The INTERPRETER.

1. ERychihonius was the first that found out the use of coaches and chario•s to hide his deformed and ser∣pentine feet in:

So many men goe about to hide their sowle actions, and excuse them, but not to reforme them. 2. Vulcan shed∣ding his seed on the ground, is the elementarie fire, con∣curring with the earth, in which are the other two •le∣ments, and of these all monsters are procreated: and by •inerva, that is, the influence of heaven or of the Sun, cherished and somented, though not at first by God pro∣duced, but since Adams fall, and for the punishment of sin. 3. Vulcan offering wrong to Minerva, is that ••re∣generate part of man, called by the Apostle, the law of our members, rebelling against the law of the minde; of which a∣riseth that spirituall combate and strife in good men, which is begun by the flesh, but cherished and increas•d by the spirit, till at last the spirit get the victorie. 4. Mi∣nerva, that is, he that makes a vow to live still a virgin, must looke to have the fierie Vulcan of lust to offer him vi∣olence, and so he shall never be free from inward mole∣station and trouble; therefore better marrie then burne; and if he intertains any unchast thoughts, though his bo∣die be undefiled, yet he is no pure virgin, as Lactantius (De falsa religione, lib. 1. cap. 17.) sheweth, that Minerva was not, because shee cherished Erych•honius; therefore an un•h•st mind in a ch•st body, is like Minerva somenting Vulcans brat: he'is a pure virgin, saith S. Hi•rom, (Lib. 1. Adver. Jovini) whose mind is chast, as well as his body; Page  88 and this he ingenuously consesseth was wanting in himself. 5. Minerva, that is, wisdom hath no such violent enemy as Vulcan, that is, firie anger, which doth not onely over∣throw wisdom in the mind for a time, for it is short •ury; but is also the cause of Erych•honius, that is, of all strife and contention in the world. 6. War is a firie Vulcan, an enemie to learning or Minerva; the cause of Erych•honius, of monstrous outrages and enormities; and oftentimes fomented by seditiout schollers, and learning abused. 7. Erych•honius is a covetous man, as the word shews; for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is contention, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is the earth; and what else is covetousnesse but a presumptious desire of earthly things, and the cause of so much strife and contention in the world? this monster came of Vulcan the god of firie, that is of Sat•n the god of this world, who reigns in the fire of contention, and in the fire of Hell, and is somen∣ted by Minerva the soul, which is the seat of wisdom. 8. Tertullian (Lib. de spectaculis) saith, that Erych•honius is the devill; and indeed, not unsitly, for he is the father of all strife, and of avarice: he hath a mans wisdom, or head to allure us to sin, but a Dragons feet to torments us in the end for sin; whosoever with delight shall look on him, shall at l•st receive destruction. 9. Let us take heed we pry not to curiously in the basket of natures secrets, lest we be served as Ce•rops daughters, or as Pliny and Em∣pedocles were. 10. A Magistrate or Governor must be like Erych•honius, who was hinself King of Athens; he must be both a man and a Dragon; if the face of humanity and mer∣cie will not prevail, then the Dragons feet of vigour and justice must walk. 11. If any firie or cholerick Vulcan shall offer us wrong, we must wisely defend our selves with Minerva; and conceal the injury and our own grief, as shee did Erych•ho•ius. 12. Though the preserving and cherishing of Vulcans child is no certain proof that Minerva lost her virginitie, neither did shee lose it though Vulcan 〈◊〉▪ red her violence, because there was no consent; yet it Page  89 becomes all, chiefly virgins to avoid both the evill and the occasion thereof, that there may be no suspition.