Ptōchomuseion [sic]. = The poore mans librarie Rapsodiæ G.A. Bishop of Exceter vpon the first epistle of saint Peter, red publiquely in the cathedrall church of saint Paule, within the citye of London. 1560. Here are adioyned at the end of euery special treatie, certaine fruitful annotacions which may properly be called miscellanea, bicause they do entreate of diuerse and sundry matters, marked with the nombre and figures of Augrime. 2.

Aenigma. 8.

ENigma is an obscure allegorie, and a sentence couered with subtill and crafty wordes, Man.

Obscurus sermo cunctis aenigma vocatur. Vt: mater me genuit, mox gignitur ex me.

That is to say: Aenigma is called of al men a darke and obscure speach. As, my mother hath brought forth me, and anone she is brought forth of me. By this sentence is signified water, for of water Ise is congeled, & is resolued againe into water.

Aenigma differreth from an allegory in this, that an allegorie is eui∣dent, cleare, and manifest, and aenigma is somewhat obscure and subtill. Neither it ought to be reprehended if you, either speake, or write to the learned or vnlearned, that there by they may be compelled to search and learne the sure meaning therof. Phe Prophetes haue many aenigmata, so hath the Apocalipse. Likewise in the Ethnicke writers, there be many aenigmata, of the goddes and of the Sibilles. As Sibillae folium, extripede dictum, dixthera Iouis. &c. This figure is coumpted of Fabius to be ra∣ther a fault, than a vertue in any oration. VVherupon Diomedes beyng moued, doth nomber this trope aswell among the faultes, as among the vertues of an oration.

Hesiodus sheweth a very apt example of this figure in his Georgikes, saying, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Dimidium plus toto. That is to say: Half is more then the whole, by the whiche aenigma is signified golden mediocritie: for he that is content with halfe, doth consist in the meane, but he that doth aspire and desireth the whole, tendeth to extremitie.

Plutarchus doth report of Darius, that when he called vnto him the Lordes liuetenauntes of his prouinces, he asked of them, whether the tri∣butes were to greuous for the subiectes or no. And when they aunswered that they were meane, he commaunded the one halfe onely to be payde, iudging it to be better to take half with the good wil of his prouincialles, than the whole with their hatred.

* 1.1The like aenigma is in Virgill who writeth thus.

Dic quibus in terris & eris mihi magnus Apollo, Tres pateat caeli spatium non amplius vlnas.

Agayne in the holy Scriptures are diuerse and sondrie aenigmata, as for example in the Psalme. Pennae columbae de argentatae &, posteriora dorsi eius in specie auri. Though ye haue lyen amōg pots, yet shal ye be that is as y^e wings of a doue,* 1.2 that is couered with siluer, & whose fethers are like yellow golde. By the whiche is signified, though God suffer his Churche for a time to lye in blacke darcknes, yet he will restore it and make it most shining and white. In the boke of Iudges there is an aenigma

of Sampson, hauing subdued the Lyon. De comedente exiuit cibus,* 1.3 & de¦forti egressa est dulcedo: that is, meat came forth of the eater, & swetnes went out of the strong. And in the Gospell. Vbicum que fuerit corpus,* 1.4 il∣lic congregabuntur & aquilae That is, whersoeuer the body shalbe, the∣ther will the Egles stocke. VVherby Christ signifieth, that the elect will flie vnto him, when he commeth. Also Ezechiell:* 1.5 Fili hominis propone aenigma, & narra parabolam ad domū Israel, & dices: Haec dicit dominus deus. Aquila grandis magnarum alarum, longo membrorum ductu, ple∣na plumis, & varietate, venit ad Libanum, & tulit medullam Cedri. that is. Son of mā, put forth a parable, & speak a prouerb vnto the house of Israell, and say: Thus sayth the Lord God, the great Egle with great winges and long wings, and full of feathers, whiche had diuerse colours, came vnto Libanum, and toke the highest braunch of the Cedre. VVher∣by is signified, that Nabuchadonozor who hath great power, riches, & many countreis vnder hym, shall come to Ierusalem and take away Ieco∣niah the kyng. And in the booke of Iudges:* 1.6 Ierunt ligna vt vngerent re∣gem super se dixeruntque oliuae, Impera nobis. Quae respondit, nunquid possum deserere pinguedinem meam? &c. That is. The trees went forth to anoynte a kyng ouer them. And sayd vnto the Oliue tree: Reigne thou ouer vs. But the Oliue tree sayd vnto them: should I leaue my fatnes? &c By the whiche parable is declared, that those whiche are not ambitious, are most worthy of honour, and that the ambitious abuse their honour, both to their owne destructions and others.

Also Ezechiel. Duae mulieres filiae matris vnius fuerunt.* 1.7 Et fornicatae sunt in Egypto, in adolescentia sua fornicatae sunt: ibi subacta sunt vbera earum, & fractae sunt mammae pubertatis earū. That is to say. There were two women, the daughters of one mother. And they committed fornica∣tion in Egypt, they committed fornication in their youth: ther wer their brestes pressed, and there they brused their teates of their virginitie. By the whiche parable Israell and Iuda are mente, whiche came both out of one familie. They became Idolaters after the maner of the Egyptians.

Furthermore in the fourth boke of kīgs.* 1.8 Carduus Libani misit ad Ce∣drum quae est in Libano. Trāsieruntque bestiae saltus quae sunt in Libano, & conculcauerunt Carduum. That is. The thistle that is in Libanō, sent to the Cedre that is in Libanon. &c.

By the whiche parable Iehoash compareth himfelfe to a Cedre tree, bycause of his great kingdom ouer ten tribes, and Amaziah to a thistle, bycause he ruled but ouer two tribes. And the wilde beastes are Iehoash his souldiours, that spoyled the Cities of Iuda.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In aeglogis.
• * 1.2

  psal. 68.
• * 1.3

  Iud 14.
• * 1.4

  Math. 24.
• * 1.5

  Cap. 17.
• * 1.6

  Cap. 9.
• * 1.7

  Cap. 23.
• * 1.8

  Cap. 14,