SIgnorSignor
Immerito, after as many gentle
Godmorrowes, as your
self, and your
listeth: Maylisteth: may it
please your Maistershippe
to a poore Oratour of yours, for breaking one principall
graund
Rule of our olde
inuiolableinviolable Rules of Rhetorick, in shewing himselfe
somewhat too
pleasurably disposed in a
sad matter:matter (of
purpose, to
meete with
A coople of wittie new marryed
Gentlewomen, which were more
InquisitiueInquisitive, than Capable of Natures
works)works): I will
report you a
prettie conceited
discourse, that I had with them
no longer
agoe, than yesternight, in a
Gentlemans house, here in
Essex. Where
being in the
company of certaine curteous Gentlemen, and those two
Gentlewomen, it was my chaunce to be
well occupyed, I warrant you,
at
Cardes,Cardes (which I dare saye I scarcely handled a whole
tweluemoonthtwelvemoonth
before)before), at that very instant, that the Earth
vnderunder
vsus quaked:quaked, and
the house shaked
aboueabove,
aboueabove: besides the
moouingmooving, and ratling of the Table, and
fourmes,
where wee sat.
WherevponWhereupon, the two Gentlewomen
hauinghaving
continually
beene
wrangling with all the rest, and
especially with my selfe, and
eueneven at that same very moment, making a great
loude noyse, and
much
a dooadoo: Good Lorde, quoth I, is it not
woonderful straunge that
the delicate voyces of two so propper fine Gentlewoomen, shoulde make
such a suddayne terrible Earthquake? Imagining in good fayth, nothing
in
the worlde lesse, than that
it shoulde be any Earthquake in deede,
and imputing that shaking to the suddayne sturring, and
remoouingremooving of some cumberous thing or
other, in the
vpperupper Chamber
ouerover our Heades:
which
onely in effect most
of
vsus noted, scarcely
perceyuingperceyving the rest,
beeing so
closely and eagerly
set at our game, and some of
vsus
taking on, as they did. But beholde,
all on the suddayne there commeth stumbling
into the Parlour, the Gentleman of the
house, somewhat straungely affrighted,
and in a manner all agast, and telleth
vsus, as well as his Head and
Tongue woulde
giuegive him
leaueleave, what a woonderous violent motion, and
shaking there was of all things in his
Hall: sensibly and visibly
seene, as well of his owne selfe, as of many of his
SeruauntesServauntes, and
Neighbours there. I
straite wayes beginnyng to thinke somewhat more
seriously of the matter: Then I pray you, good Syr, quoth I,
send
presently one of your
seruauntesservauntes farther into the Towne, to enquire, if the like
hath happened there, as most likely is,
and then must it needes be
some Earthquake. Whereat the good fearefull Gentleman
being a little
recomforted,recomforted
(as
misdoubting, and
dreading before, I knowe not what
in
his owne House, as many others
did)did), and immediately
dispatching
his man
into the Towne, wee had by and by certayne woord, that it
was
generall
ouerover all the Towne, and within lesse than a quarter of
an
howre after, that the very like
behappened the
next Towne too, being
a farre greater
and
goodlyer Towne.
The Gentlewoomens hartes nothing
acquaynted with any such Accidentes, were
maruellouslymarvellously daunted: and
they, that immediately before were so eagerly, and greedily
praying
on
vsus, began nowe
forsooth,
very demurely, and
deuoutelydevoutely
to pray
vntounto God, and the one especially, that was
eueneven
nowe , I beseeche you hartily quoth shee,
let
vsus
leaueleave off playing,
and fall
a-praying.a praying. By my truely, I was
neuernever so scared in my lyfe,
Me
thinkes it
maruellousmarvellous
straunge.[ſt]raunge.
What good Partener? Cannot you
pray to your selfe, quoth one of the
Gentlemen, but all the House must
heare you, and ring to ? I see woomen
are
eueryevery way vehement, and
affectionate. Your selfe was liker
eueneven nowe, to make a fraye, than
to pray: and will you nowe needes in all
hast bee on both your knees? Let
vsus,
and you say it, first
dispute the matter, what daunger, and terror it
carryeth with it. God be praysed,
it is
already ceased, and heere be some present, that are able
cunningly,
and
clearkly to argue the case. I
beseeche you master, or ,
your zealous and
deuoutedevoute Passion
a whileawhile. And with that turning to
me, and smiling a little at the first:
Nowe I pray you, Master
H.,H.
what say you ,
quoth he,
to
this suddayne Earthquake?
May
there not be some therof, in the
concauitiesconcavities of the Earth it self, as some forcible and violent ,
or the like? Yes no
doubt, sir, may there, quoth I, as well, as an
Intelligible Supernaturall: and
peraduentureperadventure
. But the
Termes of Arte, and verye
Natures of things
themseluesthemselves so
vtterlyutterly
vnknowenunknowen, as they are
to
most
heere, it were a
peece of woorke to laye open the Reason to
eueryevery
ones Capacitie.
I know well, it is we that you meane, quoth one of
yͤthe
Gentlewomen
(whom for distinction sake,
and bicause I imagine
they would be
loath to
be named, I will hereafter call, Mystresse
InquisitiuaInquisitiva, and
the other,
Madame
Incredula:)Incredula):
now I beseeche you, learned
Syr, try our wittes a little, and let
vsus
heare a peece of your deepe
UniuersitieUniversitie Cunning. Seeing you Gentlewomen will
allgates
hauehave it so,
with a good will,
quoth I: and then forsooth, very solemnly pawsing
a whyleawhyle, most
grauelygravely, and
doctorally
proceeded, as followeth.
The Earth you knowe, is a mightie great huge
body, and consisteth of
many
diuersdivers, and contrarie
members,
&and vaines, and arteries, and
concauitiesconcavities,
wherein to
auoideavoide the
absurditie of
Vacuum,
mustmo[ſt] necessarily
be very great
store of ,
Which
euillevill working
vehemently in the partes, and
malitiously encountering the
good, forcibly tosseth, and
cruelly disturbeth the
whole: Which conflict indureth so long, and
is so fostredis fo[ſt]red with aboundaunce
of corrupt
, and
ylfauouredylfavoured
grosse infected
matter, that it must needes (as well, or rather as ill, as in mens
and womens bodyes)
brust out in the ende into one
perillous disease
or
other, and sometime, for want of Naturall
voyding such
feuerousfeverous,
and
flatuous Spirites, as lurke within,
into such a , as
eueneven nowe you see the Earth
hauehave.
Which Ague, or rather
eueryevery fitte thereof, we schollers call
grossely, and homely,
Terræ motus, a
moouingmooving, or sturring of the
Earth,Earth; you Gentlewomen,
that
be learned, somewhat more finely, and daintily,
Terræ metus,
a feare, and agony of the Earth: we being onely
moouedmooved, and not
terrified,terrified; you being onely in a manner
therewith. Nowe
herehere, (and
it please you) lyeth the poynt, and
quidditie of the
controuersiecontroversie, whether our
Motus, or your
Metus, be
the better,
&and more consonant to the Principles and Maximes of Philosophy? the
one being manly, and
deuoydedevoyde of dreade, the other woomannish, and most
wofully
quiueringquivering, and
shiueringshivering for very feare. In sooth, I
vseuse not
to
dissemble with Gentlewoomen: .
Nowe, I beseeche you, what thinke ye, Gentlewomen, by this
Reason?
Reason, quoth Madame
Incredula: By my truly, I can
neither picke out
Rime, nor Reason,
out of any thing I
hauehave hearde yet. And yet me thinkes
all should be Gospell, that commeth from you Doctors of
Cambridge.
But I see
well, all is not Gould, that
glistereth. In deede, quoth
Mistresse
InquisitiuaInquisitiva, heere is much adooe, I trowe, and
.
But it pleaseth Master
H.
(to delight himselfe, and these Gentlemen)
to tell
vsus a
trim goodly ,
. Or
suer if this be Gospell, .
Trust me truly, Syr your Eloquence farre passeth my
Intelligence.
Did I not tell you aforehand, quoth I, as muche? And yet your Capacities in such profound
mysteries of Philosophie,
and
PriuitiesPrivities of Nature, as these be? The very thinking
whereofwhereof, (
vnlesseunlesse happily it be
per fidem implicitam, in
beleeuingbeleeving, as the learned
beleeuebeleeve,
And saying, It is so, bycause it is so) is
nighe
enough, to caste
you both into a
fitte, or two, of a daungerous shaking
feauerfeaver,
vnlesseunlesse you
presently
seeke some remedie to
preuentprevent it. And in earnest,
if ye
wyll
giuegive me
leaueleave,
vponupon that small skill I
hauehave in Extrinsecall,
and Intrinsecall Physiognomie,
&and so foorth, I will wager all the
money in my poore purse to a
pottle of
Hyppocrase, you shall
both
this night, within somwhat
lesse than two howers and a halfe, after
ye
be layed,
Dreame of terrible straunge
Agues, and Agonyes
as well in your owne prettie bodyes, as in the mightie
great body of the Earth.
You are very merily disposed, God be praysed, quoth Mistresse
Inquisitiua,Inquisitiva,Inquisitiua;Inquisitiva;
I am glad to
see you so
pleasurable. No doubt,
but you are
maruellousmarvellous
priuieprivie to our dreames. But I
pray you
now
in a little good earnest, doo you
Schollers thinke,
that isthat it is the very reason
in deede, which you spake of
eueneven now? There
be many of
vsus, good Mistresse, quoth I, of that
opiniõopinion: And some
againeagaine, of our
finest conceited
heades defend this
PositionPoſitiõ, (a very
straũgestraunge Paradox
in my
fancie:)fancie):
thatye
the Earth
hauinghaving taken in ,
&and as it were
ouerover
lauishlavish
Cups,Cups
(as it
hath
sensibly done in a maner all this Winter
past)past),
now staggereth,
&and reeleth,
&and tottereth, this way and that way,
vpup
&and downe, like
a drunken man,
or wooman (when their
&and therefore in this forcible
sort,
you lately sawe,
payneth it selfe to vomit
vpup againe,
that so
disordereth,
and disquieteth the
whole body within. And, forsoothe, a fewe new
Contradictorie
fellowes make no more of it, but a certaine vehement, and
passionate
neesing, or sobbing, or coffing,
wherewithall they say, and
as they
say, say
with great
Physicall, and Naturall
Reason, The Earth in some
place, or other,
euerever
lightly after any
great, and suddayne alteration
of
weather, or , is exceedingly troubled, and payned,
as
namely this very Time of the yeare, after the extreeme pynching colde of Winter,
and agayne in Autumne,
after the extreeme parching heate of Sommer.
But shall I tell you, Mistresse
InquisitiuaInquisitiva? The soundest Philosophers
in deede, and very
deepest
, holde,
if
it please you, an other
Assertion, and maintayne this for
truthtruth: (which
at the leastwise, of all other seemeth
,
and is
questionlesseque[ſt]ionlc[ſſ]e
farthest off from
Heresie:)Heresie): That as the Earth,
vpponuppon it, hath many
stately, and boysterous
&and fierce Creatures, as
namely, Men and Women, and
diuersdivers Beastes, wherof some one is in maner
continually at variaunce and fewde
with an other,
euermoreevermore seeking
to be
reuengedrevenged
vpõvponupõupon his enimie, which
eft soones breaketh forth into
professed and open Hostilitie: and then consequently followe
set battels,
&and mortall warres: wherin the one partie bendeth all
the force of
his Ordinance and other Martiall
furniture against the other: so likewise
within it too, it hath also some, as
vengibly and
frowardly bent, as
for Example, Woormes, and Moules, and
Cunnyes, and such
other
valiauntvaliauntly
highminded Creatures,
yͤthe Sonnes and daughters of
Mars, &and
Bellona that nurrish
ciuillcivill
debate, and
contrarie
factions amongst them
seluesselves:
which are seldome, or
neuernever ended too, without miserable bloudshed,
and deadly warre: and then their Gunnes lustily off,
and the
one
dischargeth his
Peece couragiously
at the other: and there is suche
a Generall
dub a
dubbe amongst them, and such horrible Thundering
on
eueryevery syde, and suche a
monstrous cruell shaking of one
an othersanothers Fortes and Castels, that the whole Earth agayne, or
at the
least, so muche of the Earth, as is
ouerover, or neere them, is terribly
hoysed,
and — No more Ands, or Ifs, for Gods sake, quoth the
Madame,
and this be your great
Doctorly learning. Wee
hauehave
eueneven Enoughe alreadie for our Money:
and if you shoulde goe a little farther, I
feare mee, you woulde make
vsus nyghe as cunning as your selfe: and that
woulde bee a great disgrace to the
UniuersitieUniversitie. Not a whitte, gentle
Madame, quoth I, there be of
vsus, that
hauehave
greater store in our
bowgets,
than we can well
occupie our
seluesselves, and therefore we are glad as you
see, when by the
fauourable,favourable,
&and gratious of some
blessed Planet,
and specially
it is our good Fortune,
to lighte on such good friendes, as you, and some other
good Gentlewoomen
be, that take pleasure,
&and comfort in such good things. Wherat Mistresse
InquisitiuaInquisitiva, laughing right out, and beginning to
demaunde I know
not what, (me
thought, shee
made, as if it shoulde
hauehave been some goodly
plausible
IestJest, wherat shee is, and
takes her
selfe,ſelfe prettily
good:)good):
Well, well, Master
H.,H. quoth the Gentleman of the house, now
you
hauehave playde your part so cunningly with the
GentlewoomenGentlew[oo]men, (as I
warrant you shall be
remembred of
InquisitiuaInquisitiva, when you are gone, and
may
happely forget her: which I hope, Mistresse
Incredula will do
sometyme
too, by hir
leaue:)leaue):leave:)leave):
I pray you in earnest, let
vsus men learne some thing
of you
too: and especially I would gladly heare your
IudgementJudgement, and
resolution, whether you
counte of
Earthquakes, as motions. But the shorter, all the better. To whom
I made
answere, in effect, as followeth:
Master H.’sMa[st]er Hs. short,
but sharpe, and learned
IudgementJudgement of Earthquakes.
TRuelyTruely
Syr,
vnderunder correction, and in my
fancie: The
Earthquakes
themseluesthemselves I would saye are Naturall: as I veryly
beleeuebeleeve the Internall
thereof, are: I meane
those two Causes, which the Logicians
call, the Materiall, and the Formall:
Marry, the Externall Causes,
which are
the Efficient and Finall, I take rather of the two, to be
supernaturall. I must
crauecrave a little
leaueleave to laye open the matter.
The , or stoare of , fast shut
vpup,
&and as a man would saye, emprysoned
in the
CauesCaves, and Dungeons of the Earth:
which winde, or vapors,
, in
a great fume, violently rush out, and as it were, breake
, which forcible Eruption, and strong breath, causeth an Earthquake.
As is excellently, and very
liuelylively expressed of
OuidOvid, as I remember,
thus:
Vis fera ventorum cæcis inclusa cauerniscavernis,
Exspirare aliquò cupiens, luctataqueluctataque frustra
Liberiore frui cœlo, cùm carcere Rima
Nulla foret, toto nec peruiapervia flatibus esset,
Extentam tumefecit humum, ceu spiritus oris,
Tendere vesicam solet,
and so foorth.
The formall Cause, is nothing but the very manner of this
same Motion,
and shaking of the Earth
without: and the violent kinde of
striuingstriving,
and wrastling of the
windes, and Exhalations within: which is, and
must needes be done in
this, or that sort, after one fashion, or other.
Nowe, syr, touching the other two
Causes, which I named Externall:
Thethe
first immediate Efficient, out of all Question, is
God himselfe,
the
Creatour, and Continuer, and Corrector of Nature, and therefore
Supernaturall:
whose
onely voyce
carrieth such a
reuerendreverend and terrible
MaiestieMajestie with it, that the very Earth againe, and
hughisthighe[ſt] Mountaines quake
&and
tremble at the sounde and noyse thereof: the
text is rife in
eueryevery
mans mouth:
Locutus est Dominus &et contremuit Terra:
howbeit, it is not to be gainesayd, that is holden
of all the auncient Naturall Philosophers, and Astronomers, .
The finall, not onely that the wynde shoulde
recouerrecover his Naturall place,
than
which a
man
goeth no farther, no not our excellentest
profoundest Philosophers
themseluesthemselves: but sometime also, I graunt, to
testifie and
denounce the secrete wrathe, and indignation
of God, or his
sensible
punishment
vpponuppon notorious malefactours,
or,
a threatning
CaueatCaveat, and forewarning for the inhabitantes, or the
like, depending
vpponuppon a supernaturall Efficient Cause, and tending
to a supernaturall Morall End.
Which End, (for that I knowe is the very poynt,
whereon you stande) albeit it be acknowledged
Supernaturall and
purposed, as I
sayd, of a
supernaturall Cause, to whom nothing at all is impossible,
and that can worke supernaturally, and myraculously without ordinarie
meanes, and inferiour causes: yet
neuerthelesseneverthelesse is, we
see, commonly performed, by the
qualifying, and
conforming of Nature,
and Naturall things, to the accomplishment of his
DiuineDivine and incomprehensible
determination. For being, as
the olde Philosophers call him,
, or as it hath
pleased our later
schoolemen to terme him,
by
way of distinction,
Natura Naturans, he
hath all these
secondarie inferiour
thinges,thinges
the foure Elementes, all
sensible, and
vnsensibleunsensible, reasonable, and
vnreasonableunreasonable Creatures, the whole
worlde,
and
whatsoeuerwhatsoever is contayned in the Compas of the worlde, being
the workmanship of his owne hands, and,
as they call them,
Natura naturata, euerever pliable and flexible Instrumentes at his
Commaundement,Commaundement: to put in execution such
Effectes, either ordinarie or extraordinarie,
as shall seeme most requisite to his eternall
ProuidenceProvidence: and now , very
seldome, or in manner
neuernever worketh any thing
so myraculously, and extraordinarily, but it may
sensibly appeare,
he
vsethuseth the
seruiceservice and Ministerie of his
Creatures, in the
atcheeuingatcheeving
thereof. I denie not, but Earthquakes
(as well as many other fearefull
Accidentes
in the
same
Number,)Number), are terrible signes, and, as
it were certaine
manacing
forerunners, and forewarners of the
great latter day; and
therefore
out of controuersiecontroversie the more
reuerendlyreverendly to be considered
vppon:uppon: and I acknowledge considering the
EuentesEventes, and sequeles, according to the
collectiõcollection and
discourse of mans Reason, they
hauehave seemed to Prognosticate,
and
threaten, to thisthreaten to this,
and that Citie,
vtterutter ruyne and destruction:
to
such a
Coun
try,
a generall plague and pestilence: to an other
place, the death of
some mightie Potentate or great Prince: to some
other Realme or Kingdome, some cruell
imminent warres: and sundry the
like dreadfull and particular Incidentes, as is notoriously
euidentevident by many olde and newe, very
famous and notable Histories to that effect.
Which of all
other,other the
auncient Romaines, long before the
NatiuitieNativitie of Christ,
did most religiously or rather superstitiously
obserueobserve,
not without
a number of solemne Ceremonies, and Hollydayes for the
nonce,
euerever after any Earthquake, making full account of some
such
great rufull casualtie or
other, as otherwhyles fell out in very deede:
and namely, as I remember, the yeare
Ante bellum
Sociale, which was
one of the lamentablest, and myserablest warres, that
Italy
euerever sawe:
and
Plinie, or I knowe not well who, hath such a saying:
.
But yet, notwithstanding, dare not I aforehand presume thus
farre,
or arrogate so much
vntounto my selfe, as to determine precisely and peremptorily
of this, or
eueryevery the like singular Earthquake, to be necessarily,
and
vndoubtedlyundoubtedly a supernaturall, and immediate fatall Action of God,
for this, or that singular intent, when
as I am sure, there may be
a sufficient Naturall, eyther necessarie or contingent Cause in the
very Earth it
selfe: and there is no question, but the selfe same
Operation
in Genere, or in specie, may at one tyme, proceeding of one , be : at another
tyme, proceeding of an other, or the same Cause, and referred to an
other End, but Ordinarie, and
Naturall. To make shorte, I cannot see,
and would gladly learne, howe a man on Earth, should be of so great
authoritie, and so familiar acquaintance with God in
Heauen,Heaven,HeauenHeaven,
(
vnlesseunlesse haply
for the nonce he hath
lately intertained some few choice singular
ones of
as to be
able in such specialties,
without any
iustifyablejustifyable certificate, or
warrantwarrant) to
reuealereveale hys incomprehensible
mysteries, and
definitiuelydefinitively to
giuegive sentence of his
MaiestiesMajesties secret
and inscrutable
purposes. As if they had a key for all the lockes in
HeauenHeaven, or as if it were as cleare and
resolute
a case, as the in so much that
Dionisius Areopagita, or some
other graunde Philosopher,
vponupon
the suddayne contemplation thereof,
is reported in a certaine
Patheticall Ecstasie to
hauehave cryed out,
: as
my minde
giuethgiveth me, some
of the simpler, and
vnskilfullerunskilfuller sort, will
goe nye to doe
vponupon the present sight, and
agony of this
Earthquake.
Marry
,
though perhappes it be
otherwhilesotherwhiles, (and
why not
eueneven
nowe,)nowe), a very
presumptuous Errour in deede, standing only
vponupon these two weake and
deceitfull groundes, Credulitie and Ignoraunce:
,
and amendment, and seeme to preache
vntounto
vsus, (as
in some respect
eueryevery suche straunge and rare Accident may
seeme:)seeme):
how Ordinarie, and Naturall so
euerever the Cause shall appeare otherwise
to the best learned: Which two
differences, touching the quantitie
of Tyme, and Place, after I had a little more fully
prosecuted,
alledging
certaine particuler Examples thereof, howe in some places huge Castels,
in some Townes, in some great and
mightie Cities, in some Shires and
Seigniories, and
ProuincesProvinces, in some whole Countryes, and Regions
hauehave been perillously
moouedmooved and shaken therewith: in one place, a long
time
together: in an other place, not so long, or at
seuerallseverall and parted
times: in
another, very short, as, God be thanked here
eueneven nowe: and
finally by the
way, shewing a thirde and most notable difference
of
all,all (as well for
the present or imminent terrour and daunger,
as
otherwise)otherwise),
by the sundry
species,
and formes which
Aristotle,
Plinie, and other
Meteorologicians
hauehave set downe
of Experience,
as they
hauehave heard, or read, or seen the earth to quake, to
sturre,
and
hoyse
vpup Houses, Walles, Towers, Castelles, Churches,
Minsters,
whole Townes, whole
Cities, whole
ProuincesProvinces, without farther harme:
to
ruinate and
ouerthrowe,overthrowe, and destroy some: to yawne and gape, and
open lyke a
grauegrave, and
consequentlyconſcquently to swallow
vpup and
deuourdevour other:
and
sometime also to drinke
vpup whole
riuersrivers, and mightie bigge running
waters
withall, or to chaunge and alter their common
woonted course
some other way: to
sinke and fall downewardes: to cast out and vomitte
vpup either huge vaste heapes, as it were Mountaines of
Earth, or large
Ilandes
in the mayne Sea,
neuernever remembred, or seen before: or great
ouerflowingoverflowing waters, and fountaynes: or hotte scalding sulphurous lakes:
or burning sparkles
and flames of fire: to make a horrible hissing,
gnashing, ratling, or some like woonderfull straunge
noyse,noyse
(which
all
Effectes are credibly reported, and constantly
auouchedavouched, of our
most famous
&and best
allowed Philosophers)Philosophers),
a fewe such
particularities,
and distinctions, compendiously and familiarly
coursed ouerover. The
good
Gentleman
gauegave me hartily, as appeared, very great thankes, and
tolde me plainly, he
neuernever either read, or heard halfe so much of
Earthquakes
before: confessing
withall, that he yeelded resolutely to my opinion:
that an Earthquake might as well be supposed a Naturall Motion of
the Earth, as a preternaturall, or
supernaturall
ominous worke of God:
and that he
thought it hard, and almost impossible, for any man,
either
by Philosophie, or
DiuinitieDivinitie,
euermoreevermore
to determine
flatly the very
certaintie
either way. Which also in conclusion was the
verdit, and
finall resolution of the greater and
sager part of the Gentlemen present:
&and
namely
of an , that had been Graduate,
and fellow of a Colledge in
Cambridge, in Queene
Maries dayes.
Who tooke
vponupon him, to knit
vpup the matter,
&and
as he said, determine
the
controuersiecontroversie, with the authoritie of all the naturall
Philosophers,
old or newe, Heathen
or Christian, Catholique or Protestant, that
euerever he read, or heard tell of. There Physickes quoth
he, are in
eueryevery mans hands:
they are olde enough to speake for them
seluesselves, and wee
are
young enough to
turne our Bookes.
They that
hauehave Eyes and Tongues,
let them see, and reade. But what say you nowe, quoth I, to the staying
and
quieting of the Earthe, beeing once a
moouingmooving? May it not seeme
a more myraculous woorke, and greater woonderment, that it shoulde
so suddainely staye
againe, being
moouedmooved, than that it shoulde so suddainely
moouemoove, beyng quiet and still?
MooueMoove or turne, or shake me a thing in
lyke order, be it
neuernever so small, and lesse than a pynnes Head, in
comparison of the great mightie circuite of the Earth, and see if
you shall not
hauehave much more
a dooadoo to staye it presently, beeing once
sturred, than to sturre it at the very
first.[fi]r[ſt].Whereat the Gentleman
smyling, and looking merrily on the Gentlewoomen,
heere is a
schoole poynt, quoth he,
that by your
leauesleaves, I
beleeuebeleeve
will
poase the
better
scholler of you both. But is
it not more than tyme, thynke ye, wee
were at Supper? And if you be a
hungered, Maister
H.,H. you shall thanke
no body but your selfe, that
hauehave holden
vsus so long with your profounde
and clerkly discourses,
whereas our manner is to suppe at the least
a long howre before this tyme.
Beyng set, and newe occasion of speeche
ministered, our Supper put the Earthquake
in
manner out of our myndes,
or
at the leastwise, out of our Tongues:
sauingsaving that the Gentlewoomen,
nowe and then pleasauntly
tyhyhing betweene
them
seluesselves, especially
Mystresse
InquisitiuaInquisitiva
Inquiſitiua,
(whose minde did still
runne of the drinking,
and Neesing of the
Earth),Earth,)
repeated here, and there, a broken peece
of that, which had been already sayde
before Supper. With deepe
iudgementjudgement
no doubt, and to
maruellousmarvellous
great purpose, I warrant you
after the manner of woomen Philosophers, and
DiuinesDivines.
And this summarily in Effect was our yesternyghtes
grauegrave Meteorologicall
Conference,
touching our Earthquake here in the Country: which being
in so many neighbour Townes, and
UillagesVillages about
vsus, as I heare say
of this morning, maketh me presuppose, the like was wyth you also at
London, and
elsewhere farther
2.427. of: offofoff. And then forsoothe, must I desire
Maister
Immerito, to send me within a weeke or two, some odde fresh
paulting
threehalfepennie Pamphlet for newes: or some
Balductum Tragicall
Ballet in Ryme, and without
Reason, setting out the right myserable,
and most wofull estate of the wicked, and damnable worlde at these
perillous
dayes, after the
deuisersdevisers
best manner: or
whatsoeuerwhatsoever else
shall first take some
of your
brauebrave London in the
Head. In
earnest, I
could wishe some learned, and well
aduizedadvized
UniuersitieUniversitie man,
woulde
vndertakeundertake the matter, and bestow some paynes in deede
vpponuppon so famous and
materiall an argument. The generall Nature of Earthquakes
by definition, and the speciall
diuersitiediversitie of them by
,
beyng perfectly
knowen:knowen (a thing soone
done)done): and a complete
of many credible and autenticall, both
olde and newe,
diuinedivine
and prophane,
Greeke,
Lattine, and other
Examples,Examples (with discretion, and
iudgementjudgement,
compyled and compared
togither)togither), being considerately and exactly
made,made, (a thing not so easily
done)done), much no
doubt myght be alledged
2.442. too: totooto or
fro, to
terrifie or pacifie
vsus, more or lesse. If it appeare by generall
Experience, and the foresayde
Historicall Induction of particulars,
that
Earthquakes,
sine omni
exceptione, are ominous,
and
significatiuesignificative Effectes, as they saye of Comets, and
carrie
euerever some Tragicall and horrible matter with or after
them:
as eyther destruction of Townes and Cities, or decay of some mightie
Prince, or some particular, or
generall plague, warre, or the
lyke,lyke
whatsoeuerwhatsoever the Materiall, or Formall cause be, Natural,
or
supernaturall,supernaturall (howbeit for myne owne part I am
resoluedresolved, ,
that these two I speake of, both
Matter and Fourme, are rather Naturall in both, than
otherwise)otherwise), it
concerneth
vsus,
vponupon
the vewe of so
Effectuall and substaunciall
euidenceevidence,
to
conceiueconceive seriously, and
reuerentlyreverently of the other two Causes: the
first, supreme Efficient, whose Omnipotent
MaiestieMajestie hath nature
self,
and all naturall
Creatures at commaundement: and the last finall, which
we are to
iudgejudge of as
aduisedlyadvisedly, and
prouidentlyprovidently, as possibly we can,
by the
consideration,
&and
comparison of
Circumstances:Circum[ſt]ances, the tyme
when,when: the place
where,where?
the qualities, and of the
personspersons, amongst
whom
such and suchsuch, and such
an Ominous token is
giuengiven. Least happily through
ouerover great credulitie, and rashnesse, we mistake
, and sophistically be entrapped Truely, I suppose,
he had neede be an excellent Philosopher, a reasonable good Historian,
a
learned
DiuineDivine, a wise discrete man, and generally, such a one
as
our Doctor
are in Cambridge, that shoulde
shew
himselfe accordingly in this argument, and to the
iudgementjudgement and
contentation
of the wisest, perfourme it exactly. My
selfe remember
nothing to the contrarie, either in Philosophie, or
in Histories, or in
DiuinitieDivinitie either, why I may not
safely
&and
lawfully subscribe to the
iudgementjudgement of the noble
Italian
Philosopher,
and most famous learned Gentleman,
whilest he
liuedlived,
in
my opinion, very
considerately, and partly Philosophically, partly
Theologically set downe, in the sixt Chapter of his sixt
Booke, against
Cogging deceitfull Astrologers, and Southsayers,
.
In which
ChapterChapter,
(if happely you
hauehave not read it
already),already,) you
shall finde many, but specially these three notable places,
most effectuall
and
directly pertinent to the very purpose. The first more
vniuersalluniversall.
Naturæ opere fieri non potest, vtut Ostentis, vtut Monstris magni illi, seu dextri, seu sinistri euentuseventus portendantur, &et ab aliqua
pendeant proxima causa, quæ &et futura etiam proferat. Impostura
Dæmonum, vtut id fiat, videri potest. Sed &et
plæraqueplæraque non monstrosa,
non prodigiosa per sese, pro monstris tamen, &et portentis, haberi possunt,
&et solent à quibusdam, quibus Rerum Natura non satis comperta est, causarum enim ignoratio,
nouanova in re Admirationem parit. Propter quam,
philosophari homines cœpisse, in exordijsexordiis primæ philosophiæ scribit
Aristoteles. Wherein
those two
seuerallseverall points,
are no doubt
maruellousmarvellous probable, and moste
worthy
bothe
presentlye to bee noted nowe, and more fully to be discussed
hereafter: appearing
vntounto me the verie right principall Causes of
so manye erroneous opinions, and
fantasticall superstitious dreames
in this, and the like behalfe.
The seconde more speciall, as it were hitting the
white
in deede, and
cleauingcleaving
the ueryvery
Pinnethe Pinne in sunder.
And then shortly after, the thirde,
moste agreeable to the seconde,
as flatlye determining on my side, and as directlye concluding the
same
position as may be.
Nec sanè Orpheus ille, si tamen
Orpheus fuit, vllamullam affert omninò causam, cur quispiam ex
terræ motibus, vrbiumurbium, hominum, regionum
euentaeventa præsagire possit. Solùm vano narrat arbitrio: si terræ contigerit motus, nocti,
si æstate, si hyeme, si aurora, si interdiu, quid portendatur: Quæ certè, &et saniore possunt arbitrio refelli,
&et
Experientiæ testimonio, vtut arbitror, non secus irrideri, ac supra Tagis portenta irrisimus, Haruspicinæ Autoris.
A moste excellent sounde
IudgementJudgement in my conceit: and ful wel beseeming
so Honorable and admirable a Witte,
as out of Question,
, as the
odde, and in effecte the
onely
singular learned man
of
Europe: and to make shorte: suche a one, in moste respectes,
as
I woulde wishe
nowe to be this
newe notorious incident:
staying my selfe in the meane while
vponupon
: and preferring it before al the
friuolousfrivolous
coniecturallconjecturall Allegations, and surmises,
that oure counterfaite, and reasonlesse
Orphei oppose to the contrarye. But,
IesuJesu, what is all this to Master
Immerito? For soothe I knowe not
by what mischaunce, these miserable
balde odious three
halfepenny fellowes, alas, a company of silly
Asses, came into my minde,
that wil needes be
sturring, and
taking on in
eueryeeverye suche rare and
vnaccustomedunaccustomed
euentevent, as if they ,
than all the worlde besides, whereas
euerieeverie man, that
hathe but halfe an
eye in his head, seeth them to be more blinde, than
anye Buzzarde, or
, and surely, as
the worlde goeth nowe in Englande, rather
.
:
Where the faulte shoulde rest, Commende mee
to thine owne good selfe,
and tell
from me, I
wil nowe
leaueleave dreaming any longer of them, til with these eyes I see them forth
indeede: And then
againe, I imagine your
Magnificenza, will holde
vsus in suspense as long for your nine Englishe
Commœdies, and your Latine
Stemmata Dudleiana: whiche two
for my money, when all is done:
especiallye if you woulde but bestow one
seuennightssevennights pollishing and
vpponuppon eyther. Whiche I praye thee hartily doe, for my
pleasure,
if not for
their sake, nor thine owne profite. My is
: I hadde
purposed to
hauehave dispatched you a Coppie thereof, long ere this:
but,
no remedie, hitherto it hath
alwayes gone thus with me: Some newe occasion,
or other,
euerever carrieth me from one matter to another,
&and will
neuernever suffer me to finishe eyther one or other. And truly,
Experto crede, it is as true a
UerseVerse as
euerever was made, since the first
UerseVerse, that
euerever was made:
: whiche
my
.
But the Birde that will not sing in Aprill, nor in May, maye
peraduentureperadventure sing in September: and yet
me thinkes,
, if
I
coulde steale but one poore fortnight, to peruse him
ouerover afreshe,
and coppy him out anewe. Whiche I hope in God to compasse shortly.
But I beseech you, what Newes al this
while at Cambridge? That was
wont to be
euerever one great Question. What?
Det mihi
Mater ipsa bonam veniam, eius vtut aliqua mihi liceat Secreta, vniuni
cuidam de eodem
gremio obsequentissimo filio, reuelarerevelare: &et sic paucis habeto. Nam aliàs
fortasse pluribus: nunc non placet, non vacat, molestum esset. , and
Demosthenes nothing so much
studyed, as
they were wonte:
possiblye rather more, than
lesse:
neuernever so much:
Aristotle muche named, but
little
read: and
Plato,
reckned amongest
,
and
conceited Superficiall fellowes: much
and sophisticall
ianglingjangling: little subtile and
effectuall
disputing: :
.
when so highlye
regarded of Schollers?
The
Latine and
Greeke, when so lightly?
at the
beginning,
or ende of
eueryeeverye
conference: many
bargaines of : a noble gallant fellowe: all
inquisitiueinquisitive after , newe Bookes,
newe Fashions, newe Lawes, newe
Officers, and some
after .
familiarly knowen: Castels builded in the Ayre: muche adoe,
and little
helpe:
IackeJacke
would faine be a Gentlemanne: in no age so little
so muche made of,
eueryevery one highly in his owne
fauourfavour, thinking
no
mans penny,
so good siluersilver as his own: Something made of Nothing,
in spite of Nature: , in spite of Arte: : :
The
Gospell taughte, not learned: Charitie
: : the
:
: as of olde Bookes, so of auntient
UertueVertue, Honestie,
Fidelitie, Equitie, newe Abridgementes:
eueryevery day freshe
span newe
Opinions: Heresie in
DiuinitieDivinitie, in Philosophie, in , in Manners,
grounded muche
vponupon heresay:
contemned: the
Text
knowen of moste,
vnderstoodunderstood
of fewe,
magnified
of all, practised of none: the
DiuellDivell
not so hated, as the
Pope:
many
InuectiuesInvectives, small amendment:
Skill they say
controlled of
Will: and Goodnesse
mastered of Goods:
but : No more adoe aboute
Maister
nighe forgotten: :
and yet
Nonresidents
neuernever
better bayted, but not one the
fewer,
either in Acte,either I
bel[ee]uebeleeve in Acte,
or I beleeuebeleeve, in Purpose. A
nũbernumber of our preachers
. Some of our
pregnantest and
soonest
ripe Wits, for al
the world:
: Not a fewe dubble faced
: I blush to
thinke of some, that weene
themseluesthemselves
as
fledge as the
beste,re[ſt]e, being, God wot, as
kallowe
as the rest:
eueryevery
yonker to
speake of as
politique, and as great a
Commonwealths man
as
at the least: as if
euerieeverie man nowe adayes
.
DauidsDavids, VlissesUlisses, and
Solons: and would
goe nigh to
deceiuedeceive the cunningest,
and best
experienced
in a country: It is
pity faire weather should euerever do hurt, but I know what peace and
quietnes hath done with some melancholy
pickstrawes in the world:
as good
vnspokenunspoken as
vnamẽded.vnamended.vnamended.unamended. And wil you needes
hauehave my
Testimoniall of youre olde
new
behauiorbehavior? A busy and dizy heade, a
: a ledden
braine: a woodden wit: a : a
stony breast: a factious and
eluishelvish hearte: a founder
of
noueltiesnovelties: a confounder of his owne, and his friends good
gifts: a morning bookeworm, an afternoone
maltworm: a right
IugglerJuggler,
as ful of his sleights, wyles,
fetches, casts of Legerdemaine,
, odde
shiftes, and
knauishknavish
practizes, as
his skin can holde. He
often telleth me, he
loouethlooveth me as himselfe,
but out lyar out,
thou lyest
abhominably in thy throate.
IesuJesu,
I had
nigh hand forgotten one thing, that
ywis
somtime I think often
ynough
vponupon: and by your
leaueleave,
some too, because forsooth
they be Gentlemen, or great heires, or
a little neater and gayer than their
fellowes,fellowes
(shall I say it for
shame?
beleeuebeleeve me, tis too
true)true), their very own
Tutors, Dimitutors, and as A Man woold ſayesaye, QuartremaſtersQuartremasters.Tutors.
Ah mala
Licentia,
ab initio nõnon fuit sic. Stulta est omnis iuuenilisiuvenilis
Doctrina,
sine virili quadam
Disciplina.
Quasi verò
pauperioribus duntaxat pueris, ac
non multò magis generosæ,
atqueatque nobili IuuentutiIuventuti
conueniatconveniat, pristinæ illius
Institutionis, atque Educationis
seueritasseveritas,
&et ingenuæ, &et prudentis, &et eruditæ, &et cum Tutoris personæ, tum pupillo, etiam ipsi perquam accomodatæ. VsquequaqueUsquequaque
sapere oportet:
id erit telum acerrimum. Cætera
færè, vtut
olim:Bellum inter Capita, &et membra continuatum:
publicis defensa scholis, priuatisprivatis confirmata parietibus, omnibus locis ostentata,
Scire tuum
nihil est, nisi te scire, hoc sciat
alter. Plurimi
passim sit Pecunia, Pudor
paruiparvi penditur: Nihili habentur
Literæ:
Mihi crede, credendum nulli:
O amice, amicus nemo.
Quid tu interim? Quomodo te inquies
geris? Quomodo? Optimum est aliena frui insania. Video:
taceo, rideo: Dixi. Et tamem addam, quod ait Satyricus ille:
ViuendumVivendum est rectè, tum propter plurima, tum his
Præcipuè causis, vtut linguas Mancipiorum Contemnas.
E meo municipio, Postridie quàm
superiores de
Terræmotu
sermones haberentur, id est, ni
fallor, Aprilis septimo, Vesperi. With as manye
gentle Goodnightes, as be letters in this tedious
Letter.
Nosti manum tanquam tuam.
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