A Pisgah-sight of Palestine and the confines thereof with the history of the Old and New Testament acted thereon / by Thomas Fuller ...

SECT. IV. Their habits how differenced, by their severall professions, and conditions.

§ 1. PRobable it is,* 1.1 that all vocations of people (besides the Priests and Levites) as Husbandmen, Tradesmen, Citizens, Mer∣chants, Doctors, Judges &c. were distinguished by their severall ap∣parell, though we can onely insist upon some few we finde in Scri∣pture. First, Fishermen had their coates made with the best advantage, not to hinder the wearers swimming therein. Thus, Peter hearing that the Lord stood on the land,a 1.2 girt his fishers-coate about him (for he was naked) and did cast himself into the sea. Oh that men would but use the wealth of this world, as Saint Peter his coate, onely for civility, as a covering in their passage through the waves of this life, without danger of being drowned in the Deep, with the weight thereof!

§ 2. Shepheards succeed,* 1.3 sufficiently known by their bag,b 1.4 and staffe, orc 1.5 hook; except any will adde thereunto thed 1.6 dog of their flock, as so ne∣cessary an attendant, they seem naked without him. Their clothes were made large and loose, easie to be put on, without any adoe, so that they might run, and ray themselves. Hereupon it is prophesied of Nebuchad∣nezzar, that he should array himselfe with the land of Egypt, as a shephearde 1.7 putteth on his garment, that is, quietly, quickly, in an instant, the conquest thereof should cost him no trouble, as meeting with no considerable opposition.

§ 3. But my pen is soon weary of the worthless wardrobe of such poor, and painfull people, longing to come to Court,* 1.8 the center of brave∣ry, where those Men of clothes, to whom gallantry is essentiall, have their continuall residence. Such (saith our Saviour) as wearef 1.9 soft clothing, are in Kings houses. Insomuch that there was a law in the Court of Persia,

that, None might enter into the Kings gate clothed withg 1.10 sackcloth, as a disparage∣ment to the place. Though the Porters which shut out sackcloth, could not stop out sorrow from entering into the Palace of the mightiest Mo∣narch.

§ 4. Courtiers were apparelled often in fineh 1.11 linen,* 1.12 which the chiefest of them need not blush to weare, finding Angels themselves (waiters on an higher King) clothed in pure andi 1.13 white linen. Now, although Iudea had store of home-growingk 1.14 flax, yet she fetched far finer from Egypt, whence in Solomons time the Kings Merchants received linenl 1.15 yarn at a price. Kings Merchants, being a Guild or company of men with a badge Royall upon them, probably priviledged with a preemption of all wares, and sole trade in some commodities, so that Solomon (like the great Duke of Tu∣scany) counted traffick no abatement to his Majesty. They brought it in linen-yarn, not linen-cloth, Solomon so setting up Napery, and the manufacture of weaving, to the much enriching of the land, and employing of the poor people thereof. Thus, after his time the finest linen cloth, formerly a purely forein, became partly a native commodity of Iudea; as linen, Egyptian; as cloth, Iewish; spun abroad by the wheels of strangers, woven at home on the looms of his own subjects. I say not, that Solo∣mon took the first hint of this good husbandry, from the mouth of his mother Bathsheba, charactering a good wife,m 1.16 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it: though a family being a little kingdome (as a kingdome a great family) what is found beneficiall for the one, may by proportion be extended advantageous for the other.

§ 5. Pass we by fine cloth to come the sooner to silk,* 1.17 the appa••ell also of our Courtier. By silk we understand not Sericum, coming from the East Indies, where it groweth on trees: nor Byssus, a soft silk grass; but Bomby••ina, made of silk-wormes, (whereof largelyn 1.18 before) and of it plenty in Palestine. Indeed we finde, thato 1.19 Heliogabalus first wore such silk clothes in Rome; and that in Iustinians time (some five hundred years after Christ) silke-wormes by somep 1.20 Monkes were first brought into Europe; as also thatq 1.21 Cardinall Woolsie was the first Clergy-man that wore silk in England: but, when silk began first to be worn by the Iews, we cannot exactly define. Onely we finde amongst the many favours God bestowed on their Countrey, this especially recounted,r 1.22 I covered thee with silk. And thus we leave our Courtier so gaily apparelled, that his clothes (according to the Apostless 1.23 complaint) are not onely his Usher to make room; but also his Herauld, to appoint a principall place for him to sit down, when coming into any assembly; whilest others, of less gallantry, (but perchance more goodness) must either stand, or sit at his foot-stoole.

§ 6. Come we from the Stars to the Sun;* 1.24 from the Courti••rs to the King himself. Such were conspicuous, and distinguished from their subjects, by their Crown, Scepter, Throne, and royall Robes, which Iehosaphat

wore in war to hist 1.25 cost, had not Gods goodness ordered, that he was more scar'd then hurt thereby. White garments were worn even by the Kings themselves. Hereupon when our Saviour as a Mock-king was made a derision both to Gentile and Iew▪ as the Souldiers arraied him in u 1.26 Purple, Robes of Magistracy amongst the Romans; so Herod, a Iew (conforming his scoffes to custome of his own Countrey)w 1.27 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, clothed him with a white garment. Sometimes, Kings did, out of speciall grace, communicate their robes to be worn by their Favorites, as isx 1.28 eminent in the case of Mordecai. Many and rich (no doubt) were the habilliments of the Iewish Kings, but when all was done, Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed as ay 1.29 Lily in the field, more fine to the touch, fair to the eye, and, which is the main, the Lilies beauty is his own, and in him; Solomons bravery but borrowed, and upon him.

§ 7. We had almost forgotten the Pharisee,* 1.30 who will be offended (as loving thez 1.31 uppermost rooms at feasts, and chief seats in the Synagogues) if not having an high, and honourable mention in our discourse. These, gene∣rally, delighted ina 1.32 Phylacteries (and fringes of the broadest size) being schedules, or scrouls of parchment, tyed to their foreheads, or left hands (by popular error accounted nearest the heart) wherein the Decalogue, and, some adde, four other sections of the Law were written; so carrying a Library of Gods word on their clothes, scarce a letter in their hearts. They wore course clothing, pretending much mortification, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, when they exercised, (that is, when these Mountebanks theatrically acted their humiliation) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉b 1.33 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, they had thornes for their bed to lay upon, and some of them wore a Mortar on their heads, so ponderous, that they could look neither upward, nor on either side, but onely down∣ward, and forthright. But, because the Pharisees affected such clothes meerly to be seen of men; out of set purpose, to cross their vainglorious humour, we will look no longer on their strange apparell, lest we in∣crease their pride, by our studious gazing on their phantasticall habits.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Fishermens coates.
• a 1.2

  John 21. 7.
• * 1.3

  Shepheards garments.
• b 1.4

  1 Sam. 17. 4••.
• c 1.5

  Psal. 23. 4.
• d 1.6

  Job 30. 1.
• e 1.7

  Jer. 43. 12.
• * 1.8

  Court the Ele∣ment of Gal∣lants.
• f 1.9

  Mat. 11. 8.
• g 1.10

  Esther 4. 2.
• h 1.11

  Gen. 41. 42.
• * 1.12

  Courtiers clo∣thed in white linen.
• i 1.13

  Revel. 15. 6.
• k 1.14

  Josh. 2. 6.
• l 1.15

  1 King. 10. 28.
• m 1.16

  Prov. 31. 24.
• * 1.17

  And in silk.
• n 1.18

  In the land of Moriah.
• o 1.19

  Lampridius in e••us vita.
• p 1.20

  Procopius.
• q 1.21

  Matth. Parker in his life.
• r 1.22

  Ezck. 16. 10.
• s 1.23

  James 2. 3.
• * 1.24

  Robes royall of Kings.
• t 1.25

  1 King. 22. 30.
• u 1.26

  John 19. 2.
• w 1.27

  Luke 23. 11.
• x 1.28

  Esther 6. 8.
• y 1.29

  Mat. 6. 29.
• * 1.30

  Pharisees their habit.
• z 1.31

  Mat. 23. 6.
• a 1.32

  Mat. 23. 5.
• b 1.33

  ••piy••anius adversus Hare∣ses li. 1. p. 20.