the name of Bocca di Porco, for this was his surname,5 or gentilitious appellation; nor was it the custom to alter that with the other: but he commuted his Christian name Peter for Sergius, because he would seem to decline the name of Peter the second. A scruple I confess not thought considerable in other sees, whose originals and first patriarchs have been less disputed; nor yet perhaps of that reality as to prevail in points of the same nature. For the names of the apostles, patriarchs, and prophets have been assumed even to affectation. The name of Jesus hath not been appropriated; but some in precedent ages have born that name, and many since have not refused the Christian name of Emmanuel. Thus are there few names more frequent than Moses and Abraham among the Jews. The Turks without scruple affect the name of Mahomet, and with gladness receive so honourable cognomination.

And truly in human occurrences there ever have been many well directed intentions, whose rationalities will never bear a rigid examination, and though in some way they do commend their authors, and such as first began them, yet have they proved insufficient to perpetuate imitation in such as have succeeded them. Thus was it a worthy resolution of Godfrey, and most Christians have applauded it, that he refused to wear a crown of gold where his Saviour had worn one of thorns. Yet did not his successors durably inherit that scruple, but some were anointed, and solemnly accepted the diadem of regality. Thus Julius, Augustus, and Tiberius with great humility or popularity refused the name of Imperator, but their successors have challenged that title, and retained the same even in its titularity. And thus, to come nearer our subject, the humility of Gregory the Great

5 surname.] Itt might bee his sirename but doubtles it was first a nicname fastened on some of his progenitors. -Wr.

The name, &c.] The name of Jesus was not the same, per omnia, in Joshua; and Jesu was never given to any before the angel brought itt from heaven. The names of patriarches and prophets have been imposed (not assumed) as memorials (to children) of imitation: and that

of Emmanuel in a qualified sense onlye. But that never any Pope would bee stiled Peter the second, proceeds from a mysterye of policye; that they may rather seeme successors to his power, then to his name, which they therefore decline of purpose: that Christ's vicariate authoritye may seeme to descend not from personal succession, but immediately from [him] who first derived it on Peter. -Wr.

would by no means admit the stile of universal bishop; but the ambition of Boniface made no scruple thereof, nor of more queasy resolutions have been their successors ever since.

5. That Tamerlane' was a Scythian shepherd, from Mr. Knollis and others, from Alhazen a learned Arabian who wrote his life, and was spectator of many of his exploits, we have reasons to deny. Not only from his birth,—for he was of the blood of the Tartarian emperors, whose father Og had for his possession the country of Sagathy, (which was no slender territory, but comprehended all that tract wherein were contained Bactriana, Sogdiana, Margiana, and the nation of the Massagetes, whose capital city was Samarcand, a place, though now decayed, of great esteem and trade in former ages,)—but from his regal inauguration, for it is said, that being about the age of fifteen, his old father resigned the kingdom, and men of war unto him. And also from his education, for as the story speaks it, he was instructed in the Arabian learning, and afterwards exercised himself therein. Now Arabian learning was in a manner all the liberal sciences, especially the mathematicks, and natural philosophy; wherein, not many ages before him there flourished Avicenna, Averroes, Avenzoar, Geber, Almanzor, and Alhazen, cognominal unto him that wrote his history, whose chronology indeed, although it be obscure, yet in the opinion of his commentator, he was contemporary unto Avicenna, and hath left sixteen books of opticks, of great esteem with ages past, and textuary unto our days.

Now the ground of this mistake was surely that which the Turkish historian declareth. Some, saith he, of our historians will needs have Tamerlane to be the son of a shepherd. But this they have said, not knowing at all the custom of their country; wherein the principal revenues of the king and

7 Tamerlane.] His true Scythian name was Temur-Can which all storyes corruptly and absurdlye call Tamberlane. -Wr.

From the best authorities it appears that the parentage here assigned to Timur Beg (Tamerlane) is erroneous.

His father was Targuï, a chief of the tribe of Berlas, tributary to Jagatai, one of the sons of Jenghis- (or Chingis-) Khan. He was born at Sebz, a suburb of the city of Kesch. See Biographie Universelle; Universal History; Lardner's Outlines of History.

8

nobles consisteth in cattle; who, despising gold and silver, abound in all sorts thereof. And this was the occasion that some men call them shepherds, and also affirm this prince descended from them. Now, if it be reasonable, that great men whose possessions are chiefly in cattle should bear the name of shepherds, and fall upon so low denominations, then may we say that Abraham was a shepherd, although too powerful for four kings; that Job was of that condition, who beside camels and oxen had seven thousand sheep, and yet is said to be the greatest man in the east. Thus was Mesha, king of Moab, a shepherd, who annually paid unto the crown of Israel, an hundred thousand lambs, and as many rams. Surely it is no dishonourable course of life which Moses and Jacob have made exemplary: 't is a profession supported upon the natural way of acquisition, and though contemned by the Egyptians, much countenanced by the Hebrews, whose sacrifices required plenty of sheep and lambs. And certainly they were very numerous; for, at the consecration of the temple, beside two-and-twenty thousand oxen, king Solomon sacrificed an hundred and twenty thousand sheep and the same is observable from the daily provision of his house; which was ten fat oxen,9 twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a hundred sheep, beside roebuck, fallow deer and fatted fowls. Wherein notwithstanding, (if a punctual relation thereof do rightly inform us,) the Grand Seignior doth exceed: the daily provision of whose seraglio in the reign of Achmet, beside beeves, consumed two hundred sheep, lambs and kids when they were in season one hundred, calves ten, geese fifty, hens two hundred, chickens one hundred, pigeons a hundred pair.

And therefore this mistake, concerning the noble Tamerlane, was like that concerning Demosthenes, who is said to

8 sheep.] Sir Wm. Jorden, of Wiltes, in the plaines, aspired to come to the number of 20,000: but with all his endeavor could never bring them beyond 18,000. He lived since 1630.-Wr.

9 oxen, &c.] That is, in the yeare, of beeves, 10,950, of sheep, 36,500.Wr.

kids, 109,500. And yet this cann raise noe greate wonder considering how manye mouthes were dayly fed at Solomon's tables, his concubines, his officers, his guards, and all sorts of inferior attendants on him and them: of which kindes the Grand Signeur mainteyns greater multitudes daylye in the Serag

1 consumed, &c.] Of sheep, lambs, lio.-Wr.

be the son of a blacksmith, according to common conceit, and that handsome expression of Juvenal;

Quem pater ardentis massa fuligine lippus,

A carbone et forcipibus, gladiosque parante
Incude, et luteo Vulcano, et Rhetora misit.

Thus Englished by Sir Robert Stapleton.

Whom's Father with the smoky forge half blind,
From blows on sooty Vulcan's anvil spent

In ham'ring swords, to study Rhet'rick sent.

But Plutarch, who writ his life, hath cleared this conceit, plainly affirming he was most nobly descended, and that this report was raised, because his father had many slavesthat wrought smith's work, and brought the profit unto him.

CHAPTER XVII.

Of some others viz.,—of the poverty of Belisarius; of Fluctus Decumanus, or the tenth wave; of Parisatis that poisoned Satira by one side of a knife; of the Woman fed with poison that should have poisoned Alexander; of the Wandering Jew; of Pope Joan; of Friar Bacon's brazen head that spoke; of Epicurus.

WE are sad when we read the story of Belisarius, that worthy chieftain of Justinian; who after his victories over Vandals, Goths, Persians, and his trophies in three parts of the world, had at last his eyes put out by the emperor, and was reduced to that distress, that he begged relief on the highway, in that uncomfortable petition, date obolum Belisario. And this we do not only hear in discourses, orations

2 And this mistake, &c.] This paragraph was first added in the 2nd edition, except the translation, which was added in the 6th edition.

3 We are sad, &c.] Lord Mahon, in

VOL III.

his life of Belisarius, adopts this traditional account of him, as the most likely to be true: and gives at the close of the work his reasons at large.

2 A

and themes, but find it also in the leaves of Petrus Crinitus, Volaterranus, and other worthy writers.

But, what may somewhat consolate all men that honour virtue, we do not discover the latter scene of his misery in authors of antiquity, or such as have expressly delivered the stories of those times. For, Suidas is silent herein, Cedrenus and Zonaras, two grave and punctual authors, delivering only the confiscation of his goods, omit the history of his mendication. Paulus Diaconus goeth farther, not only passing over this act, but affirming his goods and dignities were restored. Agathius, who lived at the same time, declared he suffered much from the envy of the court: but that he descended thus deep into affliction, is not to be gathered from his pen. The same is also omitted by Procopius,* a contempory and professed enemy unto Justinian and Belisarius, who hath left an opprobrious book against them both.

And in this opinion and hopes we are not single, but Andreas Aniatus the civilian in his Parerga, and Franciscus de Corduba in his Didascalia, have both declaratorily confirmed the same, which is also agreeable unto the judgment of Nicolaus Alemannus, in his notes upon that bitter history of Procopius. Certainly sad tragical stories are seldom drawn within the circle of their verities; but as their relators do either intend the hatred or pity of the persons, so are they set forth with additional amplifications. Thus have some suspected it hath happened unto the story of Edipus: and thus do we conceive it hath fared with that of Judas, who, having sinned above aggravation, and committed one villany which cannot be exasperated by all other, is also charged with the murder of his reputed brother, parricide of his father, and incest with his own mother,* as Florilegus

*'Avézôora, or Arcana Historia.

4 is also charged, &c.] Surely yf these had been true, St. John, who cals him a theefe in plaine termes, would never have concealed such unparalled villanyes. They could not bee don after his treason, the halter followed that soe closelye; and had they been don before, neither could he have escaped the laws of Judæa, most severe against such hideous crimes;

nor would the Sonne of God have endured the scandal of such a knowne miscreant, much lesse have chosen him among the twelve apostles. Judas deserved as much detestation as his unparaleld and matchless crimes could any way deserve. But noe cause of such detestation could be soe just, as to produce such prodigious fictions in the writings