Of the statue of Apollo at Cumae, that shed teares (as men thought) for the Grecians miseries though he could not helpe them. CHAP. 11.
NOtwithstanding, that there are many of these warres and conquests that fall out quite against those gods likings, the Romaine history it selfe (to omit those fables that do not tel one truth for a thousand lies) shall giue cleare profe, for therein we read that the statue of Apollo (a) Cumane, in the time of the Ro∣mans warres againe the Achaians and (b) King Aristonicus, did persist foure daies together in contiunall weeping: which prodigy amazing the South-sayers, they held it fit to cast the statue into the sea, but the auncients of Cumae disswaded it, and shewed them that it had done so likewise in the warres both against (c) Anti∣ochus, and (d) Pers•…•…us, testifying also, that both these wars succeeding fortunarly vnto Rome, the senat sent ther guifts and oblations vnto the statue of Apollo And then, the South-sayers hauing learned wit, answered, that the weeping of Apollo was lucky to the Romaines, because that (e) Cuma was a Greeke collony, and that the statues teares did but portend mishap vnto the country from whence it came, namely vnto Greece. And soone after, they heard how Aristonicus was taken pri∣soner, and this was the cause of Apollos woes, shewen in his teares. And as touch∣ing this point, not vnfitly, though fabulously, are the diuells trickes plainely dis∣couered in the fictions of the Poets: Diana was sory for Camilla in Virgill: And Hercules wept for the death of Pallas. And it may be that vpon this ground Numa in his great peace giuen him, hee neither knew nor sought to know by whome, bethinking him-selfe in his idlenesse vnto what gods he should commit the pre∣seruation of the Romaines fortunes, (neuer dreaming that it is onely the great and almighty God that hath regard of these inferior things) and remembring himselfe, that the gods that Aeneas brought from Troy, could neither preserue the estate of the Troians, nor that of the Lauinians erected by Aeneas, into any good continuance, he thought fit to seeke out some others, to ioyne with the for∣mer were gone with Romulus to Rome and that were afterwards to go, at the distruction of Alba either to keepe them from running away, or to helpe them when they saw them too weake.