DIOMEDES, or Zeal.

DIOMEDES flourishing with great Fame and Glory in the Trojan Wars, and in high Fa∣vour with Pallas, was by her instigated (being indeed forwarder than he should have been) not to forbear Venus a jot, if he encountered with her in Fight; which very boldly he performed, wounding her in the right Arm. This presumptuous Fact he carried clear for a Page  56 while, and being honoured and renowned for his ma∣ny heroick Deeds, at last returned into his own Coun∣try, where finding himself hard bestead with domestick Troubles, fled into Italy, betaking himself to the Pro∣tection of Foreigners where in the beginning he was fortunate and royally entertained by King Daunus with sumptuous Gifts, raising many Statues in honour of him throughout his Dominions. But upon the very first Calamity that hapned unto this Nation whereunto he was fled for Succour, King Daunus enters into a con∣ceit with himself that he had entertained a wicked Guest into his Family, and a Man odious to the God∣dess, and an Impugner of their Divinity, that had da∣red, with his Sword, to assault and wound that God∣dess, who, in their Religion, they held it Sacrilege so much as to touch. Therefore, that he might expi∣ate his Countrey's Guilt, (nothing respecting the Du∣ties of Hospitality, when the Bonds of Religion tied him with a more reverend regard) suddenly slew Dio∣medes, commanding withal that his Trophies and Sta∣tues should be abolished and destroyed. Neither was it safe to lament this miserable Destiny; but even his Companions in Arms, whilst they mourned at the Funeral of their Captain, and filled all the places with Plaints and Lamentations, were suddenly metamor∣phosed into Birds like unto Swans, who, when their Death approacheth, sing melodious and mournful Hymns.

This Fable hath a most rare and singular Subject: For in any of the Poetical Records, wherein the Heroes are mentioned, we find not that any one of them, be∣sides Diomedes, did ever with his Sword offer Violence to any of the Deities. And indeed, the Fable seems in him to represent the nature and fortune of Man, who of himself, doth propound, and make this as the end of all his Actions, to worship some Divine Power, or to follow some Sect of Religion, though never so vain and superstitious, and with Force and Arms to defend Page  57 the same: For although those bloody Quarrels for Re∣ligion were unknown to Ancients, (the Heathen Gods not having so much as a touch of that Jealousie, which is an Attribute of the true God,) yet the Wisdom of the Antient Times seems to be so copious and full, as that, what was not known by Experience, was yet compre∣hended by Meditations and Fictions. They then that endeavour to reform and convince any Sect of Religi∣on, (though vain, corrupt, and infamous, shadowed by the Person of Venus,) not by the force of Argument and Doctrine, and Holiness of Life, and by the weight of Examples and Authority, but labour to extirpate and root it out by Fire and Sword, and Tortures, are encouraged, it may be, thereunto by Pallas; that is, by the Acrity of Prudence, and Severity of Judgment, by whose Vigour and Efficacy, they see into the Falsi∣ty and Vanity of these Errors. And by this their ha∣tred of Pravity, and good zeal to Religion, they pur∣chase to themselves great Glory, and by the Vulgar (to whom nothing moderate can be grateful) are esteemed and honoured as the only Supporters of Truth and Re∣ligion, when others seem to be luke-warm and full of Fear. Yet this Glory and Happiness doth seldom en∣dure to the end, seeing every violent-Prosperity, if it pre∣vent not alteration by an untimely Death grows to be unprosperous at last: For if it happen that by a change of Government, this banished and depressed Sect get strength, and so bear up again, then these zealous Men, so fierce in opposition before, are condemned, their ve∣ry Names are hateful, and all their Glory ends in Ob∣loquy.

In that Diomedes is said to be murthered by his Host, it gives us to understand that the difference of Religi∣on breeds Deceit and Treachery, even among nearest Acquaintance.

Now in that Lamentation and Mourning was not tolerated but punished; it puts us in mind, that let there be never so nefarious an Act done, yet there is Page  58 some place left for Commiseration and Pity, that even those that hate Offences, should yet in Humanity commiserate Offenders, and Pity their distress, it be∣ing the Extremity of Evil when Mercy is not suffered to have commerce with Misery. Yea, even in the cause as well of Religion as Impiety, many Men may be noted and observed to have been compassionate. But on the contrary the complaints and moans of Di∣omedes's Followers, that is, of Men of the same Sect and Opinion, are wont to be shrill and loud, like Swans or the Birds of Diomedes. In whom also that part of the Allegory is excellent to signifie that the last Words of those that suffer Death for Religion, like the Songs of dying Swans, do wonderfully work up∣on the Minds of Men, and strike and remain a long time in their Senses and Memories.