University of Virginia Library

O Nubians ] The Chorus of Ethiopian, or blackamore maids sent—

And which, though the song and Act were ended, staid still upon the stage.

Lives the old man] Edward 1. hearing both together of the death of his son and of his father, wept and lamented much more for his father then for his son, saying to the French King (which asked the cause thereof) that the losse of his childe was but light; for children might after increase and be multiplyed, but the losse of his parent was greater, which could not be recovered. Fox. Martyrol. vol. 1.

Custome and sharpe lawes, &c.] If he who shall suffer himselfe to be sold incurre so great hatred; what shall be done unto him that hath sold one against his will or kept him in bondage? the Lawes both of the Jewes and Athenians did punish this wickednesse with death, as it is written by Moses, and Severus Sulpitius. Dinarchus tels us, that the Athenians put to death one Nemon a Miller, who had stolne an ingenuous child and kept him a bond-slave to work in his Mill. See Ærodius rerumjudicat. l. 9. tit. 7. De Plagiariis, where he bitterly inveighs against the Jesuites, who under colour of Religion entice children from their parents. And (as you may read in a singular Treatise of his De Patrio jure) had inveigled away his own son.

Let me him happily requite—] Maintenance is due likewise to parents; which we are not onely told by the laws, but by a common proverbe αντιπελαργειν [taken from the piety of Storkes which requite their parents by feeding them in their old age] So that Solon is commended, because upon them who should not doe it he set a marke of infamy. But this is not so ordinary as for the parents to maintaine their children; for children, when they are born, bring nothing with them whereon to live. Besides, they have a longer time to live then their parents: and therefore as honour and obedience is due to the parents and not to the children; so maintenance is due more to the children then to the parents. And the Apostle saith, 2 Cor. 12. 14. The children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children, Grot. de jur. bell. ac pac. l. 2. c. 7. § 5. Yet the same Apostle saith, 1 Tim. 5. 4. Let them (the children or Nephews, I understand with Beza) learn first to shew piety at home and to requite their parents. And our Saviour rebukes the hypocrisie of the Pharisees, who by reason of religious oblations thought themselves not bound to relieve their parents, Marke 7. 12.

All Memphis did me their Father call.] Joseph was but thirty yeeres old when he stood before Pharaoh, and deserv'd the Title of Father of Ægypt. And Augustus Cæsar was not full foure and thirty yeers of age, when hee was saluted with the goodly name of Father of his country by the Senate and people of Rome.

To them be kind chiefly] But if any contention or comparison arise, to whom wee owe most duty; in the first place to our Country and Parents, by whose benefits we are most of all obliged; in the next, our children and whole Family which looks upon us onely, and can have no other refuge: then, well agreeing kindred, who for the most part have one common fortune. Wherefore necessary aides of livelihood are most due (as I have said) to them. But life and common conversation, counsels, discourses, exhortations, consolations, sometimes also chidings are of most vigour among friends: and that friendship is the most pleasant, which is contracted by likenesse of manners, &c. Cic. de Offic. l. 1.

The spoiles home of four Kings] By the Law of nature those things are in a just warre acquired by us, which are either equivalent to that which whereas it is due to us wee cannot otherwise attaine, or also which brings damage to him that hurts us within an equall measure of punishment. By this Law Abraham gave tithes to God of the spoiles hee had taken from the Kings. Gen. 14. 16. Heb. 7. 4. Grot. de jur. bell. ac pac. l. 3. c. 6. § 1.

Euphrates ] As in Asia by Perath or Prath, which signifies a River, is meant the River Κατ' εξοχην, which the Greeks call Euphrates. So in Ægypt is Nilus called from Nachal which is in Hebrew a River. Voss. See the Note upon Nile.

Tigris] So called from the most swift course, because it seemes to equall the swiftnesse of an arrow, which the Medes in their language call Tigris.

In his owne image] Not of body, but of minde, which consists in immortality, in innocency, and righteousnesse, and other gifts and endowments of the minde. Vatabl. in Gen. l. 26. And Junius upon the same place saith, That man was made in the image of God, to wit in the nature of the soule, its qualities and attributes. In the nature, for it is an eternall and spirituall, and intelligent essence; in qualities, for man was made after God in righteousnesse, and true holinesse [or holinesse of truth as Junius and the margent in our English Bible have it] Lastly in the attributes, for he obtaineth a dominion or principality in these inferiour things, as it were a certain image of the divine principality. See Eph. 4. 24. Col. 3. 10.

And sleep his limbes forsake] Adam should have slept, though he had never sinn'd. For albeit that sleep had not proceeded from a wearinesse of the exteriour senses, or the spirits serving them (for neither in that happy state would labour have had place) though also it had not been to repaire the spirits in part consum'd by the naturall heat (for neither would there have bin any losse or decay of strength) yet man had not wanted the pleasure of sleep; because the vapours from the aliment had then also gone up to the brain: the spirits too had bin more inwardly allur'd to a cessation: and thence againe invited to exteriour functions. I am further perswaded to this opinion (which the great Aquinas was of) by that sleep sent by God upon Adam. I know the Septuagint translate it εκστασιν: and it is a sure argument of an extasy, that with the eyes of his mind he saw a rib taken from him, and Eve to be framed thence: so that being awake he forthwith brake out into these words; This now is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh. But though it were an extasie, yet it might bee a sleep too; In his sleep surely Adams minde was divine elevated, so as it saw what was done by God. At this was confirm'd by the Hebrew word Tardema, which signifies a deep sleep. Voss. l. 3. c 34.

The Phænix] Paulus Fabus, and L. Vitellus being Consuls, after the revolution of many ages, the Bird Phænix came into Ægypt: and afforded matter of discourse upon that miracle to the most learned both of the inhabitants, and of the Greeks. What they agree in, and many things doubtfull, but not unworthy the knowledge, I have thought sit to set downe. That this creature is sacred to the Sunne, and differing foom others in the beake and feathers, all agree, who have describ'd her forme. Of the number of her yeeres the report is various. The most common is 500. some affirme 1461. And that the former birds, first in the reigne of Sesostris, afterward of Amasis, and then of Ptolomy the third of the Macedonian race, flew into the City called Heliopolis, a flock of other birds accompanying them and wondering at the new shape. But antiquity indeed is herein obscure. Between Ptolomy and Tiberius were lesse then 250 yeeres. Whence some thought this a false Phænix, and not to have come from Arabia, &c. These things are uncertaine and fabulously augmented. But that this bird is sometime seen in Egypt is not to be doubted. Tac. Annal. l. 6.

The Phænix is said to appeare against a great change in the world. And the Ægyptians paint this Bird, when they would expresse a vicissitude and restauration of things. Voss. l. 2. in Addend.

Of whose rare kind but one] What wise man can believe, there is a single Bird, which burnes her selfe in a fire, kindled both by the Sunne beames and the fanning of her owne wings; that from her turn'd into ashes, or at least from her marrow or blood is bred a worm, which afterwards having taken wings becomes this Bird, repair'd by her owne death, because she died that she might live, and so is made both the parent and issue: Whence and when fit for the burden, her first care is that (if she spring againe not out of the ashes but marrow or blood) shee carry her parents body to Heliopolis, and offer it upon the Altar of the Sun. To have related these things is to have confuted them. Yet that there is such a Bird hath been believ'd even by Tacitus: Yea Tertullian thought the Scriptures made mention of the Phænix. For in his Book de Resurrect. he hath rendred that in Psalm. 92. Δικαιος ως φοινιξ ανθησει. The just shall flourish as a Phænix; whereas hee should have said, as a Palme tree. With the very like error, as another in Plutarch, which Muretus observes in Variis, L. 13. cap. 12. hath translated εγκεφαλον φοινικος, the braine of a Phænix, whereas it signifies the pith of a Palme tree. Surely that David meant a plant, is cleare, by that which there follows of the Cedar, and Plane tree. But indeed Clemens Romanus, a contemporary with the Apostles, makes mention of this Bird in his first Epistle to the Corinthians: Which a few yeeres since came forth into the light by the singular care of that famous man Patrick Young. Yet there are, who judge this Epistle to bee none of Clements, because by the nature of a Bird, which is no where, he seeks to illustrate those things, which belong to heavenly truth. But by what we have formerly said of Pliny and Tacitus, we plainly see that in those times wherein Clement liv'd, that opinion of the Phænix, was common. And this is enough in a writing, ecclesiasticall indeed, yet not appertaining to the Canon of faith, and life. For neither is it necessary that we believe, that Clement knew all things, which did concerne the secrets of nature. Nor are we bound to believe it of the Apostles; although Christ promised, John 16. 13. That he would send the Holy Ghost, who should lead them into all Truth. Surely this is to be restrain'd to the truth of those things, which appertaine to the businesse of salvation. Yea not indeed to all them, because the Apostles themselves, 1 Corinth. 13. 9. saw in part, and Prophesied in part: but of all, which it was needfull to know for the attaining another life. Voss. Idolol. lib. 3. cap. 99.

The sacred fire] Was wont to be carried before the King of the Persians, when hee came abroad in publique, in honour of the Sunne, who was adored by them; Which fire was never put out, untill the death of the King. The same ceremony our Author makes Pharaoh to use here, the Persian Mithra, and the Ægyptian Osiris, being the same; that is, the Sunne.