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LYcurgus was a noble Philo∣sopher of Sparta in Greece, who erected a civill estate of the Citty with his noble insti∣tutes and Lawes, whereas be∣fore times of all the Greci∣ans, the Lacedemonians were worst nurtered. Lycurgus taking the matter boldly in hand, did
••brogate all their Lawes, insti∣••utes, and old rites of living, and ••id erect a great deale more ci∣••ill ordinances & more cōmen∣••able. First, there were 28 Seg∣••iors elected, which should pro∣••ide that the popular estate ••hould not grow out of frame ••ltogether, and also that they which had the rule, should not ••oe about any tyranny. Hee ••ooke away utterly all use of Gold and Silver, and brought ••n money of Iron, and then was ••ll occasion of Felony taken a∣way. The Iron whereof he made his money, being as red ••s fire, he put out in vinegar, ••hat it might be meete for no∣••hing afterward through his ••oftnesse. Hee cast out of the Citty all Arts as unprofitable or that purpose, and yet most part of Artificers, when
the use of gold was taken away departed from thence of the•• owne accords, seeing that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mony was not in use among•••• other Nations. Then that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 might the better take away 〈◊〉〈◊〉 luxury and rioting out of the City, he appoynted commo•• meetings at banquets and feast•• that poore and rich indiffe∣rently might meete together 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their feasts, and feede all up∣on the same kinde of banquet▪ Hereby there was in••lame great anger of those that wer•• wealthy and mighty, and they falling upon Licurgus with gre•••• force, caused him to lose one 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his eies with the blow of a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Wherefore a law was made that the Lacedemonians should no more enter into their feasts with a staffe. Every one gave yearely to this feast one b••••shell
of flower, eight gallons of wine, five pound of cheese, five pound and a halfe of figges. Children did frequent this as a schoole, or exercise of all tem∣perancy and civill discipline; ••here they did learne to accu∣stome themselves in ciuill talks, and to use honest pastimes, and to jest and bee merry without knavery. Their Virgines were exercised with running, wrast∣ling, barriers comely moo∣ving, and gesture with quaiting, casting of the bowle, hammer, or such like; so that idlenesse and effeminate delicatnesse taken a∣way, they waxed the stronger to tolerate and suffer the paine of Childe-bearing. Children after they were seven yeares of age, had their exercises with their equalls, and of necessi∣ty did learn letters; they were
noted and shorne to the very skinne, they went bare-foot •••• 12 yeares of age, they might put on one coat after the Coun∣trey fashion, they neither knew bathes nor fomentations, they tooke their rest in beds made with reeds, they might goe to the Feasts of their elders and betters, and there if they did steale any thing, and were taken with the theft, they were cor∣rected with whips, not because it was unlawfull to steale, but because they did it not privily e∣nough with craft and subtilty. Lycurgus removing all supersti∣on, permitted the dead bodies to be buried in the Citty, and also to have their Monuments a∣bout the Temples.
It was not lawfull to ingrave or write the name of the man or woman upon any Grave, but
••uch as dyed manfully in warre. The time of lamentation for the ••ead was prescribed about 11 dayes. It was not lawfull for Cittizens to make peregrinati∣ons,* 1.1 for feare they should bring ••n strange manners into the Cit∣ty. But those which came from strange Countries thither, ex∣cept they were profitable and meete for the Cōmon-wealth, were excluded the Citty, lest that forraine nations might taste of the Lacedemonian discipline.
Lycurgus would not suffer young men to use one vesture all the whole yeare, nor any to be more deeked then another, nor to have more delicate banquets then others. Hee commanded all things to be bought not for money, but for exchange and recompense of wares. He com∣manded also Children toward
18 yeares of age, to be brought into the field, and not into the Market-place, or Judgement-hall, that they might passe o∣ver the first yeares, not in luxu∣ry, but in all kinde of labour and paines, they must not lay any thing under them for to sleepe the easier: And their lives they were driven to passe with∣out ease, and not to come into the Citty before they were men in deed.
Maides he would have to be married without any dower, or rewards given by their Parents. That Wives might not be cho∣sen for money sake, and that the Husbands should keepe their Wives more streightly, because they should receive nothing in Marriage with them. He would have the greatest ho∣nour and reverence to be given
••o old aged men, and not to rich ••nd noble men: he granted unto Kings the power of the warres, ••o Magistrates judgements and yearely succession, to the Se∣nate the custody of the Lawes: ••o the people the election of the Senate, or to create what offi∣cers they would. These Lawes and new institutes because they seemed hard and streight, in comparison of their loose cu∣stomes and Lawes before used, he fained Apollo of Delphos to be the authour of them, and that he had them from thence. At the last, to give eternity and per∣petuity to his Lawes, he bound the whole Citty with an Oath, that they should change none of those things which hee had ena∣cted and prescribed, before that he did returne againe, saying, that he would goe to the Oracle
at Delphos, to aske counsell what might be changed or added to his Lawes.
Hee tooke his journey to the Isle of Crete, and there lived i•• banishment. He commanded also dying, that his bones should be cast into the Sea, left that the Lacedemonians if they were brought to Sparta, should think themselves absolved and dis∣charged of their oath that they made, for the not changing of his Lawes.
Peregri∣nations.