The INTERPRETER.

1. SAturn is nothing else but Time, which is the son of Coelum and Thetis, because time is measured by the motion of heaven, and likewise by the motion, or ebbing and flowing of the sea. 2. Saturn married his sister Ops, which is the earth, of whom hee begot many children, be∣cause by the heavens influence upon the earth, all things are ingendered; the heaven is as it were the father affor∣ding influence; and the earth the mother, surnishing mat∣ter for generation. 3. Saturn was painted like an old man bare-headed, in a tagged garment, holding a hook and a key in his hand, devouring of his children; by which they did understand the antiquitie and long continuation of Page  234 times and by •is bare •ead they meant that time reveales all things: therefore the priests used to be •are-he•ded in Saturns sacrifices onely. The ragged garment shews that time wears and consumes all things: which was also meant by his devouring of his children, and by the hook or sickle which hee hath in his h•nd: the key may note, that time openeth and discloseth all secrets. 4. This picture of Saturn may have reference to the golden age of the world, i• which men lived till t•ey were very aged, which was expressed by Saturn's gray hairs and worn garment; which garment also shews, that men were not then given to pride and curiositie of apparell: His ba•e head shewed the ho∣nestie and truth that was then, which indeed is naked; whereas lying, falshood, and deceit are still covered. 5. Saturn taught the Italians the use of hus•andry, t•ere∣fore hee was called Sterculius, from dunging of the ground: the hook or •ickle is the instrument of mowing or reaping of corn; the gray hairs, bare head, and ragged garment, shew that husbandmen live long, have hardie bodies, and are not nice in their apparell. 6. Saturn devoured all his children except Jupiter, Juno, Neptune and Pluto, to signi∣fie that all compounded bodies are destroyed by time: but the four elements, to wit, Fire, Air, Water and Earth, be∣cause of their simple nature, are not subject to corruption. 7. I finde Saturn described sometimes with six wings, and yet •low-paced, having feet of wooll, to shew that time seems to goe away slowly and silently, whereas indeed it ••les very swiftly: or this may expresse the slow motion of the planet Saturn, who moves slowly by his own motion, but swiftly by the motion of the Primum mobile; to wit, he spends but four and twenty hours by the common motion; but thirty yeers in his particular motion: this swiftnesse also of time was expressed by that fiction of Saturn transfor∣ming himselfe into an horse, a swift running creature, when hee had carnall commerce with the Nymph Philira, of whom hee begot Chiron the Centaur. 8. Because Saturn Page  235 is a cold planet, and malignant, breeding melancholie, and other •ad effects in mens bodies, therefore they painted him like an old man, sad and carel•sly clothed, and slow∣pac•d, with a serpent in his h•nd biting of its own taile, to signifie the virulencie and biting cares that accompany m•lancholie, or else to expresse the nature of the yeer re∣turning into it selfe like a ring, or a snake with its taile in the mouth: an• because the lion, dog, and wolfe are m•∣l•ncholi• creatures; therefore they expressed Saturn some∣times with the heads of these three beasts. 9. Saturn's genitals were cut off by Jupiter and cast into the sea, and of them and of the se• froth Venus was begot; by this may be meant, that old age, which is called Saturn, is made un∣fit for generation, because Jupiter, that is, wanton and in∣temperate youth hath weakened the body, and as the Ora∣tor saith, Corpus e••oe•um tradit senectu•i: whereas that man who hath been temperate in his youth, is vigorous and lustie in his old age, & nihll habet quod accuset senectu•em, Or else by this may be meant, that the coldnesse of Saturn is tempered by the heat of Jupiter, and so Venus is begot▪ for there can be no procreation where cold is not tempered with heat. Or again, by this may be meant, that Saturn, Jupiter and the sea are required to produce Venus; that is to say, that Time, the Influence of heaven, and Moisture are required for procreation. 10. As Saturn served his father Coelus in cutting off his genitals, so is hee served by his son Jupiter; It is just with God to punish those men with rebellious and cruell children, who have been rebelliou• and cruell themselves against their parents. 11. Wha• a cruell god was Saturn, who defiled himself with the blood of his own father, devoured his own children, and would not be satisfied in his sacrifices but by the blood of inno∣cent infants: Satius est pecudum more vivere, quam deos 〈◊〉 sanguinarios colere, saith Lactantius, lib. 1. de fals. relig. 'Tis better to live like beasts, then to worship such cruell, wic∣ked, and bloody gods. By this wee may see, that the Gen∣tile Page  236 gods were indeed Divels delighting in the destruction of men; whereas the true God whom wee worship, is mer∣cifull and gracious, and delights not in the death of a sin∣ner, who will have mercy and not sacrifice, who would be worshipped by the bloud of beasts, to save the shedding of mans bloud: Had not then the Romans a bloody re∣ligion, who not onely worshipped such a bloody god; but fettered his feet also to their pillars, •xce•• onely in their Saturnals, that hee might not goe away from them. The Egyptians were wiser, who excluded him quite out of their Cities, affording temples to him onely in the Countrey: And at last the Romans themselves began to abhorre such a bloudy god, when in the Proconsulship of Tiberius they crucified his Priests for off•ring infants to him. They were injurious to heaven, when they called such a bloudy butcher the son of h•aven, who should rather have been named the son of hell, to which by Jupiter hee was thru•t downe. His priests, as Tertullian shews, were initiated in a scarlet garment which they used to wear; a sit colour to ex∣presse their sanguinarie disposition: to these (it seems) the Roman Cardinals have succeeded, both in their colour and bloudy mindes, who are guiltie of the bloud of many thousand good Christians; so that at this day Rome is still Vibs Saturnia, and the Popes pallaco may be called Sedes Satu•nia, and his f•stivall dayes Saturnalia. 12. Wax ta∣pers or candles were wont to be burned upon Saturns altars, to shew that hee brought the light of knowledge and civi∣litie into Italie, which before lived in the darknesse of i∣gnorance and ruden•sse: therefore in his Festivall kept in December, the Romans used to send away candles, and o∣ther presen•s (which they called Saturnalia) to each other: from hence (it seems) the Papists borrowed their custome of burning w•x candles on their altars, and the giving of New-•eers gifts. 13. Saturn is so called a Saturando, from filling or satisfying; for hee being the first that taught men the use of corn, did fill or satisfie them: and as hee Page  237 •id fill, so his wife the Earth did help; therefore shee was called Ops. 14. By Saturn wee may understand the trees, •erbs, and plants, with the fruits of which men and beasts •re filled: the cutting off his genitalls is the pulling off the fruit from the trees; the casting of them into the sea, is the drowning of them in the moisture of the stomack, which being digested and converted into bloud, begets Ve∣•us; for without fruits, especially of Bacchus and Ceres, friget Venus, there would be no copulation nor procreation: the covering of Saturns head may signifie (as Fulgentius ob∣serves Myth. l. 1.) that the fruits, or plants and trees are co∣vered with leaves. 15. The binding of Satu•n, and cast∣ing of him into hell, may signifie how the motion of the starre Saturn is slow, and scarce percep•ible by us, by rea∣son of its vast distance, so that it se•ms to stand st•ll; and because it is so far off from our•sight, hee was s•id to be in hell. 16. During the time of the Saturnals, the ser∣vants in signe of lib•rtie put on their caps, and commanded their masters; this custome afforded matter of comfort to servants, and of humiliation to masters: When shall wee see these Saturnals, wherein pride, malice, covetousnesse, and other sins which are now our masters, may at last serve us, and that wee may obtain that freedome which Christ hath purchased for us?

SATYRI, See PAN.

The INTERPRETER.

1. BY Scylla may be meant a whore; for shee is a mon∣ster composed of dogs and wolves, still barking, and biving, and devouring all that have commerce with her, and is never sa•••fied: 〈◊〉 is indeed a ve•y dange•ous rock; upon which many me• hav• split both their soules, bodies, and estates, Multorum fu•ti cal••n•••. Bcylla was hated by Ci••e the daughter of the Sun, and so is a whore abhorred by th• children of the light. Scylla was beautif•ll in her upper-parts, but mon•trous and deformed below, formosa superna, desiris in piscem: Such is the condition of whore∣dome, pleasing and delightfull in the Beginning, but t•• 〈◊〉 is sorrow and miserie. Vl•sses, who was the type of a •ise 〈◊〉, escaped the dangers of this monster; and so will all wise men take heed of a whore, and will abho•re he• 〈◊〉, who brings none but fo•l• to the s•ocks for 〈◊〉. 2. Pala•phatics (F•ul•l.•.) thinks that this Scylla was a Pirat ship or galley on the Tyrr••• sed, robbing and spoiling all M•rch•n•s that sailed that way; which from its swiftnesse in sailing, and the rapacity of the pirats within it, was said to be turned into a sea-monster compo∣s•d of dogs and wolves: this ship Vlysses out-sailed by the help of a prosperous gale of winde, and so escaped the 〈◊〉. 3. Na•al•• C••es and others by Scylla and ••d∣rybid•• understand two dangerous rock• between Sicilie and Italie, which being hollow, and the rides r••ming thorow them, made an horrid noise, as if it were wolves yelling, or dog•b•rking: and because there be divers mon∣strous fishes within these hollow rocks, devouring the bo∣dies of those that make s•ipw••ck there▪ the Poets feigned Page  239 that these were monstrous women (for so the rocks appear like women afar o••,) but below the navell were dogs and wolves. 4. In that Circe poysoned the waters in which Scylla used to wash, wee see the nature of jealousie and womens emulation, how spitefull and revengefull it is. 5. In S•ylla drowning of her self wee see how impoten• and impatient women are, and how dangerous excessive grief is, and what the end of whores is, even shame and ruine. 6. In Scylla the daughter of Nisus, who for the love of Minos, betrayed her father and countrey, wee see the nature of lustfull affections,

Shee casts off all naturall respect and affection towards her father and countrey, betraying his fatall hair, that is, his counsels to the enemie, upon hope shee should enjoy him, of which notwithstanding shee failed; for Minos like a prudent man, though hee loved the treason, yet hated the traitour, and rejected her, albeit hee had obtained both the King and the Citie by her. 7. The life of a man is much like the sailing between Scylla and Charybdis; there be dan∣ge•ours rocks on each hand of us, despair on the l••t hand, presumption on the right; adversitie on the left, prospe∣rity on the right hand, have destroyed many thousands: Therefore let us neither decline to the right hand, nor to the left: let us keep the middle road, which is the way of vertue; — •l•dio •utisslmess ibis. But most men fall with Vlysses upon S•ylla, whilest they la∣bour to avoid Charybdis; they run out of one extreme into another, and can never keep the golden mean. 8. Charyb∣dis is metaphorically taken sometimes for an unsatiable glutton or drunkard, who is never satisfied; or may be taken for a covetous extortioner, who is never contented; or for the grave, which is alwayes devouting and consuming the bodies put in it. 9. In that Nisiss was turned into an Page  240 hawk, which still pursues Scylla his daughter turned into a larke; wee may see the nature of a guilty conscience, which leaveth not a man in death, but pursues the fearfull soule where-ever it goeth,

The wretched soul is tormented for its sinfull desires and pleasures.

The INTERPRETER.

1. THese Sirens were called the daughters of Achelous, either in reference to the harmonie which the wa∣ter of that river makes in running, or else of those musicall instruments of old called Hydraula, wee may call them wa∣ter-organs, in stead of which wee use wind-organs; and because of the sweetnesse of their musick, they were said to be the daughters of one of the Muses. 2. Sabinus thinks by these Sirens were meant the Queens of the Ilands neer the Bay of Salernum, who in the Promo•tory of Minerva, erected an Universitie or Colledge of good learning and eloquence, which gave occasion to this fiction of the Sirens, who were called the daughters of Achelous and Calli•pe, be∣cause the professors of that Colledge came out of Greece, where Calliope dw•elt, and Achelous was one of the chief ri∣vers there. But the Sirens were turned into sea-monsters, when the professors and students gave themselves to drink∣ing, Page  241 whoring, and all kind of licentiousnesse: and indeed, in such places where discipline is not observed, many young men lose their time and estates, and fall u on as dangerous rocks as those of the Sirenes. 3. The Sirens were whores, who dwelt upon that coast of Italie, who by their intice∣ments allured men ashore, where they lost both their time and their money, and this was little better then shipwrack. 4. By the Sirens are understood carnall and worldly plea∣sures, by which many thousands are devoured; the virgin face of Parth•nope▪ the sweet voice of Lagea, and the wh•te skin of Leucosia are buts by which whorish Sirens draw young inconsiderate gallants on the rocks, and destroy them in the is souls, bodies, and estates: therefore it becomes us with Orpheus, to tune up the melodious harp of Gods word, which may drown their voice and bewitching mu∣sick; or else with Vlysses, to tie our selves with the cords of reason, that these halfe unreasonable creatures (for so the Sirens are expressed, in that they were but halfe women) may not so far prevail, as to destroy our souls and devour our estates: or else let us stop our ears, as Vlysses did the ears of his fell•ws with wax, that wee may not hear the chanting of their voice; and w•th the Adder, that wee may not be charmed with the voice of such inchanters. 5. The Sirens used to fit their songs for every mans hu∣mour, that they might gain all: by this the nature of flat∣tery is shewed, which sooths up men in their humours; and applying it selfe to that which is most pleasing to the man whom flattery works upon, whether it be pride, luxurie, covetousnesse, or any other vice; a dangerous, but too fre∣quent a kind of Sirens, which sing in Princes Courts, chan∣t•ng that which is pleasing, but no way true. 6. Some think that the Sirenes were halfe birds, whom the Muses be∣rest of their wings, for daring to contend with them▪ I wish that learned men would clip o•• the wings of whorish and fla•tering Sirens, that they may not flye any more into Princes Courts and populous Cities, where they contend Page  242 with the Muses, and prevail too; inticing more to hearke• to them, then Preachers doe with all their Oratorie. 7. There were three Sirens, and these had three sorts of musick to allure men, to wit, the voice, the fife, and the harp▪ to shew that there are three wayes by which whorish women induce men to sin and destruction, to wit, beauty, singing, and familiarity. 8. The gods allowed the Si∣rens so long to live, as they could prevail with passengers to listen to their songs; but a•ter Vlysses and his fellowes hearkened not to them, they perished in the sea, and were seen no more; whores and parasites will live in the world so long as princes and rich men give ear to them: but if once they would be so wise, as with Vlysses to slight them, the Court and Citie would be quickly rid of them.

The INTERPRETER.

1. SIsiphus was killed by Theseus for his cruelty and op∣pression; thus God is just, who punisheth the wic∣ked here and hereafter: for not onely did Sisiphus suff•r death here, but is tormented also in hell. If there were no other punishment for wickednesse but death temporall here, who would be afraid to sin, seeing death puts an end to all miseries and pains? Mor• arumnarum requies, non cru∣ciat••. Neither is God unjust in punishing twice; for indeed death temporall is but the beginning of death eter∣nall, which ought to be eternall, because the majestie of the person offended, and the desire of the person offending are eternall, albeit the sin it self be but temporary. 2. Si∣syphus Page  243 was a tale-bearer, and did not conceal the secrets of the gods, nor the particular love of Jupiter to Aegina the daughter of Asopus; by this wee may learn to be silent, and not to reveal or divulge the secrets of others, esp•cially of princes; Magnum silentii praemium. 3. The sins of Si∣syphus were many, for which hee was punished in hell; to wit, inf•delity, in not concealing th• secrets of the go•s; ingratitude to them who had made him their secre∣tary; profanenesse in speaking irreverently of Jupiter; op∣pression in robbing and killing of strangers, and divers o∣ther sins; by which wee s•e that sin never goeth alone, and that God nev•r punisheth but when h•e is justly of∣fended. 4. The work of Sisyphus is like the work of worldly men, they toile night and day for pl•asures, ho∣nours, pr•fit, but the work is never at an end; and when they think to end, they are but beginning. 5. Many ric• and honourable men are like •isyphus his stone, when they are advanced to the top of the hill of honour and wealth, doe suddenly tumble down again to the bottome, and hee that is a king to day may be a begger to morrow: why then should men toil with so much labour, vexation, and sweat for that which is so apt to run downe the hill from them?

The INTERPRETER.

1. SOl is called the son of Hyperion, from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because hee was of highest account among the Gentiles, and worshipped above all the other gods, as his light, motion Page  244 and influence is of more efficacie then all the rest: there∣fore his mother was Thi•, or Euphraissa, from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because his operations and light are divine, and his light is large or broad, as the word signifieth. 2. Hee assi•ted Jupiter against the other Titans, to shew that God assisteth the just and innocent against wicked oppressors. 3. His image was wont to be made of gold, beardlesse, but long∣haired, having a whip in one hand, and Jupiters thunder in the other; by which they signifie, that the Sun was the supreme god, correcting some with lighter punishments, to wit, with the whip; and other with greater, as the thun∣der. 4. Sol is placed amongst the midst of the Muses, be∣cause the Sun is amongst the midst of the Planets, which they held made an harmonious sound in their motion. 5. To the Sun were dedicated the wolfe for his rap•citie, expressing the force of the Suns heat in consuming of moisture and vapours; the hawk for his swiftnesse and quick sight, to shew the swftnesse of the Suns motion, and that hee is the eye of the world; the black raven and the white swan, to expresse the qualitie of night and day which the Sun causeth, the one by his absence, the other by his presence; the cock also, because he salutes the day with his crowing. 6. I find him painted sometimes with arrows in one hand, and the Graces in the other, to shew what hurt and benefit wee receive by his heat; more benefit then hurt, for hee holds onely two arrows, but three Graces. 7. The Sun was painted with four ears, but one tongue, to teach us, that a wise man should hear much, but speak little. 8. The Sun was represented among the Egypti∣ans by a scepter and an eye, to shew that hee is the eye of the world, and king of the Planets. 9. I finde the Sun sometimes pictured with a crown on his head beset with twelve precious stones, and sometimes with four pots or urnes at his feet; by this I think, they meant the yeer with its twelve moneths and four seasons: sometimes a∣gain hee sits upon a lion, and carrieth a basket on his Page  245 head, a lance in his hand with the picture of victory on it; by this doubtlesse they understood, that the Suns heat ta∣m•th the wildest beasts that are, that all our plenty and fil∣ling of our baskets are from his influence, and that hee like a triumphant Conquerour rides in his golden chariot about the world. Who would see more of Sol, let him look upon the title APOLLO.

The INTERPRETER.

1. SOme think that Sphinx was on Amazonian woman, who having gathered a number of theeves, made of∣tentimes ex•ursions from the hill Sphingi•s upon the Theh•ns; but at last was surprised by Oedipus in the night, and destroyed: and this was the resolv•ng of her riddles, that is, the overcoming of her inaccessible and difficult pla∣ces and rocks where shee remained. Her womans face might sign ••e her alluring and entising wayes to draw strangers to her; the wings may signifie her or her fellow▪ swiftnesse; her lions or dogs body and clawes expressed her rapacitie. 2. Satan is the true Sphinx, who hath the face of a woman to entice and deceive, the clawes of a lion to tear us, and the wings of a bird to shew how nimble hee Page  246 is to assault us; hee lives upon the spoil of souls, as Sphinx did upon the bodies; hee •id for many ages abuse and de∣lude the Gentiles by his priests and wizzards, with riddles and ambiguous oracles: there is no way to overcome him, but by hearkening to the counsell of Minerva, as Oedipus did; that is, by following the counsell of Christ, who is the Wisdome of the Father; by this hee shall be destroyed, and wee undeceived. 3. The creature with the four feet in the morning is man, who in his infancie before he is able to walk, crawls upon all four; at noon, that is, in his man∣hood, makes use onely of his two feet; but in the evening of his age leans on the st•ff, which is his third foot. 4. O• naughty parents there proceed none but naughty children; Mali cor•i malum ov•m; for Sphinx was the child of Tiphen the giant, and of Echidna, which is a kinde of serpent; and therefore of them comes a serpentine brood; to wit, Gor∣g•n, Cerberus, the Dragon that kept the garden of Hesperides, Hyd•a, S•ylla, Sphinx, Chimaera, all monstrous brats of mon∣strous parents: if wee would have good children, let us be good our selves; Forter creaniur fortibus. 5. A Christian ought to be a Sphinx, having the face of a woman, that is, cheerfulnesse in countenance, astible in words; the wings of a bird, that is, expedition in actions, and a delight in supernall and heavenly places; the body of the lion, that is, magnanimitie and courage in afflictions. 6. The Th• bans used to wear the picture of Sphinx in their en∣signes, Minerva on her helmet, the Egyptians placed it in the entry of their temples; to shew that souldiers, wise men, and priests should be warie and circumspect in their words, and so to involve their actions and words, that they may not be ton plain and despicable, to the prejudice of the 〈◊〉, or of Religion. 7. Sphinx is a kind of Ape or Ba∣boon in Ethiopia, representing a woman in her brests, and it hold to be a docible creature.

The INTERPRETER.

1. IIn that these were called the daughters of Oceanus and Terra, it is to shew that they, as all other rivers, have their originall from the sea, but particularly, they have some passages under ground. 2. Acheron signifieth joylesse; St•x hatred, from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 hatefull; Cocy•us complaint or lamentation; to shew that when wee are departing out of this world, the joy of all earthly things fails us; therefore the water of this river was very unpleasant; for what plea∣sure can they have that lived in wealth, honour, and all outward felicitie, when they see that now they must part from them? sure the crossing of this river must be very unpleasing and sad to the men of this world, who have had their reward here, and their portion in this life. But ha∣ving passed this river, they come to S••x, which is hatred; for then they begin to loath and hate their former evill courses and wicked lives, and repent that they spent their time in such vanities, whereof now they reap no other fruit but shame and confusion. Lastly, they come to crosse Cosy∣tus, which is the river of lamentation and complaint, which their friends make that part with them; and they them∣selves, both for their former follies, and for losing their for∣mer delights and vanities. These rivers are said to slow from Pluto's throne, because the remembrance of that dominion which death shall have over them is the cause of these sor∣rows and complaints. Some add the fourth river, called Phle∣ge•on, from burning, by which may be meant the wrath of God which burneth like a river of brimstone. 3. Because Page  248 Vi•tory the daughter of S••x assisted Jupiter against the Ti∣tans, therefore he bestowed this honour upon her, that none of the gods should swear by S••x in vain; whosoever did, was debarred from Nectar and Ambrosia for a whole yeer: The reason why they would not sweat by Styx is because to swear by any thing is to honour it; but they would not ho∣nour that which is so repugnant to their nature: for Styx signifieth sorrow or hatred, of which the gods are not ca∣pable, seeing their life consisteth in joy and love. But by this wee see what shame it is for Christians to take Gods name in vain, seeing the Gentile gods would not take the name of S••x in vain: What can such Christians look for, that have no more reverence to Gods s•cred name, but to be de∣barred from Nectar and Ambrosia, even from life and im∣mortalitie? For the Lord will not hold •hem guil•lesse that take his name in vain. 4. As S••x assist•• Jupiter against the Ti∣tans; so ••he•on assisted them, by affording water to them when they sought against Jupiter: therefore as S••x was ho∣noured for her loyaltie; so A•her•n for disloyalty is thrust down to hell. By this princes are taught to reward their faithfull and loyall servants, and to punish such as se•k their ruine.

SYLVANUS, see PAN.