Varieties: or, A surveigh of rare and excellent matters necessary and delectable for all sorts of persons. Wherein the principall heads of diverse sciences are illustrated, rare secrets of naturall things unfoulded, &c. Digested into five bookes, whose severall chapters with their contents are to be seene in the table after the epistle dedicatory. By David Person, of Loghlands in Scotland, Gentleman.

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Title
Varieties: or, A surveigh of rare and excellent matters necessary and delectable for all sorts of persons. Wherein the principall heads of diverse sciences are illustrated, rare secrets of naturall things unfoulded, &c. Digested into five bookes, whose severall chapters with their contents are to be seene in the table after the epistle dedicatory. By David Person, of Loghlands in Scotland, Gentleman.
Author
Person, David.
Publication
London :: Printed by Richard Badger [and Thomas Cotes], for Thomas Alchorn, and are to be sold at his shop, in Pauls Church-yard, at the signe of the green-Dragon,
1635.
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Subject terms
Science -- Early works to 1800.
Philosophy -- Early works to 1800.
Combat -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A09500.0001.001
Cite this Item
"Varieties: or, A surveigh of rare and excellent matters necessary and delectable for all sorts of persons. Wherein the principall heads of diverse sciences are illustrated, rare secrets of naturall things unfoulded, &c. Digested into five bookes, whose severall chapters with their contents are to be seene in the table after the epistle dedicatory. By David Person, of Loghlands in Scotland, Gentleman." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A09500.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 29, 2025.

Pages

Section 2.

Of sudden deaths that have hapned unto men amidst their feasting and other Iollities, exemplified with sto∣ries both Sacred and prophane.

IN the Countrie of Agenois (a part of the famous province of Aquitaine,) where first I spent some yeares not without some copious and severall ob∣servations: a Baron there, Mr. de Longad la barriere, at a feast in his owne house, laughing and making mer∣ry with his Guests, having a legge of a pullet in his hand, expired suddainely amongst their hands. Mirth at banquets should not be excessive but moderate;* 1.1 for which the Aegyptians used at their feast to set a Scull or Anatomie on or by the table, that by the thought

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and sight thereof they might moderate their excesse, which oftentimes hastneth death or else diseases.

Holy Scriptures furnisheth us with examples,* 1.2 as those of Nebuchadonosor, Baltasar, and the rich glut∣ton, who had the most exemplarie punishments in this kinde that we reade of.

In the Roman History Cornelius Balbus recorded by Tacitus, who, whilest he was under a cloud and silence of night, carousing, quaffing, and laughing so loud, that the sicke Emperor (his Lord) could heare him from his chamber windowes with his camrades, is memorable, who not only endangered the losse of his Princes favour, but of his life also for his so unsea∣sonable and insolent mirth.

Now, if we shall leave feasting, and but speake of other Ioyes, we shall finde that when men thinke their estate most secure, and doe rejoyce in the injoying of it; that even then their suddaine fall hapneth, and followeth them as their shadow: King David for glorying in his numbered people, was plagued:* 1.3 Iuli∣us Caesar in his imperiall Throne having by the over∣throw of his enemies attained that verticall point of earthly honour, was even then and there murdered.

King Henry the second of France, was amidst the triumphs and tiltings of his Sisters wedding solemni∣ties, killed. King Henry the third at the rendering up of his rebellious Citie of Paris to him, was murthe∣red by the trayterous stroake of a blacke Frier, his predecessors both shortly taken away: But more mi∣serably, his great and valorous successor Henry 4th. in the middest of that glorious City, and of the pom∣pous shewes at his Queenes coronation, was murde∣red.

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Our hopefull Prince Henry taken away about the time of his sisters mirthfull Nuptialls.

And I read of a Prince in an Historian, whose torch dedicated and lighted to Hymen in his nuptialls, ser∣ved to kindle his funerall pile.

Not to speake a word of Philip of Macedon kil∣led in the middest of his Army, while he is assisting the sacrifice to the Gods: Nor of his Son Alexan∣der the great, cut off in the floure of his yeares, Ioyes, and glorious great victories, with a thousand of this same kinde.

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