrying of a ram, may signifie that the Sun [Page 158] seems to grow young, and makes the world look youth­full, when hee enters into the signe of the Ram in the Zodiack. 12. Because hee was held the god of speech, therefore they made him also the god of bargains and sales; hence hee was called 'A [...], the god of the M [...]rkets ( Mercurius, a mercando, and his image was wont to be erected in the Market-places; for without speech there cannot be buying and selling: and wee see how nimble-tongued shop-keepers are when they are sel­ling their wares, as if they were sons of Mercury. 13. He is alwayes painted with his head covered, to shew, that nimble, cunning, and crasty heads seldome discover their intents; but still h [...]ve a cloak (as wee say) or some pretence for their actions; so that Argus himselfe is de­ceived by them, and they that are most vigilant and quick sighted are sometimes over-reached. 14. Nim­ble-tongued Mercurie stood upon a square stone: I wish that our faire-spoken and nimble-tongued professours would prove constant in their wayes, and square in th [...]ir actions. 15. Jupiters messenger was called [...], from [...], that is, interpreting, or speaking: so Juno's messenger was called Iris, from [...], to speak; by which they would shew how necessarie it is for Prin­ces Embassadours to have eloquence, and to be good O­ratours. 16. I have read, that Mercurie stole from Mars his sword; but wee have Mercuries that put the sword into Mars his hand. Sure these are not the sonnes of Ju­piter Coelestis, but of Jupiter Stygius: neither are they Cactuceatores, but Fae [...]iales; they are not like that Mer­curie who with his rod made peace; and united serpents, and found out musick and harmonie; but like him that found out the art of wrestling and theeving, the authours of confusion, and the true successours of that Mercurie who was worshipped by the ancient Galls, who delight­ed in the shedding of mens blood: these Mercuries are [...], the leaders of soules to hell, and not the [Page 159] bringers of them from thence. 17. Mercurie is painted sometimes with his soporiserous rod in the one hand, and a short sword in the other; the Divell casts us asleep in securitie, and then destroyes our soules. 18. Mercurie with his rod drives the souls into hell, and from hell:

such is the power of Gods word, it cast us down to hell in denouncing Gods judgements, and raiseth us again in the promises of the Gospel. 19. By Mercurie may be un­derstood the d [...]sire of knowledge, which bound Prometheus the Astronomer to Caucasus, that the eagle might feed upon his heart; by this they did signifie the care and soli­citude which the Astronomer took, in remaining upon that hill in the night time to obs [...]rve the motions of the st [...]rres. 20. Hee begot Hermaphroditus of Venus, and hee himself had both sexes, to shew us the nature of that st [...]rre; for Mercuries power is partly mas [...]uline, in stirring up heat, and partly feminine, in causing moisture; therefore hee was painted with a lance in one hand, and a distasse in the other: and he is described by the Poet to be red or yellow haired, to signifie his vicinitie to the Sun; and to be very beautifull, to shew his neernesse to Venus. 21. Our bles­sed Saviour is the true Mercurie, the Son of God, the Word of the Father, the Messenger or Angel of the Covenant, the Sun of righteousnesse, the God of order and harmonie, the Prince of p [...]ace, who by his crosse, as the true Cad [...]ceus, hath reconciled all things in heaven and earth, who hath killed the many-eyed Argus, our vigilant enemie the Di­vell; whose eloquence was such, as never man spake as hee did; who hath tamed and subdued the two serpents, that is, the perverse and venemous dispositions of Jews and Gen­tiles by his crosse, and by the same hath delivered our souls out of hell.

The INTERPRETER.

1. MInerva was called Jupiters daughter, to shew that wisdome and learning are Gods speciall gifts; shee was begot of his brain, because the brain is the seat of wisdom and learning; without the help of women, because wisdome comes not by generation, but by infusion, study, and experience; and women for the most part are hinder­ers, not furtherers of wisdome and learning: therefore shee is said to be a perpetuall virgin, because men that live a single life have fewest avocations from the studies of wisdome and knowledge: shee came out of Jupiters head Armed, to teach us, that a wise man is alwayes armed a­gainst all assaults and violence of fortune. 2. Shee is cal­led Tri [...]nta, and the daughter of Neptune, because shee was bred by Triton; or rather, by these poeticall terms of the sea, they meant the dangers that wise and learned men are subject to; or else, that men gather wisdome and know­ledge out of dangers and troubles; or by this name they may signifie the three faculties of the soule, memorie, will, and understanding; or rather, the rationall, irascible, and concupiscible powers of the soule: But I think rather, it is to shew, that a wise or prudent man can guide himself e­thically, his family oeconomically, and the Common­wealth [Page 161] politickly. 3. Minerva's Target called Aegle, as Jupiters was, is cleer and smooth like glasse, and hath Gor­gons head s [...]t in it, with snakes about it; both to signifie that wisdom is terrible to evil men, and that they fear and tand in awe of Wise men, as also that Wisedom and sincerity are joyned together, which is expressed by the clearnesse of her Target; for wisedom is conspicuous to all: therefore they dedicated the O [...]le which seeth in the dark to her, because wisedom is able to discern obscure things, and to find out abst [...]use secrets. 4. They paint her with a Helmet and a Crest, and a Cock upon the top of her Helmet; to shew that wisedom is both the defence and ornament of a man, and that wise men are also vigilant with the Cock; but the Crow being a chattering bird, is hated by her, because much pratling agreeth not with wise­dome, a wise man is seldome talkative: and because a wise man knows how to command his speech, Minerva is some­times painted with a Crow in her hand; and as she hath a Cock on her head, so she hath the Dragon at her feet, both which signifie the piercing sight and vigilancie of wise men. 5. They make her supporting on her arme a round Target, and a long Spear in her hand; to shew that wise­dom rules and supports the world, and that the force of it is such, as that it is able to pierce the hardest and most dif­ficult things that are; and can reach them, though never so far off. 6. They made h [...]r the President of War, to [...] us that wisedom and learning are required in a Com­mander or Captain; they placed fear and terror by her, for these are unseparable companions of wars and gave her long clo [...]k called Poplum, to signifie the setled and sedenta­rle life of Students, and that wis [...]dom is still joyned with proving. 7. By Minerva's help Pr [...]onosheus stole fire out of Heaven, by which he brought many Arts to perfection, because wisedom is the Inventor of [...], and fire by its light and Heat is the instruments whereby artificial things are pro [...]eed. 8. Of old in [...] and [Page 162] Colledges, they used to paint Mercury and Minerva close together, which picture they called Hermathena, from Hermes and Athene; to signifie that Wisedome and Elo­quence must not be separated, but that Scholars should strive as well to h [...]ve wise heads, as eloquent tongues. 9. They gave her a golden Helmet, sometimes with a Sphinx upon the top of it, to shew that Wisedome is glorious and shining, and withall that wise men use not to babble out secrets; for it is Wisedome in some things to play the Sphynx, and not to divulge all we know to all men promiscuously. Christ himself spoke sometimes by Parables. to She is called Pallas from the Gyant Pallas, whom she killed, or from [...] to shake or brandish, for so she hath been seen shaking of her spear, Therefore Virgil calls it hastain trementem; her Image was called Palladium, which was sent from Heaven, and kept to carefully at Rome in Vestas Temple, that none had leave to see or touch it, but the Virgins that kept it: by shaking the Spear I think may be meant, that Wise Princes in time of peace, whereof Minerva had the charge, should exercise their armes, and not suffer their youth to live idely, and forget military discipline, lest their enemies take advantages by their security; as for the Palladium, that I a knowledge to be our Religion, which came down from Heaven to us, which ought care­fully to be kept in the Temple of Vesta, where the sa­cred fire burned perpetually: The sacred fire of zeale and devotion, is the meanes to preserve our Religion, especially if we be Virgins, that is, pure and holy: and we must not suffer prophane and ignorant men to meddle with the sacred Function of the Min [...]stery: When the Trojans lost their Palladium, they quickly after lost their Citie; so if we lose our Religion, we must also looke to lose that Citie whose Builder and Maker is God. 11. She is called Minerva from mo­nendo and minan [...]io; for wise Governours should partly [Page 163] by admonitions, partly by threatnings rule their peo­ple, and subdue vice; and indeed, should be still sha­king the Speare, to keep disordered men in awe, whom they should affright with the Gorgens head of the Law, by which their authority should be reverenced, as Mi­nerva was [...]ared for her Speare and terrible Buckler. 12. The Olive was dedicated to Pallas, and with the leaves thereof she was crowned; and at Athens a gol­den Lampe was dedicated, in which oyle did burne continually; both because shee found out the use and way of making oyle; as also to shew us that Wisedome is the light and lampe of the minde, and that neither it nor learning can be attained to without lucubration, study, and spending of much oyle and light. 13. At certaine Feasts of Minerva in March, the Maides were wont to be served by their Mistresses, as in the Sa­turnalls the Men-servants by their Masters: The ser­ving Maides claimed this as their due from Minerva, because it was by them that the workes of her inventi­on were performed, as spinning, sowing, and weave­ing; by this servants were comforted, and incoura­ged in their service, and Masters and Mistresses were admonished not to insult over their servants: If this equity was observed among the Gentiles, much more should it be among Christians: For in Christ wee know there is no difference betweene bond and free, master and servant. 14. Minerva was worshipped upon the same Altar, sometime with Vulcan, sometime with Neptune; to shew that Arts and Handy-crafts cannot be exercised without Fire and Water; and whereas Vulcan would have married Minerva, but could never g [...]t her good will, for shee was a perpetuall Virgin, therefore she was called [...], to shew that Wisedome and Learning never die; by this [...]e may see that the hottest and most furious S [...]iters that are, cannot overcome Chastity where i [...] is [...]oyned [Page 164] with wisedome; for this cause Minerva is armed, to shew how Virgins had need to stand upon their guard, for they shall not want Vulcans to assault them. 15. Ju­no, Venus, Minerva, strove once who should be accounted most beautifull: Paris was Judge, to whom Juno pro­mised a wealthy, Venus a beautiful, but Minerva a wise Wife: Paris preferred Venus, by which we see the folly of many young men, who in their matches preferre fa­ding beauty [...]o wealth or wisedome. 16. As Athen [...] preferred Minerva to Neptune, and her Olive to his Harpe; so should all Christian States and Cities [...] Peace to Warre, Tranquillitie to Troubles and Civill Tempests, (whereof Neptune or the stormie Sea is an Embleme) and Spinning, Sowing, Weaving, Building, and other peaceable Arts which she found out, to fighting, quarrelling, and destroying. 17. As there were certain Images dedicated to Minerva and Mercury, called Herm [...]henae, so there were some erected to Mercury and Hercules together, called Hermerachae: to shew that these three, to wit, Mercury, Hercules ▪ and Minerva, that is, Eloquence, Strength, and Wisedome are the three main Deities of States and Cities, and must be most of all sought after and honoured by Prin­ces. 18. Minerva had power over stormes, which the Poet sh [...]weth in the first and second of his Aeneads. He calls the storme which she sent against the Greci­ans, Minervae sidus; She had power also over Jupiters thunder, ‘Ipsa Jo [...]is rapidum jaculata e nubibus igne [...]:’

By which I thinke he understood the Sunne under Mi­nerva's name; for be by his heat of all the Planets hath the greatest power in causing stormes and thunder. 19. As Minerva the Goddesse of Wisedome was worshipped on the sime Altar with Vulcan the God of Fire; so let us not separate zeale from wisedome; but let us cherish the fire of zeal in our hearts, as well as wisedome in our [Page 165] heads; but some have zeale without knowledge, and some knowledge without zeale; this is to part Vulcan and Minerva. 20. Homer gives to Minerva a fiery Cha­r [...]ot, Iliad. 8. and describe [...] her carrying of a golden Lampe, and holding out a beautifull light. Od [...]ss. 19.

Yet he makes her invisible when she went up into Di­ [...]medes his Chariot, then she put on the dark Helmet of [...], so that Mars could not see her; by this is not onely intimated that Minerva is the Sun, who is the light of the World, and to whom the Poets give a f [...]ery Chariot; and that he is obscured by Orcus his helmet, is meant the want of his light to us when he goeth under our Hemisphere; but by this Fiction also is understood, that wisedome is the light of the mind, and a wise man is the chief light and life of a State; and that it is not the least part of wisedome in time of Warres and Tumults, for Minerva to put on Or [...]us his Helmet, that is, for wise men to live ob­scurely, and to conceal themselves: bene vixit qui bene latuit. 21. Minerva is described by Homer and others, to have the chiefest place in Heaven next to Jupiter, and to Be clothed sometimes with Jupiters owne gar­ments, and ornaments: to signifie that there is none of Gods gifts more excellent then wisedome, and that there is nothing wherein m [...]n resembles God more then in wisedome. 22. Whosoever looked upon Mi­nervas Helmet, was turned into a stone; to shew that wisedome makes men solid, constant, unmoveable, unfrighted in times of trouble. 23. Christ our Sa­crifice is the true Minerva, begot of the substance of the Father, the wisedome of God, the light of the world, and the splendour of his Fathers glory, the Author of all Arts and Learneing, the Prince of Peace, the President of Warre; whose greatnesse, purity, wisedome, and goodnesse▪ are more terrible to [Page 166] wicked men, then the Target of Minerva was. He it is that sup [...]orts the round World by his power, and hath pierced the hard rockes of mens heartes with the sharp speare of his Word; it is he that hath made servants equal with their masters; and he is the great Patron and Protector of his Church, which is the Ci­tie that he hath called by his owne Name, as Minerva hath called Athens by hers; and that he had power o­ver stormes, his enemies acknowledged, Who is this whom the Windes and Seas obey? The fire of his zeale made him undertake the form of a servant: and though he died for our sinnes, and concealed himselfe with Or [...]us helmet, and went down into hell, yet now he is [...], immortall, death hath no more power o­ver him; he is set downe at his Fathers right hand, and is clothed with his Fathers rich robe of Majesty, and eternal glory.

The INTERPRETER.

1. OSyris the Aegyptian God (thought to be the same with Apollo) delighted much in Musick, but chief­ly in the Songs and Playing of nine Virgins which for this c [...]use he entertained: therefore they were called by the Greeks, Muses. 2. There were at first but three Muses, to shew three sorts of Musick; to wit, singing, blowing, [Page 167] Playing; the first in the throat, the second in wind instru­ments, the third upon strings: or to shew the three [...]old chief learning in the world, to wit, Philosophy, Rhetorick, and Mathematick; Philosophy is threefold, to wit, Ratio­nal, Moral, Natural: there be three parts in Rhetorick, the Demonstrative, the Deliberative, and the Judicial: there be also three parts of Mathematicks, to wit, Arithme­tick, Geometrie, Musick. Afterward the number of Muses were increased to seven, either because of seven holes in the wind Instruments, or o [...] seven strings on the other instru­ments; or of the seven liberal Sciences, or of the seven Planets. Lastly they came to be nine in number, from the nine Sphaeres which they held made a Musical harmony; and because of the ten stringed Lute, they joyned Apollo to the nine Muses, and so made ten in all: and it may be that from this number of nine Muses, the Papists have found out the nine Orders of Angels. 3. The Muses were called the daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, to shew that learning cannot be had without the Intellect and Memory, which are most eminent in learned men; or rather that God is the Authour of Learning, and Memo­rie the Mother or Nurse thereof: therefore the Poet ascribes to the Muses, Memory and Utterance; by the one they are preserved, by the other they are heard, ‘Et meministis enim Dirae, & memorare po [...]estis.’

Hence they are called Musae from [...] to enquire, this belongs to Invention, and from [...] to in [...]tiate into sacred Mysteries: and by this is meant Judgement: so that the Muses or Learning consisteth in Invention and Judgement; and because Learning is cherished and main­tained by Honours and good Report, therefore Eupheme was said to be their Nurse. 4. The Muses were winged, to shew the nimblenesse of good wits, and the quicknesse of Poetrie and Musick in moving the affections. For Homer giveth wings to words; and the Syrens lost their wings while they contended with the Muses; so an evill [Page 168] Poet is like a Bird without wings, he can rise no higher then the earth, his conceptions are grosse and heavie, no waies sublime and aeriall, having lost the two wings of invention and judgement, by which that incomparable Swanne of Poets did [...]lye in his Divine worke of the Aeneads: who hath as farre excelled Homer, as the Mu­ses did the daughters of Pierius, who turned them to Mag-Pyes, weareing Crownes of Pa [...]ty coloured Feathers, which they tooke out of the Pyes wings: so Homers con­fused inventions, are fi [...]ted, refined, polished by Vir­gil, and m [...]de a Crowne better becomming his head then the Mag-pyes wings. 5. The Muses did beare Palmes in their hands, to shew they are the Conquerors of men [...] affections and passions; and they did all dance in a ring, therefore the Greekes called them Muses, [...] ▪ because of the consent, agreement, and harmony that is amongst the liberall Sciences; Apollo leades the dance, for by him was meant that light of the minde whereby wise men are initiated in the studies of Learning; the Grace [...] also were joyned with them, as Horac [...] shewes, ‘Junctae Nymph [...]s Gratiae decentes.’ For the Muses are called Nymphes sometimes, as appeares by that of Virgil: Nymphae noster amor Lyb [...]hrides. And it is sit that the Graces should wait upon the Muses; for [...] signifieth joy, and this is the inseparable compa­nion of learned mindes: for the Scholar is more com­forted in his owne private and solitary life, with a compe­petency, then the richest men that are with their outward pompe and variety: and what greater joy ca [...] there be, then in those Companions who both take us off from un­lawfull and wicked delights, which sh [...]ll end in sorrow, and fill our mindes with knowledge of heavenly things, and sweet contentment: therefore the Muses were held perpetual Virgins, and they still preserved their chasti [...]y against all the assaults of Venus. For men that delight in Learning, scorne fleshly lusts, which prevaile most [Page 169] in ignorant and idle men: and because Poets and learned men love a retyred life, therefore the Muses were said to dwell in des [...]rt woods and hilles; For this cause the Tem­ples were built remote fro [...] Cities: and they were descri­bed sitting on the toppes of Parn [...]ssus, to shew that learn­ing hath its residence in the head, which is the toppe and capitall of mans body; and because the Palme is still greene, and the Fruite very sweete and comfortable, there­fore the Muses were crowned with Palmes, to shew the sweetnesse, comfort, and perpetuitie of Learning: For the s [...]me cause the Poets were crowned with Bayes, and Ivie, to signifie the perpetual verdure and beauty of Learn­ing. 6. The Muses had divers Names from divers oc­casions: they are called Nymphae, the Goddesses of Water, to shew the d [...]lights, benefit, and cleerenesse of Poetry. Also [...] and Heliconides, also Pierides, Aonides, from the hills Parnassus, Heliron, Pieria, and the Coun­trey Aonia where they dwelt; they are called also Pegasides, and Aganippides, from the Well Hippociene, which Pega­sus m [...]de with his hoose, the Water of which Well made a kinde of Musicall sound, which also other waters make in their running, for which cause also I thinke the Muses were called Nymphes, and because they drunke Water ra­ther then Wine: notwithstanding Horace speakes against Water-drinkers, that they cannot be good Poets: He loved Wine and Wenching to well to beleeve his commendation of either: a far better Poet then he, who was called the Virgin Poet, both for his temperature and abstinence, was no Wine-bibber; I finde that Wine in some dull and Palegmatique bodies, may a little help [...] the invention, yet doubtlesse it is an enemie to judgement, which is most of all required in a Poet▪ They were called also Libethride [...], from that Well in Magnesia dedicated to the Muses; and Thespi [...]de [...] from a Towne called Thespia in Bo [...]tia; and Ilissides from Ilissus a River of Allic [...] ▪ and Pimpleides from a Fountaine in Macedonia; and Cas [...]alides from the Well [Page 170] Cas [...]ali [...]; Olympiad [...]s from hill Olympus; Corycides from the cave Corycium; Mnemosynides from their mother Mnemo­syne; Ardalides from the place Ardalus; Pateides from a well in Macedonia; Ligiae from a kind of song called Li­gium; Maeonides from the countrey M [...]onia. 7. The par­ticular names of the Muses are Clio from [...] glory, for great is the glory of learning, though ignorance be its e­nemie: Euterpe from [...]; deligh [...]full, for there is no delight comparable to th [...]t of learned men: Thalia from [...] to grow green, for learning will still flourish, and never wither: Melpomene, that is, [...] ma­king melodie; for the life of a Scholar is still cheerfull and melodious: Terpsi [...]hore from [...] and [...] to de­light in singing or d [...]ncing, for the songs, dancing, and mirth of learned men are within themselves: Erat [...] from [...] love, for the more a man knowes learning, the more he [...] loves it; onely ignorant fools hate it: Polymnia from [...] and [...], no mens mindes are so full of melodie and spirituall comfort as the minds of learned men: Vra­nia from [...] the heaven, for learning came from thence; and the mindes of learned men are there, and not upon earthly things: Calliope from [...] a good voice, there is no outward voice so charming and melodious as the in­ward voice of knowledge in the minde, by which a man discou [...]eth with himself, and is never lesse alone then when he is alone. 8. They write, that divers men being taken with the melodie of the Muses, forgot to eat and drink, and so were turned into grashoppers, who yet continually sing in the fields without meat and drink: by this, I think, they meant, th [...]t many men by too much study macerate and exte [...]uate their bodies, looking rather like grashoppers then men; who notwithst [...]nding with their spare diet live lon­ger and healthier then fat Epicures, feeding as it were up­on, and delighting themselves with the songs of the Muses. 9. Seeing the Muses are Jupiters daughters, and came from heaven, and are perpetuall Virgins, by which is intimated [Page 171] their divine originall, puritie, and modestie: 'tis an in­jurie to the sacred study of Poetry to call scurrilous and wanton versifiers by the name of Poets, whereas Poetry is [...] divine gift, the end whereof is to praise and honour God the father of it; who therefore hath given wings to the Muses, that they might soare on high in heavenly ra­ptures; and that they might flee away from the company of such chattering Mag-pies. 10. As all gods and god­desses had their birds dedicated to them, so had the Mu­ses; these are the bee [...], which doe much resemble Scholars in their providence, industry, labours, order and harmony, temperance also and observance to their kings; they are content with little, yet afford much benefit to the owner; so doe Scholars to the State: neither is there any bird to which learned men and Students are more beholding, then to the bees, which both afford them food and phy­sick in their honey, and light in their lucubrations in their wa [...].

The INTERPRETER.

1. NEmesis is Jupiters and Necessities daughter, to shew that God in his justice punisheth the wicked▪ which necessarily hee must doe, or else hee were not just▪ nor could hee guide the world, if hee should suffer the wicked still to flourish and prevaile, and good men to be still oppress [...]d: therefore Nemesis is painted with a b [...]i­dle and a ruler, by which is represented Gods ju­stice in curbing and holding in of wicked men, and in ruling of the world. 2. Shee is the daughter of Night and the Ocean, to shew that God oftentimes punisheth mens sins with darknesse, as hee did the Egyptians, and the world at Christs crucifixion; and with spirituall dark­nesse too, or ignorance of minde, as hee did the Gen­tiles, and the Jewes too, who s [...]te in spirituall darknesse, [Page 171] and saw not the Sun of righteousnesse: so likewise hee re­vengeth sin with inundations of the sea, as hee did the first world, and many countries since. Or else this may shew, that ignorance signified by the night, and wealth repre­sented by the Ocean, which enricheth the neighbouring lands, are the causes of wickednesse, and this the occasion of Gods just vengeance. 3. Nemesis is called the daugh­ter of Justice, because God punisheth none but when hee is justly provoked thereunto. Hence some have thought Nemesis and Justice to be the same; which they paint like a virgin of a truculent aspect, quick-sighted, sad, holding the ballance in the one hand, and a whip or rods, with a hatchet in the other, to shew that Justice must not be par­tiall, but pure from bribes and by-respects, terrible to the wicked, quick-sighted in finding out the hidden truth, of a sad aspect, for justice or vengeance doth not punish with delight: the rods and hatchet shew the diversities of punishments according to the diversitie of sins: and sometimes she is painted naked, sitting on a square stone, because Justice must be open, not hid, square and sted­fast, not moveable and unconstant. 4. Nemesis is some­times described to us with wings, and a crowne on her head, standing upon a wheele, with a cup in her hand on which are engraven the Ethiopians: The wings show the celeritie and swiftnesse of Vengeance pursuing after wic­ked men; the crown signifieth the command and domi­nion of Gods justice in the world, on which were carried Stags, and small pictures of Victorie with palms, to shew that Justice or Revenge keep men in awe, and make them fearfull, and that the same Justice is a Conquerour or Vi­ctor over the world; the cup with the Ethiopians shew that Vengeance can overtake a sinner, though hee run to the remotest parts of Ethiopia; the wheele signifieth the world, which is subjected to the feete of Justice. 5. By Nemesis the Sun may be meant; therefore the E­gyptians placed her above the Moon, by which is signi­fied [Page 174] that the seat of Justice or Vengeance is in heaven [...] and as the Sunne seeth all things, so doth divine Justice, from which nothing can be concealed. The Sun illu­strates obscure things, and obscures things lucid; so Ne­mesis or Justice raiseth the humble, and humbleth the proud; bringing them to obscurity that shine like starrs in the world, and raising them out of darknesse to the light of honour who have been low in their own eyes. As by the Suns heat and light the earth is beautified and made fruitfull; so it is by Justice that States and Kingdomes flourish and prosper. 6. [...] or [...], Nemesis si­gnifieth both revenge and distribution; for Justice is twofold, punitive and distributive or remunerative; not onely is Justice the punisher of wickednesse, but also the rewarder of goodnesse. 7. Jupiter fell in love with Ne­mesis, and was cherished in her bosome in the form [...] of a white Swan, of which two was engendred an egg, and of this the faire Helena: By this (I suppose) may [...]e meant, that Princes ought to be in love with Justice▪ but withall they must be white and unspotted Swans in their lives. For how can a wicked Prince, whose life is full of blacknesse and darknesse, be just? But the actions of a godly and just Prince will prove more beautifull and lovely then ever Helena was, though the daughter of the white Swan, and begot of an egge.

The INTERPRETER.

1. THe Gentiles g [...]ve divers names to one and the same power of God as it is diff [...]sed into divers parts of the world; in heaven it is called Jupiter, in the fire Vul­can, in the air Juno, in the waters Neptune, in the earth Vesta, &c. so that by Neptune they meant that power which is in the sea, moving it with divers motions, preserving it from pu [...]refaction, and restraining it from drowning the earth; for which cause perhaps they gave him a Trident, or three-forked s [...]epter: and as by Neptune they understood the divine power or nature of the sea; so by Amphitrite they meant the body or matter of the sea, of which multi­tudes of fishes are engendred, which they called the chil­dren of Neptune. 2. Hee is said to finde out the use of horsemanship, because one of that name taught men first to ride; or else because ships seem to ride on the sea, as hor­ses on the land: therefore Plauius calls a ship a wooden horse, Nolo vehi equo ligneo: or else because sudden erupti­ons of the sea have caused men to get on horse-back for the greater expedition, to avoyd drowning, who perhaps otherwise had not rid at all: or it may be that some horse might be seen swimming towards the shore, which had e­scaped from ship-wrack, which might give occasion to the ignorant countrey people to suppose that Neptune gave the first horse, for which cause hee was called [...], Neptune the horseman: or lastly, by the horse may be meant the swis [...]nesse and mobilitie of the sea; therefore because the starrs of Cas [...]or and Pollux are very swift, they were said to be horsemen. 3. They used to paint Neptune, Nereus, and the other sea gods with a countenance some­times frowning, sometimes smiling, to shew how the sea is sometimes stormie, sometimes calme: they made him gray-haired, and gave him a blew ga [...]ment, that by the one they might expresse the foaming, by the other the colour [Page 174] of the sea: therefore blue is called in Plauius Color thalas. sius, the sea-colour. They gave him a chariot drawn with horses, or as some say, with great and monstrous fishe [...], to signifie the swiftnesse of the sea: they give him a Tri­dent in stead of a Scepter, by which sometimes hee moved and shook the earth, to shew that the sea, by reason of some subterran [...]all passages get [...] under the ground, and shakes the neighbouring shor [...]s with earthquakes in all the thre [...] parts of the earth, Asia, Europe, and Africa; if they had known America, they would have made his Scepter s [...]u [...] ­sorked, and have called it not Trid [...]ns, but Quad [...]ens: They made the sea-nymphs or Ne [...]eides wait upon his chariot, as Virgil in the fifth of the Aeneads placeth Glau [...]us, Pala [...]non, the Tri [...]ons, and the whole company of Ph [...]r [...]us on the right hand of Neptune; and on the left The [...]is, Melite, Pa­nopaa, and the other se [...]-nymphs, by which they meant the divers sorts of fishes, as their names expresse [...] and among the rest, Triton is called Neptunes trumpeter by the Poe [...]s, a [...] the sound of whose shell-trumpet, the sea ceaseth to rage▪ because some sea-monsters have appeared in such a forme as they describe Triton, and they seldome appear but after a storm in a great calm: and as for Palamon or Po [...]unus, hee was the god of harbours, whom sea-men honoured with sa­crifices upon their returning from any voyage. 4. They used to paint Neptune holding of a [...]low, with a car [...] behind him; intimating by this, that without the sea, the earth could not be fruitfull; for not onely doe the sea weeds and sands serve in some places for dung to barren ground; but also the sea-water is an help to fertilitie, as wee see in sale marishes: besides, without rain the earth cannot s [...]uctifie, but rain is begot of vapours [...]xtracted out of the sea: and therefore perhaps hee is the god of horses, because in salt marishes horses are cured of worms and other diseases; for this cause they used in Illyricum to fling every yeer four horses into the sea as a sacrifice for Neptune: and the Ro­mans (to shew that N [...]p [...]un [...] had the charge of horses) ap­pointed [Page 177] horse-races, called Ludi Circenses, to the honour of Neptune ▪ and as the foot-companies in their warres had purple for their Colours or Ensignes, so the horse­companies had blue, which is the sea-colour. Or I think rather, that the horses whereof Neptune was god are the sea-horses, called Hipp [...]campi, having two sore feet like those of an horse, and the taile or hinder part of a fish: and therefore this, as all other monstrous fishes are called by the Poets Neptuni pecudes; and not onely were horses dedicated to Neptune, but also to Apollo, 'Diana, Juno, and Mars: therefore Romulus appointed horse-races, called Equiria in campo Martio, to the honour of Mars, which were different from the Neptunalia, [...]r lud [...] Ci [...]censes I spake of but now. 5. Neptune was called Consus, a consulen­d [...], from giving counsell or advice; for it was hee that counselled the Romans to ravish the Sabin [...]a [...] women: but indeed for better reasons may the sea be called Con­sus, for it counsels us by its eruptions and [...]nundations to feare God, and to repent for sinne. The harmony it keeps in its motion with the Moon, counsels us to fol­low the directions of Gods word in heavenly things: its saltnesse counsels us to have salt in our selves; Re­member Lots wise. The fruitfulnesse of the sea and riches thereof, counsels us to bring forth much fruit, and to be rich in good works. These and many such like coun­sels have wee from this Consus; which also counsels us to be humble, and not to swell with a conceit of our owne worth or perfections: for though all rivers run into the sea, yet it swels never the more for that: and likewise the sea counsels us to be content with our own, and not to encroach upon other mens estates; for the sea is content with its own bounds, though of its own na­ture, situation, and greatnesse it be able to drowne the whole earth again. The Romans had done better to have erected an altar to Consul for these reasons, then for counselling them to oppresse and wrong their neighbours [Page 178] by ravishing their women. 6. Some think that Neptune was called god of the sea, because under King Saturn hee was Admir [...]ll of the sea, and the first that rigged out a [...]leet of ships into the maine: the Trident may perhaps si­gnifie the three squadrons into which he divided his fleet: but if by Neptune wee understand the sea it selfe, then I think that the Trident may signifie the threefold motion thereof; the one naturall as it is water, to [...]all downward, which motion proceeds from its active form; the other na­turall as it is sea-wat [...]r, to ebb and flow, which proceeds from its passive form: the third is violent, as it is agitated by the winds. 7. Perhaps Neptune was called god of the sea, because he was by hi [...] f [...]ther Sa [...]ns command, who devou­red his children, drowned there: hence fabulous antiqui­tie, in consideration of his untimely aund undeserved death, made him the god of that element by which hee lost his life. 8. Neptune being in love with Amphi [...]rite, im­ployed the Dolphin to procure her good will, for [...]he fled and hid her selfe in Atlas; by this may be meant, that Princes Embassadours ought to be faithfull and nimble like the dolphin in executing their masters commands; for the dolphin is a swift swimming fish, and faithfull to man, as divers examples shew: and likewise Princes should be thinkfull, and not suffer quick and faithfull servants to go [...] unrewarded: therfore the Dolphin, whether a fish, or some eminent man of that name, was by Neptune placed among the starres; and i [...] painted holding the dolphin in his hand; for it was by his diligence and wisdome that Nep­tune married with Amphit [...]ite, which is so called from com­passing; either because the sea encompasseth the earth, or is encompassed by the air. 9. Neptune fell in love with Theophanes that beautifull virgin, whose good will that he might obtain, hee converted her into an ewe▪ and him­self into a ram, the r [...]st of her suters into wolves; of her hee begot the golden sleeced ram, which carried Ph [...]y­ [...]us to Colchis: by this (I suppose) the Poets would [Page 179] signifie, that unlawfull love and unsati [...]ble lust tur [...]s m [...]n into beasts; and that the b [...]st [...]rd sonnes of Princes are no better than Rams with golden fleeces: for though they have honour and wealth by the one side, yet they are contemptible by the other; they have the fleece from the father, but the rams nature from the other. 10. We [...] fitly apply this fiction to the Pope, who is another Ne­ptune, and with his Trident or threefold power that hee hath in heaven, earth, and purgatory, shakes the earth, and moves kingdomes by civill warres: hee is the be [...]st that rose out of the sea, having fallen in love with the faire virgin of the Church, hath turned himselfe into a ram, pushing men with the horns of his authoritie; and hee hath made a very sheep of the Church, begetting of her golden-sleeced rams, that is, Bishops, Deans, and Pre­bends, which have more wealth and honour then true pie­tie and learning. Neptune made himselfe a servant to [...], when with Apollo hee built the walls of Troy; the Pope calls himselfe Servant of serv [...]n [...]s, and pretends to build the walls of the Church, but indeed overthrowes them with Neptune, Aenaead. 2. ‘ Neptunus muros totanque a sedibus urbem [...]ruit.—’ 11. Apollo and Neptune built the walls of Troy; that is m [...]ant either of the mony that was dedicated to these gods, which [...] seased upon, and therefore for this sacri­ledge hee and his citie were grievously▪ plagued; and for his unfaithfulnesse in [...]ot repaying Neptunes money: or else is meant that the bricks where with the walls were built were made o [...] [...]lay, or earth mingled with water called Neptune, and dried or [...]uked in the Sun, which they called Apollo. 12. Where [...]s Apollo and Neptune were forced to s [...]rve for their living, by this the Poets would le [...] us s [...]e how un­constant wor [...]dly honours are, and th [...] [...] who is a [...]ing today, may be a b [...]gge [...] to morrow, as the [...]x [...]mples of [...]s [...]us, Diony [...]us, Belis [...]rius, and many others can witnesse; wee [Page 180] may see with Solomon, Princes sometimes walk on foot, and beggers sit on horse-back. 13. In Neptune we may see the picture of a ty [...]ant, for tyrants delight in tormenting men, as it is recorded of Tiberius, Phalaris, Mezen [...]ius, and others; so did Neptune in continuall vexing and torment­ing of Vlysses, whom hee would not drown, but kept him alive that hee might be still vexing of him. Again, ty­rants doe causelesly and injuriously put men to death; so did Neptune, when hee sent out his sea-calves to affright Hpppolitus his horses, by which hee was torn and killed; and this hee did upon a false accusation of his step-mother Phedra to Theseus, as if Hyppolitus would have ravished her; whereas his innocencie and goodnesse were knowne: and had Neptune been a just Prince, hee would have ex [...] ­mined the matter, and n [...]t [...]rashly condemnd the innocent. 14. Neptune in Homer with the other gods are feasted in Ethiopia; by which is intimated, that they were a religious and devout people. I wish wee were as ready to feast the true God by faith and holinesse; for hee will come and sup with such: but wee suffer him to stand and knock at the door of our hearts, and will not open. Let rich men also learn to feast Christ in his poor members, that hee may in the last day thank them for feeding him when hee was hungry: otherwise the Ethiopians that feasted Jupiter, Neptune, and the other gods, will rise in judgement against us. 15. As Juno had the charge of the citie gates, and Minerva of the castles and towers, so had Neptune of the foundation and walls; by which (I think) they meant, that riches, wisdome, and strength (for in Homer Neptune is called the strongest of the gods) are required for the pre­servation of Cities and States. 16. Our Saviour Christ is the true Neptune, the God of the sea, whom both winds and seas obey; the true Sonne of God in respect of his di­vinitie, and of Ops or of the earth in regard of his huma­nitie; who hath the true Trident, or full power of heaven and earth given to him, and likewise the keyes of death [Page 181] and of hell; hee is the true [...], or shaker of the earth, as hee made it appear both at at his death and resur­rection; and the true Consus, or God of counsell, for his name was in Isaiah the Counsellour: hee hath married the virgin of the Church, the fairest of women; who may be called Theophanes, because it was to her, and for her that God appeared in the flesh; therefore the day of Christs na­tivity was called by the ancient Christians [...], the day of Gods apparition; for then did hee lay aside his majestie, and took upon him the form of a servant, that hee might build the walls of the new Jerusalem. And lastly, as the Greeks called Neptune P [...]sidona, that is, [...] making the image, because of all the elements, water onely repre­sents or makes images, by reason of its smoothnesse and cleernesse; so it was Christ that made us at first to the i­mage of God, and afterward repaired this image being de­c [...]yed in us; a fit work for him who is the expresse and es­sentiall image of his Father.

The INTERPRETER.

1. TAntalus was covetous, and Amphion rich; when wealth and covetousnesse meet together, they bring forth Niobe, that is pride, insolencie, and contempt of God him­self. 2. By Apollo and Diana are meant the Sun and Moon; [Page 182] they caused by their beat and multitude of vapours a great pestilence, which killed all Niobe's children; hence arose the fiction of Apollo's and Diana's arrows which killed Nio­pe's children. 3. The turning of Niobe into a stone, i [...] to shew the nature and greatnesse of her grief and sorrow, which made her stupid and benummed, and in a manner senselesse; for parvae cu [...] l [...]quumu [...], ingen [...]es s [...]upent: or else it may signifie the stone monument that shee erected to her [...]lfe and children; or that rock in Phrygia, which afa [...] of seems to be a woman weeping, by reason of the springs of water flowing from thence. 4. By this punishment of Niobe and her children, wee may see the judgements of God against pride and insolencie; and are taught not to be pu [...]t up with conceit of our selves, wife, or children, but to carrie an humble minde even in the highest fortune. 5. The turning of Niobe into a stone may let us see how God hardeneth the hearts of wicked men, as hee did the heart of Pharaoh; and that profan [...] men are not mollified and bettered, but hardened, and more obstinate by af­flictions. 6. Niobe sinned, but her children are killed; by this we see, that it is no injustice in God to visit the iniqui­tie of the parents upon the children, seeing they are a part of their parents; and in their punishment the parents suffer of­tentimes more then in their own; and God is absolute Lord over his creature. 7. Here in Niobe we see the pride▪ of women, which bringeth destruction [...]pon themselves, husbands, and family: the beauty of Niobe made her proud, and pride made her insolent, and insolence caused her ow [...] and her husbands ruine in their children: therefore he that marries for beautie where there is not grace, will finde in that match plus [...]ellis quam mellis, more gall then honey. As it fared here with Niobe, so it did with Cassiope; shee in her pride preferred her self to the Nymphs, therfore her daugh­ter Andromache had inevitably been devoured by the sea­monster when she was tied to the rock, had not Perseus re­sc [...]ed her. 8. Amphion Niobe's husband was an excellent [Page 183] Musician, he made the rude stones hop together and make up the walls of Thebes; but h [...]e that put life into dead stones, and civilized such rude and senselesse creatures, could not for all his musick charm his wifes pride and in­solencie. Our Saviour Christ by the sweetnesse of his E­vangelicall musick charmed the Gentiles, and of such stones raised children to Abraham, causing men to meet together towards the building of the new Jerusalem; but yet hee could not prevail with the Jewes, which hee had married to himself, neither could hee cure their pride and obstinacie; though he piped, they would not dance.

The INTERPRETER.

1. NOx is so called a nocendo, for the night is the occa­sion of much mischiefe; ‘Nox & amor vinumque nihil moderabile suad [...]nt.’ So is also any grief, sicknesse or pain more hurtfull and vi [...] ­lent by night then by day. 2. Night is called by some the daughter of Chaos, by others, the daughter of Hell; by which may be meant the night or darknesse which was be­fore the Creation, and so shee is the daughter of Chaos▪ this darknesse is called negative in the Schools: And also the darknesse which is caused nightly, and is the shadow of the earth when the Sun is under our Hemisphere; and so Nox is the daughter of Erebus, or of Hell; this is cal­led privative. 3. Night is painted like a woman; because, as the female sex is the weaker and more fear­full [Page 184] so is mans nature more fearfull by night then by day, and weaker also, as is seen in sick men. Shee hath a black garment, and long black wings, of which Virgil, ‘Nox ruit, & fuscis tellurem amplectitur alis:’ by these wings shee embraceth the earth. Shee is also car­ried in a chariot, and is accompanied with the starres, and hath the Cock for her sacrifice, to signifie the dark­nesse and qu [...]lities of the night, and that the starres are then most seen; and that the Cock by reason of his vigi­lancie and noise that hee makes, deserves to be sacrificed to the night, which is the time of rest. Her black hair, her garland of popies with which she is crowned, and her cha­riot drawn with four horses, doe shew the darknesse and ap [...]nesse of the night for sleep; and the four horses may have relation to the four watches of the night. 4. Nox was the mother of Death, and of Sleep, and so shee was painted holding two children in her hands both asleep; in her right hand was a white childe, in the other a black; by the one sleep, by the other death was signified: this was to expresse the relation and resemblance betwixt these three, which are promiscuously taken one for ano­ther; death is called night, Omnes un [...] manet nox: so death is called sleep, ‘—Aeterno clauduniur lumina somno:’ Sleep is called deaths cousin, Consanguineus lae [...]hi sopor. 5. If in a spirituall sense wee take night for ignorance, then truely shee is the mother both of carnall securitie, and of both deaths, as also of all miserie; My people pe [...]ish ▪ (saith God) for want of knowledge; they that sit in such darknesse, sit also in the valley of the shadow of death. 6. Though the Gentiles made Death the Nights daughter a goddesse, yet they gave her no divine honours, nor temple, nor priest, nor altar, nor sacrifice, nor festivall dayes, as they used to give to their other gods; because they were without hope, death was terrible to them; they thought that death did utterly destroy them, or else bring them to [Page 185] endlesse punishments: but wee Christians doe rather love and honour, then fear death; because not onely doth shee put a period to our sins and miseries, but also doth as it were let us in, and lead us by the hand to eternall happi­nesse: Therefore the ancient Christians honoured the dayes in which the Martyrs suftered, and called the [...] nata­les, their birth-dayes. 7. They clo [...]hed death with a black garment all beset with starres, by which they signified shee was the daughter of the night; perhaps because more die naturally by night then by day; for nature is weaker by night then by day, and lesse able to resist sicknesse or death, by reason of the S [...]s absence, who is the authour of life and health. But wee may well say that the death of Christians is clothed with starres; for by her wee shall be made more bright then the starres of the firma­ment. 8. Nox is the mother of Deceit, Love, Feare, Complaints, Misery, Dreams, &c. because these reigne most in the night, but especially in the night of igno­rance. 9. Sleep is one of Nights daughters, because sleep is procured by the darknesse and vapours of the night; for the night is moister then the day, and moist bodies are most sleepy: therefore they placed the Ci­tie of sleep neer the sea, and said that it was watered with soft running rivers, and that Lethe or O [...]livion was sister to sleep; for then wee forget our cares: The two gates of horn and Ebonie in the citie of sleep, were to shew the cleernesse and obscuritie of mens dreams, according to the cleernesse and muddinesse of mens tem­peratures and constitutions. And whereas sleep could ne­ver overcome Jupiter, it was to shew, that Princes and Commanders ought to be more vigilant then others. Lastly, Sleep was painted with wings, to shew how sud­denly it seases upon men.

The INTERPRETER.

1. BEcause the Nymphes were the Deities of Waters, or of moisture, therefore they had divers names from the diversities of waters and moisture; their general name is Nymphae, quasi Lymphae, that is waters; but from the waters that spring out of mountains, they are called Oreades; from the moisture of woods and trees, they are named Dryades, and Hama [...]yades; from the moisture that is in Flowers and pa­sture grounds or meadows, they are called N [...]paeae, for [...] is a pasture field; from the Sea waters they are called Nerei­des, whose father was Nereus the sea-god; from the waters of rivers they are termed Naides, for [...] signifieth to stow, and so from fountaines and springs they are called Naides; hence all springs are called son [...]es sacri, as being consecrated to, and in the special tuition of the Nymphes; and because rivers and fountains in their motion make a kind of musical sound, the Nymphes are called Muses sometimes; the Nymphs of standing waters are called Lymiades, from [...] a pool; the Nymphes are also styled Ephydilades, because they are hid under the waters. 2. The Nymphes are cal­led the daughters of Tethys and Oc [...]anus, because all rivers and springs proceed originally from the Sea, and are increa­sed and maintained by rain, which also by the Sun is exhaled out of the sea. 3. The Nymphes by Virgil are called Junos hand-m [...]ids, [...]unt mihi bis septem praestan [...]i corpore Nymphae. because the clouds, mists, rain, and other waterish meteors, by which springs and rivers are maintained, be engendred in the Aire, which is called Juno. 4. The Nymphes are cal­led [Page 187] the Nurses of Bacchus and Ceres, to shew that wine and [...]orne are cherished and increas [...]d by moisture; and so be all [...]getables; neither is Ceres us [...]ful to us, nor Bacchus whole­some without their nurse; for by water the m [...]al is kneaded, and by w [...]ter the wine is tempered. 5. In Homer and Vir­ [...]il I find the Nymphes at work, busie in spinning and wea­ [...]ing: to shew how much women should avoid idlenes, see­ing goddesses were not idle; neither is it any disp [...]ragement for the greatest women to put their hand to the distaste, and [...]ccording to the old English name, be indeed, as they are called, spinsters, seeing the Nymphes themselves are not a­shamed to spin: in their hollow rocks called by Virgil Nym­pharum domus, in whose caves Homer describes the Bees ma­king honey, that even by that example women may be in­du [...]ed to be diligent and provident; for if they give them­selves to idlenes, wh [...]t will follow but lu [...]t and wantonnesse, which I thinke the Poets expressed in that fiction of the Nymphes that fell in love with H [...]l [...], that fair boy, and ra­vished him. 6. The Nymphes that nursed Bacchus, were by Jupiter translated into st [...]rs, and called Hyades, to shew perhaps that wine tempered with water, makes the mind sit for heavenly raptures, and sublime thoughts, whereas strong wine of it self intoxicates the brain, and makes it sitter for sleep then contemplation. 7. If the Nymphes and Muses be the same, it is not without cause that the hill Nymphes called Or [...]ade [...] found out the use of honey, as some say▪ there­fore the Nymph M [...]liss [...] gave her owne name to the Bees, to signifie that learning is the food of the soul, and it is that which sweetneth the life of man: there is more honey and sweetnesse in the life of a Scholar on a hill, then of a Prinoce in his pallace.

The INTERPRETER.

1. OCeanus is called the son of Coelum and Vesta, that is, of Heaven and earth, because the Sea hath its preser­vation and motion from the Heaven, and by it is incom­passed, [Page 189] and by the earth it is born up, as a child by the mo­ther. 2. Oceanus is called the Father of all the Gods, be­cause all things have their original from moisture, without which there can be no generation, nor corruption; hence Thales made water the originall of all things: and for this cause the Poets speak of such multitudes of children that were of Neptune or the Ocean: for indeed the Sea is more fruitful of Fishes, then the earth is of other living creatures, and because all springs and rivers proceed from the sea, they called Oceanus the father of all the Nymphes. 3. The Gods are said to be feasted by Oceanus, either to confirm that opinion of some, that the stars are fed by the vapours that a­rise out of the sea, and are converted into clouds; for the stars being of a fiery nature, are tempered by these moist va­pours, as they think; this was the Stoicks opinion, which is resuted by the Aristotelians, and is touched by Virgil Aen. 1. ‘Conveza polus dum sidera pascet:’ Or perhaps by the Ocean feasting of the gods, may be meant, that the chiefest dainties that Princes feed on, are either from the sea, or conveighed from remote Coun­tries by Sea. But observe that the Gods feasted themselves in the Sea, where is much water, but no wine: by which I thinke is intimated that great men should be temperate in their Feasts; but now our gods have forsaken drink­ing of water, and will feast no longer in the Ocean: Wine is the liquor we feast with: the gods retained their honour while they were content with water, but men degenerate into beasts while they intoxicate them­selves with wine. 4. The Ocean was painted with a Bulls head, either to signifie the violent [...]ushing of the sea against the shore, or to expresse the bellowing noise the Sea makes: he is also painted sitting in a cha [...]iot with his wife Tethis drawne by foure wheeles, accompanied with Tritons and Sea Nymphes: by the chariot is meant the swift motion of the Sea: and by his company are understood the diverse sorts of Fishes [Page 190] which are said to waite upon the Ocean, becau [...] they have their being and habitation in the Sea. 5. I [...] no is said to have her education in the Ocean, be cause of the vicinity the Ayre hath with the Sea, bo [...] in situation and nature; for the Water is quickly co [...] ­verted into Ayre, and this ag [...]ine into Water; th [...] Cloudes are begott of Sea vapours, and they fall agai [...] into the Seas lap; and thus is Juno educated and nou­rished in Oceanus: Or else by this may be meant as [...] thinke, that riches, whereof Juno was goddesse, are [...] maintained and got by Navigation. 6. Oceanus. [...] a great friend to Prometheus, for hee was a wise [...] and provident, and a good Astronomer; they tha [...] would finde the Sea favourable to them, bad neede [...] wife, and provident, and observant of the [...] tim [...] of Navigation; and be skilfull in Astronomie and O [...] ­ographie too, to know the Rocks, Quick-sands, Shelves▪ Shoares, and Courses of the Tides; hee that in the [...] is not Promotheus, will prove Epimetheus, and repen [...] him of his Navigation; which Palinu [...]us knew whe [...] he checks Morph [...]us, A [...]n. 5. for counselling him to fal [...] asleepe, being in a dangerous Sea betweene Sicilie and Italy:

7. Neptunus, Oceanus, Nereus, Terbys, Glaucus, The­tis, Triton, Phorcus, Proteus, and divers others men­tioned in Poets, are but different names of the same thing, to wit the Sea. Nereus, Thetis, Proteus, are said to transforme themselves into divers shapes, to signifie, as I thinke, the divers colours of the Sea water, which sometimes lookes greene, therefore they gave the Nereides greene haire, Vi [...]idet Ne [...]ei [...]um co­mas; sometimes white, there Tethys i [...] painted with gray haires, and a white garment, and partly also to intimate the Antiquity of Navigation, and partly, as [Page 191] suppose, the cares and feares of Sea-men; for [...] facit [...]anos; and Sea-men become sooner gray-hayred then others: the Sea-water also lookes sometimes blue, therefore the Seas are called Caerula by the Poets; and the word Glaucus, which was the Sea god, signifieth the blue colour, and Tibris is described by Virgil in a blue vaile or mantle; ‘—Eum glauco velaba [...] amictu Carbasus:—’ Sometimes also the Sea-water w [...]ll looke red, as in a storme. And sometimes blacke: an lipithite often gi­ven to the Sea by the Greek Poets. Or else this trans­forming of the Sea gods into so many s [...]apes, may signifie the divers faces of the Sea: for sometimes it lookes with a smiling countenance in calmes; some­times it frownes, as in stormes, and roares like a Lyon; hence,

8. Proteus was king of Egypt, who used to have in his scut­cheons and ensignes, sometimes the figure of a Lyon, som­times of a Bull, or of a Tyger, or of a Dragon, or of Fire; hence arose the fiction of Proteus transforming himself in­to divers shapes▪

And by this is represented a wise Prince, who ought to [...] ­commodate himself to all changes and [...]ccasions, and to use his government accordingly; for there is nothing here perpetual; and sometimes as occasions, and times, and mens dispositions alter, so must also government both in Church and Sta [...]e. That French king was too much like Proteus, who would have his Son learn no more latine then this: qui nescit di [...]imulare, nescit imperare. 9. Proteus was a wise man, and a Prophet, who foreknew future things: ‘Quae siu [...], quae sue [...]int, quae mox ventura [...].’ in this he was the type of a ship- [...]aster, who ought to be [Page 192] skilfull in the weather, and in those things which be­long to his Art of Navigation, and withall to have a foresight in the changes of the weather; for want of which knowledge and providence, many ships are cast away. 10. Proteus never playd his part so much as now a dayes; is you look upon mens opinions both in Religion and other things, into what multitudes of shapes is Religion now turned? if you look upon mens garments, into what mon­strous shapes do men turne their bodies almost every moneth? if you look upon Sophisters in their disputes, what windings, turnings, and intrical changings of words and propositions shall you find, that you know not where to hold them? ‘Tot variae illudunt species, totque ora fera [...]um.’ Truth was never changed into so many shapes as now, for every fond opinion is taken up and maintained for truth: but the more opinions prevail, the more should wise men lay hold on truth, and hold her fast, till she return to her owne shape. 11. Tethys was the wife of Oceanus, perhaps they menet by Tethys the Mediterraen Sea and other bayes, which were so united to the Ocean, as man and wife; by which union the Mediterrane abounds with Fishes, and so do the other bayes or armes of the Sea. 12. Thetis was also the Sea, and married to Peleus, because perhaps he was much addicted to Navigation: In their marriage all the gods were present except the goddesse Discord: it were happy if she were absent from all other marriages. 13. Glaucus was a Fisherman, who in winter had a way to catch Fish, which others had not; he was also an excellent swimmer and diver under water: being at last drowned or devoured by some great fish, he was by superstitious people held for a Sea-god; from such weak and foolish beginnings hath ido­latry received its increase: so Phorcus king of Sardinia being drowned by Atlas in a Naval fight, was by his people made a Sea-god; in like manner Ino who was called also Leucothea, and Matuta, being both drowned, were made Sea-Gods; [Page 193] so was Palemo [...] or Portunus being a mortall man and buried in Isthmus, made a God after his death. This custome the Romans borrowed in deifying of their Em­perours after d [...]ath, and the Papists in canonizing of their Saints. 14. Triton is most commonly taken for a Sea monster having the upper parts like those of a man, but the▪ lower parts like a fish; which they made also a Sea God; because of his monstrous, and unusuall shape; but I rather thinke, that by Triton is meant the sea, in whose upper parts or superficies men use to trade, in the low­er parts fishes have their abode, and perhaps from hence arose the fable of Tritons Monstrous shape. 15. By Ma­tuta or Matutina may be meant the morning, by Pale­ [...]on, which is from [...] to shake is meant the winde which is Matutas sonne because it is raised by the morning sun; these are laid to fall into the sea, and to be made sea gods, because of the power which the sun and winde have over the sea.

The INTERPRETER.

1 ORion is a constellation consisting of seventeen stam whereof seven of them are very bright, thereso [...] Virgil girds him with gold: [...] auro circumspi [...] Orion, this constellation ariseth in the winter at which time great stormes are raised and much rain falls, there­fore in respect of the darknes of the aire which Orion [...] ­seth by railing such quantitie of vapours and cloudes, [...] which stormes, rain, and thunder are ingendered, he [...] said by Seneca to affright the gods tenet Orion D [...]os and perhaps he was said to be begot of the gods Vrin [...]e, becau [...] abound [...]ce of raine falls by his influence; hence he is calle [...] Nimbos [...]s, Agnosus, Plu [...]i [...]sas Orion, by the Prince of Po [...] He is said to be killed by Dia [...]ns arrows Diaie virgi [...]ls [...] niitus sagítta, because when the moone shines bright [...] the full, his starres are scarce seene, others write, th [...] he was staine by the Scorpion, because when this rises [...] the other falls and is hid. 2. Orion may be the type o [...] an excellent governour, who for his justice and author [...] [...] is begot of Jupiter, for his eloquence of Mercury; so his skil in horsemanship and navigation of Neptune; th [...] men of excellent parts and eminent vertues are called th [...] sons of the gods; therefore he was rewarded by all the [...] three gods; by Jupiter with a place among the stars, by Me­cucilrie with skill on the harpe, by Neptune with [...]alnesse [...] body, that he could walke through the son.

3. Orion for ravishing of Mecops the daughter of Oca [...] plon lost his eyes, by the same Ornopion; and for his pride and bragging of his skill, was killed by Diana, thus we see [Page 195] that lust and pride seldome goe unpunished. 4. Orion re­covered his sight by Vulcans holpe in counselling and conducting him through the sea to the East, towards the sun; wee shall never recover our spirituall eye sight which wee lost by our spirituall fornications, but by the fierie zeale of the spirit conducting us through the sea of repentance, to Christ the sun of righteousnesse. 5. Some in steed of Mercury make Apollo one of Orions fathers: by which I thinke is meant that by the naturall heat of the seede, which they called the Vrin [...] of the gods; and the radicall moysture thereof, and the influence of hea­ven, every generation is effected in this inferiour world, for Jupiter is the heaven, Apollo the naturall hear, and Neptune the radicall moysture. 6. Hyreus for his hospita­lit [...]e in entertaining the gods lost not his reward, neither shall they that entertain Christ in his Ministers and poore members. 7. By Orion may be meant the vapours which are extracted out of the sea by the Suns heat, and the Heavens influence, for these three are the parents of Orion; or the vapours there obscuring the light of the moone was expressed by Orions assaulting of Diana, who by her arrowes killed him, because the moone by her light and influence oftentimes dispells and consumes these va­pours. 8. Blind Orion carried Cedalion on his shoulders by whom he was directed and guided towards the Sun, even so the blind Church of Rome carried the Protestant; Church even in the time of her greatest blindnesse, upon her large shoulders; who was directed by the Proto­stants in all ages towards Christ; but she would not goe, and in this her condition was worse then that of Orions, for he followed his director, and received his sight; but shee persecuted and killed her directors, and continue [...] yet in blindnesse. If yee aske then where the Protestant Church was before Luther, I answer, upon the shoulders [Page 196] of blind Orion, or of the Romish Church, directing her to the sun of righteousnesse.

The INTERPRETER.

I Thinke by this fiction may be meant the force and power of Magick; for Orpheus by witchcraft and spells brought up the image, shadow, or representation of his wife, out of the grave, as the witch of Endor did raise Samuels body, or shadow rather. 2. Euridice signifieth ju­stice and equitie, to which Orpheus, that is Princes and Ma­gistrates ought to be married; if this be slung to death as oftentimes it is by the serpent of warr; the Prince by the Melodious harmonie of peace and concord, must bring it back again. 3. Great was the love of Orpheus to his wise that would venture himselfe downe to hell to recover her, what a shame is it for any Christian, so to hate his wife as to wish her rather in hell then to take the paines to fetch her thence. 4. Ministers ought to be like Orpheus when any soule of their slock to which they are spiritual­ly [Page 197] married, is by despaire or any calamitie, as it were sunk downe into hell; they should by the melodious har­monie of the sweet tuned harpe of Gods word, call them back from thence, and raise them up againe. 5. O [...]pheus did too much bewayle the death of his Euridice; but so must not wee that are Christians; wee may be sorry for the departure of our friends, but not mourne like those that are without hope; nec sicci sint oculi nec stuant:. 6. Whilst Euridice was running away from Ari [...]cus shee was stung by a Serpent, Ari [...]leus signifieth a good or just man; they that shun the companie of good and just men shall be a prey for the Serpent, even that red dragon the Devill. 7. Orpheus his harpe was said to be carried by wa­ter from Thrace to the Isle Lesbos, by which was signified that the Ilanders gave themselves to the study of musick and Poetrie, after Orpheus was killed in Thrace. 8▪ The same harpe of Orpheus when it was handled by him, char­med the beasts, and ta [...]ed their wild nature; but be­ing handled by Neanthus King Pi [...]acus his sonne in Lesbos, so inraged the doggs that they flew upon him, and tore him. By this wee see what disferent effects one and the same thing can produce, being used or abused, and how by the same harpe of Gods word some are tamed, others inraged; some saved, some damned▪ to some it is the sa­vour of life, to others of d [...]ath; the Apostles that by the harpe of the Gospell tamed thousands of wilde Gentiles, who were no better then bru [...]t beasts, by the same harpe, so inraged the dogged natures of persecuting tyrants that they proved worse then wolves and beares. 9. The reason why the body of Orpheus was torne in peeces, was because he disswaded marriage; the reason why the mysticall body of Christs Church is torne into so many factions, is because the Pope inhibited marriage in the Clergie. 10. By Orpheas charming of stones trees, birds [Page 198] and beasts with his musick, is meant how Governour [...] at first by their wisdome and eloquence did bring rude and ignorant people, G [...]nus indocile, et dispersum montibus al­tis, to civilitie, and religion, and to submit themselves to wholesome lawes, forsaking their wilde customes. 11. Or­pheus for want of moderation in his affection to his wife in that he could not forbeare looking back upon her, though a little while, albeit he was prohibited, brought destruction on his Eurldice, and sorrow on himselfe; by this wee are tought how dangerous a thing impo­tencie in love is, by which many otherwaies, good men have brought misery on themselves and others. 12. Or­pheus was an Astrologer who first taught the Grecian [...] that knowledge mystically, by shewing the motion, har­monie, and order that was among the seven planets, by his harpe, that had seven strings as Lucian sheweth, for which cause they placed his harpe among the star [...] about which is the Lion, Bull, and other creatures which gave occasion to this fiction of Orpheus, his char­ming of beasts with his harpe. To his knowledge of the seven planets Virgill alludes, when he gives him in the Elysian fields a seven stringed harpe; Obloquitur num [...] ro discrimina v [...]cum. 13. Orpheus was the first tha [...] brought into Greece, the mad Bachanalls, or Orgya, in which he was torne himselfe; by which wee see how many are undone by their owne inventions; then, [...] dangerous it is to bring in new ceremonies or Religio [...] into a state; besides, what bloodie effects proceed o [...] drunken meetings. 14. Christ is the true Orpheus who by the sweetnes and force of his Evangelicall musick cau­sed the Gentiles who before were stocks and stones i [...] knowledge, and no better then beasts in religion to fol­low after him: it was he onely who went downe to hell, to recover the Church his spouse who had lost her­selfe▪ [Page 199] by running away from Aristeus, even goodnesse it selfe, and delighting her selfe among the grasse and flowres of pleasure, was stung by that old serpent the Devill. What was in vaine attempted by Orpheus, was truly per­formed by our Saviour, for he above hath delivered our soules from the nethermost hell; and at last was he torne with whips, and thornes, and peirced with nailes and a speare upon the crosse for our trans [...]ressions.

PALLAS See MINERVA.

The INTERPRETER.

BY Pan may be meant the universe as the word [...] sheweth; therefore they fained him to be begot of the seed of all Penelopes woers, because the world is com­posed of the seeds of all things, as the poet sheweth.

[Page 201] Et siquid; simul ignis — his red face is to shew the colour of the heaven, his long beard signified the mas­culine vertue of the fire and aire, in the production of [...]hings, he wore the spotted skin of a red deere, to re­ [...]èsent the starrie heaven, his rough and hairie thighs and leggs▪ [...] signified the roughnesse of the earth, with [...]ockes, trees, bushes, hearhes; by his sheepeheards [...]ooke in one hand may be meant that providence by which the world is guided; by the seven pipes in his o­ther hand is meant the harmonious motion of the seven planets; he is painted also with winges to shew the swift­nesse of the heavens motion. 2. By Pan some understand thē Sun, for his hornes signifie the sun beames; and his [...]ooked staffe may shew the Suns oblique motion in the Zodiac, his long beard represents his beames which he cá­steth downwards, as the hornes, his beames which he dar­tath upward; with these he illuminates, the upper regi­ons, with those, the lower. His wingesshew his swift mo­tion; he is painted with a flowrie or branched garment, to represent how the earth is cloathed with flowres at his approach; he is the God of mountaines, woodes, and groves, because in such places he was first worshipped; and he is called the God of sheepheards, because they first admired the Suns motion, power, and beautie, and so gave him divine honours; or because sheepheards being still abroad with their flocks, stand most in need of his light and heat; he was cheesely worshipped by the Arca­di [...]as, Pan deus Arcadiae, because that Country most a­bounded in sheepheards, who called him the Lord of the woodes, or of the universe rather, and because Pan was said to drive away wolves, that they might not hurt the flocks; he was called Pan Lycaeus and to him was erected the lupercall at Rome, and those festivities called luper calia; and not onely Pan but Jupiter also was called Lyceus [Page 202] perhapps by both names, they meant but one God. And in the same place to wit in Lyc [...]um a hill of Arcadia, Bacchus also was worshipped with Pan and Jupiter; Ev [...] ­der I sinde brought this Pa [...]-worship into Itali [...] from [...] cadia his Countrie. [...]. Pan was much given to lust and re­nerie, therefore they saine that he was begot of Mercurie in the forme of a goat, and that he had the hornos, bear [...], hairynesse, and cloven foere of a goat, perhapps they might signifie that the [...] whom they mcant by Pan, with his heat and influence being temperat, stirs up re­nerie, and desire of procreation in all sensitive creatures, namely in the spring, when he commeth towards us, and his heat is moderat; then as the Poet saith all sensitive creatures feeling him, in furias ignem [...]ve [...]. 4. He fed in love with the Nymph Syrinx, and the Nymph Ecc [...], Syrinx running from him was turned into a cane by which they signifyed that Bacchus was the first inventor of the pipe or whistle, which he made of canes▪ and delighted most in that musick, and his falling in love with Eccho, [...] to shew, how sheepheards who lived in woodes and caves, (where the greatest Ecchoes are most commonly,) tooke delight to heare the resounding of their musick. 5. P [...] and Bacchus were constant companions, and they two subdued the Indians, to shew I thinke, that wine and mu­sick agree well together in cheering up of the hearts and drooping spirits of men, and wee know that many men, besides Indians are subdued by wine and musick daily. 6. Pan invented the trumpet or cornet for warre; by the sound of which the Persian army was so affrighted, not being acquainted with that sound before, that they ran all away; hence arose the saying of Panicke terrors, when we speake of sudden fears; with such a feare were the Gal­les, under Brenn [...]s affrighted when they came to spoile A­po [...]oes Temple; and because cattle are often times sudden­ly [Page 203] [...] affrighted, the cause being unknowne, the shepeheards [...]sscribed this feare to Pan. 7. The Arcadians maintained a perpetuall fire in the Temple of Pan, by which they sig­nified that Pan was the Sun, the fountaine of heat and sight; or else that the naturall heat of the body is the main cause of salacitie or venerie, of which Pan was the type; and because wine excites lust, and seldome doe wine and venerie part companie therefore they made Bacchus the companion of Pan, and of the Sa [...]yres; and old Sile­ [...]us the father of the Satyres is alwayes described drunke, Hesterno in flatus venis ut seniper, la [...]he Et [...]ravis attrita pen­debat cantbarus ansa, and still with a cup of wine in his hand; and to shew that lust or wantonesse consisteth nor onely in heat, but also in moysture, they fained that Pan has the Nymphes for his nurses, and not onely was Pan himselfe worshipped among the Greekes, but the goat also whose Sonne he was, and whose shape and na­ture he so much resembled was held in great veneration among them: And because Sea men are most salacious and so are such as feede most on fish, perhapps for this cause they fained that Pan was the god of Fisher-men. 8. Pan is said to be in love with the moone, because Fisher­men, and shepeheards who have occasion to be abroad much in the night, stand much in neude of the moone­light, with which they are most delighted. Or if by Pan we mean the Sun, then he is said to be in love with the Moone, because of their monethly conjunction. 9. I suppose Pan might be some great man among the Gre­cians as Faunus, among the Latins, but of a deformed shape, or in some thing resembling a goat; such defor­med men were called Ar [...]ipa [...]es; there are too many of these now, not resembling goats so much in their shapes, as in their qualities; suffering themselves as they write of Pan ▪ to be overcome by Cupid, and to be inslaved to [Page 204] their owne lusts and affections. 10. By the Sa [...]yres, they meant country clownes or deformed hairie men, given to dancing, drinking, and wenching, who when they grew old and sottish, they were called Silini; and are pain­ted riding on an asse, to shew that then gowtie feete are not able to carrie theht, but are beholding to the asse as wise as themselves; and more deserving doubtlesse, or else they would not have placed the asse that carried olde bald pated, flat nosed, pot bellied Sil [...]nus (for so I [...] ­ciant describes him) among the starres; what shame and madnes was it for the Gentiles to make gods of such deformed creatures. 11. I beleeve Silenus was one who is his youth delighted much in planting and dressing of vineyards; therefore I thinke it is, that he was made foster Father to Bacchus ▪ for which kindnesse Bacch [...] cherished him in his old age; for wine moderately ta­ken is a cherisher and comforter of old age, and he de­serves to drinke wines when he is old, who will take the paines to plant them while he is young▪ 12. Faunus also is one of their country gods so called from Fando spea­king or prophesying; and his wife was called Fatua, from prophesying, hence all that foretell future things, are called Fatuarii; and Fatui are such as speake in conside­rately: In all country places where ther is an eccho, ther the Faunes and Satyres were said to dwell; and that dis­ease which is called Ephial [...]es by the Greekes, by us the night mare, was thought to be sent by these Fauni; Plix [...] calls this disease Faunorum ludibrium. 13. Sylvanus the god of woodes the sonne of Faunus and brother to Sterca­lius the god of dung; for he that taught men first to in rich their grounds with dung, was also deifyed, he is cal­led in Greeke [...] the god of matter; for wood or timber is so called, and in Latine ma [...]eria, is wood fit for timbe [...], he is called by Horace tutor finium the [Page 205] [...]lar god of country bounds; perhaps because that [...]etofore countries were bounded by woods and by them [...]parated one from an other.

ANDORA See PROMETHEVS.

The INTERPRETOUR.

1. BY these three Sisters may be meant the threefold state of man in this world.

• 1. Of his birth, therefore they are called Pa­cia a partu.
• 2. Of the continuance of his life.
• 3. Of [...]is death, hence one of them was called No [...], because man is brought forth the ninth moneth; the [...], Decima, because man lives ten times ten yeares, for [...] 100. yeares make up the ordinarie time of the most heal­thie mans life that is; which number notwithstanding few attain; but fewer exceede. The 3 was Morta called al­so Atropos, for from the privation to the habit, from death to life there is no returning by the course of na­ture; Lachesis draws out the thred, Clotho wraps it about the spindle, Atropos cutts it off.

2. By these three Sisters, they signified the three dif­ferences of time; Atropos is the time past, which cannot be revoked; Clotho the time present, Lachesis the time to come.

3. By these three Sisters called also fates or destinies, [Page 207] they signified the secret decrees of God, concerning mans birth, life and death, therefore they made them the daughters of Jupiter and Themir or Justice, because nothing befalls to us in this life but by the decree of God, grounded on his justice; and because we should not pry too much into these decrees, they fained these three Sisters to dwell in a darke cave, and to be the daughters of night, and of Erybus, because his judge­ments are a bottomlesse deepe, how unsearchable are they, and his wayes past finding out: and because his de­cretes are immutable, therefore they made the fa [...]es, the daughters of necessitie, into whose Temple at Co­ [...]h It was not lawfull for any man to enter; intimating a [...] I conceive, that no man ought to search into the se­cret decrees of God.

4. They write that there was such union and agreement betweene these three Sisters, that they never differed or fell out. I thinke by this they meant, that Gods de­crees how ever they may seeme to be repugnant some­times, yet they are not so indeed, but keepe an admi­rable correspondencie with each other, and an harmo­nious concord, which may be signified by the musicall harmonie which these Parca kept in Singing toge­ther.

5. They write that these three Sisters were clothed in white, and wore crownes on their heads, and held fast an Adamantin distaffe, reaching from one end of the world to the other. By this I conjecture they meant the innocencie and candor of Gods decrees, their domi­nion and rule over all created things, their stabilitie, so­liditie, perpetuitie, and extent over all the world.

6. I read that these Sisters are called Jupiters Scribes, and that they were winged, and waited upon Pluto in hell; what can this else meane, but that by the [Page 208] divine decrees we know as it were by writing, the will of God [...] and that the same decrees extend even to the pu­nishing of the wicked in hell; and that the execution of them i [...] swift, and comes flying with nimble wings up­on the workers of iniquitie.

7. The Gentiles understood neither the nature of God, nor his decrees when they subjected Jupiter him selfe to them, and made their Gods unable to alter their fates; we know that God in his nature, is unchangeable, but yet his decrees are alterable, for what he decreed against Niniveh and Ezechiah was changed. Tis true it is not in the power of man or Angells to alter them non sol­lici [...]a possunt curae mutare rati slamina susi, but God is om­nipotent and a free agent, and immutabilitie is the At­tribute of his essence, not of his decrees; therefore th [...] doctrine of Seneca is Stoicall not Christian; non illa d [...] vertisse licet, quae nexa suis currunt causis.

The INTERPRETER.

SHe was at first called Amaen that is rejected, because her parents slighted and cast her off, for [...] is to deny or reject; but afterward shee was called Penelope, from the gennies or turkie henns named Melia­grides and Penelopes; for they fed her being an infant and exposed by her father into the sea in a vessell. Here we have a notable example of Gods providence, who when father and mother for sakes us takes us up, and chee­risheth us; and especially is h [...]s goodnesse seene towards infants who cannot helpe themselves, as may be seen in Moyses when he was cast into the river; and many o­thers mentioned in prophane stories.

1. The reason why Icarius rejected his daughter was because he misunderstood the Oracle, which told him that she should be [...] the modestie and glory of women, whereas he thought shee should be the disgrace and shame of women, thus we see how all mischeife in the world comes by false interpretations of Gods o­racles in Scripture and misunderstandings in divinitie.

3. [...], a man commended for his prudence, mar­ried [Page 210] with Penelope the rare patterne of chastity and con­tinence; to shew how well these agree, for wisdome and lust will never accord; because lust or venerie is mad­nesse or follie as the word shewes [...].

4. Though Icarius with prayers and teares intreated Penelope to stay with him in Lacedemon, rather then to goe to Ithaca with Vlysses, yet she preferred the dangers [...] troubles of the Sea, and a strange barren country, to her owne home, and her husband to her father; by which we see how the woman must forsake Father and Mother, and cleave to her Husband; and much more must every soule married to Christ, who is the wisedome of the Father, forsake kindred, riches, honours, ease, and all to follow after him.

5. Icarius would not bestow his daughter but upon a man that did excell both in wisdome and vertue; I wish all Parents did a [...]me at this in matching their daugh­ters, and not at wealth altogether; which too many doe by which meanes many good women are undone and d [...] ­vers unhappy effects succeed upon such marriages.

6. In Penelope we have an excellent example of conju­gall faith and chastitie; let all women learne of her to be loyall, faithfull, and constant to their Husbands is their absence, and to keepe the conjugall oath and vowe.

7. Pen [...]lope put off her importunat suitors by undoing her cloath by night, which she made by day; for so she promised that when her worke was at an end, she would marrie; by this we see how needfull it is for women to be imployed, no meanes so fit to preserve modestie as la­bour and imployments; whereas idlenesse is the divells pillow, and the cause of so many whoredomes otia si tel­l [...]s periere Cupidinis arcus; as the Poet: shewet [...]in Argysus, asking the cause of his adulterie, answers, that he was idle, desidi [...]sus erat.

[Page 211]8. There is no vertue that becomes a woman so much as modestie, which Penelope expressed, when being sollicited by her Father to stay with him; and Vlysses leaving it to her choyce, whether she would stay at home with her Fa­ther, or follow her Husband; answered nothing, but co­vered her head with a vaile; by which her Father knew her meaning, that she desired to follow her Husband; in memorie of which fact, in the same place, the image of God modestie was erected; if once a woman cast off that vaile of modestie, she is lost; Cui perist pudor, illam ego pe­riisse puto.

9. When Eurynome in Homer adviseth Penelope to wash her body, to anoint it, and to put on better garments, and to leave off her sad life; she refused it; as things not becomming her modestie, nor sitting that she should use any meanes whereby she might looke pleasing in the sight of her wooers; how much doe the women of this age dif­fer from Penelope, who spend most of their time in wash­ing, painting, and trimming of themselves; dum moli [...]c [...] ­tur, dum ornantur annus est, by this they shew not onely their pride and levitie, but by such baites they draw in­considerat men to lust and vanitie.

10. Though Penelope had many importunat Suitors and her husband stayed away twenty yeares from her, yet she continued constant, and at last was delivered by her Hus­bands comming home, who killed all these Suitors: even so, though wee have many Suitors, the divell, the world, the flesh, or lusts and desires; yet we must not hearken to them, but be constant to the end, and faithfull to our Husband Christ, who though he hath bin long from us, yet will returne at last, in an hower when they thinke not and will slay all our enemies, and give them their portion with hypocrits.

The INTERPRITER.

1. PE [...]seus is called the son of Jupiter because he w [...] an excellent man, and had done great and bra [...] exploits in subduing the Gorgones, either wil [...] b [...]asts, or cruell women in Africa; in warring with th [...] Ethiopians; in rescuing of Andromeda; in subduing the Kingdome of the Argivi; in erecting a Colledge o [...] Schoole in Helicon, for which fact he was said to be place [...] among the starres, that is extolled by mens praises unto the starres.

2. In that Jupiter in the forme of gold getts within Da [...]aes brasen tower; we see that no place Is so strong to hold out, where ther is a golden key to open the gates, or a golden ram to batter the walles; wherefore it was said that Philip of Macedon subdued more townes with hi [...] gold, then with his sword.

3. Perseus was sayd to be begot of gold; either because [Page 213] perhapps his haire was yellow and of the colour of gold or because his Mother was hired for gold to prostitute h [...]t body to Jupiter, or because his parents left him great store of wealth and gold; which is as it were a second Parent; for poore Parents bestow on their Children but the life of nature, rich Parents bestow on their sonnes, the life of honour, and worldly delights; for the life of a poore man in wan [...] is little better then death.

4. That Jupiter did fall into the lap of Danae in a golden showre is but a fabl [...]; yet it is most certaine that the Ho­ly Ghost descends into the hearts of the faithfull, like a showre of raine, to make them bring forth the fruits of a good life, or spirituall Children to God.

5. When Perseus over came Medusa, and her Gorgous he covered his head with Orcus his helmet, by which he was made invisible, he that will overcome the world and the Gorgones of envie and malice must be content to live an obscure and private life; for no men are sooner over­come by such, then they that live in publike and eminent places.

6. The Gorgones which Perseus killed, are thought to be the basilisks a kind of beasts in Africa alone, which kill with their ey called Catoblepae, because they looke still downeward; they are described by Mela, Pli­ni [...] and Aclian; if we will be like Perseus, good Souldiers indeed, and deserve a place among the starres with him, we must kill the Gorgones or Catoblepae within us, even those covetous affections that are still loooking downe­ward, and fastned on earth and earthly things.

7. Perseus was so brave and excellent a man, that not onely was he himselfe made a constellation; but like wise his wife Andromeda, his Father in law, Cepheus, and his Mother in law Cassiopcia, for his sake; by which we may see, how one worthy person doth innoble a whole family.

[Page 214]8. Perseus could not obtain the fair Andiomeda, untill he had first killed Medusa, and then the Sea monsters: nei­ther can we attain true content and happinesse, untill we have subdued the monsters of our lusts and affections.

9. Out of the dropps of blood which fell from Medu­sae's head, which Perseus cutt off, there ar [...]se multitudes of serpents in Africa; this may represent the nature of he­resie, which when it is slain by the sword of truth, and of authority, yet out of it springs up new heresies, like so many serpents from the blood of Medusae's head.

10. Our blessed Saviour is the true Perseus, the sonne of the true God, and of a pure Virgin, exposed in his in­fancie, and all his life after to many dangers; he hath subdued all our spirituall Gorgones, and hath delivered the Church his faire spouse, from the Devill that great monster; who was ready to devoure her; at last having conquered all his enemies, he hath ascended into glo­ry, and there hath prepared a place for h [...]s Andromeda the Church.

The INTERPRETER.

1. BY Phaeton may be meant some fierle exhalation or comet, which being near the earth, caused a great heat siccitie, or conflagration for [...] sig­nif [...]eth burning, and [...] to manifest or make cleare 2. Phaeton was an Astronomer, who spent much time in observing the course and motion of the Sun, therefore was called his Sonne, but dying before he could bring his ob­servations to perfection, was said to be killed by Jupiters thunder, for even the naturall death of a young man seemes to be violent. 3. Sol begot Phaeton of the Nymph Clymene, which is from [...] to overflow; by this is intimated, that of the heat of the Sun and of moysture, fruits are ingendred, which from their appearance or shooting out of the earth and tree, are called Phaeton from [...] appearing; at which time when the sun is very hot, the trees also send out amber or gumm; which is ex­pressed by Phaetons sisters converted into trees, whose teares are turned into amber. 4. He is said to be drow­ned in the river Eridanus, because commonly after great heat and siccitie, follow great floods and inundations of water; or else because when the constellation Eridanus [Page 216] riseth, heat is abated, and great raines follow. 5. By young and rash Phaeton we see, how dangerous a thing it is for a common wealth to be ruled by young, and rush heads, or such as want experience and judgement, a confl [...]gation in that state must needs follow; therefore Rome made an­tient men called therefore Senator [...] to [...]e their rulers, and not young men; they knew by experience at Canna, what odds were betweene young rash Flaminius, and old stayed Fabius, qui cunitando restituit rem, an old mans sha­dow is better then a young mans strength, temeritas sloren­tis aetatis prudentia Seneciuti [...]. 9. Phaeton presumed too much upon his birth thinking that he was able enough to rule that charriot of his Father Phaebus, be being his owne Sonne; tis madnesse to presume too much upon our birth and gentrie; many men being puffed up with such arro­gant thoughts, have undone themselves and others. [...]. The ruling of men, or guiding of a Kingdom, is ars artium, and a worke of no lesse difficulty then the ruling of Phaebus his charriot; if we consider the obloquies, envie, fe [...]res, and dangers to which rulers are subject▪ if we consider the un­rulie and head strong multitude, whose heads are not ea­sily kept in by the curb and bit of authoritie, no more then the Sunnes horses were by Phaetons strength; if we consider the multitudes of Scorpions, Lions, Bulls and other wild beasts, that is feirce and cruell natures, where­of ther be more in the state among men, then in the heaven among the starres; if we consider how much wise­dome and moderation is required in a governour▪ who must neither use too much his authority, for that is to mount too high; nor must he be too gentle and familiar, or use too much lenitie, for that is to fall too low. 8. By Phaebus we see how dangerous a thing it is in Princes to make rash and inconsiderat vowes and promises; which if they tend to the hurt or detriment of their subjects, [Page 217] ought rather to be broken then kept; if Phae [...]rs had ei­ther not promised, or not performed what he promised, neither had tho [...]arth be [...]n burned, nor his Sonne drow­ned. 9. Lee younger [...] learned by Phaetons example not to trust too much to their owne heads; but to be advised and ruled by their elders, especially their Parents, to whom they owe obedience; for want of which, they [...] into many inconveniences, and are [...]ely punished [...]or their teme [...]itie [...] In that Phaeton Sisters were [...]ned into trees; we are taught to moderation in nour [...]ing for the loste of our friends; for too much sorrow makes [...]en stupid and senselesse, and unfit to serve either God, or the countrie; such are rather trees then men; for the like excesse in mourning, [...] his fellows were turned into Sea birds▪ and Phaetons kinsman Cygnus, into a swan; men cease to be men, when their passions [...] them beyond the bounds of reason [...] else by this co [...]version of Dio [...]des his fellowes, [...] of Cygnus, may b [...] [...], that when great men, or Princes fall into any misfortune their fellows, friends, and kindred, become birds and fly away from them; this was Jobs case, Davids and many more; and such friends [...]ld King Alphonsus compare to Sea Mewes that slew about his gally whilst he had [...] to feed them, but when that was spent they slew away.

THE INTERPRETER.

1. WHen Saturnes three Sonnes shared his estate amongst them, hell by lot fell to Pluto, that is, some mines under ground of mettall, fell to his share, by which he grew rich, therefore was called the god of riches.

2. Pluto was Saturns Son, the foster child of peace, the brother of Jupiter, Juno and Neptune, to shew that time, peace, a temperate climate, and aire, and likewise the Sea, and navigation are the cheife causes or occasions of riches.

3. As Jupiters thunder bolt hath three poynts, Neptunes Scepter, three forkes, or teeth, so Plutoe's dogge hath three heads, to shew that either of these three gods hath a threefold power, to wit in heaven, earth, and hell.

4. Pluto hath a three headed dogge to guard him, and keyes also in his hand, to shew that rich men, are care­full to guard their wealth under many lockes and keyes; and they want not their mastives to guard their houses; cen­tum [Page 219] ferratis limina portis addita, centenis serrea claustra­seris, cuslodesque canes, &c.

5. By Pluto may be understoode the Sun, who is called the god of Wealth or [...] because all wealth, as well that which is on the superficies of the earth, as also that which is in the bowells of it, is begot of the Suns light and influence.

6. He is called the god of hell, in relation to his be­ing under the earth, when he shines among the Antipo­des, who is said to ravish Proserpina, that is the seminall vertue which is in hearbs, trees, plants and corne, which in winter when the Sun is far from us, lieth hid in the bow­ells of the earth.

7. Plutus or Pluto is painted with wings when he goeth from us, but he halts, when he comes to us, to shew that wealth is slow in comming, but swift in departing; for it flyes away with the wings of an eagle saith Solomon; again, wealth comes to good and conscionable men but slowly and halting; but to cheaters, extortioners, oppressors, lyers, and perjurers wealth comes flying; his black horses come galloping to them.

8. Pluto as he is taken for death or the grave is blind, because death is no accepter of persons; rich and poore, Kings and beggars, Philosophers and dunces are all a like to him, divisne prisco natus ab Inacbo nil im [...]cre [...], et infi­ma de geme sub diu moreris, victima nil miserantis Orci.

9. Pluto had a helmet called Orri galea, which whoso­ever wore, became invisible and free from danger, this was worne by Minerva when she fought against the Tro­jans, that shee might not be seene by Mars. I thinke by this helmet may be meant the grave, or coffin by which the dead are made invisible to us, and by it they are de­f [...]nded from the injuries of beasts and birds.

10. The Cypresse tree was dedicated to Pluto, and with [Page 220] the leaves of it, he was wont to be crowned, to shew the nature of death; for as this tree being cut downe never budds or growes againe; so neither doe the dead rise a­gaine, by the course of nature, therefore this tree was much used in funeralls; and cheifly because of its strong smell, fit to keepe off the stinch of the dead bodies while they were burning; of all the wealth that a rich man in­joyes, this tree onely saith Horace shall accompanie him to his urne; neque harum quas colis arborum te praeto invisas cupressos ulla brevem dominum sequetur. Why Plutos head was crowned with Narcissus, I know no reason, but because of its strong smell, and because the seed thereof is black.

11. Pluto was called the god of the departed manes o [...] ghosts, because he first found out the way of burying the dead, who before lay unburied, as also perhaps he found out the funerall oblequies or ceremonies of burialls; with which onely Plutus or rich men are honoured; for the poore man is free from such vanities.

12. Tis not without cause that the same who is god of hell, is also god of riches; for the riches of gold and silver which wee so much swet and labour for, are nere hell in the bowells of the earth; in ipsa sede manium opes quoe [...] mus, saith Plinie; besides, covetous rich men, have a hell within them, if we looke upon their cares, and feares, their watchings, and toylesome labours, besides the checks of an evill conscience; so that Pluto is in Plutus, hell or Orcus hath his Throne in the rich mans mind, there is the three headed Cerberus continually barking, and the furies continually torturing of him, suum quodque seelus a­gitat, amentiaque assicit, sua quemque sraus, et suus terro [...] maxivie vexat.

13. Some make Pluto and Plutus different gods; and they will have Plutus to be the Sonne of Jason and Ceres, [Page 221] and he was more worshipped then any other god; Ceres is corne, and Jason from [...] to hall, we know that plentifull crops make rich farmers; and the practise of Physick hath inriched many, dat Gal [...]nus opes, and I am s [...]re no god is now held in so much veneration as wealth [...] in praetio praetium.

14. Pluto is called by Homer [...] implacacable, [...] unconquerable [...] most hatefull; both to shew the nature of death which is inexorable, and therefore hated of all, as also the qualitie of a rich miler, who is odious to all men, even to those that are neerest to him, non [...] salvum te vult, non filia.

15. They write that Pluto trembles when ther is any earth quake, fearing least the earth should cleave, and so let in the light upon him, which he hateth; irepidant im­misso lumine manes; this expresseth the nature, of wicked men, who hate the light, because it manifesteth their workes; such delight in darkenesse rather then light; and such was our condition before regeneration, we delighted altogether in the workes of darkenesse, as Pluto did in black sacrifices, and night ceremonies for it was not lawfull to sacrifice to him by day, therefore Ae­neas Staygio regi noctumas inchoat aras.

16. Plutoes attendants in hell are the three headed Cer­berus, the three furies, the three harpies, and the three Parciae or fatall Sisters, these doe shew the company of rich milers, who by unlawfull meanes get wealth, they have▪ within them a three headed dogge still barke­ing, the three furies still raging, the three harpies still craving and snatching, and the three fatall Sisters mea­suring out his life; which oftentimes Atropos cuts off be­fore they live out halfe their dayes.

[Page 222]17. To Pluto they give keyes, by which he lockes the gates of hell, that none may returne thence; but they were deceived, tis onely Christ that hath the keyes of hell and of death; he openeth and no man shutteth, &c. he will o­pen the adamantin gates of death in the last day for us, and hath already opened for himselfe, when he rose the third day, breaking through the bars of death; for it was impossible that the chains of death should detaine him. who will see more of Pluto let him looke upon the word Ceres.

POLLUX See CASTOR.

POLYPHEMUs See CYCLOPES.

THE INTERPRETER.

1. PRiapus is begot of Bacchus and Venus because wine and lust, are the maine causes of procreation.

2. Venus fell in love with Bacchus after his re­turne from the Indies; to wit, when he was idle; for while he was imployed in his expedit [...]on against the enemie, he had no thoughts of Venus: this was Davids case when he fell in love w [...]th Bathsheba. Love is the imployment of idle people, otiosorum negotium.

3. Bacchus returned a conqueror from India, but is con­quered by Venus; he is indeede no conquerour, that can­not conquer himselfe; this was the case of Hercules, plus tibi quam I [...]no nocuit Venus.

4. Bacchus is crowned with roses when Venus fell in love with him, to shew that sweet smells are provocatives to lust, especially the rose, which therefore was consecrated to Venus.

5. Priapus was a mishapen, deformed child; thus God doth often punish the inordinate lust of the Parents, with the deformitie of their children; and so they are pu­nished for their Parents sins.

[Page 224]6. In Juno we see the malice of a woman that is jea­lous of her husband, she cares not what mischiefe she doth so she may be revenged on her husband, because she knowes not how to be revenged upon Bacchus, Jupiters bastard Sonne, she doth what hurt she can to Bacchus his child.

7. Priapus was called the God of Gardens, because he was the Sonne of Bacchus that is of the Sun, and of Ve­nus, that is of moysture, to shew that all trees, hearbs fru [...]ts and plants are ingendred and maintained by the Suns heat, and their radicall moysture.

8. In that Venus was ashamed of her owne child, we may see that how ever lust and other sins may seeme plea­sing for the present, yet they bring forth in the end no­thing but shame and confusion.

9. Venus tell in love with Bacchus, and so begot Pria [...]us; it is a dangerou [...] thing for women to love wine, the fruit thereof must needs be deformed, wine hath caused many a woman lay aside the vaile of modest [...]e.

10. Some make Priapus the Sonne of the Nymph Nai [...] others of Chion, which signifieth snow, by which I beleive they meant, that moysture in summer, and snow in win­ter by keeping in the naturall heat of hear [...]s and plants, are the causes of fertilitie.

11. In that Venus forsooke her child, she represents the nature of a whoore, who proves an unnaturall mo­ther, more regarding her owne filth [...]e pleasures, then the welfare of her child. Other things may be here writen of Priapus, [...]ut for modesties sake I forbeare them, not thinking them worthie of Christian c [...]es, and to use La [...]to [...]ius words; Pr [...]apum non de [...]do m quid [...] ris [...] dignum. l. 1. de scis [...]li [...]ion.

The INTERPRETER.

1. BY Prometheus perhaps may be meant a wise Father, who begets a stupid and foolish Sonne, udum & molle lutum: such a father is fraughted with more griefes, then Pandora's boxe was with mischiefes, especially if his sonne be not bettered and spiritually enlivened by the Coelestiall fire of wholesome admonitions, then is his fathers heart eate up by cares, as Prometheus heart was by the Eagle. 2. Prometheus perhaps was the first Statuary or Image maker, which expressed a man so the life, as if he had animated it with Coelestial fire; which Image gave occasion to Pandora's boxe of mischiefe to flye abroad: for it occasioned Idolatrie and the mischiefes that follow­ed on it; and because God was highly offended at it, he hath oftentimes punished both the Image-makers and worshippers with cares, doubts, and feares, as recei­ving no comfort or satisfaction from their Images. 3. By Prometheus I thinke may be fitly understood a wise Do­ctor, or spiritual Pastor, who animates men that are by nature but clay, with the Coel [...]stiall fire of divine truth, for which worke he is oftentimes rewarded by wicked men with Pandora's boxe of afflictions, and hath his heart continually eaten up with cares. 4. Pro­motheus might be an Astronomer, who continually look­ing [Page 226] on the Coelestial fires, that is the starres, and ob­serving the Sunnes motion upon Ca [...]casus, was said to be tyed there, and to have his heart eate out by the Eagle of cares and study. ( [...] cura.) [...]. By Pr [...]h [...] t [...] G [...]ruil [...]s might understand God himselfe, who by Mi­nerva, that is, by his wisedome made man of clay, and breathed in him the breath of life, which is th [...] Co [...]le­stiall [...] they speake of; but Jupiter, that is God (s [...] th [...]y gave him divers names) was angry; for so we read, that he repented he had made man, and lay [...]d upon him di­vers miseries, diseases, and cares, with which his heart is eate up in the day time, but is renewed by sleepe and rest in the night. 6. Some make a [...] Historicall sence of this fiction, underst [...]nding a c [...]rtaine King, in whose Countrey the River Aquila, so called from its swistnesse, overflowed the whole Land; this caused gre [...] dearth and mortality amongst his Subjects, which was the occasion of his miseries and car [...]; but Hercules cut the River, and so was said to kill the Eagle, and fr [...]ed both the Countrey of water, and the King of his cares. 7. Adams perfections may be here understood▪ for he was quickned by Prometheus ( [...]) th [...] is Providence, and Minerva, that is wisedome; and this Providence or Prometheus was the sonne of Th [...]mis, that is, it was derived from his original justice; on him like­wise was bestowed pardon, that is, all gifts or perfecti­ons: but assoone [...]s he preferred the voice of the wo­man to the voice of God, of Prometheus, he became Epimetheus; he lost his wisedome, providence, and other perfections, and so by the event and wofull experience, he began to grow wise againe. 8. In that Prometheu [...] fell into so many troubles and miseries by putting life into his man of clay, this may shew us that men be­gin to have their life full of cares and troubles, when they begin to have children; the man that lives a single life, is free from Pandora's boxe, and the devo [...]ring Ea­gle. [Page 227] 9. God is the true Prometheus saith Tertulli [...]n, [...] blasphe [...]i [...]ils lan [...]lnaint; who having made man of cla [...], and having put an heavenly fire into him, he is worse used by him then Prometheus was by the Eagle; for the Eagle, not the man which he made, pickt his heart▪ b [...]t the man that God made▪ doth continually wound him with his sinnes and blasphemies. 10. Man may be called Prometheus, for he is of all sublunary crea­tures the most prudent and provident; and by a speci­all providence of God he was created; Gods provi­dence also is most of all seene in mans preservation, and no creature subject to the mischiefes of Pandora's boxe, and the Eagle of cares as man is; which is the reason that man in Hebrew is called Enosh, and misera­ble [...] by Virgil and Homer. 11. Prometheus was a Philosopher, who was said to steale fire from heaven: because he was a curious observer of Lightning, Co­mets, and other fiery meteors; and was the first that found out the use of fire among men, for which he was honoured after death with sacrifices, altars, and festivalls in which men did runne with light torches in the night; which custome also was observed in the feasts of Vulcan, because he was the god of fire; and o [...] Ceres, because she sought out her daughter Proserpina with torches. 12. The same fire that gave life to Pro­metheus his man, occasioned also burning Feavers, which destroy man: Hor.

thus the naturall heat preserves our life whilst it is tem­perate, but when it exceeds this temper, it destroyes our life. 13. Promotheus made up his man of the parts of other creatures; and so of their qualities also, intima­ting that man hath in him alone the evill qu [...]lities of all the beasts; the Foxes craftinesse, the Goats wanton­nesse, [Page 228] the Beares or Wolves cruelty, the Lyons anger and fiercenesse: prae annibus animalibus homo est pessimum ani­mal. 14. Lucian lib. de Sacrif. writes that Promotheus was nailed to a Crosse on the hill Caucasus, where his heart was picked by an Eagle, onely for the love he carried to man; I am sure our blessed Saviour who is the true Prome­theus was nailed to the Crosse upon mount Calvarie, where his heart was divided by a launce, onely for the love that he bore to man when he was his enemy.

PROSERPINA, See CERES and HECATE.

PROTEUS, see NEPTUNUS and OCEANUS.

The INTERPRETER.

BY Rhea is meant the earth, from flowing ( [...]) because she flowes with all good things; or rather, as I think, because all rivers and springs of water are continually flow­ing within her, and upon her: she is called Ops from wealth or helpe, because she affords all wealth, and is still helping of us. Cybele is from the cymballs which she found out, or from a hill of that name: so from hills on which she was [Page 230] chiefly worshipped: she is called Idaea, Phrygia, Berecyathia, Dindymene; from her stability she is called Vesta (vi sua stat) or a vestiendo from clothing; for she is richly clothed with herbes, grasse, flowers, trees, &c. she is also called the great mother; for we are all from the earth, therefore as­soon as children were borne, they were set down upon the ground, as it were in their mothers lap; she feeds and clothes us, and receives us being dead into her lap again, and so co­vers us. 2. Rhea was painted like an ancient matron, clo­thed in a branched or flowry garment, with a Crown like a Tower on her head, with a Scepter in one hand, and a key in the other; these did signifie the earths antiquity; her flowry superficies, her circular or round figure; her strength in supporting so many Towers and Cities, her dominion over all living creatures; for the earth in their composition is most predominant; and her key doth shew, that some­times she is open, as in the Summer and Spring, when all plants and trees bud out of the earth, and sometime shut, as in the winter▪ round about her were the Carybanies in their armes, to shew that all quarrells, warres, and taking up of armes, is for her, or for small portions of earth,

her chariot was drawn with lyons; by which I suppose may be meant the earthquakes: for as it is a fearful thing to sit in a chariot drawn with lyons, so is it to be in houses while the earth is shaking; or else by this they would shew the digni­tie of the earth: for it was fitting that the mother of the gods should be drawn by the noblest of the beasts: and with­all as I conjecture, to teach us that reasonable creatures should not be stubborn and rebellious to their parents, see­ing the fierce lyons submit their necks and backs to their common mother the earth. 3. A Sow was sacrificed to Rhea, to shew the fertility of the earth, for the sow is a fruit­ful creature: in her sacrifices also her Priests used to beat brazon drums, to expresse the noise of winds, and rumbling [Page 231] of water within the hollow parts of the earth, non [...] sic geminant Corybames aera. 4. Rhea was Saturns wife, because as she is the mother of all corruptible creatures, so time seems to be the father; for all things by the earth are pro­duced in time. 5. Rhea was the daughter of Coelum and Terra: by Terra I think may be meant the Chaos out of which by the influence of heaven, or rather by the God and maker of heaven, the earth was produced. 6. Seeing the earth is the mother of the gods, Kings and Princes have no great reason to bragg of their pedigree, for they are but from the earth: therefore why should earth and ashes be proud▪ Pyrrbus was not ashamed to light from his horse, and to kisse the earth, acknowledging her to be his mother: this I [...]b a king confesseth, when he saith that he came naked out of his mothers womb, and shall return thither again. 7. S. Au­stin de elvit. Dei, l. 2. c. 4. reproves the gentiles of his time, who in their festivalls called Magalesia, did use to carry the [...]mage of Cybele in solemn procession, and wash it in the ri­ver, in the mean time lasciviously abusing with sc [...]rrilous speeches, and such ribauldrie and irreverence the mother of their gods, as they would be ashamed to utter in the presence of their owne earthly mothers: quae sacrilegia, si illa er [...]nt sa­cra? aut quae inquinatio, si illa l [...]vatio? may we not as j [...]tly complain of the Christians of our time, who worship him in outward ceremonies, but defile and abuse him with their wicked lives, and many times in his presence speak and do. that which they dare not do in the sight of men. 8. The gentiles could acknowledge Rhea to be a Virgin, and yet the mother of all the gods; what reason then had they not to ac­knowledge Mary to be a Virgin, who was the mother of the true God? 9. The priests of Cybele called Galli from the river Gallus in Phrygia, used to geld themselves, and with sharp knives to cut and slash their owne flesh: what reason then have Papists to bragge of their devotion and zeal on good-friday in whipping of themselves, or in their vow of voluntary chastity? Is not gelding more then forbearing? [Page 232] and wounding with knives more then whipping with cords▪ 10. I wonder not why the gentile gods were so cruel and savage, and delighted so much in shedding of mans blood; for I find that Cybele their mother was nursed in her infancy by wild and ravenous beasts. 11. Cybele fell in love with one Atys a young man, and was defloured by him; but he being sl [...]in by her fathers command, she ran mad ou [...] of his house, with disheveled hair, with a drum and a fise; in memory of this her priest [...] used drums and fises in their sa­crifices: by which we may see what gods they were, who had such a mother, and what Religion that was which worship­ped such deities: and how much are we bound to God, who by his Son our Saviour hath delivered us out of this spiritu­all darknes, slavery, and tyranny of Gentile idolatry, into the light and liberty of the Gospel, and knowledge of the true God. 12. The same Cybel [...] which was mother of the gods, was mother also of the gyants and Titans that were ene­mies to the gods: even so the same earth that produceth nourishment by which we are maintained, yeeldeth also poison by which we are destroyed; so the same church af­fordeth holy men and sons of God, it affordeth also wicked men and sons of Satan, as was typified by Rebeckah, whe [...] Jacob and Esau strugled in her womb.

The INTERPRETER.

1. SAturn is nothing else but Time, which is the son of Coelum and Thetis, because time is measured by the motion of heaven, and likewise by the motion, or ebbing and flowing of the sea. 2. Saturn married his sister Ops, which is the earth, of whom hee begot many children, be­cause by the heavens influence upon the earth, all things are ingendered; the heaven is as it were the father affor­ding influence; and the earth the mother, surnishing mat­ter for generation. 3. Saturn was painted like an old man bare-headed, in a tagged garment, holding a hook and a key in his hand, devouring of his children; by which they did understand the antiquitie and long continuation of [Page 234] times and by [...]is bare [...]ead they meant that time reveales all things: therefore the priests used to be [...]are-he [...]ded in Saturns sacrifices onely. The ragged garment shews that time wears and consumes all things: which was also meant by his devouring of his children, and by the hook or sickle which hee hath in his h [...]nd: the key may note, that time openeth and discloseth all secrets. 4. This picture of Saturn may have reference to the golden age of the world, i [...] which men lived till t [...]ey were very aged, which was expressed by Saturn's gray hairs and worn garment; which garment also shews, that men were not then given to pride and curiositie of apparell: His ba [...]e head shewed the ho­nestie and truth that was then, which indeed is naked; whereas lying, falshood, and deceit are still covered. 5. Saturn taught the Italians the use of hus [...]andry, t [...]ere­fore hee was called Sterculius, from dunging of the ground: the hook or [...]ickle is the instrument of mowing or reaping of corn; the gray hairs, bare head, and ragged garment, shew that husbandmen live long, have hardie bodies, and are not nice in their apparell. 6. Saturn devoured all his children except Jupiter, Juno, Neptune and Pluto, to signi­fie that all compounded bodies are destroyed by time: but the four elements, to wit, Fire, Air, Water and Earth, be­cause of their simple nature, are not subject to corruption. 7. I finde Saturn described sometimes with six wings, and yet [...]low-paced, having feet of wooll, to shew that time seems to goe away slowly and silently, whereas indeed it [...]les very swiftly: or this may expresse the slow motion of the planet Saturn, who moves slowly by his own motion, but swiftly by the motion of the Primum mobile; to wit, he spends but four and twenty hours by the common motion; but thirty yeers in his particular motion: this swiftnesse also of time was expressed by that fiction of Saturn transfor­ming himselfe into an horse, a swift running creature, when hee had carnall commerce with the Nymph Philira, of whom hee begot Chiron the Centaur. 8. Because Saturn [Page 235] is a cold planet, and malignant, breeding melancholie, and other [...]ad effects in mens bodies, therefore they painted him like an old man, sad and carel [...]sly clothed, and slow­pac [...]d, with a serpent in his h [...]nd biting of its own taile, to signifie the virulencie and biting cares that accompany m [...]lancholie, or else to expresse the nature of the yeer re­turning into it selfe like a ring, or a snake with its taile in the mouth: an [...] because the lion, dog, and wolfe are m [...] ­l [...]ncholi [...] creatures; therefore they expressed Saturn some­times with the heads of these three beasts. 9. Saturn's genitals were cut off by Jupiter and cast into the sea, and of them and of the se [...] froth Venus was begot; by this may be meant, that old age, which is called Saturn, is made un­fit for generation, because Jupiter, that is, wanton and in­temperate youth hath weakened the body, and as the Ora­tor saith, Corpus e [...]oe [...]um tradit senectu [...]i: whereas that man who hath been temperate in his youth, is vigorous and lustie in his old age, & nihll habet quod accuset senectu [...]em, Or else by this may be meant, that the coldnesse of Saturn is tempered by the heat of Jupiter, and so Venus is begot▪ for there can be no procreation where cold is not tempered with heat. Or again, by this may be meant, that Saturn, Jupiter and the sea are required to produce Venus; that is to say, that Time, the Influence of heaven, and Moisture are required for procreation. 10. As Saturn served his father Coelus in cutting off his genitals, so is hee served by his son Jupiter; It is just with God to punish those men with rebellious and cruell children, who have been rebelliou [...] and cruell themselves against their parents. 11. Wha [...] a cruell god was Saturn, who defiled himself with the blood of his own father, devoured his own children, and would not be satisfied in his sacrifices but by the blood of inno­cent infants: Satius est pecudum more vivere, quam deos [...] sanguinarios colere, saith Lactantius, lib. 1. de fals. relig. 'Tis better to live like beasts, then to worship such cruell, wic­ked, and bloody gods. By this wee may see, that the Gen­tile [Page 236] gods were indeed Divels delighting in the destruction of men; whereas the true God whom wee worship, is mer­cifull and gracious, and delights not in the death of a sin­ner, who will have mercy and not sacrifice, who would be worshipped by the bloud of beasts, to save the shedding of mans bloud: Had not then the Romans a bloody re­ligion, who not onely worshipped such a bloody god; but fettered his feet also to their pillars, [...]xce [...] onely in their Saturnals, that hee might not goe away from them. The Egyptians were wiser, who excluded him quite out of their Cities, affording temples to him onely in the Countrey: And at last the Romans themselves began to abhorre such a bloudy god, when in the Proconsulship of Tiberius they crucified his Priests for off [...]ring infants to him. They were injurious to heaven, when they called such a bloudy butcher the son of h [...]aven, who should rather have been named the son of hell, to which by Jupiter hee was thru [...]t downe. His priests, as Tertullian shews, were initiated in a scarlet garment which they used to wear; a sit colour to ex­presse their sanguinarie disposition: to these (it seems) the Roman Cardinals have succeeded, both in their colour and bloudy mindes, who are guiltie of the bloud of many thousand good Christians; so that at this day Rome is still Vibs Saturnia, and the Popes pallaco may be called Sedes Satu [...]nia, and his f [...]stivall dayes Saturnalia. 12. Wax ta­pers or candles were wont to be burned upon Saturns altars, to shew that hee brought the light of knowledge and civi­litie into Italie, which before lived in the darknesse of i­gnorance and ruden [...]sse: therefore in his Festivall kept in December, the Romans used to send away candles, and o­ther presen [...]s (which they called Saturnalia) to each other: from hence (it seems) the Papists borrowed their custome of burning w [...]x candles on their altars, and the giving of New- [...]eers gifts. 13. Saturn is so called a Saturando, from filling or satisfying; for hee being the first that taught men the use of corn, did fill or satisfie them: and as hee [Page 237] [...]id fill, so his wife the Earth did help; therefore shee was called Ops. 14. By Saturn wee may understand the trees, [...]erbs, and plants, with the fruits of which men and beasts [...]re filled: the cutting off his genitalls is the pulling off the fruit from the trees; the casting of them into the sea, is the drowning of them in the moisture of the stomack, which being digested and converted into bloud, begets Ve­ [...]us; for without fruits, especially of Bacchus and Ceres, friget Venus, there would be no copulation nor procreation: the covering of Saturns head may signifie (as Fulgentius ob­serves Myth. l. 1.) that the fruits, or plants and trees are co­vered with leaves. 15. The binding of Satu [...]n, and cast­ing of him into hell, may signifie how the motion of the starre Saturn is slow, and scarce percep [...]ible by us, by rea­son of its vast distance, so that it se [...]ms to stand st [...]ll; and because it is so far off from our [...]sight, hee was s [...]id to be in hell. 16. During the time of the Saturnals, the ser­vants in signe of lib [...]rtie put on their caps, and commanded their masters; this custome afforded matter of comfort to servants, and of humiliation to masters: When shall wee see these Saturnals, wherein pride, malice, covetousnesse, and other sins which are now our masters, may at last serve us, and that wee may obtain that freedome which Christ hath purchased for us?

SATYRI, See PAN.