Of Opis, the wyfe to Saturne.
The iijde Chapitre.
OPIS SO NAMEDE, or otherwyse Rea, yf we shall geue credyte to oure auncyent wryters, aswell in prosperouse fortune as aduerse fortune, shewede hyrself muche honourable. She was the doughter of Vrania, that was of greate auctoryte emongst the Grecyans, muche rude in those days, by his wyfe callede Vesta, and because that she by hyr craft delyuerede Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto frome their deathe that Satwrae entendyd to putt theym to, for the conuenawnte and pacte that was betwyxt hym and hys brother Tytan, which saide Jupiter and Pluto by madnes of the people were after taken for goddes, she not onely therefore obteyned to haue the name and dignyte of a Quene, but further, was honowrede as a goddesse and mother of the goddes and had to hyr dedicate temples and churches, and pristes to serue hyr, by a comme assente of all the people. And so muche this foull and horrible idolatrye was vsed that the Romayns labowrynge in the ijde battell with the Cartagines, as it had bene for a holsume helth for theym, thei sent the consuls to Achila, Kynge of Pargamy, with greate requests for hyr image and the maner how to worshipp hyr, oute of a cyte of Asya, beynge noo better then a defowmiyde stoone. Yett with diligens thei brought it to Rome, and with greate reuerence and diuers cerymonyes, aswell with the Romaynes as with the Italiens, she was honowrede. It was surely a straynge mokery, or rather a blyndnes of men, or elles a fraude or craft of the dewyll, to wowfshipp and honowr suche a monstruouse thing. But how it was, this woman lyuynge a longe tyme, hauynge in hir lyfe muche longe laboure, dyede, and is turnyde into asshes and descewdid into hell, all thoughe she were, as is saide, by many yeres taken for a goddesse.
Of Juno, the goddesse.
The iiijth Chapitre.
JUNO, THE DOUGHTER of Saturne and Opis, so muche exaltyd with the versys of thiese poetes aboue all women, emonge the infection of the gentylls was had in reuerence so muche that the gratynge tethe of the tyme, that fretith all thynge away, cannot so do but that hyr name is yett knowne and spoken of in our dayes. But that fortune onely is more for the grounde of hir prayse then any other worke that is tolde on hyr. This Juno was with that same Jupiter of Crete, and the gentyles was so deceiuyde that thei accomptyd this Jupiter god of heuen, and Juno and he bothe borne at one byrthe. And she conueyde in hir childehode to Samia and ther tyll she came to an able age with diligence brought vp, at the laste she was geuyne in maryage to hir brother, as an image whiche was made of hyr in Samia by many yeres bare wittnes of it. For they of Samia, beleuynge that itt shulde not be to their title glory that she was maryede emongst theym, beynge a quene and a godesse, to th’entent that the memorye therof shulde neuer decay, ther redifiede in hyr honour an excedywg greate temple, emonge all the mmiells of the worlde meruelous and greate, and all of fyne marble stoone, and in myddes therof the picture as it were of a mayden goynge to be maryede, wonderly and moste fynely caruede and wrought. This greate goddesse at last maryede to this greate kynge, his empyre farr and neere spredde abrode, she with hym obteyned no small honowr and fame, and to helpe to this the poetes fabills and the vnwyse idolatry of the gentyles commytted all women with chylde and other that were in ieopardy and peryll of lyfe to hyr defense, and other thynges more to be laughede att then to be beleuyde. Soo that the dewy lies persuasion in euerywher, the madde people reedifyede to hyr temples and churches and pristes and playse after the auncyent facyon, not onely in Samia, but in Aragia and in Cartage, and at laste emonge the Romaynes, lordes of the worlde, by the name of Juno quene, in the Capitall, by the feete of Jupiter, with diuers cerymonyes she was worshippyd many days after that Christe was borne.
Of Seres, the goddesse of corne and Quene of Sicill.
The vth Chapitre.
SERES, AS IT is thoughte by diuers auctours, was the moste auncyent Quene of Sicill, and of so hyghe and exellent wytte that she founde the way to eare and ploughe the feeldes and to tame oxen and make theym handsome to the yoke, and with the plowgh and the culter to rayse vp the furrows, and so to sowe the whete, whiche grewe to suche greate habundawnce that after the grounde was well purged frame brears and stoones, it seruyde well the men to eate, that afore hyr days lyuyde but with accomes and apples and other fructes of the wodde. For which dede, all though she were a mortall woman, the people trowede hyr to be a goddesse and gaue to hyr dyuyne honours and beleuyde hyr to be the doughter of Saturne and Cybele. Besydes thys, they saye she had but one doughter by Jupiters brother, whiche had to name Proserpyne. This Proserpyne was rauyshed of Oreo, Kynge of Molose, to the greate sorow of hyr mother, whiche sought for hyr longe. Of this ar many diuers fables and tales. Ther was also, besydes this Seres, an other Seres at Elusyn, a cyte of the regyon of Atica, euyn by suche sectes had ther in greate reputacion, and Tritolomws the Grecian was muche seruysable vnto hyr. Whiche twayne equally the aunciewt men gaue dyuyne honours vnto. But it is sufficient as now to putt bothe theyr names as oone and theyr deedes. Now for trueth, whether it be best for me to lawde or blame theyr wyttes, I cannot well tell. For who is he that wyll blame hyr that brought wylde vagaboundes to dwell in townes, and those that lyuyde afore after the maner of wylde beastes, into honeste cyuylyte, made theym to eate breade that were wounte to be fedde with accornes, whereby mens bodyes came to more beautie and strength by that conuenyent fedynge for mans nature, and the feeldys, purged frome brears and brembles, afore foule to loke apon, into beautie and profyte, and the rude worlde to humanyte, and the people lyuynge in idlenes to move theyr wyttes to rusticall labour, whereby so many cities were founded, so many ewipyrs encreascyd, so many goode craftes vsed, and specially, the fyndynge how to sowe this whete? Whiche for asmuche as of theymself they be passynge goode that I haue here rehersyde, he that wolde blame theim were well worthy to be accomptyde a foole. Now contrary to this, who shall laude hyr for thys, that where tofore the multytude lyuywg separatly emongste the woddes, beynge contentyd with accomes and aples, with the mylke of beastes, with honye and with herbys of the grounde, withoute cures, contentyd onely with the lawe of nature, sober, chaste, and not vsynge noo fraude, ennemye onely to the wilde beastes and the byrdes — to haue been brought to more delicyouse meates, in so muche that, excepte we wyll deceiue oureself, this was the redy way to brynge vs frome all quyetnes and securyte. For by this the feeldys, that were afore vnclosed and comme to all men, was dykede, and a terme sett by thiese two bitter wordes ‘ meus’ and ‘tuus that is to meane, ‘myne’ and ‘thyne the names ennemyes as well to the pryuate welthe as to the comme welth. And vpon this rose pouerty, boundage, stryfe, hate and cruell batell, and burnynge enuy, fleynge all aboute, that so hathe doone that scant or the syeth were redy to mowe the grasse, it was cowuertyde to the swerde, and not so in quyete tyll the seese were soughte frome the este to the west, to brynge the delicate vestures and deynte meetys to farse and fyll the belyes at feastes gay and gloryouse, whiche brynges euermore with hym idlenes and slouthe. And where as afore that Venus wexyde colde, annone with suche delycates she beganne to wex warme, to the moste greatest hurt of the worlde, and that that worste is, the lyf of man shortyde therby by famyne, hungar and battell, whiche afore that tyme was vnknowne to theym that lyuyde in the wodes, not withoute greate dreade and feare of the ryche. And, to conclude, this delicacy hathe caused the alterynge of mens complexion, leenes and palenes of face after a deuylyshe colour, and many other causes to haste mankynde to deathe. Whiche well called to mynde with other innumerable disconuenyencos, scante I knowe whiche was the better, but well I knowe that in the fyrst golden worlde, all though they were rude, yett they be more worthy of muche more prayse and commendacion then thys our harde, brasyn, irone worlde that we nowe ar lyuynge in.
Of Minerua.
The vjth Chapitre.
MINERUA THE VIRGYNE, surnamede Pallas, with suche clarytude was exaltede that the folyshe people beleuyde that hyr begynnynge was not mortall. Sum say that in the tyme of Ogiges, the Kynge of the lake called Tritonia, not farr frome the place called Circeum the lesse, that ther she was fyrste seene on earthe and knowne, and forbeca
use that by processe of tyme she was seene to make many thynges that were not afore made, not onely emonge the rude Affricanes but also emonge the Grecians, that in those tymes precellyde all other in wisdome, they dyd beleue that she was procreate, withoute a mother, of Jupiters brayne. To whiche scornefull opynyon the more faithe was geuen vnto it, because hyr heade begynnynge was not knowne. Thys aboue all other they affyrme to be a perpetuall virgyne, and to make it the better to be beleuyde, they affyrme also that Vulcane longe wrestlede with hyr to haue hade hyr uirgynite, but she by strength vaynquyshede hym. They say further that the way how to spynne woolle, afore hyr tyme vnknowne, she fyrst inuentyd it, for, lernynge other by what ordre the superfluyte of the woolle shulde be purgede and how with cardes of yrone it shulde be dressyd and so be put on the distaf, it folowde that after that she ymagyned and taught other to weaue it in the lombe. Wherof that notable fighte betwyxt hyr and Aryagnes is rehersyde. And more, she founde also the vse of oyle, vntyll that tyme to men vnknowne. Whiche, because it semyde to men to be a thynge muche profitable, in the namynge of the cyte of Athenes, albeit Neptunus straue with hyr for the same, the victory was geuen to hyr. And besydes all this, they say that she founde first numbers and put theym in that ordre whiche be vsed emongst vs vnto thys day; and, for conclusion, whether it were of the boone of sum byrde, or ells of sum reede, she taught fyrst to men to pype and to blowe in a bagg pype, and that she threw the pype downe frome heuen to the earthe, because it made theym defourmyde and to haue greate throtes that blewe in theym. What more shulde I say? For so diuers prodigiouse meruells bi hyr wytte inuentyde, the olde antiquyte not onely attrybutyde to hyr the geuer of wisdome, but more, the geuer and graunter of all godlye thynges. Whereby the Athenes were so drawne, because theyr cytie was apte to lernynge, the redy way for a man to cum to prudens, that they toke hyr as the protectres and all craftes of scyences dyd onely dedicate to hyr, and made, to this, to hyr honour a greate and exellent fayre temple. Whiche accomplisshed and to hyr consecrate, they sett vp an ymage of hyr, the eyes wherof were sett a sqwynte, because raath or seldome is knowne to what entent the mynde of a wyseman pretendith. They wyllyde also that she shulde haue an helmet on hyr heade, to sygnyfye that the counsells of a wyseman ar couerd and armyde agaynst all thynges, with a harnes on hyr body, to shewe that a wyseman is allways armyde agaynste all fortunes and chauncys that cum; hauynge in hyr hande a longe speere to expresse therby that a wyse mans counsell stretchys with hys strokes afar of. Ouer and besydes this, she had a sheelde of crystall, wherin was paynted the heade of Gorgonius coueryde, meanynge by that same that wyse men were euer so preuentyde agaynste all false fraude and deceyte that fooles, that marke it not, semyde thei wer but harde stoones that they regardyd. And euen afore hyr thei set an owle, meanynge thereby that a wyse man aswell preuentyth perylls by nyght as by day. At the laste the reuerence and the fame of this goddesse was so farr spredde abrode that euery wher was dedicate to hyr temples and churches, and so farr spredd this errour that in the Capitall of Rome, nyghe to the seate of Jupiter, Minerua was sett emonge all the myghty goddes of the Romayns, next vnto Juno the quene, and she had in reuerence as a quene with hyr. But ther be sum helde opynyon that ther was not onely this Minerua, but also dyuers others of that name, which gladly I assent to, to make the numbre of noble women the more.
Of Venus, Quene of Ciprys.
The vijth Chapitre.
THERE BE DYUERS that holde opynyon that Venus was a woman of Ciprys. But of hyr parentes many doubte. For sum say that she was the doughter of oone Cirus, and sum agayne say that she was the doughter of this sayde Cyrus, whiche he gatt on Dion, a woman of Cyprys; and other, to magnyfye hyr bewtie, affyrme that she was the doughter of Jupiter and of this Dion. But of what parentes so euer she was procreate of, she is put more for hyr exellent and incomparable beaute emonge other noble women in this my wowrke then for any other goode thynge in hyr ells to be commendyd. For ther was in hyr suche exellent and excedynge beaute that the eyes of theim that behelde hyr were often tymes deceyuyde. In so muche that diuers sayde that she was that same self starre that nowe is callyde Venus. And sum calleth hyr a heuenly woman, commen downe frome the lappe of Jupiter to the earthe, and, brifly, all they, blyndyd with theyr oune folyshnes, all though they knewe well ynoughe that she was a mortall woman, yet they affirmede hyr to be an immortall goddesse, and that she onely was the helper to Cupidos pleasures and the mother therto. Nor she lakte not hir self the craft of gesturs and countenances that longes to that gamme, whiche cam so well to hyr wanton purpose, all though I wyll not wryte all, that she hyrself coulde not resyste suche fylthynes, thoughe she were accomptyd Jupiters doughter and taken as oone of that moste venerable sorte emonge the best. Whereby, not onely at Paphos, a wonders auncyent cyte of Cyprys, they pleasid hyr with fraunkyncens and other ceremonyes, but after she was deade, the folyshe people thought to please hyr with those swete sauowrs that when she was alyue she delytyd in, when she gaue hyrself to voluptuouse pastymes. To thys, the Romayns dedicate to hyr a temple, the title wherof was namede ‘the temple of the mother Venus’, with many gloriouse thynges therto apperteynynge. What shulde I more say? Thys Venus was maryede to twayne husbondes, so men beleue, but it is not certeyn. Albe it they say that she was maryede to Volcan, the Kynge of Lemmam, sonne to Jupiter, Kynge of Crete, whiche deade, she maryede Adonay, the sonne of Cynare and of Myrra, Kynge of Cyprys. And it is the more easely to be beleuyde that after she maryede Adonay, because with hym she myght the more largely vse hyr wanton disportes then with hyr fyrst husbonde before. But Adonay also deade, she fell into so detestable venereall delytes that she darked all hyr meruelouse beautie, as one shulde say, not with closyde eyes, but manyfestly, that all men myght see it. It was not hydde in hyr husbonde Volcan days that she toke to hyr paramoure a knyght of the countrye, wherof is rysune the fable that she playede the harlote with Mars, the god of battell. At the last, to clooke hyr vnchaste ways, that the more therby she myght vse hyr waunton dalyaunces, it is sayde that she was the fyrst that founde thiese comune baudes houses. Which execrable custome many days for a witnes therof was vsede in Ciprfs, and other theyr neighbours had a custome to sende theyr maydyns to Cipris see bankes, that they myght company with the men that mette theym ther. And thys abhomynable custome wentt so farr that at the last it flewe into Italy and to the men of Locres and dyuers countres moo.
Of Isidis, Quene and goddesse of the Egyptiens.
The viijth Chapitre.
ISIDIS, WHICHE HAD to name afore Io, not onely to Egyptiens, but also to the posteryte of diuers regyones was honourable and venerable. But aboute what tyme, or of what parenttes she descendyd of, emonge the famouse wryters it is in doubte. Ther be yet that saye that she was the doughter of Inachys, the fyrst Kynge of the Argyuys, and the suster to Phoroncus, whiche is euydent that it was in the tyme of Jacob, the sonne of Israeli. And sum, contrary to thys, affyrme that she was gotten of Promotheus, then reignynge emonge the Grecyans, whiche was many days after. And contrary to this, ther be that holde opynyone that she was in the tyme of Cycropis, Kynge of the Atheniences; and thiese opinyons dyuerse lackes not to be amonge right famouse wryters. But aboute what tyme that euer she was, it is euydent that for hyr tyme she was muche worthy to be remembrede. But leuynge a parte the wryters discordance, my mynde is to folow the more parte, that say hyr to be the doughter of Ynacus, the kynge, which, all though the poeies fayne, for hyr exellent beautye of Jupiter was belayde and by hym rauysshed, and for to hyde it to haue transformyd hir into a kowe and geuyn hyr to the myghty Juno, which put hyr to Argus that had many eyen, to keepe hyr, tyll that Mercury the god kyllede hym and conueyde hyr into Egypte, where she recoueryde hyr fowrme agayne, and of hyr name, which was before called Io, was named Isydys. All thys is discrepante from the truethe of the hystory. But the trueth is that where as she was of a meruelouse beautye and at last by Jupiter oppressyde, fleynge for feare of hyr father, she toke a shyppe, the signe wherof was a kowe, and in that same shypp fledd into Egypte and ther, fyndynge a
place mete for hyr to dwell in, hauynge a noble hert desyrouse to reygne, but how, it is not well knowne, but she fyndynge there the people rude and barbarouse and vnnethe vsynge any humanite emonge theym, more lyker to brute beastes then men, not witAoute greate laboure and speciall industry she taught theym to purge the feeldys, to eare theym and to sowe theym, and gathred and kepte in tyme, to make it mans meate — besydes this, the wylde Egipcians to brynge theym together and to lyue after a lawe, and shewede theym how to make carectes and letters to wryte, wherby they came to doctryne to leme the lawe, and other thynges moo, whiche I pass ouer. In so muche that the barbaryens Egipjcians thought rather she came oute of heuen then frome the Grekys, and for that in hyr days they gaue to hyr dyuyne honowrs, which godhede by the craft of the deuyll came after hyr deathe in so greate veneratione that Rome, the heade of the wowrlde, ordeyned for hyr a temple of magnyfycence, ther oones a yere honowrynge hyr after the Egiptiens cerymonyes. And noo doubte therof but that to the Occident the people and other barbarouse nationes thys errour sprange. And for Conthucio Apis was thys exellent womans husbonde, whome the auncyent men beleuyde to be cowmen of Phoronemus, that was descendyd of Jupiter and Neobis, whiche grauntywg hys kyngdome to Archilaus hys brother when he had reigned thyrty and three yeres, where he went into Egypte with his wyse wyfe, after hys deathe he was taken ther for a god and namede Separasim. Albe it ther be that say that oone Theologines was hyr husbonde and had of hyr a sonne called Epaphim, that after reigned in Egypte and was taken the sonne of Jupiter, goten by hyr.
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