Beautiful blossomes, gathered by Iohn Byshop, from the best trees of all kyndes, diuine, philosophicall, astronomicall, cosmographical, historical, & humane, that are growing in Greece, Latium, and Arabia, and some also in vulgar orchards, as wel fro[m] those that in auncient time were grafted, as also from them which haue with skilful head and hand beene of late yeares, yea, and in our dayes planted: to the vnspeakable, both pleasure and profite of all such wil vouchsafe to vse them. The first tome

Title

Beautiful blossomes, gathered by Iohn Byshop, from the best trees of all kyndes, diuine, philosophicall, astronomicall, cosmographical, historical, & humane, that are growing in Greece, Latium, and Arabia, and some also in vulgar orchards, as wel fro[m] those that in auncient time were grafted, as also from them which haue with skilful head and hand beene of late yeares, yea, and in our dayes planted: to the vnspeakable, both pleasure and profite of all such wil vouchsafe to vse them. The first tome

Author

Bishop, John, d. 1613.

Publication

Imprinted at London :: [By H. Middleton] for Henrie Cockyn, dwelling in Fletestreate at the signe of the Elephant, a litle aboue the Conduit,

Anno. 1577.

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Subject terms

Biography -- Early works to 1800.

Link to this Item

https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A16169.0001.001 content_copy

Cite this Item

"Beautiful blossomes, gathered by Iohn Byshop, from the best trees of all kyndes, diuine, philosophicall, astronomicall, cosmographical, historical, & humane, that are growing in Greece, Latium, and Arabia, and some also in vulgar orchards, as wel fro[m] those that in auncient time were grafted, as also from them which haue with skilful head and hand beene of late yeares, yea, and in our dayes planted: to the vnspeakable, both pleasure and profite of all such wil vouchsafe to vse them. The first tome." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A16169.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 17, 2024. content_copy

Contents

• title page
• The Authour vnto his Booke: borrowed and translated out of Martial his Epigrammes.
• The Authour vnto the Reader.
• Byshops Blossoms.
  • The first Chapter. Of the essence, vnchaungeablenesse, singlenesse, and almighti∣nesse of God.
  • The second Chapter, Of the wonderful pride of Psapho, Menecrates, Alexander, Cō∣modus, Caligula, Domitian, & Cosdras, who would be ho∣noured for Gods. Of a wittie decree of the Lacedemoni∣ans touching Alexanders Godhead. How Philippe of Ma∣cedonie dolted Menecrates and gaue one in charge daily to put him in minde that he was a man. Of the free speech of a botcher vnto Caligula, & a worthie saying of Antigonus
  • The thirde Chapter. Whereof the false Goddes had their first ground, and the cau∣ses that moued diuerse countries to worshippe many men after death for Gods, and also some while they liued: as Demetrius, Iulius Caesar, Pycta, Lysander, Simon Magus & Apollonius: and of the extreeme maddnesse of the Egyp∣tians in chusing of their Gods, of the impudent flatterie of the ambassadours of Palermo vnto Martine the fourth, and of the people to Herodes Agrippa, and the present punish∣ment of God for the accepting thereof. Of the wonderfull reuerence that the Persians gaue vnto their Kinges: and of the rare loue that the Galles, Arabians, & Aethiopians bare vnto their Princes: two woorthie sayinges of Antigonus and Canute.
  • The fourth Chapter. Of the manifolde miseries of man.
  • ¶ The fift Chapter. The immoderate mourning of man, and examples of them whiche haue dyed for sorrowe, conceiued for the decay of Gods glory, countries calamities, infortunitie of parents, children, brethren, wiues, maisters, and friends.
  • The sixte Chapter. Of the great riot of man in apparel, and the excesse therein, of a Cardinals harlot of Poppea, of the souldiours of Antio∣chus, Sedetes, Caligula, Heliogabalus, Charles duke of Bur∣gonie, the Marques of Astorga, Lollia Paulina, Agrippi∣na of the Romanes, the Greekes, and the Alexandrines, of the greate prices of a pearle, and a precious stone whiche made his maister to be proscribed: Howe man doth alter the natural constitution and ornamentes of his body, and of Poppea her bath, and of a Patriarche, and a Cardinal that made themselues to be pale.
  • ¶ The seuenth Chapter. O the vnreasonable ryot of men in building, and namely, of the auncient Romanes, of Nero, Caligula, Heliogabalus, Lucul∣lus, Clodius: of the rare ryot in housholde stuffe of the Ro∣manes, Greekes, and Asians, and specially in their counterfeits both painted and in mettall, and yuorie, with the incredible prices of diuers of them, in curiously wrought plate, hang∣ings, bedsteedes, chaires, stooles, tables with the excessiue pri∣ces of diuers of thē, and of the great riot in furniture of hous∣hold of Antonius Bassus, Sopus, Heliogabalus, the liberts of Clodius a Cardinal, and againe, the sparenesse therein of the auncient Romanes of Scipio Africanus and his brother, Aeli∣us Catus, and what siluer was found at the sacke of Carthage, and of the costly peece of Arras of Leo the Pope.
  • The eight Chapter. Of the great ryot of the Romanes in their feasting, with the great prices of their acates, of the intemperance therein, of Timocreon, Crispinus, Vitellius, Nero, Caligula, Helioga∣balus, Lucius Verus, two Antioches, Marcus Antonius, and Cleopatra, Aesopus the player, and his sonne Clodius, Lu∣cius Lucullus, Galeazo, a Venetian, two Cardinalles, and Mulcasses: and againe, the auncient frugalitie in dyet of the olde Romanes, and of Augustus, and Alexander Seue∣rus, and also the daily proportion of dyet for housholde of the king of Persia, and Alexander the great. The great charges of pretious oyntments, and the ryotous vse of thē: and howe Plotius and Mulcasses were betrayed vnto their enimies by their sweete odours. The manifold sorts of wines, and alterings of water found out by ryot, and the rare deuises to make men haue an appetite to eate and drinke superfluously. The great incommodities of ex∣cesse in dyet, the great death in Wittenberge with drink∣ing of wine, and at Alexanders game of drinking: the wō∣derfull grosnesse of Nicomachus, Ptolomey, Alexander, Dionysius, and Sanctius, of the rare vertue of an hearbe to make one leane. Of the nature of the beast Rosomacha, and of certaine straunge sheepe and swine.
  • The ninth Chapter. Of the riotous magnificence of the Pyramides, Laberinthes, Obelisces, the gardein at Babylon, the vaine sumptuous shippes of Ptolomey, Hiero, Sclostres, and Caligula, the chargeable fruitelesse bridges of Traian and Caligula, the theater of Seaurus, the incredible charges of the Romanes in playes games and triumphes.
  • The tenth Chapter. What trouble ryot doth bring vnto man, howe it caused Ca∣tiline, Antonius, Curio, and Caesar, to raise vp ciuil warres, and of a dumbe shewe of Heraclitus, that nothing dothe more cause rebellion, the shamelesse shiftes of Iulius Cae∣sar, Caligula, Nero, and Domitian, to mainteine their ryo-expences, and of Cheopes to finish his pyramis, and howe Apitius murthered him selfe, bycause hee was not able to beare the charges of his wonted ryot.
  • The eleuenth Chapter. The tormentes of loue the inordinate lust of man, both before, after, and against nature, of an harlotte that saide she neuer re∣membred that she was a maide: how Salomon and Achaz be∣gat children at eleuen yeares of age, of a Camel that kil∣led his keeper for deceiuing him in horsing his damme: of a man in Germanie in one daye that begat a childe vppon his mother, which childe he afterward married: of an horse that killed himselfe after that he perceiued that he had serued his damme: of diuerse that burned in the loue of them whom they neuer sawe, of diuerse that raged in lust vpon statuies of stone.
  • The twelfth Chapter. Of the torments of ambition, confirmed also by the exam∣ples of Themistocles, Alexander, Iulius Caesar, Mancinus Sabinus, and an Indian, and of the wonderfull summes of money giuen by the Romanes to obteine offices of their magistrates, and of their order and manner in chosing of∣ficers.
  • The thirteenth Chapter. Of the torments of couetousnesse.
  • The fourteenth Chapter. The rites vsed at burialles of almost all nations, and sectes, as well auncient as moderne with mention of diuerse costly rumbes,
  • The fifteenth Chapter. The confuse and causelesse feare of man, and particularly of the Romanes three times, of Augustus Caesar, of the Greekes at Patras, Philocrene, and Trapezonda, of the league called the cōmō wealth in Fraūce, before Paris, of the Emperials at Villa Francha, of Pysander, of one that died with the sight of Her∣cules, of Artemon of Saint Vallier of Cassander, at the sight of Alexanders Image, and other.
  • The sixteenth Chapter. Of the furious rage of man, and specially of Walter Earle of Breme, and Matthias king of Hungarie.
  • The seuenteenth Chapter. Of the great troubles that religion and superstition do inflict in∣to man, of the vnutterable sorrowe for sinne, of Dauid, Marie Magdalene, Fabiola, king Edgar, the gryping griefs of a guil∣tie conscience, and the vaine imaginations of the Melancho∣like.
  • The eighteenth Chapter. The hoofullnesse of Lewes the eleuenth, Charles the seuenth French kings, of Dionysius, Commodus, and Aris∣tippus, for the prolonging of their liues.
  • The ninetenth Chapter. The shortnesse of mans life, and by how many casualties it is shortned, and of sundrie straunge kindes of death.
  • The twentie Chapter. That not great riches and Empires doe make a man happie, the which Socrates proued by an excellēt similitude, wher∣vnto is annexed a golden sentence of Agesilaus.
  • The xxi. Chapter. A discourse of the brittle blisse of Alexander the great.
  • The two and twentie Chapter, Of the infelicitie and dolefull ende of Demetrius, yea, his whole life and actes.
  • The xxiij. Chapter. Of Iulius Caesars greatnesse, and also his great mishappes, and troubles, and of a worthie saying of Charles the fift.
  • The xxiiij. Chapter. Of Marcus Antonius.
  • The xxv. Chapter. Of Caligula his monsterous doings, rare infelicities, and shamefull end, and the singular vertues of his father, & great loue that all men bare vnto him.
  • The xxvi. Chapter, Of Domitian.
  • The xxvi. Chapter. Of Commodus.
  • The xxviij, Chapter. Of Cosdras king of Persia.
  • The xxix. Chapter. Of the insolent exulting of Vgoline Earle of Pise, Fredericke the second, and Henrie the second, of their good fortune, & their falles: and againe, the moderation of mynde of Epa∣minondas, Philip king of Macedonie, Camillus Paulus, and Charles the fift in their fortunate concourse of victories, and why at Rome a bondman did ride in the chariot with him that triumphed.
  • The xxx. Chapter. Of the vnfortunate fall of many great conquerours & foun∣ders of Empires.
  • The xxxi. Chapter. The vnluckie chaunces of Augustus.
  • The xxxij. Chapter. Of Traiane.
  • The xxxiij. Chapter. Of Seuerus Emperour of Rome.
  • The xxxiiij. Chapter. Of Constantine the greate.
  • The xxx. Chapter. Of Iustinian the Emperour.
  • The xxxvi. Chapter. Of Heraclius the Emperour.
  • The xxxvij. Chapter. Of Michael Paleologus Emperour of Constantinople.
  • The xxxviij. Chapter. Of Charles the great.
  • The xxxix. Chapter. Of Charles the fift.
  • The xl. Chapter. Of Solomon king of the Israelites.
  • The xli. Chapter. ¶ Of Herodes king of Iudea.
  • The xl. Chapter. Of Mahumet.
  • The xliii. Chapter. Of Hismaell the Sophie.
  • The xliiii. Chapter. Of the Cherife of Maroccho.
  • The xlv. Chapter. Of Barbarossa kinge of Argier.
  • The xlvi. Chapter. Of Tamerleyne the Tartar.
  • The xliiii. Chapter. Of Mahumet the second, the greate Turke.
  • The xlvij. Chapter. Of Selime the first great Lord of the Turkes.
  • The xlviij. Chapter. Of Ferdinande the sixt king of Hispaine.
  • The xlix. Chapter. Of William Conquerour.
  • The l. Chapter. Of Henrie the second.
  • The li. Chapter. Of Edwarde the thirde.
  • The lii. Chapter. Of Henrie the fift.
  • The Conclusion.
• A Table shewing what is con∣teined in euery Chapter of this booke.
• The Errata.