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

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.

AFter that the vngratious child Chara was abdicated and put away by his father without any instructions gi∣uen him touching the worshippinge of the true God,* 1.1 the outcast and his progenie marueilously increased, (as our common prouerbe is, an ill wéede growes fast) and they deduced many colonies into diuers partes of

the worlde, and the ignoraunce of the prouing of the true God, whiche was in the first parent, daily growing greater and greater in his posteritie. You séeing as Ci∣cero saies in his booke of the nature of the Gods, it is na∣turally ingraffed in man to acknowledge a God, and that no people or nation is so rude and barbarous, that doth not professe a God, they being vtterly ignoraunt of the true God, thought those thinges which they sawe to excell other, and by whom they receiued moste commo∣dities to be Gods: whereof arose the worshipping of the Sunne, the Moone, Starres, and suche other things, and also the making of the Gods, when they were dead,* 1.2 who in their liues had inuented or done any notable thinges to the vse and profite of mankinde. And hereby it came to passe, that some for the great celebrity of their names, were as it were generally receiued of all nati∣ons, as Hercules, Bacchus, Castor, and Pollux:* 1.3 and other were worshipped but in particular countries, of whom onely they had well deserued, as Isis in Egypt, Iuba in Mauritania, Cabyrus in Macedonia, Ʋracius among the Carthaginians, Fanus in Latium, Romulus, or after his dei∣fication Quirinus at Rome: and with a great number such other shal he méete, that diligently readeth the auncient monuments of the Paganes, and those christian authors which haue refused their superstitions.* 1.4 We read also in the booke of wisedome that the vnhappie man being be∣reft by vnripe death of his sonne whome hee loued ten∣derly, to mitigate and assuage his sorrowe, first inuen∣ted to haue his sonnes image adored, and it to be taken for a present GOD in earth, and the sonne him selfe for a GOD in heauen. The like affection wee reade in Lactantius Cicero hadde towardes his Daughter, and Virgils Aeneas vnto his Father:* 1.5 with this consolation recouering their Spirites

daunted and broken with griefe.* 1.6 Wonderfull also was the honour and obseruancie that some nations bare vn∣to their kings:* 1.7 so that he whiche readeth what Athene∣us doeth write of the Arabians, that the familiars of the Kinges did vse to maime them selues voluntarily of that member which it shoulde happen the king to léese: and that when the King died either naturall or violent death, they thought it but a sport to die all with him: the like whereof is affirmed by Strabo and Diodorus Siculus of the Aethiopians:* 1.8 and also of the Soliduni in a countrie of Gallia: who were sixe hundreth men whom the King did chuse to be about him as his guard,* 1.9 and liued and di∣ed with the king, neither was it euer knowen that any one man of them did euer refuse, or séeme, vnwilling to die, the Prince being deceased. He (I say) that reads this wil not be hard of beléefe to credite Lactantius, that the Maures did vse to consecrate all their kinges for Gods after they were dead.

The Aethiopians sayeth Strabo libr. 17. thinke that there is an immortall God and a mortall God. The im∣mortall is he that is the cause of all thinges: the mortal is with them vncertaine and lacketh a name: but most∣ly they do take them by whom they haue receiued bene∣fites, and their Kinges for Gods. Moreouer they doe thinke their kinges to be conseruers and kéepers of all men, but priuate men when they be dead (for they do ac∣count all dead men for Gods) onely of them, to whome they haue done good. In like manner also the Romanes v∣sed to deifie their Emperours after their deathe, as they also did their first king Romulus. The Persian kings we reade in Curtius and other,* 1.10 were adored like vnto Gods, which honour saies Arrianus was giuen & done vnto Cyrus first of all mortall men: and the first of the Romane Emperours that was adored or knéeled vnto, was Dioclesian after his glorious voiage and victorie a∣gainst

the Persians. Yea in our time Xoas the king of the Persians is worshipped of his subiectes for God. The water wherewithall he hathe washed his féete do they powre out of the basen, and kéepe religiously as holy, be∣ing an hoalsome medicine for al diseases: he is called the Lord that holdes vppe heauen and earth.

The Gentiles also to incourage the young Gentlemen to folowe vertue and valiauncie,* 1.11 vsed muche to Cano∣nize and consecrate for Gods after death, the renouned Capteines and greate conquerours: by these meanes Hercules, Bacchus, and other, did clime into heauen. Of this way speaketh Horace in his Epistles.

In triumphes braue to countrimen To shewe the captiue foes, Doth touche the stately throne of Ioue, And vppe to heauen it goes.

And Lactantius citeth Ennius making Scipio Africanus thus to speake.

If any man by sheading bloud May clime the loftie Skies, Onely to me the greatest gate of Heauen then open lyes.

This wasting and burning of other mens lands, and goods razing of townes, destroying of Cities, killing of infinite number of innocent men, women, and childrē, bringing into bondage vniustly many free people, did they cal vertue: which hethen abuse of the world remai∣neth yet vnto this day among the Italians, w^t many other such irreligious reliques, calling Iohn Galeazo the court of vertue, because he wrongfully like a strong théef rob∣bed and spoiled by force all the Princes aboute him of their Dominions, and possessions.* 1.12

Among the Pagans he that had killed one man was adiudged a contaminate & a wicked person, neither did

they thinke it lawfull to let him come into the earthly house of their Goddes: but he that had slaine infinite thousandes of men, had ouerflowen the fieldes with bloude, had dyed the riuers, was admitted not onely in∣to the temples, but also receiued into heauen. Murthe∣ring of one climed the gallowes, of infinite thousandes heauen. No otherwise, then the pyrate answered Alex∣ander the great, when he reuiled him as a most wicked knaue, that liued by the spoyle of other men: that by∣cause he roued but with one only pinasse, he was called a pyrate: but Alexander, for that his mightie fléetes fil∣led all the seas, robbing, wasting, pillaging, and bur∣ning al countries, was named a king: as though singu∣laritie in wickednesse, were singular vertue, and deser∣ued singular honours. But although it was common among the Gentiles, to deifie mē after they were dead, yet godly honours to be ordeined vnto any whyle they liued,* 1.13 happened but vnto fewe. The first sayes Plutarche among the Gréekes was Lysander, to whome after he had taken Athens, the Gréeks decréed many vn∣wonted honours, and some of them altars to be erected in his name, and poemes or sacred hymnes to be soung in his honour.* 1.14 The Athenians did set a fine of tenne ta∣lentes on Demades his heade, bycause he thought that Alexander was a god, and did put to death Euagoras, for that he adored Alexander when he was sent ambassa∣dour vnto him from the citie. Yet these seuere men af∣terwarde receiued Demetrius Poliorcetes,* 1.15 when he came to Athens, not only with fine persumes, garlands, and effusions of wine,* 1.16 the quires and Ithyphalli (whiche were men disguised like drunken mē, with garlands on their heads, & gloues made of floures, or rather of diuers co∣lours like floures, cloakes halfe white, and a Tarentine robe, downe to the shope, which sacred persons onely at∣tended on the highest gods) went out to méete him with

sacred singing & dauncing. But the multitude daunced & soung: that only this the true God is present, but the other gods do sléepe, or wander abroad frō home, or else certes be not at al, but this is the sonne of Neptune, and Ʋenus, excelling all in beautie, & for his facilitie commō to al men. This God is here as it is méete, for a God sur¦passing beautiful, both laughing & also graue: bicause al his friends enuiron him, in the midst of whom, who are as it were starres, he is séene like vnto the sun. All haile thou son of Ʋenus, & most mightie Neptune, for the rest of the Gods, either they haue no eares, or they be not at all in very déede: or at the least wise, they adhibite not their mindes to our matters. Therfore thou most mer∣ciful & milde, we doe pray thée, that thou wilt vouchsafe to giue vs peace, for thou art the Lord: w^t a great deale more such stuffe, which song, if that they had soung vnto his father Antigonus, he would haue answered thē, as he did y^e parasite poet Hermodotus,* 1.17 y^t called him in his prat∣ling poeme, the sonne of the sunne: my man that vseth to emptie my close stoole, thinkes not thus of me. Which sage saying of Antigonus, putteth me in remembrance y^e Platina writeth in the life of Iohn, the eight of that name, y^t the byshops of Rome do vse at their installing, to sit vpon a iakes stoole, to put them in mind, y^t although they are aduaunced to the highest seate of earthly glory (as they them selues thinke) yet for al y^t, that they are mor∣tal men stil, & subiect to the necessities of mans nature, as wel as other poore knaues. A sutable song vnto this of the Athenians, howled out y^e ambassadours of the citi∣zens of Palermo, vnto Martin the fourth byshop of Rome,* 1.18 who had accursed thē for sleying of al y^e frenchmē, womē & children, which were in y^e Island of Sicyl, & all Sicilyan womē which were knowne to be w^t child by any french∣mā. Vpon an Easter day at y^e first peale to Euensong,* 1.19 they lying prostrate at the byshops féete, cryed out with

lamentable voyce: O lambe of God that takest awaye the sinnes of the worlde, haue mercie vpon vs: and a∣gaine: O lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world, haue mercy vpon vs: and the third time: O lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world, giue vnto vs peace: vngodly & violētly pulling off y^e roy∣all spoyles from our Sauiour Christe, & casting them on Martine: for whom they were as fit as Hercules start∣vps, according to the olde prouerbe, are for a childe, or his rough Lions case and club, were for the nyce Ladie Iole. But to returne vnto the Athenians, Plutarche in the life of Demetrius writeth, that they decréed that De∣metrius and his father Antigonus, shoulde be called the Goddes sauiours, and that there shoulde be ordeined a priest vnto the Goddes sauiours, that they should be in∣terwouen in the sacred people with Iupiter & Pallas, that the legates whiche should goe at any time vnto them, shoulde be accepted for sacred. Yea, there lacked not some that wold haue had a shield consecrated vnto him at Delphos, of whome they should publikely receiue ora∣cle and answere in all doubtfull matters, as good, and as true as any that was there. But the Athenians not be∣ing content with this shamelesse flattering of the king, they decréed the sacrifices of Ʋenus vnto his two concu∣bines, Leona and Lamia, and vnto his flatterers and pa∣rasites Burichus Adimanthus, and Exythemides, were al∣tars and statuies erected, and poemes which should be soung in their honour: in so muche, that Demetrius him selfe being astonied at their seruile flatterie, affirmed, that in his time there was not one Athenian of stoute heart,* 1.20 nor rype iudgement. The like impudencie vsed they many yeares after vnto Antonius the triumpher, and among many extraordinarie honours, they espou∣sed vnto him their chiefe Goddesse and patrone of their citie, Pallas, whiche marriage he sayde he did very well

like off, and withal his hart accept, and they should giue with her vnto him quadragies sestertiū. 10000. crowns, a fine not halfe great ynough for so heinous a fault. The Ephesians also by Plutarches reporte receiued him Godlike, the women being disguised like Bacchus his dame priests, & y^e men & boies transfigured into satyres, and Panes, bearing in their handes Bacchanicall iaue∣lins called Thyrsie, and garlandes of iuie on their heads, saluting and calling him by the name of Bacchus, Chari∣doles, and Malichius. Wherein they be the more to be borne with, because, saies Dion, lib. 48. he had after the ouerthrowe that hee gaue vnto Brutus and Cassius, na∣med him selfe Bacchus, whome in very déede he did very liuely counterfeite and expresse in drunkennesse: and commaunded that no man should call him by any other name. But before this time had the Romanes decréed Iulius Caesar,* 1.21 after that he had with armes oppressed vnto the libertie of his countrie, honours higher, and greater then could agrée with any man, a temple ioyntly vnto him and Clemencie, a statuie of golde sette with precious stones, to the Curia or Senatehouse: and before the iudgement seate a sacred drey or litle carte and a Page∣aunt setfoorth with the pompe that they vsed at their playes Circenses, his statuies to be set vp close vnto the superstitious beddes of their Gods. A College of priests were instituted vnto his Godhead, whiche were called Luperci Iulii, and a Bishop or Flamin of the order, which was Marcus Antonius y^e consul: that they should swere by his fortune, that euery fifth yeare a feast should be ce∣lebrated vnto him, as a Heros or halfe God, that all the games of swoord plaiers that should be kept in Rome or in all Italie should be consecrated vnto him. Finally, saies Dion, they openly gaue him the syrname of Iupiter,* 1.22 whiche thinges do agrée vnto Eustatius the famous in∣terpreter of Homer vppon the firste of his Iliades, that

Iulius Caesar was called a God by the Romanes while he was liuing.* 1.23 Al these decrées which partly the flattering people, and partly his priuie ill willers to bring him in∣to enuie thus heaped on him, were engraued in pillers of siluer with letters of golde, and placed at the féete of Iupiter Capitolinus, couertly to admonishe him of his hu∣manitie, and subiection vnto God. But it is not to be wondered at that Caesar was made a God by the op∣pressed Romanes,* 1.24 séeing that Plinie affirmeth, that one Euthymus Picta, an Italian, who had euer béene victor at the games helde at Olympus, and neuer but once ouer∣come, was by the commandement of the Oracle of A∣pollo and the astipulation of Iupiter the highest God, con∣secrated aliue and fealing: and that the very same day his statuie that had béene set vp at Olympia was stroken and consumed with lightening, and that this did also please the Goddes, he sayes that Callimachus doeth so maruell at, as he doth at nothing else y^t euer happened. Neither haue Magicians,* 1.25 and sorcerers obteined lesse honour: for in the time of Claudius the Emperour, one Simon a Samaritane, of his diuelish art and science called Magus,* 1.26 came vnto Rome and plaide there so many fine slye iuggling knackes, that he with his minion Helena were accompted for Goddes and sacrifices offered vnto them, and his Image set vp betwéene the two bridges of Tiber with this title Simoni Deo Magno, to Simon a great God: but Tertullian hathe an holy God whome all the Samaritanes, and many also of other nations did adore and confesse to be the highest God.

The insolencie, writes Egesippus, out of this iuggling merchaunt went so farre,* 1.27 that hee prouoked Simon Peter, then beeing at Rome to contende with him in woorking of miracles. He went about to raise vppe by magicke artes, the bodie of a childe, whose soule

was departed out of it, the Childe was of kinde vnto Nero: and in déede moued it a litle, but incontinent∣ly it fell downe starcke deade, as it was before.

But Peter by the name of Iesus made it to rise a∣lone of it selfe. With the euent of whiche miracle Simon being netled, and chafed, professed that he woulde in the sight of all the people of Rome flye from the Capi∣toll vnto the Auentiue hill, if Peter woulde followe him: that déede should manifestly declare whither of them two was best beloued of GOD. And nowe was Simon carried aloft in the ayre, when Peter on his knées suppliantly desired almightie GOD not to suffer the people who tourneth all thinges to the wurst to bée deceiued by false iuggling, neither lac∣ked his prayers effecte, for Simon fell downe to the grounde in the middes of his foolishe flight, and brake one of his legges, shortely after dying thereof at A∣ricia: whither hee had béene priuily conueied by his disciples after that foule foile.* 1.28 I finde also in Lac∣tantius that in the reigne of Domitian, Apollonius the fa∣mous Magician was adored of many for a GOD, and an image set vp vnto him by the name of Hercules Alexicacos: Hercules the driuer away of all euill.* 1.29 Thus haue ye heard the extreame foolishnesse of many heathen men in choosing of their GODS, but the mad∣nesse of the Egyptians doth farre excéede them all: for they, sayes Herodotus in Euterpe, doe take all beastes bothe wilde, and tame, for Godes.

There are (saies Strabo in his seuentéenth booke) some vnreasonable liuing creatures, which all the Ae∣gyptians doe vniuersally woorshippe, as of the lande beastes, the neate, and the dogge: of byrdes, the hawke and the Ibis: of fishes the Lepidotus, and Oxyrinchus. And there be other which euery city adoreth peculiarly, as y^e

Saites and Thebans a shéepe, the Latopolitanes a fish in the Riuer of Nilus called Latus, the Lycopolitanes a woulfe, the Hermopolitanes the Cynocephalus, the Babylonians be∣sides Memphis the Cepus, whiche is a beast like vnto a Satyre, but in all other partes meane betwéene a dogge and a beare: the Mendesians bothe the ramme, and the ewe goat. The Athribites y^e venimous mouse called Mus Araneus, Hercules his citie, with other the ilfauoured Ichneumon whiche killeth the crocodile, and destroyeth the aspes egges: the Arsinoites the cruell crocodile, the Leontines the Lyon.* 1.30 The Ele also is a generall God in Egypt, and all fishes with scales, and the byrde Phenix, and the Bergander, as affirmeth Herodotus: who also telleth, that if any man kill any of those baggages wil∣lingly, he dieth the death for it: if against his will, hée is fined and punished at the discretion & will of the priests: but whosoeuer killeth an Ibis or an Hauke either with his will, or against it, must néedes die for it. And to be deathe to kill a catte either by mishappe or of pur∣pose, doth Diodorus Siculus shewe by an example, which he himselfe sawe.* 1.31 The Romane imbassadours were at Alexandria to enter into societie and friendshippe with the Egyptians and their king to he called an alie & friend of the people of Rome, where it chaunced one of the Ro∣manes against his will to kil a catte. As soone as it was noised in the citie, the angrie citizens assembling toge∣ther in great troupes from all partes of the towne, as∣saulted the house wherin the imbassaders lay, & reques∣ted to haue him deliuered vnto them, that he might be executed: vtterly neglecting the greatnesse of the Ro∣mane name, and the memorie of the friendshippe lately made: and doubtlesse they would haue put him to death, if that the king and the officers, had not rather conue∣yed then deliuered him out of the present perill. Dio∣dorus also doth affirme, that these baggage Goddes are

kept and nourished about the Temples by men of good reputation, who féede them with fine manchet, Alica, a kinde of furmament, & deintie dishes made with milke. Moreouer they do set euery day before them géese bothe boyled, and also rosted, and for those that eate rawe flesh they cause byrdes to be caught, finally they kéepe them with great care and charges. Furthermore they doe washe them with warme water, and very good and o∣doriferous ointments. They also make for them sump∣tuous beddes, costly garnished, they mourne for their death, as muche as they were their children, and burie them more sumptuously then their abilitie can cleare.

After the death of Alexander the great, when that Ptolomeus Lagi held Egypt, an Oxe being dead at Mem∣phis for age, he that tooke vpon him the charge to kéepe him, bestowed vpon his buriall a great masse of money the whiche had béene giuen for the charges of the fune∣ralles, and also fiftie talentes that is 9375. lent by Pto∣lomey. Also in our age which was in the time of Ptolo∣meus Dionysius the laste king, certaine that had the kee∣ping of suche beastly Goddes, bestowed vpon their fune∣ralles, no lesse then 100. talentes, that is, 18750. pound. In what house soeuer saies Herodotus cattes do dye by nature, al they that do dwell in them do shaue their ey∣browes onely, but if that a dogge die, all their whole bo∣dies, and heades are shauen. Dead cattes are caried by the people howling and beating their brestes, vnto the temples to be salted, and from thence into the citie Bu∣leastis to be buried: but they lay dogs in sacred cophines in those temples where they happen to die, but dead shrewe mise and hawkes they do carrie vnto the citie of Butis: all these baggages doe they by the reporte of Dio∣dorus wrapp in fine shéetes, and embaulme with the pre∣cious liquor of Cedrus, and odoriferous ointments: but dead beares and wolues do they burie where they finde

them. Moreouer, Iuuenal in his xv. Satyre, doth charge them with farther follie, in that they make léekes and onyons their Goddes: wherefore he frumping them sayes: O holie nations, that haue Goddes growing in their gardens. I haue béene the longer in declaring the madnesse of the Egyptians, to make men vnderstande from whence the Israelites had their wonderfull prone∣nesse vnto idolatrie, and worshipping of false Goddes. But as I sayd before, it is not so greatly to be maruel∣led at, if that heathen men, who accounted those to be Gods, whō they knewe to be most renouned for vertue and valiancie, did when that when fortune fauned on them, forget them selues, and inuaded wrongfully the godhead: yet who wold beléeue that so absurd a thought coulde come into their myndes, to whome God had re∣uealed his trueth, and the knowledge of him selfe, if we did not reade the like of Herodes Agrippa, in the moste true recordes of the Actes of the Apostles. Whiche hi∣storie is in these wordes, related more at large by Iose∣phus, in the .xix. booke of his antiquities. When Herodes Agrippa,* 1.32 did set foorth at the citie of Caesaria, magnificent spectacles vnto the people in the honour of Caesar, vpon a day vowed for the life and safetie of the Emperour: to the which came also the worshipfull and honourable of the whole Prouince: the second day of the shewes, the king putting on a glittering robe, wrought with won∣derfull workmanship of cleane siluer, about Sunne ri∣sing came foorth vnto the theatre. Nowe when that the Sunne at the first rising did shine vpon the siluer gar∣ment, the glistering of the mettall did cast foorth, with the reuerberated beames, suche a double and diuine brightnesse, that the tenour of the sight, did dazell the eyes of them that behelde it, striking in them a venera∣tion with honour. Incontinently was there hearde the flatterie of the common people, pratling out wordes

which sounded to honour, but brought destruction. He was saluted from all partes of the Theatre by the name of a God, and supplyantly prayed vnto to be mer∣cifull and good vnto them, the people saying: vntill this time we haue euer feared thée as a man, but from hencefoorth we doe nowe confesse thée to surmount, and be aboue mans nature. But the king did not sup∣presse nor blame their lewde exclamations, neither ab∣horred the vngodlinesse of vnlawfull flatterie, vntill suche time as a little while after he looking vp, sawe an Owle sitting vppon a rope that went crosse the Thea∣tre ouer his head, and immediately withall, he felt him to be the minister of his destruction, whome he had knowne before to be his purueyour of good thinges, and so was he soudenly tormented with incredible peines a∣bout his heart, belly, and small guts, and looking backe vpon his friendes, sayde: behold ye, I that God of yours am presently tumbled downe from life: the power of God presently prouing those wordes to be false, whiche you euen very nowe bestowed and hurled on me. And I whome but very nowe, you called immortall, am out of hande at this instant, carried headlong to death: but I must abide and receiue the sentence whiche God hath pronoūced on me: for I haue liued, not in miserie, but in so great felicitie, that al men cal me a blessed mā. When he had spoken those words, he being more grie∣uously vexed w^t the violence of the peine, was inconti∣nently borne into y^e palace. But shortly after, when it was bruted abroad, y^t he was vpon the point of death, a great multitude of al ages & sects came vnto the palace, who lying on the ground grouely clothed in hairecloth, after their countrie guise, made incessant supplications vnto God for the kings recouerie, all the kinges palace ringing with their dolful cries and lamentations: whē as in the mean time, the king lying in a chamber aboue,

and looking downe, and beholding them lying flatte on their faces with lamentable wéeping, could not abstein from teares him selfe: but being fiue dayes thus tor∣mented, incessantly with griping peines of his bellie, at the lengthe brake in sunder the tedious thread of loth∣some life. Thus by this long narration of those, whose prosperitie made them to forget their maker,* 1.33 yea, and them selues too, that saying of Augustines is verified: that as all fruites, all graines, all woodes haue their worme, and euery one a diuers worme the one from the other: so the worme of riches, power, and prosperitie, is pryde, which doth corrupt and quite consume them, as all other wormes do the substaunces wherein they are bred: neuer dying, vntill that they haue chaunged the names: turning woods to rottennesse, yron to lust and drosse, power to pouertie: the vnsearchable wisedome of God so ordeyning, that those thinges whiche it might séeme, no forreighe forre could be able to hurt, shoulde them selues ingender in them selues, a thing to destroy them selues, and be vtterly consumed by an inward yl. Yet Canute the mightie Monarche of this realme, Den∣marke, and Norwey, did so medicine his prosperitie with true godlinesse, religiousnesse, and humilitie, that there could no worme of pryde be bred in it. For he hauing once gotten a leasure time,* 1.34 from the troublesome af∣faires of his realmes and subiectes, walked for to re∣freshe his spirites, dulled with the vnquiet tediousnesse of Princes toyle, along the sea side vpon the sandes, not farre from Southhampton: where he was called by one of his souldiers, that serued vnto the eare, the king of kings, and of all kings, far the most mightie, who large∣ly reigned ouer men, ouer the sea, ouer the earth. Then the king speaking neuer a worde, erected his mynde to contemplate the power of God: and that he might with a manifest argument and demonstration, reproue the

vaine and false flatterie of his souldiour: he did put off his cloke, and wrapping it round together like a bowle, and setting downe vpon it hard by the water, that then flowed, spake thus: Waue I commaund thée, that thou touch not my féete. He had not so soone spoken these wordes (those whiche attended on him woondering to what ende hee did these thinges) when beholde the waue in surging all to wette him.

Then he going backe saide: Syrs call ye me a king who am not able to cohibite and staye this litle waue? certes no mortall man is woorthie of so highe a name: there is one onely king the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe, with whome he doth reigne: at whose becke al thinges are gouerned and ruled, him let vs worshippe: him let vs call king: him of kinges, him of all peoples and nations to be the Lord, him of heauen, of the earthe, of the sea to be the ruler, let vs not onely confesse, but also professe, and besides him none. After this going to Winchester, he did set with his owne handes the crowne whiche he ware on his head vpon the Image of Christe crucified, whiche stoode in the Churche, and neuer ware crowne afterwarde.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Lact. de fals. relig. The Original of worship∣ping of false Gods.
• * 1.2

  The first cause why the Gen∣tiles did make men Gods.
• * 1.3

  Lact. de fals. reli 1. cap. 15.
• * 1.4

  The second cause.
• * 1.5

  Aeneid. 5.
• * 1.6

  The thirde cause.
• * 1.7

  The loue of the Arabians vnto their Kinges.
• * 1.8

  Lib. 4. Lib. 17.
• * 1.9

  The loue of the Solidunes vnto their Kinges.
• * 1.10

  What man was first ado∣red.
• * 1.11

  The fourth cause of dei∣fying of men.
• * 1.12

  Lact. de fals. relig.
• * 1.13

  To what men godly honors were decreed while they li∣ued. The fift cause.
• * 1.14

  The impudēt flatterie ef the Athenians vn∣to Demetrius.
• * 1.15

  Ath. lib. 6. ca. 6
• * 1.16

  Ath. li. 14. ca. 8
• * 1.17

  A worthy say∣ing of Antigo∣nus.
• * 1.18

  The shameles speache of the Panormitanes.
• * 1.19

  Paul Aemyl. lib. 7.
• * 1.20

  The shamlesse flatterie of the Athenians vn∣to Antonius, and howe hee required them therefore.
• * 1.21

  The flatterie of the Ro∣manes to Iu∣lius Caesar.
• * 1.22

  Lib. 44.
• * 1.23

  Diod. lib. 44.
• * 1.24

  Lib. 7. cap. 47.
• * 1.25

  Simon Magus adored for a God.
• * 1.26

  Iust. in Apol, Tertul. in A∣polo. &c.
• * 1.27

  The contenti∣on betweene Peter and Ma∣gus.
• * 1.28

  Lib. 5. cap. 3. Apollonius a∣dored for a God.
• * 1.29

  The madnesse of the Egypti∣ans in choo∣sing their false Gods.
• * 1.30

  Diod. Sic. 2. Ath. 7. cap. 17. Hero. Enterp.
• * 1.31

  Lib. 2. cap. 4.
• * 1.32

  The flatterie of the people vnto Herodes, & of his dole∣full end.
• * 1.33

  A golden sen∣tence of Augu¦stine.
• * 1.34

  The humili∣tie of king Canute Polyd