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THey made a goddesse also of (a) Vertue: which if shee were such should take place of a great many of the rest. But beeing no goddesse, but a guift of God, let it bee obtained of him, that alone hath power of the guift of it, and farewell all
the buryed roll of these counterfeit gods. But why is Faith made a goddesse, and graced with a Temple and an Altar? VVho-soeuer knowes faith well, maketh his owne bosome hir Temple. But how know they what Faith is, when her cheefe office is to beleeue in the true God? And why may not Vertue suffice? is not Faith * 1.1 there where Vertue is? They diuide (b) Vertue but into foure partes, Prudence, * 1.2 Iustice, Fortitude, and Temperance; and because euery one of these hath seue∣rall sub-diuisions, therefore falleth (c) Faith to bee a part of Iustice, and is of * 1.3 cheefe power with vs, that know that the Iust shall liue by faith: But I wonder of these men that doe so thirst after store of goddes, that hauing made Faith a goddesse, they will so neglect a great many goddesses more of her nature, to whome they should afford Temples and Altars as well as to her? VVhy is not Temperance made a goddesse, hauing giuen such lustre to diuers (d) Romaine Princes? Nor Fortitude that held (e) Scaeuolas hand in the fire; and went with (f) Curtius into the spatious gulfe for the loue of his country: And stood by the two Decij (g) the father and (h) the sonne, when they vowed their liues to their nation? (i) If by the way, this were true valour in them, as it is a questi∣on, (but not disputable heere?) VVhy are not Prudence and Wisedome made Deities as well as the rest? Because they are all worshipped vnder the gene∣rall name of Vertue? So might all the supposed partes of one GOD bee intyrely worshipped in his sole and particular worshippe. But in Vertue, there is Faith, and (k) Chastity, as partes indeed, and yet those must haue peculiar Altars and Sacrifices. But it is vanity and not verity that turnes such qualy∣ties into Deities.
OF (a) Vertue] Mancellus in his first Consulshippe vowed a Temple to her in Gallia: And his son built it at Port Capena. (Liu. lib. 29.) The next Marius built to Vertue * 1.4 and Honour, lower then the other, least the Augurs should pull it downe for hindering of them in beholding the Birdes flight. (Cic. de leg. lib. 2.) Lette them worshippe those thinges that helpe men to Heauen: Faith, Wisdome, Piety and Vertue. Faithes Temple was in the Capitoll, (Plin. lib. XXXV. Cic. offic. 3.) neare vnto Ioues, and was his oth as Tully saith out of Ennius, and Cicero de nat. deo. 2. It is said that Attillius Calatine con∣secrated her: Some saie Aneas didde long before Romulus. Festus. Liu. Then were two Diumuirs elected, for dedicating the Temples. Q. Fab. Maxim. and Attilius Crassus. The Temples were dedicated to Mens, and Venus Erycina: both in the Capitoll, and but a * 1.5 gutter betweene them. Dionisius. Plut. say that Numa dedicated the Image of Faith, and made hir name the greatest oth of all. (b) Vertue but] Plato, Aristotle &c. (c) Faith to bee] Faith is the foundation of iustice: Cic. offic. 1. Piety is iustice towards the goddes, whereof Faith is a * 1.6 part. (De nat. deo. lib. 1.) So saith Speusippus. (d) Romaine Princes] Here were a place for Va∣lerius his examples of moderation, profit by foes, abstinence, continence, necessity, and shame∣fastnesse: for all these (saith Tully) depend on Temperance. (e) Scaeuola's] Porsenna besieging Rome, Sc•…•…uola went disguised into his Tents, and got so neare, that he killed the Kings Secre∣tary * 1.7 in stead of the King: and when Porsenna bad torture him, he put his hand boldly into the fire of sacrifice, being at hand, and held it there, till the King and all about him were amazed with feare and admiration. (f) Curtius] They say there was a lake in the Market-place of Rome, which afterwards dryed vp: it was called Curtius his lake: some say of Metius Curtius * 1.8 the Sabine, that swamme ouer it with his horse: Others of M. Curtius the Gentleman of Rome, that vpon the Oracles bidding the Romaines cast the thing of best worth they had into it, cast him-self in therat. (Liu. lib. 1.) But Cornelius & Luctatius write that it came by thunder, and that Curtius the Consull payled it about; hee with whom M. Gentius was Consull: Hence
it was named Cursius his lake, saith Varro. (g) Father] He was a Plebeian, but a tall soldior, and * 1.9 a deare louer of his country: Beeing Consul with T. Manl. Torquatus in the Latine warre, and seeing in a vision that the life of one of the Generals must be lost for the wars conclusion, and the whole army of the other (they being two Generals for Rome) agreed that on that part of ye Romain army wt first gaue back the General should giue vp himself to death for the safegard of his country. The battels ioine, the Romaines left-wing gaue back, and Decius seeing that, sol∣lemnly vowed him-self to death for the soldiers, and putting spurres to his horse brake forth into the thickest of the aduerse troops, & there was slain. (h) Son] He was the 4. time Consul with Fabius his 5. time, he that in the Galles wars was first called Maximus, of any Romaine. In one of the battels, Decius his troopes shrinking, hee followes his fathers example, and into the midst of his foes he spurreth, dying, a sacrifice to honour & his country. Liu. (lib. 10.) (i) If by the way] Valla in a declamation of his vppon the pleasures of an Epicure, extols this brauery of the Romaine valour highly, and with arguments both witty and worthy. The booke is com∣mon: read it. (k) Chastity] Her shrine was in the Beast-market, neare to Hercules his round Temple. (Liu. lib. 10.) Some tooke hir statue for Fortunes. Fest. There was also a little Tem∣ple * 1.10 in Long-street, dedicated to Chastity Plebeian by Virgins, but it wore out of vse and memo∣ry afterwards. Liuie.
Faith.
Vertues Parts.
Habuc. 3.
Vertues. Temple.
Mens a Goddesse.
Faith.
Scaeuola.
Curtius.
Decius.
Chastities Chappels.