The gentlemans exercise Or an exquisite practise, as well for drawing all manner of beasts in their true portraitures: as also the making of all kinds of colours, to be vsed in lymming, painting, tricking, and blason of coates, and armes, with diuers others most delightfull and pleasurable obseruations, for all yong gentlemen and others. As also seruing for the necessarie vse and generall benefite of diuers trades-men and artificers, as namly painters, ioyners, free-masons, cutters and caruers, &c. for the farther gracing, beautifying, and garnishing of all their absolute and worthie peeces, either for borders, architecks, or columnes, &c. By Henrie Peacham Master of Artes.

Of the Crosse.

THough the crosse be of the same nature with the other forenamed, I am moued to say something particularly of the same, since being lately in compa∣ny of a Gentlemā of this land wholy deuoted to Pu∣ritani••me, a reasonable good Scholler, & one, who, as he told me in his time had beene a burgesse of the Parliament house, we had a discourse of the Crosse, I affirming that it was an ancient and honourable bearing in armes, naming many of our Nobility and Gentrie that bare it: yea but (quoth he) our heralds in former times were to blame, for giuing allow∣ance to such relikes of Idolatrie, and suffering them so publikely to be carried vp and downe vpon Coaches.

But leauing such pure iudgements to their singu∣laritie, we are satisfied, since we know from time to time•• it hath beene allowed by the Church, not to any superstitious vse, but because the ancient Chri∣stians thought that their glory wherewith the Gen∣tiles had so long scorned and di••graced therewithall

* 1.1Constantine the Emperour gaue the Crosse in his standard, as Eusebius witnesseth, who also hauing o∣uercome Max••ntius, erected a Crosse in the chiefest place in all Rome with these words, hoc salutare sig∣num. Moreouer he caused his statue to be made with a Crosse in his hand.

Theodosius forbad it should be painted vpon the ground.* 1.2

Arcadius his sonne caused it the first to be stamped vpon his coyne in gold, (which kinde of Crosse I make no question but of all sortes is loued well e∣nough) as Prosperus writ••th,* 1.3 de praedict. & promis. part. 3. cap. 34.

Tiberius, when he saw the Crosse cut in Marble, and lying vpon the ground,* 1.4 caused it to be digged vp, and set vpright, saying, wee ought to signe our forehead and brest with the Crosse of the Lord, and we ••read it vnder our feete.

* 1.5Chrysostome saith, that in his time (beside the Ce∣remonie of vsing it in Baptisme and the Lords Sup∣per) it was painted vpon beds, Armour, Ships, &c. Touching the Ceremony of signing with the same, as we vse it in Baptisme to say any thing thereof, were beside my subiect, neither were it needfull since the meanest diuine can tell, that it hath anciently beene vsed and allowed by the Fathers, as Basil (who af∣firmes it to be one of the Apostolicall traditions) Cyrill, Tertullian, S^t. Cyprian,* 1.6 and lastly, Saint Augu∣stine, who saith, that except the foreheads of the be∣leeuers (as childrē baptized) be signed with the sign•• of the crosse, the forme of baptisme is not as it ought to be, but enough if not so much of this subiect.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Euseb•• lib. ••. de vita Const••nt.
• * 1.2

  Z••zomen. lib. 1. c••p. 8.
• * 1.3

  August. ser. 18. de v••rbis Do∣mini.
• * 1.4

  Paulus Diaco∣nus lib. 18.
• * 1.5

  In Honcil. quod Christus sit Deus.
• * 1.6

  August. Tractat. in Ioan. 118. Nihil corum rite per••icitur.