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unto men, and the concealment of his divinity from the devil, he passed this age like other children, and so proceeded until he evidenced the same. And surely herein no danger there is to affirm the act or performance of that, whereof we acknowledge the power and essential property; and whereby indeed he most nearly convinced the doubt of his humanity.1 Nor need we be afraid to ascribe that unto the incarnate Son, which sometimes is attributed unto the uncarnate Father; of whom it is said, "He that dwelleth in the heavens shall laugh the wicked to scorn." For a laugh there is of contempt or indignation, as well as of mirth and jocosity and that our Saviour was not exempted from the ground hereof, that is, the passion of anger, regulated and rightly ordered by reason, the schools do not deny; and, besides the experience of the money-changers and dovesellers in the temple, is testified by St. John, when he saith the speech of David was fulfilled in our Saviour.*

Now the alogy of this opinion consisteth in the illation; it being not reasonable to conclude from Scripture negatively in points which are not matters of faith, and pertaining unto salvation. And therefore, although in the description of the

* Zelus domus tuæ comedit me.

1 humanity.] The doubt of his humanity was convinced soe many other wayes (before his passion) as by his birth, his circumcision, his hunger at the fig-tree, his compassion and teares over his friend Lazarus, and those other instances here alleaged, that the propertye of risibilitye (which is indeed the usuall instance of the schooles) though it bee inseparable from the nature of man, and incommunicable to any other nature, yet itt does not infer the necessitye of the acte in every individuall subject or person of man; noe more then the power and propertye of numeration (whereof no other creature in the world is capable) can make every man an arithmetician. Itt is likewise recorded of Julius Saturninus, sonne to Philippus (Arabs) the emperor, that from his birth nullo prorsus cujusquam commento ad ridendum moveri potuerit.-Wr.

It is the characteristic description of our Redeemer that "he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Will it not be felt by every Christian, that laughter is utterly out of keeping with the dignity, the character, and office of him, who himself took our infirmities, and bare our sins who spent a life in the endurance of the contradiction of sinners against himself, and in the full and constant contemplation of that awful moment when he was to lay down that life for their sakes? The difficulty would have been to credit the contrary tradition, had it existed.

creation there be no mention of fire,2 Christian philosophy did not think it reasonable presently to annihilate that element, or positively to decree there was no such thing at all.3 Thus, whereas in the brief narration of Moses there is no record of wine before the flood, we cannot satisfactorily conIclude that Noah4 was the first that ever tasted thereof.* And thus, because the word brain is scarce mentioned once, but heart above a hundred times in Holy Scripture, physicians that dispute the principality of parts are not from hence induced to bereave the animal organ of its priority. Wherefore the Scriptures being serious, and commonly omitting such parergies, it will be unreasonable from hence to condemn all laughter, and from considerations inconsiderable to discipline a man out of his nature. For this is by rustical severity to banish all urbanity: whose harmless and confined condition, as it stands commended by morality, so is it consistent with religion, and doth not offend divinity.

4. The custom it is of Popes to change their name at their creation; and the author thereof is commonly said to be Bocca di Porco, or Swines-face; who therefore assumed the style of Sergius the 2nd, as being ashamed so foul a name should dishonour the chair of Peter; wherein notwithstanding, from Montacutius and others, I find there may be

* Only in the vulgar Latin, Judg. ix. 53.

2 fire.] There is no mention of metals or fossiles; and yet wee know they were created then, or else they could not now bee.-Wr.

3 at all.] Many things may perchance be past over in silence in Holy Scripture, which notwithstandinge are knowne to bee partes of the creation, and many things spoken to the vulgar capacity, which must be understood in a modified sense. But never any thinge soe spoken as might be convinced of falshood; soe that either God or Copernicus, speaking contradictions, cannot both speak truthe. And therefore, sit Deus verus et omnis homo mendax, that speakes contradictions to him.-Wr.

Noah.] Noah was not the first that tasted of the grape but itt is expresly sayd, Genes. ix. 21, that Noah was the first husbandman that planted a vineyard, and that first made wine, and therfore was the first that dranke of the wine; which does not only satisfactorily but necessarily oblige us to a beleefe that wine made by expression into a species of drinke was not knowne, and therfore not used in that new (dryed) world till Noah invented itt. Itt was then, as itt is now in the new westerne plantations, where they have the vine, and eate the grapes but do not drinke wine, bycause they never began to plant vineyarde till now of late.-Wr.

some mistake. For Massonius, who writ the lives of Popes, acknowledgeth he was not the first that changed his name in that see; nor as Platina affirmeth, have all his successors precisely continued that custom; for Adrian the sixth, and Marcellus the second, did still retain their baptismal denomination. Nor is it proved, or probable, that Sergius changed the name of Bocca di Porco, for this was his surname,5 or gentilitious appellation; nor was it the custom to alter that with the other: but he commuted his Christian name Peter for Sergius, because he would seem to decline the name of Peter the second. A scruple I confess not thought considerable in other sees, whose originals and first patriarchs have been less disputed; nor yet perhaps of that reality as to prevail in points of the same nature. For the names of the apostles, patriarchs, and prophets have been assumed. even to affectation. The name of Jesus6 hath not been appropriated; but some in precedent ages have borne that name, and many since have not refused the Christian name of Emmanuel. Thus are there few names more frequent than Moses and Abraham among the Jews. The Turks without scruple affect the name of Mahomet, and with gladness receive so honourable cognomination.

And truly in human occurrences there ever have been many well directed intentions, whose rationalities will never bear a rigid examination, and though in some way they do commend their authors, and such as first began them, yet have they proved insufficient to perpetuate imitation in such as have succeeded them. Thus was it a worthy resolution of Godfrey, and most Christians have applauded it, that he refused to wear a crown of gold where his Saviour had worn one of thorns. Yet did not his successors durably inherit

5 surname.] Itt might bee his sirename: but doubtles it was first a nicname fastened on some of his progenitors.-Wr.

6 The name, &c.] The name of Jesus was not the same, per omnia, in Joshua; and Jesu was never given to any before the angel brought itt from heaven. The names of patriarches and prophets have been imposed (not assumed) as memorials (to children) of imitation; and that of Emmanuel in a qualified sense onlye. But that never any Pope would bee stiled Peter the second, proceeds from a mysterye of policye; that they may rather seeme successors to his power, then to his name, which they therefore decline of purpose; that Christ's vicariate authoritye may seeme to descend not from personal succession, but immediately from [him] who first derived it on Peter.-Wr.

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that scruple, but some were anointed, and solemnly accepted the diadem of regality. Thus Julius, Augustus, and Tiberius with great humility or popularity refused the name of Imperator, but their successors have challenged that title, and retained the same even in its titularity. And thus, to come nearer our subject, the humility of Gregory the Great would by no means admit the stile of universal bishop; but the ambition of Boniface made no scruple thereof, nor of more queasy resolutions have been their successors ever since.

5. That Tamerlane? was a Scythian shepherd, from Mr. Knollis and others, from Alhazen a learned Arabian who wrote his life, and was spectator of many of his exploits, we have reasons to deny. Not only from his birth,—for he was of the blood of the Tartarian emperors, whose father Og had for his possession the country of Sagathy, which was no slender territory, but comprehended all that tract wherein were contained Bactriana, Sogdiana, Margiana, and the nation of the Massagetes, whose capital city was Samarcand, a place, though now decayed, of great esteem and trade in former ages)—but from his regal inauguration, for it is said, that being about the age of fifteen, his old father resigned the kingdom and men of war unto him. And also from his education, for as the story speaks it, he was instructed in the Arabian learning, and afterwards exercised himself therein. Now Arabian learning was in a manner all the liberal sciences, especially the mathematicks, and natural philosophy; wherein, not many ages before him there flourished Avicenna, Averroes, Avenzoar, Geber, Almanzor, and Alhazen, cognominal unto him that wrote his history, whose chronology indeed, although it be obscure, yet in the opinion of his commentator, he was contemporary unto Avicenna, and hath left sixteen books of opticks, of great esteem with ages past, and textuary unto our days.

7 Tamerlane.] His true Scythian name was Temur-Can, which all storyes corruptly and absurdlye call Tamberlane.- Wr.

From the best authorities it appears that the parentage here assigned to Timur Beg (Tamerlane) is erroneous. His father was Targuï, a chief of the tribe of Berlas, tributary to Jagatai, one of the sons of Jenghis(or Chingis-) Khan. He was born at Sebz, a suburb of the city of Kesch. See Biographie Universelle; Universal History; Lardner's Outlines of History.

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Now the ground of this mistake was surely that which the Turkish historian declareth. Some, saith he, of our historians will needs have Tamerlane to be the son of a shepherd. But this they have said, not knowing at all the custom of their country; wherein the principal revenues of the king and nobles consisteth in cattle: who, despising gold and silver, abound in all sorts thereof. And this was the occasion that some men call them shepherds, and also affirm this prince descended from them. Now, if it be reasonable, that great men whose possessions are chiefly in cattle should bear the name of shepherds, and fall upon so low denominations, then may we say that Abraham was a shepherd, although too powerful for four kings; that Job was of that condition, who beside camels and oxen had seven thousand sheep, and yet is said to be the greatest man in the east. Thus was Mesha, king of Moab, a shepherd, who annually paid unto the crown of Israel, an hundred thousand lambs, and as many rams. Surely it is no dishonourable course of life which Moses and Jacob have made exemplary: 'tis a profession supported upon the natural way of acquisition, and though contemned by the Egyptians, much countenanced by the Hebrews, whose sacrifices required plenty of sheep and lambs. And certainly they were very numerous; for, at the consecration of the temple, beside two-and-twenty thousand oxen, king Solomon sacrificed an hundred and twenty thou sand sheep and the same is observable from the daily provision of his house; which was ten fat oxen,9 twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a hundred sheep, beside roebuck, fallow deer, and fatted fowls. Wherein notwithstanding (if a punctual relation thereof do rightly inform us), the Grand Seignior doth exceed; the daily provision of whose seraglio in the reign of Achmet, beside beeves, consumed1 two hundred sheep, lambs and kids when they were in season

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8 sheep.] Sir Wm. Jorden, of Wiltes, in the plaines, aspired to come to the number of 20,000 but with all his endeavour could never bring them beyond 18,000. He lived since 1630.-Wr.

9 oxen, &c.] That is, in the yeare, of beeves, 10,950, of sheep, 36,500. -Wr.

I consumed, &c.] Of sheep, lambs, kids, 109,500. And yet this cann raise noe greate wonder considering how manye mouthes were dayly fed at Solomon's tables, his concubines, his officers, his guards, and all sorts of inferior attendants on him and them: of which kindes

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