* Ultima cœlestum terras Astræa reliquit. Astrea last of heavenly wights the earth did leave. For although thereby the Ethnics would understand justice itself to have failed, as it is a virtue abstract, and may be considered without a person; yet, as it is usual among the ancient poets to describe virtues and vices by the persons of men and women, as desire by Cupid, valour by Mars, beauty or lust by Venus, so do they also the persons of men by like virtues and vices; and therefore by justice and Astrea, Enoch: the justice and piety of Enoch being in the same manner expressed, as that of Noah was by Moses, for Noah was said to be a just man; a And Noah walked with God. And of Enoch it is written, that he walked with God, and he was no more seen; for God took him away. From this story also of the first age, and from that part where Moses remembereth the giants begotten by the sons of good men upon the daughters of the wicked, (whom Moses calleth mighty men, and men of renown,) did they steal those wondrous great acts of their ancient kings and powerful giants; and again, their war undertaken against the gods, from the building of the tower of Babel by the giant Nimrod, as St. Augustine termeth him: which war of their giants Cornelius Severus thus describeth: Tentavere (nefas) olim detrudere mundo The giants did advance their wicked hand Against the stars, to thrust them headlong down, And robbing Jove of his imperial crown, On conquered heavens to lay their proud command. Whereby was meant that Nimrod purposed to raise the building of Babel to that height, as God neither by draw y Ov. Met. 1. 1. z Nat. Com. 1. 2. c. 2. a Gen. vii. b Gen. v. 22, 24. Lib. de Civitate Dei. ing waters from the deep, nor by any conjunction of the stars, should bury them under the moisture of a second flood; but that by this building (if they had been herein victorious) they would have given the law to heaven itself. Also the making of leagues, peace, and covenants among heathen nations and kings, confirmed by sacrifice, whereof Virgil, both in the eighth and twelfth of his Æneids, hath a touch, was, as it seemeth, borrowed from Moses, Exod. xxiv. who, when he read the book of the covenant, sprinkled the people with blood. dWe find also many remembrances of Seth, the paternal ancestor of Enoch and Noah: for Amenophis, the same king of Egypt, which reigned at such time as Moses carried thence the children of Israel, (as of late some learned men, mistaking his time, supposed,) called his son and successor Setho, of Seth; and of the same Seth (as many men of good judgment have granted) were the princes of Thrace called Seuthes, whereof there were many very famous. e But herein was the memory of Seth most manifestly preserved, that the Egyptians worshipped Seth, as their most ancient parent, and of the first tradition, in honour of whom they called a principal province Setheitica. fWe also find in Bithynia the city of Sethia, and others of the same name elsewhere. And sure from the Egyptians did the Grecians borrow this kind of theology, though they scorned to acknowledge any antiquity preceding their own; and that they might not seem to learn elsewhere, they gave the same names to their own idols which the Egyptians did to theirs. SECT. V. Of the three chiefest Jupiters; and the strange story of the third. BUT of all those armies of Jupiters remembered by the ancients, Cicero maketh but three, because those were of most fame: which other writers have also done, who sought out, and laboured in their originals. The first was Jupiter, the son of Æther and Dies, so Joseph. 1. 1. contra Appian. Plut. in Isid. f Strabo, 1. 17. called, because the one had reference to his celestial conditions, (for Æther is as much as shining or pure fire,) the other discovered his natural virtues, which days and times make more perfect, and are the witnesses of men's actions. The second was said to be the son of Coelum, or heaven, for the same former respect; and this Jupiter was an Arcadian, and king of Athens. The third, of whom all the Grecian fables were devised, was of Crete, (now Candie,) the son of Saturn and Ops. The name, derived from the Latin, is taken of Juvans Pater, from the Greek word Zeùs; it signifieth life, but somewhat strained. Boccas, in his genealogy of the gods, conceiveth that his name was borrowed from Jupiter the planet; but whether that star had such a name, before the same was given to men, I know not. Jupiter is hot and moist, temperate, modest, honest, adventurous, liberal, merciful, loving, and faithful; that is, giving these inclinations. And therefore those ancient kings beautified with these conditions might be called thereafter Jupiter; but howsoever they were or were not with those virtues enriched, yet, by imitation, all kings in the eldest times assumed those titles and surnames great princes affecting as high titles of honour and reputation of the world, (howsoever deserved,) as the worthiest that ever were acquired by their well-deservings. Joves omnes reges vocarunt antiqui; "The ancients called "all kings Jupiters," as Tzetzes, in his Varia Historia, confirmeth: Reges olim Joves vocarunt ornes: "In old time "all nations called their kings Jupiters." But where this last and most remembered Jupiter was born it is uncertain. 8 Some there are that make him of Crete; others, that he was but sent thither by his mother Ops, or Opis, to be fostered and hidden from the fury of Titan his uncle; because it was conditioned between Saturn and Titan, that Saturn being a younger brother, and reigning. (for his own life) by Titan's permission, he should put to death all his male children, lest the Titans might be interrupted by any of them in their succession; which agreement, because Saturn per 8 Nat. Com. 1. 1. c. 7.' formed in his first-born, it is feigned that Saturn devoured his own children. Latin. Haud fit pinguior, Hereof Lycophron, thus turned into Crudis sepulchrum quod sit ipse filiis. Saturn to be the fatter is not known, By being the grave and burial of his own. This composition between Titan and Saturn, Sibylla also witnesseth in these: Conceptis verbis, Titan jurare coëgit Saturnum, de se natum ne nutriat ullum, Things thus agreed, Titan made Saturn swear, But Opis, the mother of Jupiter, being delivered at once both of Jupiter and Juno, conveyed Jupiter (first called Lysanias) into Crete, as she did afterwards his two brothers, Neptune and Pluto: where he was brought up in Gnossus, the chief city of that island, by h Cresta the king, or by the Curetes, a people and nation thereof. Others challenge him to be of Thebes, and a Theban ; others call him an Arcadian; others make him of Messena. The like contention is found among the Greeks, touching his education and first fostering. Some affirm that he was fed by honey-bees; in recompense whereof he changed their black coats and skins into yellow, a reward well fitting such a god; others, that he was nourished by bears; others, by goats: and of all these the idle Greeks have many pretty tales. But in the end, when Titan had knowledge that Saturn had broken his faith, he set on him, and took him and his wife prisoners, whom Jupiter again rescued and delivered. But lastly, the father and the son equally ambitious, the one doubted the other. Saturn being the less powerful fled into Italy, and left his kingdoms in Greece to his son. And although this prince at the first purchased great honour, and for his many virtues the name of Jupiter was given him; yet, after he was once settled and became potent, he gave himself over wholly to palliardise and adultery, without all respect of honour, law, or religion. And it is reported by such as do ascribe the actions of many to one Jupiter, that, not therewith satisfied, he was afterwards known to offend in the sin of Sodom with Ganymedes and others; and did not only begin with incest, marrying his own sister Juno, but he ravished, betrayed, stole away, and took by strong hand all the beautiful women born in his time, within the limits of his own kingdoms, or bordering them. Among whom these hereafter written were of greatest fame; Niobe, Laodamia, and Alcmena, the wife of Amphitryon, by whom he had Pelasgus, Sarpedon, Argus, and Hercules; by Taygete he had Taygetus, of whom the mountain Taygetus took name, with another son called Saon, of whom Savona; by Antiope he had Amphion and Zetus; by Leda, Castor and Pollux, Helen and Clytemnestra; by Danaë Perseus; by Jordana Deucalion; by Charme (the daughter of Eubulus) Britomartis; by Protogenia he had Athlius, the father of Endymion; and by Io (the daughter of Inachus) Epaphus, the founder of Memphis in Egypt: which Epaphus married Libya, of whom that country took name, for so the Greeks afterwards called Africa. He ravished Ægina, the daughter of Æsopus, and carried her into the island Œnopia, or Enotria, afterwards called Ægina, on whom he begat Eacus: by Torhebia he had Archesilaus and Carbius; by Ora Colaxes: he had also Dardanus by Electra, who built Dardanium, afterwards Ilium and Troy. He begat the brothers Talici on Thalia and on Garamantis Hiarhas. He had besides these (if they belie not their chief god) Phileus and Pilumnus, inventors of bakers' craft, and I know not how many more; but I know well that he could not be father to all these, who were born in ages so far differing. And of these his several ravishments, betrayings, stealing away of men's wives, daugh |