The Monument is altogether concerned in the memorie of this Massacre. First therefore a little shall bee said of That, and then somthing of the daie it self.

Here not to give Herod so manie ill words neither as som do, and yet as an aggravation of the foulness of this mur­ther, and by the insolence of the Martyrdom, to excuse the Holiedaie, it will bee at least to som purpose to observ a lit­tle of the Antient Reverence and Holiness of Children.

[Page 97]The Title of the Daie remembreth them by a full and proper expression of Innocencie. 'Twas impossible to Christen the Feast more incomparably. The word Inno­cencie is of a vast reputation, and yet dare's not signifie anie thing here below but the State of the first Man, and that of Children, and therefore thus far suffer them to com to you, and forbid them not

Hee must needs have little of a Man, nothing at all of God in Him, that could break into a Circle of such harm­less and undefended Simplicitie.

The Jews themselvs thought nothing fit to bee a mur­therer of this kinde, but a Divel; and a Shee-one too: that the fearfulness of the Sex might dispose to more unrulie and more barbarous resolutions of Inhumanitie.

This Shee-Divel they call by the Name of Lilith. It is ta­ken from the Night, for so the word signifieth first. And it will bee somthing to you when you remember your self of that ordinarie superstition of the old wives, who dare not intrust a Childe in a Cradle by it self alone without a can­dle. You must not think those people know what they do, and yet you may perceiv their sillie waies to derive from an Original much better, and more considerable then can bee guessed at from their prone and uninstructed waie of per­formance.

That which wee read, Aben Ezra [...] Castra Seba. Job 1.15. And the Sabeans fell up­on them, &c. The Hebrew is, And Seba came. ('tis a hard Book that.) The Syriack Translation is, Et irruerunt Latro­nes. And the Arabs or theevs came in upon them. But the Chaldee rendreth [...] That Lilith the Queen of Smargad came, &c. And Elias in his Methurgeman saith, that [...] This was a Citie of the Sabeans called in their Language by the name of Smargad. And that this Lilith was [...] a kinde of shee-Divel which killed Children. The Glossa Tal­mud in Nid­da fol. 24. b. Gloss to Nidda saith so too, and describeth her to have wings and an humane Face: You may hear more of this Fai­rie Queen, if you can meet with that Edition of Ben Sira, which was Printed by the Jews at Constantinople, [Page 98] with the Books of Tobit, the Book of Zorobabel, &c.

By this discours how slight soever it may seem to bee, I shall bee able to attein my serious end. For, for this reason, as especially as anie other, the Hebrew women as Exod. 1.19. livelie as they were wont to bee, yet now in dread of this Hobgob­ling, solemnly observ this custom (enchantment you may call it) at this verie daie.

When the great belli'd woman's time is com, the Father of the Familie, or for want of him, som holie man or o­ther (for this is required too) is desired to com to the Room where the woman is to lie in; and then, and there hee is to draw a Circle upon the several walls of that Place, and upon the doors, both within and without, and more­over also about the Bed, &c. And hee is to inscribe these words, [...] Adam Chavah Chuts Li­lith. that is, Adam. Eve. Cut Lilith. And so the Childe is thought to bee sufficiently defended.

The Heathen Stories of their Strix, as our own later ones of the Lamiae (they are the same) I let pass. Onely I staie to wonder, that it should bee their black business to kill Children, seeing that the principal preparations whereby they Exercise, are made either of the Skin or Flesh of a Childe. Of the skin they make their Virgin Parchment, a thing of great importance, as to them, and in which all their Spels and Charms are to bee written. Of the Flesh decocted to a Jellie, they make their Unguents, with which they do things of so rare and unreasonable consequence. This practise of theirs as maliciously bad as it is, yet more and more confesseth to my purpose, the secret strength of Innocencie, and sanctitie of Children.

Therefore by the greatest right of Nature, these Infants ought to have been proof against the most barbarous and unhappie hand.

But you will marvail the less (and the more too) when this is added to it, That Herod's own Son was one of the Companie.

The Scripture indeed maketh not this mention, but yet you have it from a verie good hand: Cùm audivisset Augustus [Page 99] inter pueros quos in Syria Herodes Rex Judaeorum intra bima­tum jussit interfici, filium quoque ejus occisum, ait, Melius est Herodis porcum esse quàm filium. When Augustus Cesar (saith Macrobius) had heard that Herod the King of the Jews his own son was one of those Children, which from two years old and under were commanded by him to bee slain in Sy­ria, hee said, 'Twere better to bee Herod's Hog then his son. Sextus Se­nens. Biblio­thec. Sanctae Lib. 70. Macrobius Saturnal. lib. 2. cap. 4.

Sixtus Senensis quoteth this Answer of Augustus out of Dion Cassius his Romane Historie, in the life of this Empe­ror, but I do not finde it there.

The same Autor quoteth this passage out of Philo Judaeus his Chronographie. Herodes Ascalonita anno trigesimo princi­patûs sui tyrannici Sanedrim ex domo David delevit, & Annalae­um quendam, atque alios Sanedrim ex proselytis suffecit qui nimi­ùm videbantur in Lege eruditi, tum & Salomen sororem suam, & virum ejus de tribu Juda, itémque proprium filium, quem ex uxo­re ejusdem susceperat, interfecit, quòd diceretur jam in lege promissus Christus natus. Onely the last words are to the purpose, itém (que) proprium filium, &c. That Herod killed his own son too, be­caus it was reported that Christ, who was promised in the Law, was now born.

If this were the reason, it seemeth a little to reflect upon the matter of the Innocents.

But indeed if the Storie had been fully and expresly set down, it must have gon for nothing. For this is but that Philo, which with others of the like pretended Autoritie, ( Berosus, Metasthenes &c.) Amius the Monk hath so lately obtruded to this world. But the impudent forgeries of this fellow, the learned Joseph Scaliger, Sethus Calvisius, &c. have verie quickly and sufficiently chastised.

And yet this ignorant Man is as reverently quoted by Rabbi Azarias in his Meor Enaiim, Meor Enai­im fol. 89. &c. as if hee had written the Wisdom of Salomon.

But the strangest thing indeed is, that Josephus himself should take no notice of this matter, not onely not of the saying of Augustus, but nothing neither of the killing of the children, a Passage verie unexspectedly omitted by so [Page 100] great a Courtier and so good an Historian, especially one that spared not to set forth the rest of Herod's indignities to the full.

It is enough to draw som doubt upon the Tradition of Macrobius. Joseph Scaliger believeth it all; but yet his won­der is, that Augustus should make such a return upon Herod, seeing that hee himself did the Murther, not onely upon this, but upon all the three sons. I do not perceiv that the Learned Man hath caus enough. Herod did but cast the en­vious part upon the Emperor (and officiously too) but left the main and principal guilt upon his own head, and there­fore nevertheless, to all this the Emperor might verie fitly retort, as hee did, That it were better to bee Herod's Hog then his Son.

But what son of Herod's could this bee? It must bee Anti­pater; or it must bee none. But Antipater was more a man then to bee reckoned among the children of two years old and under. And moreover then that, Antipater was not at Bethlehem, nor thereabouts at that time.

I know not upon what terms to make this hold, unless it may bee thus.

Herod had obteined of Augustus the killing of two sons already, and now solicited for the third. It was presently upon the killing of the Infants that Herod's Messengers came to Rome with the Accusations of his son Antipater, and so both the Passages came to the Emperors ear at the same time, and this later, for the nearness was misreckoned into the bargain.

There is another Circumstance or two, which make the Murther so much the more concerning.

One is,

(You must not take it for a thing don: but therefore the [...] of the expression is the greater.)

Now the Dead did burie the Dead. This blood cried so loud, that Rachel heard it in the Grave, and rose to execute the Funerals.

Jer. 31.15. Mat. 2.18. In Rama was there a voice heard, Lamentation and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not bee comforted, becaus they were not.

[Page 101]But why Rachel? And why should this voice bee heard in Rama?

Note here the Situation of Rachel's Tomb, out of the Arabick Nubian Geographer.

At verò Bethlehem, Locus videlicet ille in quo natus est Christus, Geograph. Arab. Nubi­ens. Clim. 3. Part. 5. p. 115. distat ab Hierosolymis sex millibus passum, & è media via ista habetur Sepulcrum Rachel, matris Joseph & Benjamin filiorum Jacob, Quibus salus. Huic Sepulcro duodecim sunt Lapides im­positi, impendétque testudo lapidea concamerata, &c. So the Maronites in their Translation.

Bethlehem, to wit the Place where Christ was born, is di­stant from Jerusalem six miles; and in the middle-waie there standeth the Sepulcre of Rachel the Mother of Joseph and Benjamin, the sons of Jacob; upon whom bee health. The Sepulcre is erected of twelv stones, and an Arch of Stone above, &c.

So the Geographer.

This was in the Tribe of Juda, but confining upon that of Benjamin, where Rama was. [...], Rachel, in the Ori­ental Languages, signifieth a Sheep or Lamb, And so an In­nocent was verie fitly call'd up to mourn over these Infants, who died in the Caus of the Lamb of God.

And the voice of this Lamentation was heard in Rama, becaus Rama was in the Tribe of Benjamin.

Benjamin was that Son of whom Rachel died in child-bed, and though his Father gave him this Name, yet his Mother would have had him called Ben-oni, or the Son of Sorrow.

The next is,

§ That though otherwise there is a large Enditement of Inhumanities against this Tyrant, yet his miserable and uncommon death is rather imputed to the shedding of this (though much of the rest was his own) Blood.

That this world, and hee parted by an unusual cours of Mortalitie, and by the judgment of God too, (at least in common reputation) Josephus is clear.

Severe execution beeing don upon the two Sophisters and their Scholars for pulling down the Golden Eagle, which (to acknowledg the Romane Empire) Herod had [Page 102] set up upon the greatest gate of the Temple, [...]. that is, Henceforth hee was taken with a diseas, which seising upon the whole state and habit of his bodie, tormented him exceeding severally. A Fever hee had, but not of anie acute kinde: an unsufferable Prurigo over all his bodie, with continual tortures of the Colon. By the Tumors about his feet you would judg him to bee Hydropical, To this a strange inflammation of the lower Bellie, and such a putrefaction of the Genitals as bred Worms; more­over then this, a shortness and difficultie of Breathing, with a Con­vulsion of all the Parts. This moved those of that time who pre­tended to know the minde of God, to give out that these diseases were inflicted upon Herod for his murther of the Sophisters, &c.

Josephus hath a fuller Tradition of this Event, C. 8. of the 17. Book of his Antiquities. And if you consider the common Translations of both, you will finde it fit that this other should bee set down here too. The matter will not onely bee to turn the Greek, but (if it may bee) to render it so, that especially the words may signifie a distinct and Artificial description of Herod's diseas, as Josephus mean't, and indeed exprest it like himself.

I do not threaten here to do verie much neither: This I am sure of; The Translators understood the matter but meanly, (and yet one of them was a Physician too). I will do what I can, towards that I pretend to, and leav what is like enough to bee wanting to those, whom it may more properly concern.

Josephus his other words are these.

[...] [Page 103] [...] [...]. [...].

But the diseas of Herod grew yet more bitterly violent, God exacting this judgment of his enormities upon him. Hee had a Gentle Fever, that is, not expressing it self so much to the out­ward touch and feeling, as more grievously burning him within: a strange appetite, and desire still to take somthing in; but nothing would staie with him, An Ʋlcer of the Entrails with hard confli­ctations, especially of the Cholick Gut. A Phlegmatick Humor appeared about his feet, and Shining too; More then this, the diseas had got about the lower Bellie, and more then that, there was a putrefaction of his Genitals, and it bred worms. An Orthop­noea, or shortness of breath, and that also verie unpleasant. A troublesom flux of Rheum, which caussed a perpetuall Asthma: And the Patient not having strength to resist these things, there fol­lowed a convulsion of all the parts. It was said therefore by the Divines of that time, and those which it then stood upon, to give holie judgment of these things, that the hand of God was upon the King, to punish him for his so often repeted horrible offenses.

Here I must tell you though, that I do not see anie such extraordinarie moment or manner of Fatalitie in this dis­solution.

The diseas indeed was especially complicate of a dropsie and dysenterie. The Orthopnoea, Dyspnoea, Spasmes, &c. nay and the Fever it self too for ought I know, were but acci­dents of one or both. Hippoc. de victûs rati­on. Lib. 3. sect. 4.

The Dysenterie ( [...]) was (and the wors therefore) especially in the [...]. The Dropsie was of that kinde which from the fashion of the Inflamma­tion, is called Ascites. [...], or [...] signifieth (as Galen saith) to Hippocrates, [...], the lower region of the Bellie com­prehended [Page 104] between the Navel and the Genitals. There the In­flammation was, and it was [...], as the Tradition saith, Therefore the Dropsie was of that kinde which I said, and of a malignant State.

There is nothing make's the matter look so like a Judg­ment, as the [...], But this Putrefaction of the Genitals might verie possibly bee an Ac­cident of the Dropsie, this kinde especially. If it were not; it might bee otherwise Natural enough, and you may hear of it in Hippocrates, and in the verie same words used by Jo­sephus here. [...]. Aphoris. Lib. 3. § 7. Aph. 21.

And yet you shall see how this Tradition hath improved it self under the Christian's hands, [...], Chronicon. Alexand p. 488. [...]. that is, And Herod beeing struck with a grievous dropsie, the whole state of his Bodie corrupted, and the Worms crawl'd out. Thus hee departed this life, receiving a just vengeance of that murther, which hee committed upon the Children in Bethlehem for our Saviour's sake.

Cedren hath it out of another Autor, that this Herod was fa­mously known by the Name of [...] The Child-slaier. Herod might bee so called for the killing of his own sons.

But I wonder where the Autor had this.

Indeed Eusebius himself hath said more then com's to his share, as to this matter. Even hee also accuseth Herod of this horrible diseas, and chargeth it upon the murther of the Children, but (which was the Sleepiness of the Forgerie) hee quoteth Josephus for it too.

Our own Elfrick the Abbot as unadvisedly, who having told the Storie, closeth it up with this rash doom upon He­rod & se yfela cining, and the wicked King died Miserably. Photius hath delivered it more expresly bad, and to no sens of Traditional belief. I know there is a kinde of well mean­ing in these devout Lies; but no more acceptable to him whom it seemeth to concern, then the cutting off of a Dog's neck. The Christian interest is more absolute and suffici­ent [Page 105] of it self then to need a superogation of this kinde.

The simplicitie of Joannes Antiochenus is more useful here then the Judgment of Eusebius. Hee telleth the Historie of the Children out of the Scripture it self, and then maketh this end of Herod's matters, out of Clemens the Chronogra­pher. [...] that is, And immediately Herod beeing taken with an incurable diseas, was eaten up of worms and so died. Joan. Antiochen. Melala Chronog. Lib. 10. Ms. in Arch. Baroccian. Biblioth. Bodleianae.

But this Herod the Great, was not eaten up of Worms neither; There's a difference betwixt [...], Act. 12. 2 Macab. 9. or [...], and [...]. This indeed was the diseas of which the other Herod died. Antiochus died so too: and both by the plain and visible judgment of God, the which, where it is not verie notably and convincingly revealed, it were good to make as little use of our own Augurie as wee can.

In the other Herod's case, S. Luke saith that an Angel struck him. This Angel in Josephus, is but an Owl, [...]: and a German Soothsayer had told the King as much before. Antiquit. Lib. 18. C. 8. But of this in a more proper place.

But if Herod the Great had been [...], or eaten up of Worms, and by the judgment of God too: is it to bee thought that this judgment looked a-squint upon all the rest of this Kings enormities, and cast a full eie onely upon the Massacre of the Children?

This is but to deliver up Herod to Satan here, that his soul might bee saved in the daie of the Lord. Would you have such a man thus taken from the evil to com? Rather then so, if you would have a damnation upon Herod that sleep­eth not, let him have his portion in this life. Let him die the death of the Righteous, and let his last end bee like his.

Though hee may seem to you to bee never so much pluck'd off from God's right hand, yet you do not see that this man was written Childless: though hee had drank so deep of the Blood of Innocents, Stil there was one left, and one of his own Race too, to fit upon the Throne of Jurie. [Page 106] you are not to reckon of these things according to your own angrie waie of vengeance. The right profligati homines, and those that are notoriously engaged, especially in inter­ested impieties, are most usually condemned to prosper here, that they may bee the more secretly and justly reserved to the blackness, and darkness of their own other World.

But if you will now, Herod shall bee left in the verie same case that you would have him.

Let it bee so, that hee was judged here, that hee might not bee condemned hereafter; or, let both bee true, ('tis so som­times) Then I believ with you that the doom did as princi­pally, and immediately reflect upon this Murther of the In­nocents, as upon anie of all the rest.

There is an aggravation in the Number too; at least if the account bee honestly given up to our hands.

Menolog. Decemb. 29. Antholog. f. 132. a.The Greek Tradition in the Rubrick to the Daie, is, [...]. That it was no less then fourteen thousand.

The Aethiopick Church reckoneth of as manie in their Missal Memorials.

I know not what to saie to this, but if it beee so, then Thou Bethleëm Ephratah ar't not so little among the Thousands of Juda, Mich. 5.2.

It will not bee much beside the matter, if here I remember you of this Storie.

The Town of Hamel in the Dutchie of Brunswick was ex­ceedingly pestered with Rats. There happened to com to Town a Roguie Fidler, who undertook presently to quit the Place of all the Vermin, upon condition to receiv such a summ of monie for his pains. The Burgers agreed. The Fidler betook him to his Pipe, at the sound whereof the Rats came all forth, and followed the fellow quite through the Town to the River Weser, where they were all drown'd. The Piper (the Pid'e Piper they call'd him) came to demand his monie: but the summ was now thought to bee too much, especially the thing beeing don so easily too, and so unexspectedly: yet they allotted him a good suffici­ent reward; but the fellow would have his bargain, all or [Page 107] none; or els hee would com by it as hee could: They bid him take his Cours. The fellow set his Pipe to his mouth and to work again as before. And all the Children fol­lowed him out of the Town, to the vale of Koppenburgh, where the Mountain seemed to open and receiv in these lit­tle ones into a preposterous womb, and so closed up again, but certain it is, that it was never yet heard of where, or how that Earth delivered her self of these children again. The Number of the little ones was 130. And the thing was don in Sermon-time, upon the 26 of June, in the Year 1284. as Sethus Calvisius out of the Annals of the Place.

The special Reason why this Storie is here set down, is that which follow's. In the memorie of this disaster, The Men of Hamel date all their publick Matters especially, from this Exodus, or going forth of the Children, setting it down next to the Year of our Lord.

Ammianus Marcellinus telleth of two that suffered unjust­ly under the Tyrannie of Valentinian, Ammian. Marcellin. lib. 27. p. 369 & 370. Edi­tion. Lenden­brogian. Quorum memoriam apud Mediolanum colentes, nunc usque Christiani locum ubi sepul­ti sunt, Ad Innocentes appellant. whose memories the Christi­ans at Millan do yet celebrate, And the Place where they lie buried is called, The Innocents. These two last digressions were not intended to bee mistaken, but by this uninterrested disguis, the more to justifie the Celebrations of these our own Innocents indeed. The several practices of whose Memories, I would have here taken as they are received, and they shall bee more justly then affectionately delivered.

Brocardus in his description of the Holie Land, pointeth you to the verie place where these Infants were slain. Item (saith hee) ostenditur locus occisionis Innocentium puerorum.

Adrichomius and others tell you of a Chappel there about Bethlehem dedicated to their memorie, and under that a Vault, in the which these little Bodies lie buried.

The description of this Vault you have in the Viaggio da Venetia. Al Santo Sepolcro. Verso l'oriente glie un altra grotta, ouero caverna, giu hassa, & stretto, ordinata in modo d'una Croce. é qui furono sepolti gli santi Innocenti, &c. Ancora ne sepeliron una parte di ditti Innocenti fra Bethlehem & Bethama, [Page 108] otto miglia, lequali sepolture se vedeno ancora hoggi di. that is, Eastward, there is another Grott, or Cavern lying low underneath, and the passage verie narrow, it is contrived in­to the fashion of a Cross, and here (som of) the Holie Innocents lie buried. Another part of them lie buried in the waie betwixt Bethlehem and Bethanie, for a matter of eight Miles distance: And their Sepulcres are to bee seen to this verie daie.

This is all the Local memorie of these Infants I met with. And 'tis more too then the good Arabick Nubian Geogra­pher had heard off.

The Daie.§. For their Anniversarie Remembrances concern'd in time, I do not finde their Daie among the Antient Holie Ones.

There is a Greek Apostolical ('tis cal'd so) Institution of the Church Holiedaies. 'Tis true; They are but few there, Indeed they could not bee manie, as then. This bloodie seed of the Church was not yet so much cast upon the ground.

The Greek Enumeration acknowledgeth, and appoint­eth S. Stephen's Daie to bee kept Holie, but of the Innocents no mention there at all.

The Arabick Translation of this Constitution hath more Holiedaies then the Original, and the Hypapante for one.

And you are to rest (saie they [...] upon the Festival (called) Aibubanti, and that is the entrance of the Lord Christ into the Temple. Con­stitut. Arab. Ms. fol. 67. a.

Codex Conci­lior. Arab. Joseph. Ae­gypt. Ms in Archiv. Ro­an Bibl. Bod.This Holiedaie is called in the Romane Church Purifica­tio B. Mariae. Wee call it so too: and from the Saxons, Can­dlemas-Daie; Here the Arabick Greek word Aibubanti ( [...]) seemeth to betraie the trust of the Translator, and therefore though it fall not so directly within my business: yet it is not to bee let go.

[Page 109]It passeth unaccepted against, that this Holiedaie was first made at Constantinople, Meursii glos. in [...]. and no sooner then the times of Ju­stinian the Emperor, if it should bee so. The Arabick Con­stitution doth not so providently begin with Ego Petrus & Paulus, &c. as the Greek; and then afterwards insert a Ho­liedaie of Justinian's making which was no less then 500 Years after.

But to make this up as well as I may.

It is certain that the Arabick Translator followed som other Greek Copie then that which is now most usually received.

It is certain also that this verie Holiedaie was verie anti­ently and immemorially observ'd in the Aethiopick, the Coptick, and the Syriack Churches, &c. and by the name of [...] or, Ingressus Domini, the entrance of the Lord into the Temple. So that for the Thing and Celebration it is absolutely old enough, if not Apostoli­cally so; yet however (and which is the matter) much deeplier engaged in Antiquitie then the times of Justinian: But for the Greek word here in the Arabick disguis, it is not so readie to give a just account (And yet if I should saie, that the Greek word were as antient as the thing, though not in use and solemnitie at Constantinople, till those verie times of Justinian. I know not what anie man could happily saie to the contrarie.

And so I have discharged the Translator as I could. But as to my own matters, It is to bee confessed here, that though the Arabick Constitution maketh more Holiedaies then the Greek, yet it maketh no reckoning of Innocents daie at all: neither indeed do I finde this Festival in anie of the Eastern Almanacks.

For however there bee Lessons appointed for this daie, Novum Te­stamentum Syriacum Ms. in Arch. Biblioth. Bod. set down at the end of som Syriack Translations (as well Ma­nuscript as Printed) of the New Testament, yet the Holie­daie is not to bee found in the Antiochian Calendar.

And though the Aethiopick Church in the Celebration of their Corban or Communion, useth to make a verie solemn and devout Memorial of these Innocents, yet there is no Daie [Page 110] assigned to them in the Calendar of that Church Neither was it to bee look't for. For the Coptick Almanack it self (which is known to prescribe to this other) hath it not neither.

Athanasius Kircher. Grammat. Copt. Sect. 6. C. 3. pag. 332Indeed, None of all these Calendars acknowledg more then seven or eight Holie-daies throughout the whole Year; that is, the Annunciation, the Nativitie, the Epiphanie, &c. Prae­ter haec Festa celebranda, alia non invenio. More then these I finde not, saith One, (and of the Romane interest too) It is his note to the Coptick Calendar: And the reason im­porteth alike for all the rest. Alkas Cyriac. Tab. Astron. Arabs. Ms. in Archiv. Laudin. Bib­lioth. Bodlei­an. 'Tis true. I can tell you of an Arabick Calendar of Alkas at the end of his Astronomical Tables, where I finde this Daie put down under the name and title of [...] Occisio puerorum, or, The Murther of the Infants. But I can perceiv too that this Ca­lendar is not verie antient, as well by the Memorie of Saint Chrysostom there in these words [...] that is, The death of John of the Golden mouth. (as the Eastern Men use to call this Father, and hee is of­ten so quoted in the Arabick Catena): as also by an evi­dent plainness of the Romane ingagements there, not one­ly from the verie great number of Holiedaies, but of such too as expresly belong to the Relation, and the (late too) institution of that Church.

Here I do not mean to sit as Judg upon the Holiedaies, as concerning their Number or Manner of Celebration. I mean onely to speak to you a few words of peremptorie and indif­ferent Truth.

1. That in the most Primitive and Apostolical times, the Calendars yielded up but a very short, and onely princi­pal account of Saints and Martyrs; yet (which is to bee noted by som bodie) The Nativitie of Christ is alwaies one, and one of the chiefest; and moreover then that, the Saturdaie and Sundaie (would you have mee call them both Sabbath daies, or which is wors, that which was the eighth, the seventh daie) were held in equal reverence of Keeping, and Observation.

[Page 111]2. That the Reason why so few Saints-daies were obser­ved in and about the first Times, how substantial soever as for that present, and exigencie, yet draweth on no necessarie Example upon us, were it not that the Eastern Churches in a full Bodie, had left the matter to this Daie, at the verie same rate as they found it then, without making anie con­siderable addition to that small number, anie where, and in the most set and leading Places (as the Coptick, Antiochian Churches, &c. none at all.

3. That it is most likelie, that in the Times immediately succeeding to those which are granted for Primitive, the re­membrance of Saints and Martyrs was practised but in gross, at the Solemn confessionarie Commemorations of all together, in the memorial part of their Communion, and this onely by a naked rehearsal of their good Names (as at the first) without anie appointment of particular daies to this or that Saint. The flying tracks of these Commemo­rations, you may discover in our own latest reformed Li­turgies, or if you would see it nearer to the Top of Time, then let your recours bee to the Aethiopick Missal: you may see that in the Bibliotheca Patrum, or if you bee curious and would see it somwhat more Original, you may Read (that is this part of it) in the Prodromus Coptus. C. 2. De Coptit. Moribus p. 37. & 38.

4. Lastly. That the first assignment of these Remembran­ces in gross, to set, and single daies, and increased too to so notorious a Bulk, was verie probably the design of the Greek, but much more especially of the Latine Church, and for the most part not so antiently neither as to bee reflected upon, with anie commanding or convincing Reverence, nay nor don (when it was) to that just and clear purpose, as would bee wished for in this Case.

'Tis true, So Meurfius his Glossare in [...] The blood of these Innocents was dear and pretious in the sight of God, and like that of all his Saints. The Daie of one's death is better then that of one's Birth, as by an excellent abuse of expression, the Church hath ve­ry well rendred the Place, But do you think that a Report of this kind will make these bones fat? ( Pro. 15.30.) your selvs it may.

[Page 112]'Tis true too, that a good Name is better then pretious Ointment ( Eccl. 7.1.) but do not you know, that these dead Flies, (with Reverence to your Saints bee it spoken) do make this Ointment (which in the right sens indeed would bee verie pretious) to have a stinking Savor?

Let mee tell you the Truth (though I do it with an un-forward will) This is one of the Little Follies that will stick upon you, who otherwise might bee accounted to have been Men in Reputation for Wisdom, and Honor. Eccle­siastes 10.1.

And now I think almost as much as could bee, hath been said against the daie of these innocents. And yet for all that it is certain that the Holiedaie is of verie old stand­ing in both the Churches. And thus, and thus it was ce­lebrated.

As nearer home, I shall begin with the Use of the Abbie of Oseney here at Oxford, (it was so, but the Maps will cheat you now (indeed they are cheated themselvs) 'tis ubi Troja fuit.)

By the use of this Church they were wont to bring out upon this daie, the Foot of a childe, prepared after their fa­shion, and put upon with red and black Colours, as to si­gnifie the dismal part of that daie. They put this up in a Chest in the Vestrie, readie to bee produced at the time, and to bee solemnly carried about the Church, to bee adored by the People.

My autoritie for this you have here set down, out of an old Ritual of that Place, and observed to mee by my verie good, and learned friend Gerard Langbain, Doctor of Divini­tie, and Provost of Queen's College.

The Rubrick in the Ritual is, Item notandum quòd in die Innocentium, post Primam, preparetur Pes innocentis, viz. cum rubro auriculari, nigróque panno super auricularem posito, qui jacet in quadam cista in Revestuario, & postea in Karola deferatur, ut adoretur à populo.

The Rumick wooden Calendar useth to distinguish these Holidaies, not as wee, and other folk do, but by a prettie kinde of Hieroglyphical Memorie.

[Page 113]As instead of S. Gregorie's daie, they set you down in a Picture, a Schoolmaster holding a Rod and Ferula in his hands. It is becaus at that time (as beeing about the be­gining of the Spring) they use to send their children first to School, Adeò superstitiosi sunt quidam, &c. and som are so superstitiously given, as upon this night to have their chil­dren asked the question in their sleep, whether they have anie minde to book, or no; and if they saie, yes, they count it for a very good presage, Sin tacuerint aut negent, stivae eos ad­judicant, but if the children answer nothing, or nothing to that purpose, they put them over to the Plough.

So for S. George's daie they picture a Hors; for S. John Ba­ptist's, A Lamb; ad agnum Dei, de quo vaticinatus est respi­cientes.

For Simon and Jude's daie a Ship, becaus they were Fi­s;hers; and so (to com to the matter) for Innocents daie, the drawn sword of Herod. Olaüs Wormius, Fast. Danicor. Lib. 2. Cap. 19.

It hath been a custom, and yet is elswhere, to whip up the children upon Innocent's daie morning, that the memorie of this Murther might stick the closer, and in a moderate pro­portion to act over the crueltie again in kinde.

Lewis the eleventh was so sad and serious a remembrancer of this Martyrdom, that hee would not bee interrupted by anie affairs of State how important soever, in the Strictest Sanctification of their Daie. Philip de Commines.

But the most commensurate Recollection of this daies bu­siness (did not the Superstitious part spoil the Decorum) is that, which wee are now about. A celebration of the daie, and the divinest parts of that, by a Service and Solemnitie of children.

The Episcopus Choristarum was a Chorister Bishop chosen by his fellow Children upon S. Nicholas daie. Upon this daie rather then anie other, becaus it is singularly noted of this Bishop (as S. Paul said of his Timothie) That hee had known the Scriptures of a Childe) and led a life sanctissimè ab ipsis incunabilis inchoatam. The Reason is yet more properly and expresly set down in the English Festival.

[Page 114] It is sayed that his Fader hyght Epiphanius, and his Moder Ioanna, &c. And whan hee was born, &c. they made him Chri­sten, and caled him Nycolas, that is a mannes name, but he kepeth the name of the child, for he chose to kepe vertues, meknes, and simplenes, and without malice, also we rede while he lay in his cradel, he fasted wednesday and friday: these dayes he would souke but ones of the day and ther wyth held him plesed, thus he lyued all his lyf in vertues with this childes name. And therefore chilldren don him worship before all other Saints. &c. Lib. Festivals in die S. Nicholas fol. 55.

From this daie till Innocents daie at night (it lasted longer at the First) The Episcopus Puerorum was to bear the name, and hold up the State of a Bishop, answerably habited with a Crosier, or Pastoral-staff in his hand, and a Miter upon his head, and such an one too som had, as was multis Episcopo­rum mitris sumtuosior, (saith one) verie much richer then those of Bishops indeed.

The rest of his fellows from the same time beeing, were to take upon them the Style and countefaict of Prebends, yielding to their Bishop (or els as if it were) no less then Canonical obedience.

And look what service the verie Bishop himself with his Dean and Prebends (had they been to officiate) was to have performed, the Mass excepted, the verie same was don by the Chorister Bishop, and his Canons upon the Eve and the Holiedaie.

By the Use of Sarum (for 'tis almost the onely place, where I can hear anie thing of this, that of York in their Processional seemeth to take no notice of it) upon the Eve to Innocents Daie, The Chorister Bishop was to go in so­lemn Procession with his fellows ad altare Sanctae Trinitatis, & omnium Sanctorum (as the Processional, or ad altare Innocen­tium sive Sanctae Trinitatis, as the Pie) in capis, & cereïs ar­dentibus in manibus, in their Copes, and burning Tapers in their Hands, The Bishop begining, and the other Boies fol­lowing. Centum quadraginta quatuor. &c. Then the Vers, Hi emti sunt ex omnibus, &c. And this is sung by three of the Boies.

[Page 115]Then all the Boies sing the Prosa Sedentem in supernae maje­statis arce, &c. The Chorister Bishop in the mean time fu­meth the Altar, first, and then the Image of the Holie Trini­tie. Then the Bishop saith modestâ voce, the Vers Laetamini, and the Respond is, Et Gloriamini, &c. Then the Praier which wee yet retein.

Deus, cujus hodiernâ die praeconium Innocentes Martyres non loquendo, sed moriendo, confessi sunt, omnia in nobis vitiorum mala mortifica, ut fidem tuam quam Lingua nostra loquitur, etiam mori­bus vita fateatur; Qui cum Patre & Spiritu Sancto, &c.

But the Rubrick to the Pie saith, Sacerdos dicat, Both the Praier, and the Laetamini, that is som Rubricks do, other­wise I take the Benediction to bee of more Priestlie conse­quence, then the Oremus, &c. which yet was solemnly per­formed, by the Chorister Bishop, as will follow.

In their return from the Altar Praecentor puerorum incipiat, &c. The Chanter Chorister is to begin De Sancta Maria, &c. The Respond is Felix namque, &c.& sic processio, &c.

The Procession was made into the Quire, by the West door, and in such order (as it should seem by Molanus) ut Decanus cum Canonicis, insimum locum; Sacellani, medium; Scho­lares verò cum suo Episcopo ultimum & dignissimum locum occu­pent, &c. That the Dean and Canons went formost; the Chaplains next; The Bishop with his little Prebends in the last and highest place; the Bishop taketh his seat, and the rest of the children dispose of themselvs upon each side of the Quire, upon the uppermost Asscent, the Canons resi­dent bearing the Incens, and the Book; and the Petit Canons, the Tapers, according to the Rubrick. Ad istam Processionem pro dispositione puerorum scribuntur Canonici ad ministrandum iis­dem; Majores ad thuribulandum, & ad Librum deferendum; Mi­nores ad Candelabra portanda, &c.

And from this hour to the full end of the next daies Pro­cession, Nullus Clericorum solet gradum superiorem asscendere cujus­cunque conditionis fuerit.

Then Episcopus in sede sua dicat versum. Speciosus formâ, &c. Diffusa est gratia in labiis tuis, &c. Then the Praier. Deus qui salutis aetenae, &c. Pax vobis, &c. Then after, the Benedi­camus [Page 116] Domino, Episcopus puerorum in sede sua benedicat populum, in hunc modum, that is, The Bishop of the Children sitting in his Seat, is to give the Benediction, or bless the people in this manner.

Princeps Ecclesiae pastor ovilis cunctam plebem tuam benedicere digneris, &c. Then turning towards the People hee singeth or saieth (for all this was in plano cantu, that age was so far from skilling discant, or the Fuges, that they were not com up to Counterpoint) Cum mansuetudine & charitate humiliate vos ad benedictionem; the Chorus answering, Deo gratias. Then the Cross-bearer delivereth up the Crosier to the Bishop again, & tunc Episcopus puerorum primò signando se in fronte sic dicat. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini, the Chorus an­swering, Qui fecit Coelum et Terram.

Then after som other like Cerimonies performed, the Episcopus Puerorum or Chorister Bishop begineth the Comple­torium or Complyn, and that don, hee turneth towards the Quire, and saith, Adjutorium, &c. then last of all hee saith, ‘Benedicat vos omnipotent Deus,
Pater, et Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus.
In die Sanctorum Innocentium ad secundas vesperas accipiat Cruciferarius baculum Episcopi puerorum, et cantent Antiphon. Princeps Ecclesiae, &c. sicut ad primas vesperas. Similiter Epi­scopus puerorum benedicat populum supradicto modo, et sic complea­tur Servitium hujus diei. Rubric. Processional.’

And all this was don with that Solemnitie of Celebra­tion, and appetite of seeing that the Statute of Sarum was forced to provide, sub poena majoris Excommunicationis nè quis pueros illos in praefata Processione, vel aliàs in suo ministerio, pre­mat aut impediat quoquo modo, quò minùs pacificè valeant facere et exsequi quod illis imminet faciendum, &c. that no man what­soever, under the pain of Anathema should interrupt or press upon these Children, at the Procession spoken of before, or in anie other part of their Service in anie waies, but to suf­fer them quietly to perform and exsecute what it concern'd them to do.

And the part was acted yet more earnestly, for Molanus saith, that this Bishop in som places, did reditus, census, et Ca­pones, [Page 117] annuò accipere, receiv Rents, Capons, &c. during his Year, &c. And it seemeth by the Statute of Sarum, that hee held a kinde of Visitation, and had a ful correspondencie of all other State and Prerogative, for the Statute saith. Electus autem puer Chorista in Episcopum modo solito puerili officium in Ec­clesia (prout fieri cousuevit) licenter exsequatur, Convivium aliquod de caetero, vel visitationem, exteriùs, vel interiùs, nullatenus; sed in domo communi cum Seciis conversetur, &c. Ecclesiam, et Scholas cum caeteris Choristis statim post Festum Innocentium frequen­tando. &c.

More then all this, Molanus telleth of a Chorister Bishop in the Church of Cambraie, who disposeth of a Prebend which fell void in his moneth (or Year, for I know not which it was) to his Master, quasi jure ad se devoluto, Quam collatio­nem beneficii verè magnifici Reverendissimus Praesul, cùm puer grato animo Magistrum suum bene de Ecclesiâ meritum nominâsset, gratam, et ratam habuit.

In Case the Chorister Bishop died within the Moneth, his Exsequies were solemnized with an answerable glorious Pomp and Sadness. Hee was buried (as all other Bishops) in all his Ornaments, as by the Monument in Stone spoken of before it plainly appeareth, the express or Image where­of I have here set down in the dead Posture, as repeteing o­ver a passage of that kinde, which deserveth to bee remem­bred, though it were not fit to have been don.

[tomb effigy of the Boy Bishop of Sarum in horizontal position]

[Page 118]For this Antick at the Feet of the Childe, it is also a lit­tle to bee spoken to.

This Manner in Sepulture is verie antient and usual, both in the Christian, and the Common Interest; and yet, mee thinks, 'tis a hard matter to six a through pac't Reason up­on it.

Geographia Nubiensis Part. 3. Cli. 47.The Arabick Nubian Geographer hath this piece of Storie. Hee verie fully describeth the Sepulcres of the Se­ptem Dormientium (the thing I think is not so, but will serv the turn, as if it were true) and then saith.

At the Feet of these Dead Sleepers, and to each of them a Dog laie to the Tomb, his head reflex't upon his Tail.

It will bee a safe and easie waie howsoever (and I think 'tis true too) that all these appointments of Gentrie came down from the Egyptians. It seem's wee have not observed yet how much of the great business of Heraldrie wee have taken from them; whereas wee that wonder at this odd kinde of writing, express and turn it into English our selvs. Pausanias in the Boeotica, where hee speaketh of the Sepulcres of those Thebans, which so stoutly fell in the Macedonick war; saith, that their Tombs had no Inscriptions, [...], but the statue of a Lion stood by as to signifie their courage (and fortitude.). Ptolomeus the Phaestion ren­dreth the Original of these things up to Hercules. But that huge Name signifieth so much, and so little, that I know not how to make the Synchronism.

The matter, if it bee taken from the Original, is plainly Hieroglyphical. That People were the First, that read nei­ther backwards nor forwards, but a waie of their own. Caussinus and others may bee seen to the 37 Hieroglyphick of Horus Apollo.

For the Thing here, The Head indeed and forepart was much defaced, but it was not untoward to guess the Dragon by his tail, where yet I did not onely make use of my own Sagacitie (such as it is) but of that also of my Ingenious friends, M. Edmund Chilmead, and M. Richard Goodridge, who discovered no otherwise upon the Place.

The little Monster (I think I may call it so) seemeth to [Page 119] acknowledg it self to som Noble Familie, but I believ 'tis higher yet; and as to express a Bishop in everie point, re­ferreth up to That of the Psalmist, Conculcabis Leonem & Dra­conem, &c. For the Smalness of this Matter had reason to entitle it to the divinest looks they had at that time; and a child of this kinde might bee thought fit enough to tread upon the Old Serpent.

In the Greek Traditions concerning the daie I finde not anie thing like to this Manner of Celebration. Durand. lib. 7. cap. 44. Numb. 15. And in the Latine but verie little. Durand indeed maketh mention (and onely so) of the Benedictio Puerorum in die Innocentium. Beleth saith as much. Nocturnos & universum Officium crastinum cele­brant Diaconi, quòd Stephanus fuerat Diaconus, & ad Lectiones concedunt Benedictiones (quod tamen facere non debent, saith Du­rand) ista tamen ut ejus diei Missam celebret Hebdomodarius. Sic eodem modo, omne officium perficiunt Sacerdotes ipso die beati Jo­annis, quòd hic Sacerdos fuerit, et Pueri in ipso Festo Innocentum, quia Innocentes pro Christo occisi sunt. Beleth Divin. Offic. Ex­plicat. Cap. 70. The Saxons had, and kept the daie, as it seemeth by their Evangelistarie, where the Rubrick to the Gospel is Ðys godspel seal on cyldamasse dag. This is the Godspel for Childmass or Childermass daie. But of anie Cho­rister Bishop, as to bear a part in the Observation I did not attein unto: and since I can almost perceiv that it was not much to bee exspected, and I am not to dissemble that a verie ingenuous friend of mine M. Thomas Barlow of Queens Col­lege suggested to mee as much. The Custom doth verie much appear to have taken its rise from the Romish; but how an­tiently, I must confess, I know not. It began to loos it self more especially from the times of the Councel of Basil; in the 21 Session, whereof it receiveth this sharp rebuke.

Turpem abusum in quibusdam frequentatum Ecclesiis, quo certis anni Celebritatibus nonnulli cum Mitra, baculo, et vestibus Ponti­ficalibus more Episcoporum benedicunt, (quod Festum Fatuorum vel Innocentium, vel puerorum, in quibusdam regionibus nuncupa­tur) &c. Haec sancta Synodus Statuit, et jubet &c. nè haec, aut si­milia ludibria exerceri ampliùs permittant. Session. 21.

I know not whether it will bee best to saie, that the Reve­rend [Page 120] Fathers might have been less mistaken, but that the Fe­stum Fatuorum was a distinct Holiedaie from the Innocents daie is a clear case by Durand. ubi suprá.

Otherwise I think it is not much to bee thought, that God took anie verie great pleasure in this Sacrifice of Fools.

It seemeth indeed to suit well with Flesh, and Cerimonie, that the Memories of the young Innocents should bee kept in store by a Holiedaie of Children, but 'twas but strange fire. The word of the Lord was pretious in those daies, when the Childe Samuel ministred before Him in a Linen Ephod.

All this notwithstanding you may note too, That these are not the least of those little Ones which have been made capable of this improper excellencie.

Baronius telleth of an Archbishop of Rhemes consecrated at five years old. But see Sethus Calvisius to the Year after Christ 925. yet a little further, and that you may the less bee mooved at this small thing represented here unto you in such grand apparel: I shall set down in the last place (as connatural to the business) a Storie of an Episcopus Piscis, or a Fish in Bishop's habit, you must not question whether this bee jure Divino, or no: This Sea-ghost appeared in this form and fashion.

[Page 121]

[depiction of a "Bishop-fish"]

You may finde as much in Gesner and others, but Ronde­letius is my Autor, and these are his words.

Hee had related before of a Monk-Fish, and then hee saith.

[Page 122]

[depiction of a "Monk-Fish"]

‘ Monstrum aliud multò superiore mïrabilius subjungo, quod accepi à Gisberto Medico Germano, cujus antè aliquoties memini, quod ipse ab Amsterodamo cum literis acceperat; quibus ille affirmabat, Anno 1531, in Polonia visum id Monstrum marinum, Episcopi habitu, & ad Poloniae Regem delatum, cui signis quibusdam indi­care videbatur vehementer se cupere ad mare reverti, quò deductus, statim in id se conjecit. Sciens omitto plura quae de hoc Monstro mihi narrata sunt, quia fabulosa esse arbitror, Ea est enim hominum va­nitas, ut rei per se satìs mirabili, praeter verum plura etiam affin­gant; [Page 123] Ego qualem monstri iconem accepi, talem omnino exhibeo, ve­ra ea sit annon, nec affirmo, nec refello.’ So Rondeletius. Not to bestow much upon the Translation, In short it is: That in the Year 1531 a Fish was taken in Polonia, Such an one as represented the whole appearance and appointments of a Bishop. This Sea-Monster was brought to the King, and after a while seemed very much to express to him, that his minde was to return to his own Element again, which the King perceiving commanded that it should bee so, and the Bishop was carried back to the Sea, and cast himself into it immediately.

There is a stranger thing belonging to this Storie then the thing it self, that Cromer who lived then, Cujus corpo­ris magnitu­do facies ac cultus, talis erat omnino qualem vi­demus Epi­scopi cujus­dam Romani. and wrote the Historie of Polonia at that verie time, should know nothing of the matter.

Bellonius saith, that this Fish was for all the world like to a Romane Bishop, suâ mitrâ, suíque reliquis ornamentis, &c. What Poperie in the Sea too? Away with these Bables: 'tis a marvail that such fopperies should bee pretended, to the beating down of substantial Truths, (becaus you and I must live forsooth,) and yet the things themselvs should signifie just nothing at all.

אשור

THe Land of Ashur was so called, from him that first planted a Colonie from Babel in those parts, whose name was Ashur the Son of Sem. It is the opinion of that learned Rabbin Don Isaac Abarbinel, in his Commentaries upon the first Book of Moses, called Bereshith in Parasha No­ach, fol. [...] [Page 179] [...] that is, Assur the son of Sem dwelt in Assyria, and from his name it was so called. To this opinion among the Antient Greeks, onely Eratosthenes attain'd, as hee is in­troduced by the Scholiast of Dionysius the Alexandrian, a Geographical Poet, his words are [...]. Among the Modern Suidas hath embra­ced this conceit there, where hee pleaseth to retract his own, in the word [...]. So also amongst manie others, Gem­ma Frisius for the Latine Writers, in his 22 Chapter of the Division of the Earth: from the Jew Josephus, who also fa­voureth this Assertion. The Etymologist therefore, who ever hee were, hath deceived himself in assigning the Ety­mon of this word Assyria, [...] &c. vide Etymo­logicum ma­gnum in vo­ce [...] Hesychium in voce [...]. while hee forgeth this distincti­on between it and Syria; that Syria should bee that part of Asia which was overwhelmed in the Deluge, and was there­fore so called [...] (which also are the words of Hesychius) but Assyria, saith hee, was that part which having escaped the Flood was so called from α the Particle Privative, [...] But this is a Fable befitting the Greeks, whose Nation hath been seriously taxed by its own Autors, for their luxurie of invention in fabulous discourses.

In the next place wee are to free the Description insuing from the equivocation and ambiguitie of the word Assyria, which is somtimes taken for it self, at other times for the whole Region of Syria; in that sens comprehending in it more then it self, to wit Palestine, Syrophoenicia, Syria, Damascena, Arabia, Mesopotamia, Babylonia, Chaldoea, somtimes more, som­times less, according to Strabo & Plinie, and manie others. But our Master Ptolomie to deliver the delineations of the world from the Ataxie and confusions of the Antients, dealt more accurately in his observations. Ptolemaeus Asiae tab. 5. cap. 1. Hee therefore in his first Chapter of the fifth Table of Asia, describeth our Countrie in this manner, [...]. [...]. [...], &c. In [Page 180] which description Ptolomie hath vindicated this Countrie to her proper limits; aptly sequestring Assyria from the rest, comprehending the Countrie within the confines of the great America upon the North, Mesopotamia upon the West, Susian upon the South, and Media towards the Sun rising. The chief of Ptolomie's followers in this are Dominicus Ma­rius Niger, in his Geographical Commentarie upon Asia; whose words I forbear to insert, becaus they are but the meer Metaphrase of the description alreadie given. Besides him Pag. 159. Tigurinae e­ditionis. Vadian hath don the like in the Chapter which treat­eth of the Situation of Assyria. So also Gemma Frisius in his 22 Chapter of the Division of the Earth, and Mar­cianus Heracleotes, who in the description of Susian the Pro­vince, Marcianus Heracleωtes in cap. [...]. thus writeth; [...]. Hee saith that the North limit of Susian is Assyria: and Pto­lomie had said before, That the South limit of Assyria was Susian. The agreement of these Autors I oppose to the di­straction of others, in reading whereof diligent heed would bee taken of the ambiguitie of the word Assyria, lest the Reader not beeing sufficiently cautelous, might happi­ly bee then least acquainted with the Countrie, when hee hath travelled most about it.

Longitudo & Latitudo Assyriae.The Latitude of Assyria is Northern, cutting off from the Equinoctial towards the Pole Arctick an Arch of a greater Circle, containing about 5 degrees and ⅓ from the 34 de­gree to the 39 and 20 scruples. The Longitude accounted in the middle Line, from the great In the as­signing Ge­ographical Longitude, wee finde an observa­ble diffe­rence. The Moderns accounting from the Isles called Azores, guided by the variation of their compass: the Arabians account from the Pillars of Hercules, or the Streights of Gebaltarck, corruptly cal­led Gibralter; Titus-Abelfeldea, Som also from Arius under the Line, and others o­therwise: but Ptolomie from the fortunate Isles, and him here wee follow. Meridian of the World, is from the 78 degree to the 84. In assigning this Position, wee wee have rather inclined to Ptolomie, then the modern conjectures of later Writers; for though instruments bee more exact, and men's experience more universal, yet what shall all that do, cùm jam Seges ubi Troia fuit & Ninus in ipsa Nino requiratur: when 'tis brought to such ruine, that if the founder himself should rise again, Ninus would scarce [Page 181] finde Ninive, through hee sought it in it self. According therefore to the Longitude and Latitude assigned, The site of this Countrie is in the North part above the Torrid Zone, between the Tropick of Cancer, and the Arctick Circle, under and about the fourth Clime: the longest daie beeing som 14 hours, and one second part. This Situation is ap­proved by Rabbi Abraham in his description of the Climes, his words are these, [...] that is, The fourth Clime begineth at the end of the third, to the Latitude of 36 degrees of the equal line in the North portion, and his daie is fourteen hours and one second, and passeth through Assur. So far the Rabbin. Wee conclude therefore, That the position of this Region is an Oblique Sphear, whose Phaenomena are these: They enjoie, as wee do, both a Vernal and Autumnal Equinox, the Sun beeing in Aries and Libra. Their site is in the South part of the North temperate Zone, therefore their air is pleasant. Vitello Al­hazen. The Sun never culmi­nate's in their Senith point, that beeing placed beyond the Tropick of Cancer, which is the extremest circle of the Sun's Motion in his Northern declination. And becaus the Opticks teach, that everie Opacous bodie projecteth his Shadow to a part directly opposite to the bodie luminous, therefore the Sun beeing either in the Northern or Sou­thern Signes, their shadowes are never directed to the South, but contrariwise: therefore they are Heteroscii. Lastly, they have the Pole Artick alwaies elevated, and the Antarctick alwaies hid.

For the Astrological site of this place, it is comprehen­ded within the first Quadrant, in the part Oriental and Me­ridional, and is therefore subject to the second Triangle under the Dominion Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn, the Pla­netarie Lords beeing Saturn and Venus Oriental: in regard of whose rule in that earthly Triplicitie, the inhabitants must needs bee of a disposition wanton and lascivious, in apparel gorgeous, in Religion Idolaters: And becaus the Assyrian in special is subjected to Virgo, and her influence [Page 182] is Mercurial, therefore our inhabitants must bee great Astronomers. Thus Ptolomie, Cardan, &c. But whether it bee so or no, let their Ghosts dispute before Minos and Rha­damanthus. Thus much is certain, That the manners of the Antient inhabitants most aptly corresponded with this Prognostication, and if anie urge the contrarie at this daie, these Autors may easily finde an answer; that besides the translation of the Perigaeum and Apogaeum of the Planets, the precession of the Equinox, and the Suns lesser Excen­tricitie, 'tis apparent that the Signs in the eight Sphear have forsaken their places in the first Moover; Aries now beeing in the dωdecatemorie of Taurus; and Pisces in the place of Aries. And so much may suffice for the general applica­tion of Theoretical Geographie, to the Practical descripti­on of this Countrie. Before wee enter the particular parts, our discours shall tread awhile upon the Borders; Where first on the North part wee meet with the Armenian Moun­tains, which might have been slightly passed over, but that they shew the place where once Noah's Ark rested. That it rested in Ararat, or Armenia, Moses beareth witness; that it rested in that part of Armenia, wherein wee have placed it, may bee a conjecture not without probabilitie, becaus Pto­lomie placeth the Countrie Gordiena directly upon the North adjoining in Situation to these Mountains. Now that Countrie was so called from the Gordiaean Mountains, upon which the Ark rested, as is approved by a double Paraphrase of two Antient Chaldeans, Jonathan the son of Ʋziel, and Onkelos; the one translating that Text of Moses, to wit, [...] the Mountain of Ararat by [...] Cardu, the other by [...] Cardon, [...] Elias in Me­thurgeman. both entending the Gordiaean Moun­tains (whereof Strabo and Curtius discours) Elias also in his Methurgeman allowing their interpretation.

Of these Mountains Stephanus maketh mention in his Book De urbibus. So also Elmarinus the Arabian translated by Erpenius, and another of that Nation whose name is unknown, cited by Schickard in his Taric of the Kings of Persia. The later thus writeth, [...] [Page 183] [...] that is, This is (Mount) Godius, upon which that Ship rested, that Ship of Noach, on whom be peace. But whereas this Autor calleth the Mountain Godius, Schickard admonisheth that it is an error of the Transcriber, who in stead of [...] Gordi writ [...] Gadi. It is apparant then that the Ark abode upon the Gordian Mountains; but where or upon which, that is yet doubtful.

Rabbi Benjamin Tudelensis who travelled through all parts, to visit his Countrie-men the ten Tribes dispersed, [...] Rab. Benjamin in Itinerario. citante Schicha [...]do. giveth notice in his Itinerarie, that the place where the Ark rested is four miles distant from Gezir Ben Omar, and that is an Isle Situate in the mid'st of Tigris, at the foot of the Mountains of Ararat. The Armenians also design the place, urging Tradition for a certain Mountain heretofore called Gordie, but now Gibel Noe, as Andrew Thevet intimateth in these words:

Au reste quelques Chrestiens Levantins, entre autres, La Cosmo­graphie U­niverselle Livre. 8. Chap. 15. les Ar­meniens & Caspiens mainetiennent que ceste Arche s'arresta en la Montaígne que l'on nommoit jadis Gordie, à present dit par au­cuns du païs, Gibel Noe.

Wee have also those among the Moderns, who have pla­ced this Mount under a peremptorie Longitude and Lati­tude as a thing ordinarily known: yet for ought I perceiv, Posteritie in this hath obteined of Antiquitie nothing more then the verie name, and that is [...], by the Testi­monie of Nicolas of Damascus, not Lobar, as Epiphanius: Josephus [...]. à c. 4. though Junius would correct the other by this. It was cal­led [...], from [...] birath, which in the Armenian tongue signifieth properly anie stately Edifice, such as this vast Ves­sel might seem to bee: In after times 'tis like they called their Ships by the same name, and thence the Greeks tra­duc'd [Page 184] the same signification: for so Suidas, Hesychius, and the Etymologist conceiv of this word [...], that it often is ta­ken for [...]; and therefore Lycophron in his Cassandra cal­leth the Argonavis [...].

In this conjecture that it may pass the better, know that great Scaliger hath born his part, as the Reader may finde in his notes upon the Greek fragments, Scaliger in Notis ad Fragmenta. pag. 40. added as an appen­dix to his admired industrie in the Emendation of the Times. Thus much shall suffice for our abode in the North of this Countrie, where the Reader may pardon our long tarrying for Noah's sake.

Upon the East, as was said, this Region is bounded by the Medes, in special by the mountain Zagros, whereof a most Antient Geographer maketh this mention, [...], &c. [...]. Upon the South wee shall finde first Susian, the Pro­vince so called from the Metropolitane Citie Susis; which the Etymologist saith, might bee derived from Susia, signifying in the Syrian tongue a Hors, for that this place afforded good Horses. [...], Etymolo. [...]. Athenaeus. Indeed [...] in the Syriack signi­fieth so: but his other conceit is more probable, that it was so called from the Lilies which grew thereabout; as Ari­stobulus and Chares most aptly determine in Athenaeus, this onely is their error, that they say [...] signifieth a Lilie in the Greek tongue, whereas they ought to have said in the Hebrew; for the Jews indeed call a Lilie [...] Shusan: and therefore was this place so called [...], for the pleasure of the place, becaus of so manie Lilies wherewith it was most naturally and pleasantly beset.

Here the Kings of Persia kept their Courts in Winter, becaus the Region hereabouts was then most temperate, though in Summer it was so extremely hot, that when the Sun was in the Meridian, the Lizards and Serpents could not pass by the waie, but were strucken dead with the extra­ordinarie fervor which the Sun beams projected, Strabo lib. 15. Geog. beeing mul­tiplied [Page 185] more strongly by the reflection of certain Moun­tains not far from thence, Strabo. lib. 15. Geog. as Strabo the Autor most proba­bly persuadeth. Who also addeth, that for this cans the Inhabitants were forced to make earthen floors upon the tops of their Houses, the depth of two cubits, for no other reason, but to free themselvs from the intolerable heat. Strabo ibid.

By this Citie ran the River Vlai, as Daniel calleth it. Plinie. Herodotus. Maximus Tyrius. Pto­lomie and Plinie write Eulaeus; no great error: it was also called Choaspes, becaus that runneth into it. This River was venerable in the opinion of the Kings of Persia, who al­waies drank of this water where-ever they were. [...] Benjamin in Itinerario fol. 20. Rabbi Ben­jamin hath observed, that, in his time, among the ruines of Elam stood Susan the Castle, in time past the Palace of Aha­sueros, having yet manie fair and goodly buildings from the daies of old. Hee noteth also, that hee found there 7000 Jews in 14 Synagogues, there beeing before one of them erected the Sepulcre of Daniel the Prophet. Thus Rabbi Benjamin; in whose daies it seemeth by what hee saith afterwards, that the River was built upon both sides, and the citie divided into two parts, that dissevering them both; whence it came to pass in after-times, that the one part by reason of commerce thriving more then the other, it was superstitiously imputed to Daniels Tomb, which the richer part then kept; this fond conceit once set abroach caussed great emulations, and in fine to compose the debate, Singar [...] Shach with the Persians and Arabians and the neighboring inhabitants, signifieth a King: from whence is derived that form of Speech which wee use at the Chess-game, when the King is taken: to wit of [...] Shach Mat, commonly Check-Mate which in this language signifi [...]th, The King is dead. Shichard in Taris Regum Persar. Shach commanded that the Tomb should bee dis­placed and set upon the Bridg, in the midst of the River Vlai, that so both parties might enjoie their vanitie with an equal participation. Not far from Susis wee have placed the plain of Dura where Nebuchadnezar erected the golden [Page 186] statue, that stately Trophie of his Idolatrous worship. Thus Junius hath noted upon that place in Daniel. Dan. 3.1.

Next unto Susian, also upon the South is placed the land of Nimrod, Babylon. or Babylonia, and therein not far from Tigris the Citie Erce, which Ptolomie in a pardonable error, cal­leth Aracca. From hence passing over the River, wee draw near to that pregnant Relique of the new world's ambition, Babel by name; so called from the event of that, becaus there their Language was confounded. [...] For so the Hebrews intimate by the word Babel, a word which in our mother tongue wee yet retain from our Saxon Ancestors, as they from Askenaz; for when wee hear a man speak confusedly, wee saie hee bable's. The foundation of this Citie was laid in Nimrod's pride, and therefore must needs have a fall; and the fall thereof was great: upon these ruines King Ni­nus built again, but with more humble intentions, and more happie proceedings. Semiramis continued the work, and enclosed all within a wall of that height and thickness, that wee shall hereafter in her life make bold to ask the question, whither 'twas hers or no; in the mean time, doubting lest it will prove too great a work for a woman.

This Citie hath been deservedly set forth by the indu­strie of manie, [...], ( [...]) [...]. Herodotus saith, the wall was 52 of the Kings cubits in thickness, Q. Curtius 32 foot in thickness. Quintus Curtius lib. 5. and those most famous Writers; as Strabo, Diodorus, Herodotus, Solinus, Plinie, and Fustathius upon Dionysius Afer, &c. For the form of the Citie, it was four square, as Herodotus saith; the walls so thick that two Coaches might meet upon the breadth: for the Circuit, the Autors above mentioned agree not. The most exact Tra­dition for this is that of Clitarchus, that the wall was 365 furlongs about, which divided by 8, set off for the Quotient 45 ⅝, the number of English miles in the whole compass, allowing eight furlongs for one mile. Clitarchus addeth, that the wall was finished in one year, each daie one furlong, till the 365 was compleatly ended, which is the just com­plement [Page 187] of the Julian Solar year in daies, not respecting that fraction of Hours and minutes, in which the Astrono­mers agree no better then our Clocks and Dials, [...]. as the Pro­verb is. The height of the wall was 200 Cubites, the To­wers 10 foot higher then the Wall, To approve what hath been said concerning this spacious Citie, hear what the great philosopher discourseth in the third of his Politicks, that Babylon was so wide and ample, that three daies after it was taken, one part of the Citie knew nothing of it. The buildings in this place were not continued to the Walls, nor to themselvs, and if there had been no more societie among the inhabitants, then there was among their houses they had scarce ere com together; for their dwellings were all as­sunder; but the reason was politick to avoid the furie of fire, and undergo a seige in war, for the wast which laie between the houses, in time of a siege was sowen and the increas suf­ficient to maintein themselvs within themselvs: by reason whereof it was impossible to win this citie: for against a famine they had thus provided, and other waie there could bee none, for the wall of the citie was an impregnable fence against the strongest Rampiers; and hence it was that Darius could not attein to the conquest of Babylon, without a famous stratagem, as Justine relateth out of Trogus Pompey. Justin. lib. 1 This Citie opened it self at an hundred gates, and those all of brass. In the midst of the Citie upon the one side of Eu­phrates stood the Kings palace, a statelie and sumptuous stru­cture, on the other side of the river likewise in the midst stood the Temple of Jove Bell, and in the midst of that were erected 7 loftie towers upon the eighth, that beeing a fur­long high, and as much in breadth, from the top of this Tower the Chaldeans made their Astronomical observations as the noble Tycho in his Vraniburgum. See in Ty­cho's Astro­nomical Epist. the discription [...] th [...]s V­raniburgu. In [...]his Temple was placed the golden Image of Jupiter, which was to bee seen in the daies of Diodorus the Sicilian, in height fourtie foot.

Wee have reserved for the last place, that bold attempt of Art in the Horti pensiles, that pleasant Paradise which the Syrian King planted upon the battlements of a Tower, the top whereof was the base of the whole work, the foundati­on [Page 188] of the garden was laid in stone, above that were placed Hurdles compacted together with slimie sulphur, these were covered over with brick, and that overlaied with Sheets of lead, upon which was cast abundance of earth manured with that dexteritie, that plants grew there as properly as in their native soil. Strange indeed it was to see a wood upon the top of an hous, and that trees rooted in stone should grow 50 foot in heighth; and yet the credit hereof hath an interest in the best Autors, both among the Greeks and Latines. And this was once the flourishing estate of Babylon, that fierie furnace in which it pleased God to dis­solv the hardest hearts of the most refractarie Jews. But now Bel is bowed down and Nebo stoopeth, no Arabian pitcheth his tent there, nor Shepheard his fold: But Jiim crieth in the Palaces, Isa. 13.19. and the Houses are full of Ohim; The Ostriches dwell there, and the Satyres dance there.

Ibid. Mesopota­mia.Thus leaving Babylon the beautie and pride of the Chalde­ans, wee com unto Mesopotamia, which bordereth upon this Countrie South and by west. This is called in Scripture Aram naharaim, that is Aram between the two Rivers, to wit, Tigris and Euphrates, here Abraham sojourned at Carras, famous for the sight of Crassus: this also was the Countrie of Laban the Syrian. L. Florus.

Further West Tigris boundeth Ashur: Moses calleth it Hiddekel, which Rabbi Chimchi derive's from [...] and [...], either saith hee, becaus the waters are of a sharp taste, or els becaus they are of a swift cours. The Chardeans call it dig­lath [...] the Arabians [...] Aldiglath, all for the same reason: for the word Diglath or Diglito, as Plinie hath pre­served it, is corrupted out of Hiddekel; or if Diglath bee a primitive, the reason is notwithstanding the same, for that also signifieth a thing narrow and swift. Aristoteles ad Scholiast. Dionys. Af. Alexand. Let Josephus bee the interpreter. [...]. for this caus also it was called Tigris, though Ari­stotle himself hath said otherwise, who, as hee is introduced by the Scholiast of Dionysius Afer, testifieth that in times past this river had been called Sulax, which, saith hee, signifi­eth [...] prone or precipitate (such indeed it is) and in [Page 189] after times Tigris, from that Tiger which carried mad Bac­chus, I know not whether. But the word it self discover­eth its own Etymon, Tigris from [...] gir, signifying in the Persian tongue an arrow: to which if wee add the Hemantick letter [...] Tau, wee have the word entire [...] Tiger or Ti­gris, becaus the stream of this river ran so swift, that it was most like the projection of an Arrow out of a Bow. and this is the opinion of Quintus Curtius, and others. And well might notice bee taken of the swiftness of this River, the stream of whose current usually ran as fast in one daie, Shickard Taric Re­gum Pers. p. 206. as the most nimble footman can do in seven, if Shichard hath not mistaken in his Taric of the Kings of Persia; where hee citeth Plinie and Solinus, but none could give him occasion so to saie, save onely Dionysius Afer in these words, where speaking of Tigris, hee thus setteth down

Which words perhaps Shickard might understand in that sens, in which wee have cited him; but the Poëts intent is far otherwise, as hee may understand that readeth his Scho­liast who best understood him; for Eustathius upon those words thus discourseth,

[...] (id est Tigris & Euphrates) [...] ( [...]) [...]. Eustath. in Dion. Afr. &c.

Wherefore, according to the judgement of the Scholiast, the meaning of his Poet is, that the distance of the two ri­vers Tigris and Euphrates, is as much as the best fitted tra­veller could go in seven daies; that is as much as if hee had said, Mesopotamia in breadth would prove to a good foot­man seven daies journie. So though Tigris bee [...], of all Rivers the swiftest, yet in this opinion hee hath made more haste then good speed. Wee have suffi­ciently lingred upon the borders of Assyria, wee will now travel in the Countrie, begining first with Adiabene be­caus [Page 190] becaus as Plinie and Solinus testifie, Adiabene est Assyriorum initium. The begining of Ashur is that part which is cal­led Adiabene, for here 'tis probable that the founder made the first plantation of his Assyrians, becaus the King Nim­rod first conquered this place, and setled the Government in a Metropolis erected by himself.

It was called Adiabene, not as the Greeks have vainly con­jectured from [...] and [...], becaus this was a place of hard passage, as Strabo, Eustathius, and the rest; for this conceit is refuted by Marcellinus, a traveller in these parts, who witnesseth that hee passed over a certain River called Adiavas, from which the place was called first Adia­vene, Ammianus Marcellinus in vita Juli­ani. pag 302 edit. Lugdun which word when it came among the Greeks, they changed, υ into β necessitie often urguing them to this, for want of that letter in their Alphabet, so where the Original readeth David, [...], the Septuagint they read [...], the Evangelists reteining the same.

Ninive vrbs.In Adiabene that which first and best deserv's our diligence is the thrice noble seat of Ninus. The Scripture Stile's it both in Moses and the Prophets, urbs magna Deo, and there­fore seeing God himself hath taken notice of it, wee will take the more.

It was called Ninive from Ninus, quasi Nini, [...] Naveh, that is the habitation of Ninus, becaus Ninus set the last hand to the complement of this Citie, and there kept his Court.

But hee that laid the first foundation was the son of Cham, not Sem; though our English Metaphrase hath so transla­ted. To decide the matter hear Moses himself: [...] In which words, our Translation taketh Assur for a person, which beyond all doubt should bee taken for a place, and then it run's thus: From that land (to wit Babylon) hee (that is Nimrod) went out into Ashur and builded Ninive. And this is the meaning of Moses in the minde of that most learned Jew Ramban, or R. Moses ben Nachman, as shall appear by his gloss upon the place, as hee is cited by Abarbinel in his Commentaries upon Bereshith.

Ramban saith, [...] [Page 191] [...] Ramban in Abarbinelis Commen. ad Bereshith. These words intend thus much. Out of that land went Nimrod to rule over the Countrie of Ashur and there hee built Ninivie, and the rest of that Province's great Cities, whereof ( Moses) maketh mention, and this Text [...] is all one as if it had been [...] &c. Thus Ramban, who also citeth a Con­cordance necessarily requiring the like exposition in the like case, as saith hee [...], must bee rendred as if it had been [...] Ramban in this is not singular, nor hath wanted his deserved approbation among our own most learned Writers. For thus readeth M. John Drusius, so Tremelius, judicious Calvin, and diligent Parae­us: none without good reason, for what should Assur the son of Sem do among the children of Cham? And again, hee that built Babel, was as likely to build Ninive. The founder therefore of this Citie was Nimrod, for the situati­on thereof, it was set upon the River Tigris. A late Writer of our own in his Microcosm hath made bold to displace it, affirming that it was built upon Euphrates, which if it do not otherwise appear, I will ingeniously repent the mention of him, whom notwithstanding I should also have spared in this place, had hee himself spared great Sca­liger in a lesser matter: were it not that I count it frivolous to cite a modern Autor in a matter of Antiquitie; to this one I could oppose the Autoritie of manie, amongst whom Ninive upon Tigris is as ordinarie, as London upon Thames. But to fetch that situation upon this River, from the same fountain which they did, I appeal to the Antients.

Amongst the Latines Plinie is plain, that Ninus the Citie stood upon the River Tigris. Among the Greeks thus Hero­dótus, speaking of a certain Trench, [...]: where out of all doubt, though the Text bee somthing cryptical, yet [...] is not to bee referred to Euphrates, or the Trench, but to Tigris, as the same Autor expoundeth [Page 192] himself in Euterp, where hee plainly saith, that Tigris run's by Ninive. Arrian in his book of the affairs of old India speaking of Tigris thus writeth, [...], &c. that is, Tigris runing out of Armenia antiently a great and famous Citie, Arrian. re­rum Indie. &c. where a trustie and faithful Writer hath plainly set down our desire. To these wee add the last and greatest, our master Ptolomie, according to whom wee have placed this Citie upon this River towards the Sun rising.

Besides this consent of the Greeks, summ up the whole truth in the Autoritie of an Hebrew Geographer, and hee, testis oculatus, to wit, the forenamed Benjamin Tudelensis in his Itinerarie, where making mention of that Citie which the Arabians call, [...] Benjamin. Itinerar. fol. and others from them [...] Almozal, saith that Citie is built upon Hiddekel (that is Tigris) on the one side, over against Ninive, a bridg onely between it and Ninive; if therefore Mosal bee built upon Tigris, there beeing but a Bridg between it and Ninive, it is appa­rent in the judgment of an eie-witness, that wee have pla­ced it where it should bee. Onely Diodorus dissenteth whe­ther by an error in the Text, or by misinformation, one or other it is likely: for wee must not forsake all these, to lean to one. The reason of his error might bee, becaus in sine these two Rivers meet and becom one and the same.

Ninus therefore was set upon Tigris, not as Diodorus up­on Euphrates, nor upon the River Lycus, as M Nicolas Ful­ler in his Miscellanea, who for that opinion citeth all those almost, whom wee have introduced for the contrarie, adding also Ammianus Marcellinus, an Autor as hee saith beyond all exception, which wee denie not; onely this wee have found, that both hee and the rest are by Fuller in this mat­ter misinterpreted, as hee that diligently readeth shall bee readie to testifie. For the situation thus much. For the circuit and compass thereof, the Prophet Jonah describeth it to bee a great Citie, [...] Jonae. 3. even in the eies of God, of three daies journie, Diodorus saith, that the sides thereof were inaequi­later, the longest sides containing 150 furlongs in length, [Page 193] the shortest 90. According to which dimension of the parts, the whole circuit must bee 480 furlongs, which divided by eight, set off for the Quotient 60, the number of English miles, measuring the compass of this citie. The words of Diodorus are these, [...], &c. where the Autor having discoursed upon the immens and ample circuit of Ninus, addeth, That the Founder fail­ed not of his purpose: for after him (saith hee) never anie erected the like Citie, whether wee respect the greatness of the Compass, or the stateliness of the Walls: for the Walls were in height one hundred foot, and so thick that three Charriots might ride upon the breadth together. Hee addeth also, that the walls were beset with a thousand and five hundred Towers; each of them erected to the height of two hundred foot. So far Diodorus: whom after ages may for ever gratifie for this pretious monument of Antiquitie, (which hee alone seemeth to have preserved) for the illustrati­on of that which the Holie Ghost in Scripture more then once inculcate's concerning this vast and mightie Ninive.

That Citie of Babel and this of Ninive by a fatal vicissitude held up the Assyrian Monarchie, till the time of Daziavesh the Mede, and Cyrus the Persian. It suffered manie over­throws, before it received it's last: two famous, the one by the irruption of the River Tigris, which at an inundation broke out upon the w [...]ll, and threw down twentie furlongs thereof, which destruction, (notwithstanding the stream of Interpreters run's oth [...]rwise) yet let the Learned inquire whether it were not plainly foretold by the Prophet Na­chum in those words [...] that is, And with an Inundation passing by, hee shall make a full end. Nachum c. 1 versu. [Page 194] [...]. Septuag. Chro­nologie seemeth to denie this interpretation; but each man must consider, that the time of this Prophet, or his Pro­phecie is not determinate by anie autoritie of Antiquitie, and therefore in the Moderns can bee but conjectural. That the River made this ruine, [...]. Diodorus is a pregnant witness. The second destruction was undertaken and ended by Ne­buchadonosor the King of Babel, as the Jews in their Chro­nologie testifie: So Rabbi Saadias upon the Prophet Da­niel. And indeed this Citie was too great to bee destroied at once, beeing as wee have said 60 miles in compass. The Reader at the first sight may judg it incredible, Hee should saie twelve thousand. See Joha Leo Affrica­nus. were not Alcaire in Egypt at this daie extant to correct his unbelief; a place, as Buntingius hath noted, no less in circuit; and so populous, that there once died of the Plague in one daie twentie thousand.

The Prophet Jonah writeth, that in the citie of Ninive, by the testimonie of God himself, were more then one hun­dred and twentie thousand persons, which could not discern between their right hand and their left. If there were so manie children, then at the proportion, the inhabitants were almost innumerable.

The Tomb of Ninus was almost as admirable as the Citie; but of that in his Life.

It may now bee said of Ninive, which once was of a great Citie in Strabo, Magna Civitas magna Solitudo: The greater Ninive was, the greater are her ruines: for now, The rejoicing Citie that dwelt carelesly, that said in her heart I am, and there is none besides mee, how is shee becom a desolation? a place for beasts to lie down in; everie one that passeth by her shall hiss and wag his head. Zephan. 2.15. Against this Citie prophecied Jonah, Nachum, Zephanie, &c.

It is at this daie falsely called Mosall, and at that place Nestorius his Sectaries have taken their Shelter, that Heretick of Constantinople condemned by a Synod at Ephesus, &c.

Arbelitis. [...] Ir. Bel.Next unto Adiabene is Arbelitis, so called from the most antient citie Arbela, which notwithstanding, what Strabo hath said of the son of Athmoneus, I would diligently de­rive [Page 195] of [...] Ir Bel, that is the Citie of Belus, who was no doubt the first founder thereof, after the death of Nimrod. At Arbela was that bloodie battel between Dar­javesh and the great Alexander for the Empire of the world, as the common tale goe's: but Arrian in the description of this expedition affirmeth the contrarie, from the testimonie of two eie-witnesses, Ptolemaeus and Aristobulus: adding that the battel was pitcht at Gaugamela; the same thing Plutarch hath observed. [...], Scaliger giveth the reason of this mistake, Becaus, saith hee, Arbela was famous, and therefore better deserved to car­rie awaie the credit of such a victorie then Gaugamela, a poor obscure Village, which before him Arrian hath said, Solinus. Arrianus in expeditione Alexandri. Strabo lib. 16. Geog. Scaliger in lib. de emen­datione tem­porum. [...] Gaugamela intestina Ca­meli signifi­cans. [...]. Gaugamela (saith hee) is no citie, but a village, and but a little village, the place no waie fa­mous, and bearing but a homely name. And therefore hee saith, [...]. Whereas hee saith that Gaugamela is known but by a homely name, it deserv's further enquirie. Scaliger saith, that the word Gaugamela is in the language of the place as much as the inwards of a Camel, which signification the word indeed will bear in the Assyrian tongue, but for what reason? The learned Critick answer's, That som of the Antients have said that a Camel's Inwards were there in­terred. Causabon in his notes upon Strabo, deriveth it from Geh and Gamal, Geh signifying an eminent high place; but Strabo himself hath given the best, and the most antient E­tymon, who setteth down that it was called Gaugamela, that is, saith hee, the Hous of a Camel: and this will hold, for so Gaugamele might with a facile error bee written for Nau­gamela, there beeing no difference between Gimel and Nun, [...] but a smal apex or excrescence, which oft-times escape's the Printers diligence, and more often might the Transcriber's haste: and seeing it was Naugamela from [...] and [...] Nauh Gamal, it signifieth properly and aptly the hous or habita­tio of a Camel. The reason of this imposition is well ren­dred [Page 196] by Strabo, becaus saith hee, Darius the son of Hystaspis bestowed that place of rest and food upon his wearie faint­ing Camel, which had tired out himself in his hard service. At Gaugamela therefore, not at Arbele was fought that fa­mous battel of the two mightie Monarchs for the Diademe of the world, which fortunate Alexander brought awaie, Heaven it self bearing witness thereto by an Eclips of the Moon.

Not far from Arbela is the Mountain Nicatorium [...], as Strabo cal's it (for in Ptolemie wee finde it not) A­lexander the Great gave it that name from [...], Ptolomaeus lib. Gaeog. vinco, that it might bee, as to this daie it is, a constant Trophie of that famous victorie which this King atcheiv'd at Gaugamela.

In this Countrie of Arbelitis, Strabo also placeth the Ci­tie Demetrias, as also the Temple of Aeneas, and the Palace of the King of Persia, with the bituminous Fountain, all which wee have set down according to his description.

Upon the River Caprus standeth Oroba; which Junius well conjectureth to bee no other, then that which Moses in Genesis calleth Rehoboth. In the South coast of Arbelitis, be­tween Caprus and Gorgus, Ptolomie placeth Thelbe, which perhaps was so called from Tubal, as also another Citie pla­ced by the same Ptolomie in Babylonia without our Chart, so called out of doubt from Tubalcain, for hee writeth Thelbe­cain with no great error.

Arrapachiti­dis regio.Next to Arbel [...]tis is Arrhapachitis, so called from Arrhapa, a Citie lying in this coast East and South upon the limits of Apolloniatis. This Arrhapachitis, Junius had once conceived to bee no other but Arpatis, and the chief citie thereof to have been that Arpad, which is spoken of in the Kings, and elswhere: but this Learned Commentator correcteth him­self in the 49 of the Prophet Jeremie, vers. the 23. This Coast doubtless took it's name Arpachetis, from Arphacsad, the son of Sem, and brother to the founder Assur. Here lieth Darna, Obana and the rest, places better known by their names then ought els. Next them the Sambatae, and below Appolloniatis, famous for the Metropolis from whence it had it's name. These names are reckoned up by [Page 197] Vadian, Glarean, Volateran, and Niger; men who altogether followed Ptolomie in their Chronographie of the Land of Ashur: more then the names will hardly bee found either in them or elswhere, onely Apollonia, nor much of that. But [...] deserv's our consideration, for which wee gra­tifie old Isidore the Characenian cited by Athenaeus, for other­wise wee had never attained to the knowledg of that place which Moses calleth Calanne in the land of Singar, for that Calanne without question is the Metropolis of this Countrie Calonitis which our Autor old Isidore calleth [...], as wee have placed it. [...] saith hee, lieth so, [...] &c. that it is separated from the Medes by the Mountain [...], as wee have said.

Thus wee have indeavoured the delineation of the fa­mous frontiers of old Ashur, which the reader if hee pleas may behold in our Chart; alwaies provided that hee bee not offended at this, that wee have drawen the lowest paral­lel equal to the highest of that Latitude; for 'tis easily known to my slender skil, that seeing Topographical plains are all portions cut out of the entire Sphears, there­fore the Parallels as they increas in Latitude ought to bear a different proportion to their Meridians: yet this curious cours wee took not in a matter that needeth it not, but projected the Chart upon a Parallelogram, becaus in a di­stance no greater, for a purpose of no greater moment, the disproportion can nothing prejudice the Description.

THe State-Government of Assyria was Regal, it began in Tyrannie, [...] contra­rium quod▪ Imperio reg. id est, [...]. which Aristotle cal's the Vice of a Mo­narchie: it continued under the succession of absolute Princes from Jove Bel to Belshazar. The policie which this Countrie did enjoie was as in all other Kingdoms, Ecclesi­astical and Civil. In their Ecclesiastical policie wee consi­der their Religion. God they served, but not the true; nor one, but manie and fals. their Deities, for the most part, were placed in Heaven; the Sun, Moon and Stars; and in­deed, [Page 198] were men allowed to chuse themselvs a God: this was somwhat a tolerable impietie, for such great Astronomers to adore the Host of Heaven.

The Manner how they worshiped the Sun is set down by Macrobius, Macrobius Saturna pri­mo. Cap. 17 et 23. who describeth the Image under which this Pla­net was adored, adding unto his description a Symbolical interpretation. To the Sun they sacrificed Horses, and the [...]. Herodot. lib. secundo De Mapogetis loquens. idem etiam Xenophon de Armeniis scribit, eandem etiam caussam reddens lib. quarto, [...]. reason was, becaus they judged it convenient, that the most nimble God should bee served with the swiftest Obla­tions. The Altars whereupon these Sacrifices were offered, they erected either in open Courts, as 2 Reg. Chap. 21. vers 5. or els upon the tops of their Houses, as Zeph. 1.5.

Isaiah. Tremelius supposeth that the Prophet intendeth this God of the Sun by that which hee calleth Nebo, but that deserv­eth further enquirie: Doubtless Nebo was som notable Sta­tue among the Teraphins, and what they were wee will now strive to discover. [...] Taraph the root and singular of Teraphim seemeth properly to have signified anie dishonest disgraceful matter, [...] as Elias Tisbites intimateth in the word Taraph; where also hee insinuate's both the affinitie and Etymologie of the Latine word turpitudo, from this Hebrew word Taraph. For so saith hee the Latines call, id quod turpe est [...] Turpitudo. Turpitudo Tesbites in Taraph. And for this caus the Hebrews called that Magical divination of their Heathen neighbours which was made by inchanted Heads and Statues Turpah, and those Images so charmed Teraphim: [...] Ex Pirke R. Eliazer perec. [...] for the Teraphim were certain Lares or houshold-Gods in which the Divel made answer to the simple Heathen; their making is thus set forth by Tisbites out of Rabbi Eliezer. in the 36 Chapter [Page 199] whose words wee may render in this manner, speaking of those Idols, I have found (saith hee) that the Teraphim are thus contrived. They cut the throat of a first born male, they pul off his head and powder it with salt and odors, (Then) they write upon a plate of Gold the name of an unclean Spirit putting that under the head, then place they this head upon som wall, set­ing burning Lamps before it, and so worship in the presence thereof, and of these Laban asked counsel, &c. as wee have set down in the margine foregoing. So the Chaldee Paraphrast in Hosee rendreth Teraphim by [...] Mechauvi, Indicans, shew­ing or declaring: For that was the condition of these Te­raphim, as Rabbi Chimchi also approveth in the Root Taraph and Delrio an expert Magician in his Animadversions upon the words of Laban.

The like is set down in the Book of R. Simeon Ben Jo­chai which is called Zohar. fol. [...] upon the words of Mo­ses, [...] And Laban went, &c. It is therefore manifest, See M. Sel­den De Diis Syris. that the Teraphim were nothing els but the heads of first born males, made and erected under the influence of som certain Planet under whom som certain Spirit (as Orifieb over Sa­turn was predominant, whose name must bee ingraven in som thin plate, and placed ceremoniously under the Head, this don, Lamps must bee solemnly burned before it, and then after som diabolical Exorcisms, Necromantically per­formed the head shall prove vocal. The tale goe's current amongst us, that our Countrieman Roger Bacon once framed such a kinde of Magical Machination in Brass. Doubtless Albert the Great spent thirtie years to frame out a statue like a man, and in the end by the apt composure of certain en­gines and manie moovable machinations, Aquinas hearing the statue speak brake it to pieces. taught the Image to speak; but 'twas much, if not Magick: for speak it did and that so Articulately, that it well nigh frighted a great Schoolman out of his wits, even Thomas Aquinas himself, as Boterus relateth.

That which persuadeth us that the Idol Nebo was one of the Teraphim, is the Etymon of the name; for Nebo is deri­ved from a root, which signifieth to Prophecie or Divine, as they did by the Teraphim, for that reason of the word is ren­dred [Page 200] by the Jews. [...] Cae [...]era lege in loco Citato [...], &c. The [...]c. in pharma­ceutria. [...], &c. Scholiast [...]. Scholiastes ibidem. Qui sese pu­rificant in hortis po­nè Achad in medio, come­dentes car­nem porci, Abeminatio­nis, & mu­ris, confun­dentur unà dictum Je­hovae. Isa. cap. ultimo. So Abarbines upon that place in Isaiah, Nebo stoopeth.) That the Assyrians used Teraphim is mani­fest by the Storie of Laban. That they were noted Magiti­ans and Astrologers, Simoetha the Witch in Theocritus doth manifestly declare, where speaking of her Veneficial Philtra, shee confesseth to the Moon in the Dorick Language that shee learned those tricks of a Traveller that came from the Land of Ashur, that is, (saith the Scholiast) from a friend of hers that was an Assyrian. Who also addeth, that the Assyrians were a Nation in Magick most exact. And therefore seeing it cannot bee determined for certain what this Nebo should bee, I know not why this conjecture may not with others have it's pardon, seeing it hath brought som probabilitie.

That therefore the Assyrians worshiped the Sun, 'tis manifest: as also that they worshiped him not under the name of Nabo; this Nabo beeing, as wee have conjectured, som one more noted then the rest among the Teraphim, but if anie pleas to ask Antiquitie for the name of this great God the Sun, hee shall finde his Answer in Macrobius, who tel­eth us that the great God of Ashur was the Sun, and that his name was Adad; which, saith hee, by Interpretation signifi­eth (one) so indeed [...] Ada in the Assyrian tongue doth signifie from the Hebrew [...] Achad, unus. A grea­ter testimonie of this Idolatrie then Macrobius, wee finde in the Prophet Esay in the last Chapter, where God threatneth to confound those that purifie themselvs in Gardens ( [...] saith the Text) Achar Achad, behind Achad that is ei­ther the Temple, or rather sim Idol erected to the honor of the Sun, not unhappily placed in the midst of their Gardens, where each spectator might dailie behold and admire the pregnant effects of the Sun's vigorous in­fluence, and powerful operation. 'Tis the accurate inter­pretation of the learned Scaliger, in his notes upon the Greek Fragments, page 35, approved also by another Sca­liger of our own, M. John Selden in that choice work of his upon the Syrian Gods. Both these consent that the Ido­latrous Rites spoken of in the same vers, make but up a su­perstitious [Page 201] kinde of Lustration. The former part of their gloss is undoubtedly true, the later whether it bee or no, it is no waie necessarie for this place, nor (since they have saied it) these years to determine. If wee nothing help, it shall nothing hinder that wee add thereunto; that in the vers, as wee have set down, mention is made of Mice which bear their share in the Abomination, for so saith the Text. They that purifie themselvs in Gardens behinde Achad, in the mid­dle, eating Abominable flesh, as of Swine and Mice, &c.

Alexander ab Alexandro relateth the most of the Antient kindes of Lustrations, but maketh no mention of Mice. yet it is to bee noted, that manie rites performed in these Exercises, were altogether Magical; in that sens the Mice may take place, and com within the verge of their Gloss: for a Mous is [...], an Elf which Conjurers are not unacquainted with. Hear what they say.

Take the liver of a Mous and give it in a Fig to the Swine and they shall follow the doner which waie or whither hee listeth. Pierius de Mure. Pierius in his admirable discours upon the Aegy­ptian Hieroglyphicks introduceth an experiment to prove this Charm, which himself saw at Patavium.

All this is the more probable, becaus as wee have alrea­die prooved, our Assyrians were greatly given to exorcisms.

And so wee have don with their Idolatrie to the Sun.

Herodotus telleth further, that these Assyrians also wor­shiped the Moon, and good reason, or els they had no God all night, a time as I suppose, wherein they had most need. They worshiped the Moon under the name of My­litta, which word Scaliger hath well noted, [...] Mylitta, Mylitta, sig. [...] In Notis ad fragmenta Vet. Graeco­rum, &c. in their Language signifieth Genetricem, in which sens it may not unaptly bee applied to the Moon, whose power though ordinarie, Philosophie supposeth to bee meerly passive, yet not without a Contradiction, the same Philoso­phie allowing the light of the Sun to have a sensible and necessarie activitie upon the inferior bodies, allowing al­so the light of the Moon to bee borrowed from the Sun, and 'twere a notable incongruitie, that the same light should bee active in the Sun, and passive in the Moon; but if the [Page 202] Moon did nothing help the second causses in Generation, yet in the bringing forth 'tis evident, for this is most cer­tain, though everie Midwife hath not observed so much, that the most easie deliverie a woman can have, is alwaies in the increas, toward and in the full of the Moon, and the hardest labors in the new and silent Moon; which Astrono­mers call the Synode or Conjunction, which was the reason that the Midwives heretofore did alwaies in such a case im­plore the aide of this Planet, for the safe and easie deliverie of their Infants. Terent. An­dria. An Example hereof wee may have one a­mong manie in the Comedie, where the woman in the ex­tremitie of her travel, crie's out to the Moon, O Juno Luci­na fer opem. And this amongst others must needs bee a rea­son why our Assyrian worshipped the Moon, and why they worshiped her under that name. The Prophet Jeremie maketh mention of this worship in the 7 Chapter, where hee calleth the Moon the Queen of Heaven, as our English Translation hath verie well rendred. [...] Reginae Coe­terum. The Prophet addeth that the Women made Cakes to this Queen; And why the Women? First becaus the Moon was a Queen. 2. Be­caus the Women at their labor were most beholding to the Moon, who by her great moisture mollifie's the Secundine and make's the passage easie for the deliverie of their chil­dren. This Custom of offering Cakes to the Moon our Ancestors may seem not to have been ignorant of; to this daie our women make Cakes at such times, yea the childe it self is no sooner born, but 'tis baptized into the names of these Cakes; for so the women call their babes Cake-bread. Add hereunto that the Saxons did Adore the the Moon, to whom they set a daie apart, which to this daie wee call Moon-daie.

And thus wee have run through the chiefest Idolatries of this Nation: much more might bee said, and perhaps hereafter shall bee: in the mean time wee will onely add a Conjecture concerning Nisroc. Sennacherib, as hee worship­ed in the hous of Nisroc, was slain by his two sons; who or what this Nisroc should bee, is so doutbtful, that Peter Mar­tyr could finde nothing in all the Antient Writers to ex­plain [Page 203] the matter, his own opinion dependeth upon the E­tymon of the word Nesrac which signifieth (as hee saith) Deum fugae mollis, a God or a Jove [...], whither as to a Sanctuarie Sennacherib might betake himself, it may bee so, I rather suppose, if I may bee so bold, that rac in this place signifie's the Sun; for so this people somtimes cal­led the Sun, as Francis Junius hath noted upon Shad­rac in the Prophet Daniel. So then this Temple was an Asylum built in Ninive, to the Honor and under the pro­tection of the Sun, who was therefore called Nesrac, that is the Sun of flight, for the reason given.

It might bee added how these Nations applyed their de­votion to the rest of the Planets, as to Venus that is Shar: in the honor of whom their Feasts were celebrated by the same rites that the Romane Saturnalia, the servants sitting down, and their masters attending: So also wee might put in Chiun, whom som cal Saturn, but of these, See M. Sel­den. for ought I finde the matter is not so manifest; 'tis onely apparent that they worshiped the Sun and Moon chiefly: and the rest of the Host of Heaven in their order: but of that order and manner wee have nothing certain yet to saie, time may perhaps favor our industrie, and make us acquainted here­after with that, which now wee must not bee ashamed to confess our selvs ignorant of. In the interim, wee must content our selvs with what hath been said, briefly con­cerning their religious politie. Their Civil customs shall now take their places.

The King of Ashur was assisted in the Civil Government by a trebble Magistracie, chosen all out of the gravest and most noble within the Realm; The first sort were to look to the placing of their Virgins according to that manner which shall hereafter bee declared: as also to give judgment in Matters of Adulterie, &c. The second in matters of Theft: The third in the rest.

Physitians these people have none, they being such who cannot save anie man by their profession, till they have lost som by their practice. The custom here was, that all disea­sed persons should bee conducted to the Market-place, con­venient [Page 204] provision beeing made for their safetie there. The reason was, that all passengers by should visit them, by in­quiring out the nature of their diseas, and giving counsel for the remedie out of profitable experience made by them­selvs, either in themselvs or som others, upon the like occa­sion. And to this purpose it was provided by a perempto­rie Statute, that no man should dare to pass by the Market-place, till hee had made such inquisition as is aforesaid. He­rod. in Clio. Strab. lib. 16.

In this Countrie, it was not in the power of a private man to bestow his daughter in Mariage, but this was don by a publick Officer appointed for that purpose. The manner was thus.

Once everie year, all mariageable Virgins were brought by that officer into the Market-place, and there set to Sale; if they were beautiful, the fairest to those that gave most: when all the best were thus bestowed, the Monie which was paied in for them, was given to the rest which were not so comelie and meritorious in their beautie; everie one beeing supplied with a dowrie pro­portioned to her want: By this means it came to pass, that still the Gentrie and most wealthie amongst the Men had the fairest among the Women, they beeing best a­ble both to buie them and to keep them. Contrarily, the Commons and poorer people, Strabo. Herod. ibid. who had not means to compass the best, had means given them to bee content with the worst. A Law not so provident as plausible, and however it fitted their Common wealth, it would bee ve­rie unapt for ours.

Here followeth a Custom most detestable and unfit for anie. Everie woman throughout all the Countrie, was bound once in their lives to repair to the Temple of Ve­nus, and there to prostitute their bodies to whomsoever, that would but throw down a certain piece of monie, were it less, or more; which monie was given to the Temple, and to the honor of the Goddess. Their man­ner was thus. The Women sate down in the Temple, di­stinguished one from another by little lines of Cord, which [Page 205] hee that would might take awaie, or break, if the Woman seem'd to bee coie; and so take their Strumpet out of the Temple into a by-corner, &c.

The Epistle of Hieremie, (if that bee his which wee finde annexed to the Apocryphal Baruch) maketh mention of this horrible and impious practice.

[...].

And the women encompassed with lines, sit down in he Allies, burning Bran for perfume: but if anie of them drawn by som that passeth by lie with him, shee reprocheth her fellow that shee was not thought as worthie as her self, nor her Cord broken.

This Venus also they called Mylitta, as they might for as good reason as they did the Moon: but as in their Gods so in the names of their Gods, hee that readeth shall finde notable confusion. Master Selden understandeth by Suc­coth Benoth, nothing els but this Temple or Tabernacle of Venus: from Benoth also hee deriveth her name. Let the Learned examine it. Bee the conceit true or fals, it is attended with an egregious dexteritie in the cariage, and probabilitie in the conjecture.

The Assyrians burie their dead Corps in Honie, for the most part, and cover over the bodies with the Wax, their manner of Lamentations for the Dead, is to beat their breasts, and to besmear their faces with dirt not un­like in this to the Egyptians, Strabo. Herod. of whom, see what Herodotus writeth in Euterpe.

Arrian maketh mention of certain Sepulcres of the Kings of Ashur found by Alexander amongst the Fenns in Babilonia:

[...]. Lib. 7. expe­dit. Alex. A like place to this I have not as yet found, &c.

Their Habite in Apparel was to wear long garments, one without of Woollen, another under that of Linnen, wee may [Page 206] call the first a Goat, the other a shirt; they had without these a white Mantle. They alwaies wore rings upon their fingers not without a seal, they never walked without a staff, and their staves had knobs carved with a Rose, or Lilie, or such like. Herod. Strabo. ibid,

Against Ashur prophecied Balaam the Magician, Esaie, Je­remie, Zephanie, Nahum, and others.

And this was the State of antient Ashur, in her flo­rishing times, under the famous Rulers of the first Mo­narchie.

In this Countrie these Kings acted their parts, especi­ally at Babel and Ninive; the Assyrian one while bearing Rule, otherwhile the Babylonian: as hereafter shall ap­pear.

Having thus briefly and rudely surveied the position and disposition of the Land of Ashur, peculiarly and pro­perly taken, especially the two famous and Royall Seats of the Assyrian Monarchie, Ninive in Ashur, and Babel in her borders: it remaineth that wee address our selvs to di­scours the succession of her Kings, which Chronological­ly undertaken, ought according to the rules of that Art, to proceed either per [...], as the master Chronologer Eusebius hath don in his first books; or els per annos expansos, as the same hath don in his second. Upon which see Scaliger's most learned Animadversions, and his Notes upon the first.

But the injuries of time have so far prevailed against the Method of this Monarchie, that wee cannot make use of anie of these artificial waies, the wounds in our golden head beeing so near to mortal, that no Principle or Rule in Art may touch them to the quick; and therefore our in­dustrie must attemper it self to the necessitie of this Ataxie and confusion, which the neglect of Ages past hath breed in this unfortunate portion of Historie.

The first therefore and most Antient Description of this Kingdom of Ashur was performed by God himself, who upon a time discovered to the King of Babel, in the night Visions, the State and nature of this Monarchie under [Page 207] the form and figure of a golden Head: under the form of a Head, becaus it bare the first and chiefest place among those Governments which were eminent in the World. A Head of Gold; First, becaus it was the most renowned among the Monarchies, as Gold among the Metals. 2. For it's great and admired Strength; Gold beeing the strongest of all Metals, becaus best and most neerly compacted. And for this caus also, this Kingdom in another Dream of the Prophet's own, is compared to a Lion. 3. For it's Perpe­tuitie; Gold beeing the most durable Metal; and this Mo­narchie of the longest continuance, which also seemeth to bee intended by the Eagle's wings upon the Lion; for the Eagle is observed to bee of a lasting constitution, as King David intimateth in the 5. vers of the 103 Psalm, and not­withstanding this bird continued long, yet shee might live much longer, but that her upper beak crooketh in time over the lower, and so shee faileth, not with age, but hunger.

See here the Prophets own Monument, as it is preserved unto us in the tongue of the Chaldeans.

[Page 209]

[Page 210]In this choice Lecture of Antiquitie, which the Antient of daies vouchsafed to read to his Prophet Daniel, to illustrate the night and darkness of the King of Babel's dream; wee finde the vast affairs of the wider World, summ'd up into a Microcosm, a stately statue of Heterogeneous structure, indigitates the various passages and different occurrences, which had been, or were to bee in the world; and all this in a Dream, becaus all these things should pass awaie like a Vision of the night.

In the Golden Head, behold pourtraied, as it were, the face of the first Monarchie. In the breast of Silver, be­hold the second, stretching out her two arms over the two mightie Kingdoms of Media and Persia. The brasen paunch swels out in the ambition of proud Alexander. The thighs of the same Metal, but weakned by division, represent the Successors of that great Captain, in special the 2 more noted Rulers of the North and South. The Iron-leggs light­ing upon an Age like themselvs, stand out for the So most of the Writers determine though I will not as yet, but in the mean time I have set down the most or­dinarie. Romane furie, whose Martial presumption, under the protection of their Grandsire the God of Battel, crusht the rest of the World in pieces like a Potter's Vessel. In the heat of these Commotions, behold a Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands, and falling upon the Statue grind's it to powder. This Stone the builders refused, but is now be­com the head of the corner. 'Tis that Rock Christ, who in­stead of all these petit Dynastie's, hath introduced an ever­lasting kingdom, but his Kingdom is not of this World. In the continuance and encreas of this spiritual Dominion, the strong union of the Iron legs devide's it self, and be­com's partly Claie, whilest the Romane Eagle displaied with two Heads, declare's that the power of Rome is impart­ed to Constantinople, and the Western Empire fallen under the rising of the Eastern.

Letting pass the rest of the members, onely the head is that which wee intend to discours of.

A golden Head, this Prophet stile's it, bee it so: but it is now so far distempered with the drossie injuries of time, that the greatest Alchimist in Historie can scarce extract one [Page 211] dram of the pure and primigenious metal. Annius a Dutch Monk undertook the cure of this broken Head, thinking to salv up the matter, by stuffing up the wound with forged fragments, obtruded to the World under the securitie of old promissing names of undoubted Grandies in Antiquitie; Egyptian, as Manetho; Chaldeän, as Berosus; Persian, as Megasthenes, whom hee falsly calleth Metasthenes. Munster undertook the defence of this Annius his Countrie­man, but without caus or Commendation, hee that would hear his reasons let him repair to his Cosmographie; Munsteri Cosmograph. l. 3. c. 8. pag. 362. and read the begining of his discours concerning Germanie: manie a creadulous Reader hath been deceived, by giving too much reverence to naked names for Berosus his sake, be­lieving Annius in that of Berosus, which Berosus never drea­med of.

Scaliger therefore upon better consideration and stricter examination, seriously abhor's him. Calvisius both re­fute's him and condemn's him: No master in Historie, but denie's him: wee may conclude him therefore Adulterine, and yet not indictâ caussâ: for in the continuance of this discours, wee shall be disturbed with unhappie opportunities to prove him so to bee. In the mean time, this supposititious crew shall nothing prejudice those precious relicks of lawful Antiquitie, though they bear the same name with the Autor of these spurious pieces: for to refuse the good becaus the bad have usurped their names, were a consequence most prepo­sterous, best fitting the stubborn Logick of a Jew, who therefore abhorred the true Christ when hee came, becaus there had been before him a fals Messias called by the name of Jesus of Nazaret.

Leaving therefore this faithless Monk to his unadvised admirers, wee will follow the steps of sacred Moses, and the best of those Jewish glosses, whose Autors have sate in Moses's seat; where these fail us, wee shall have recours to the better Berosus of the two, to the true Manetho, Mega­sthenes, Alexander Polyhistor, Diodarus, Herodotus, and Di­onysius of Halicarnassus, &c. adding conjectures where ne­cessitie enforceth, but with that moderation that shall best [Page 212] becom our Minoritie. In the later part of the Monarchie, the sacred style of the Holie Ghost will help us in the high Priest's Annals or Chronicles, in the Prophets Esaie, and Daniel and els-where. Had the entire works of Berosus the Chaldean Priest remained perfect to these daies, or those two Volumes which Juba wrote concerning the state of Ashur, this labor might have had better success: wee should also have been much enformed by Abydenus, had not hee suffered wrack with the rest under the injurious behaviour of a care­less age: however wee will make the more of those chois remainders which are yet left; out of which wee will endea­vour tenderly and carefully to gather together the decaied pieces of this maimed Monarchie.

Though this Historical work in hand bee in nature pra­ctick, yet it must bee indebted to the Theorie of this Art, for som certain terms, as Aera's or Epoches, Characters of the Sun and Moon's Circle, the Eclipses, and the Letters Dominical. First of all an Aera in Theorical Historie, is a certain bound or Terminus à quo, whereby they restrain the infinitie and indifferencie of Computation. It was called Aera from an indifferent error which escaped the Transcri­bers of the Spanish Computation. In Libro de correctione Anni. So Sepulveda (and hee a Spaniard) conceiveth in his book of the Correction of the Romane Year, where hee saith that His antient Countrie­men for the great respect they bear to Augustus Caesar, thought nothing more worthie then his Name, from whence mat­ters Noteable might bear their Date; and therefore when they would point out a Time wherein such or such a thing was don; they said, Annus erat Augusti, it was such a year of Augustus: that form in time began to bee contracted when men wrote in haste, so that instead of Annus erat Au­gusti, they set A. er. A. and after a little more negligence put this together and spelt it into a word of Art; so that now Aera in Historie signifieth a determinate and set time from whence Chronologers account their years, as each man dateth his Letter in the Aera of our Lord, when hee setteth down (as wee do at this time) dated the 20 of De­cember, in the Year, that is, in the Aera of Christ, 1630.

[Page 213] Scaliger lighting upon this Conjecture of Sepulveda, re­prehend's both the Conceit, and the Autor; Lib. de E­mendatione temporum. the Conceit becaus fals, as hee intimateth in the Chap. De Aera Hispanica, mainteining that the word Aera signified as much with the Antient Latines, as Summa, and that in old Spanish Mo­numents, it was not set Aera, but Era, and therefore could not bee corrupted out of A. er. A. The Autor hee repre­hendeth, becaus hee seemeth to bee so far in love with this new Conceit, that for no other reason hee writ the whole Book of the correction of the Romane Year, onely to ac­quaint the World with this plausible devise. A hard cen­sure from a matchless man, for whom it had been happie that hee had been ignorant but of this one thing, that hee knew so much. James Christman, Keckerman's most learned Master, fetcheth this word out of his Arabi [...]k. It was cal­led Aera saith hee, from Arah; which in the Arabians tongue signifieth computare, to reckon. Ch [...]istm. i [...] lib. de conne­xione Anno­rum. The Reader may enjoie the priviledg of this varietie, and take his Chois, if hee take them all, hee may perchance lack the right, and hee shall not take much amiss if hee take anie; by either, and by that wee have said hee may easily understand in what manner the word is used in Historie.

In stead of Aera which the Latines used, the Greeks write Epoche, the same in effect; it beeing derived from the word [...]; signifying inhibere, becaus an Aera or Epoche doth restrain matters noted in Antiquitie to that certain time which is so called. Concerning the Circle of the Sun and Moon each Almanack can tell; as for Eclipses, Simplicius in Secun [...] lib. de Coelo. the Ba­bylonians beeing great Astronomers observed the most that were visible in the Horizon of Ashur during the space of this Monarchie, as Misthenes searched out in the Chaldean Ar­chives, at the request of Aristotle in the time of Alexander; but these [...] came not to our hands, where anie such observation shall bee found to bee, wee will make use of that which is left, and griev for what is lost.

That which first require's our diligence, is to finde out whither this Monarchie were the first; which will prove a question, though it is not ordinarily doubted of. The rea­son [Page 214] of the Question is the account of Affricanus; which Scaliger following findeth it to reach backward beyond the Flood, and therefore hee setteth down according to Julius Affricanus, two Dynastics before this of the Assyrians; the first of the Chaldeans whose State was overthrown by the Arabians, In libello Ca­nonum Isa­gogic. and then theirs by the Babylonians. The Scripture maketh no mention of anie King before Nimrod, and this Monarchie of Syria is amongst all the Greeks and Latines accounted the most antient; yet if it were as Julius saith, then were they but som petit governments, or els, which is most true, this Assyrian Monarchie was the first after the Flood, R. Aben Ez­ra. which also is the verie minde and speech of a great Doctor among the Jews.

The second thing to bee don, is to finde out the Aera of this Monarchie, when it first began; which that it may bee the better performed, wee must first make sure of the great and grand Epoche of the World's Creätion, unto which the most of Nations direct their Chronologies. Supposing therefore out of Christian Philosophie, that this World had a begining, 'tis most probable that it began in som Car­dinal point of the Celestial Motions, either in the Solstice, or in the Equinox. Gerard Mercator supposeth the Worlds Creätion to have been about the Summer Solstice, the Sun beeing in Aries, but the Contrarie will appear. The greatest controversie hold's to the Equinoxes, the most holding that the Creätion was in the Vernal Equinox; the best, in the Autumnal. The Saeder Olam or Jewish Chronologie re­lates, that there was a great disputation between Rabbi Jo­sue and Rabbi Eliezer concerning this Aera: Rabbi Josue striving for the Vernal, Eliezer for the Autumnal: The Latter will bee found to bee the most Orthodox in the opi­nion, as shall thus appear.

And first no man can Question, but that the world be­gan in that Period, from whence the old world reckoned their years, which hee that maketh trial, shall finde to bee from the Autumnal intersection, as is most apparant in ac­counting the time of the Flood. Scaliger in Cap. de Cond. Mundi.

[Page 215]This manner of Computation Abraham taught the Egy­ptians, as an Antient Autor Alexander Polyhistor testifieth. Euseb. l 9. de praep. This Custom the Egyptians long reteined, the Opinion al­waies: for so, according to their minde, Julius Firmicus the great Astrologer reporteth that this was current, that the World was Creäted in posterioribus Librae: as wee finde, saith hee, in the Barbarian Sphear. Hee spake with a respect had to the Phaenomena of his time; but it appeareth plainly what the Egyptian Sphear, which hee calleth Barbarian, See for the reason the great Cri­tick upon the Sphoera Barbarica of Manilius. had de­termined for the Epoche of the World's Creätion.

The like Attestation may bee observed in the Antient Hetrurians, whose custom was at the begining of everie Year, in stead of other Kalendars, to fix a Nail in their great Temple, which Festus Rufus and Livie witness to have been don in the Autumn.

Add hereunto, that Moses calleth that the seventh Moneth, which in som part answereth to the Autumnal Equinox: This Moneth was called Aethanim, which the Chaldie Paraphrast expounding, confirmeth all that hath been said in these words.

The Moneth Aethanim, which is now the seventh, was an­tiently called the first Moneth. Wherefore the Almightie God layed the foundations of this greater World in the first daie of the Week at Even, begining the 26 of October. the first portion of Aries beeing in the first Hous, and the first of Capricorn in the tenth, Libra, in the seventh, and Cancer in the fourth. The Sun, if then hee had been, should have entred the first degree of Libra, Mercurie the twelfth, and Venus the fourteenth: The Moon at the Conjunction: Saturn in the first of Aries, Jupiter in Virgo, Mars in Leo, and the Dragons-head in Pisces.

This was the figure of the Heavens when they were first formed, the same beeing Astronomically calculated and erected according to Tycho's Tables. See Calvisius.

The Aera of the Deluge reckoned from hence will easily appear out of Moses, who listeth to search his Genealogies of the old World, shall finde the summ to bee 1656 years, with a fraction of 46 daies.

[Page 216]The Septuagint accounteth more, the Samaritans less: [...] &c. Computus Sa­mariticus ad Scaligerum, id est, Min Adam el Mocho Meeth Sha­nah, &c, from Adam to his death are 130 years, &c.

Saeder Olam, Rabba & Z [...]tah.That which wee have set down is the account of the Hebrews both in their great Chronologie and the less, and is most agreeable to their great Prophet Moses. These things beeing don; wee shall the better finde out to what Aera our Kingdom of Ashur must bee referred, which shall bee found out in this manner.

A priori this cannot bee, but à posteriori thus. It must bee observed in what year the Citie of Babylon was taken in the time of Alexander the Great, and that may easily bee accomplished by the help of the Olympiads, and Nabonassar's Aera. Calvisius, with others, hath don it to our hands, and it is exact. It was saith hee in the 3619 year of the World. This year of the World was the 1902 year of the Babylonish Monarchie, as the Chaldeans themselvs de­clared to Calisthenes the Philosopher who was imploied in this search, at the intreatie of his Tutor Aristotle, the latter summ beeing deducted from the former, Simplicius in Secund. lib. de Coelo. there remain­eth 1717 the Epoche or Aera which wee sought for within a smal matter. And for this wee are greatly engaged to the dextrous care of our great Philosopher, whose dili­gence if it had not here also helped us, the begining of this Kingdom had put Chronologers to an endlels labor. And now wee dare believe Diodorus; hee saith that the state of Ashur stood from the first to the death of Sardanapalus 1360 years, from thence to the taking of Astyages by Cy­rus, Clesius a Physitian of Cnidus accounteth 313 years, which thing happened in the year of the world 3391, in the first year of the 55 Olympiad: so 313 added 1360 make up the Sum of 1673, which deducted out of 3391 the year of the destruction of the Medes, there remaineth for the Epoche of this Babylonish Monarchie 1718. Wherefore from hence wee must begin to reckon the Acts, Lives, and Successions of these Kings of Ashur: wee begin therefore with the first; to wit, Nimrod.

NIMROD. Annus Mundi 1718. Ante Christ. Nat. 2230. Cycle of the Sun 18. Cycle of the Moon 12.