CHAP. XXII. Of the dangerous and destructive Curiosity of some Men. VESSALIUS was busied in the dissection of the body of a person of quality, meaning to find out the root of that distemper which was supposed to have given him his death, when, to his grief, he found that which he looked not for: the heart panted, and there appeard other convincing signs that the unfortunate nobleman might have lived, had not he been 30 unseasonably butchered. This caused the anatomist much trouble and disgrace; and it hath fallen out with many others in the like manner, who while they have been gratifying their curiosity, have occasioned irreparable injuries to themselves or others *. 1. Cornelius Agrippa living in Lorrain, had a young man who lived with him. One day being to go abroad, he left the keys of his study with his wife, but with great charge to keep them safe, and trust them to no man. The youth, over-curious of novelty, never ceased to importune the woman, till she had lent him the key to view the library. He entered it, and took out a book of conjurations, wherein reading, he straight hears a great bouncing at the door, but not minding that, he reads on: the knocking grew greater and louder: but he making no answer, the devil breaks open the door and enters, inquires what he commands him to have done, or why he was called? The youth amazed, and through extreme fear, not able to an-, answer, the devil seizes upon him, and writhes his neck asunder. Agrippa returns, and finds the young man dead, and the deyil insulting over the corpse : he retires to his art, and calls his devil to an account of what had been done, who told him all that had passed; when he commanded the homicide to enter the body, and walk with him into the market-place, where the students were fre quent: and after two or three turns there, to forsake the body: he did so, the body judge the cause of it to some sudden fit of an apoplexy, but the marks about his neck and jaws rendered it somewhat suspicious. Agrippa concealed this story in Lorrain; but being banished thence, he afterwards feared not to publish it. 2. The emperor Caracalla had a curiosity to know the name of him who was most like to succeed him; and employed one Maternianus to inquire amongst the Magicians of the empire: by whom accordingly he was advertised, that Macrinus was to be the man. The letters be ing brought unto Caracalla as he was in his chariot, were by him delivered, with the rest of his packets, to the hands of Macrinus (who was captain of his guard, and by his office to attend upon the person of the emperor) that he might open them, and signify unto him the contents thereof at his better leisure. Macrinus, finding by these the danger in which he stood, resolved to strike the blow, and to that end entrusted Martialis, one of his centurions, with the execution, by whom the emperor was slain at Edessa, as he was going to make water. 3. Natholicus, king of Scotland, sent a great favourite of his to inquire of a famous witch what should be the success of a war which he had in hand, and other things concerning his person and estate; to whom she answered, "That Natholicus should not live long, and that he should be killed by one of his own servants;" and being further urged to tell him by whom, she said, "That the messenger himself should kill him;" who, though he departed from her with great disdain, and reviled her, protesting that first he would suffer ten thousand deaths: yet thinking better upon the matter in his return, and imagining that the king night come to know of the witch's answer, by some means or other, and hold him ever after suspected, or perhaps make him away, resolved to kill him, which he presently after performed. Thus was that prince punished for his * Melch. Vitæ Germ. Med. p. 133.-(1.) Schot. Phys. Curios. 1. 1. c. 36. p. 177. Heyw. Hier. 1.7. p. 480. Delrio, Disq. Magic. 1. 2. Qu. 29. § 1. p. 356.-(2.) Hyel. Cosmog. p. 790. Speed's Hist. 232. Herodian. 1. 4. p. 236, 247. wicked wicked curiosity, by seeking by such unlawful means to know the secret de terminations of God. 4. Such was the fatal curiosity of the elder Pliny, that, as the younger relates, he could not be deterred by the destructive flames vomited by Vesuvius, from endeavouring by their light to read the nature of such Vulcanian hills; but in spite of all the dissuasions of his friends, and the frightful eruptions of that hideous place, he resolved that flaming wonder should rather kill him than escape him, and thereupon approached so near, that he lost his life to satisfy his cuiosity, and fell, if I may so speak, a martyr to physiology. 5. Nero, the emperor, about the sixty-sixth year of Christ, possessed at once with a mad spirit of cruelty, and a foolish curiosity, that he might have the Lively representation of the burning of Troy, caused a great part of the city of Rome to be set on fire; and afterwards, to conceal himself from being thought the author of so great a villany, by an unparalleled slander, he cast the guilt of so horrrid a fact on the Christians: whereupon an innumerable company of those innocents were accused, and put to death with variety of most cruel tortures. : 6. In the land of Transiane, there was a prince tributary to the king of Pegu, and his near kinsman, named Alfonge, who married a sister of the prince of Tazatay her name was Abelara, one of the greatest beauties in the East: they lived a happy life with entire affection; and, for their greater felicicity, they had two twin sons, who, in their undergrowth, discovered something great and lofty, and appeared singularly hopeful for the future. The infants having attained ten years, loved so cordially, they could not live asunder, and the one's desire still met with the other's consent in all things but the devil, the enemy of concord, inspired a curiosity into the minds of the father and mother to know their fates and to their grief they were told the time should come, when these two brothers, that now loved so fondly should cut one another's throats; which much astonished the poor princes, and filled them with fearful apprehensions. These two princes being come to be fifteen years old, one said to the other, "Brother, it must needs be you that must murder me, for I would sooner die a hundred deaths, than do you the least imaginable harm." The other replied, "Believe it not, good brother, I desire you, for you are as dear and dearer to me than myself." But the father, to prevent the misfortune, resolved to separate them; whereupon they grew so troubled and melancholy, that he was constrained to protract his design, till an occasion happened that invited all three, the father and two sons, to a war betwixt the kings of Narsinga and Pegu; but by the mediation of Bramins a peace was con cluded, upon condition these two young princes should espouse the two daughters of the king of Narsinga; and that the king of Pegu, on him that married the elder, should confer all the countries he took in the last war, with the kingdom of Martaban, and the other brother, besides the kingdom of Tazatay, should have that of Verma: the nuptials consummated, each departed to his territory. Now it fell out, that the king of Tazatay was engaged in a sharp war with the king of Mandranella, and sent to the two brothers for aid who both hastened (unknown to each other, with great assistance. He from Verma came secretly to town, to visit a lady (once their mistress); and the other brother being on the same de sign, they met at the lady's gate by night, not knowing one another, where, furious with jealousy, after some words, they drew and killed each other. One of them dying, gave humble thanks to God that he had prevented the direful destiny of his horoscope, not being the assassin of his brother, as it was preju dicated: hereupon the other finding him by his voice and discourse drawing near his end, himself crept to him, and embraced him with tears and lamenta tions: and so both dolefully ended their days together. The father hearing of it, was so overborne with grief and despair, (3.) Fitzherb. of Relig. and Policy, p. 1. c. 36. p. 449, 450.--(4.) Mr. Boyle's Exp. Phil. Essay, p. 4. Kornman de Mirac. Mort. 1. 6. c. 36. p. 18.-(5.) Gaulter. Tab. Chron. p. 17. that that he came and slew himself upon the bodies of his sons; and with the grief and tears of all the people, they were buried all three in one monument; which shews us the danger of two great curiositv. 7. Eudoxus implored the favour of the gods, that he might have power to go so near the body of the sun, that he might behold its glory, magnitude, and matter, and on that condition he would be contented to be burnt to death by its beams. How many persons might have been rich, if a fond curiosity in searching after chimeras and needless trifles had not exhausted their estates! How many might have enjoyed a healthful constitution of body, if they had not destroyed it by a foolish desire of being better than well! He might have lived long enough upon land, that, by attempting to live under water, was drowned. He might have lived safely by making use of his legs to carry him, that by attempting to fly broke his neck; and many might have lived happily, whose curiosity, in inquiring after secrets, made them know they were miserable. CHAP. XXIII. Of the Ignorance of the Ancients and others. THERE never was, nor is there ever like to be (in this world) a beauty of that absolute completeness and perfection, but there were something discerned upon it, which might have been wished away. It isnot therefore the design of this chapter to uncover the nakedness of our fathers, so as to expose it to the petulancy of any, but rather to congratulate those further accessions of light and improvements in knowledge, which these latter ages have attained unto, and to celebrate the wisdom and goodness of the great Creator, who hath not been so li beral in his impartments to our progeni tors, but that he hath reserved something wherewith to gratify the modest inquiries, and industrious researches of after-times. 1. That there were any such men as Antipodes, was in former times reckoned a matter so ridiculous and impossible, that Boniface, Archbishop of Mentz, happening to see a tractate written by Virgilius, bishop of Saltzburgh, touching the Antipodes, not knowing what damnable doctrine might be couched under that strange name, made complaint first to the duke of Bohemia, and afterwards to Pope Zacchary, anno 745, by whom the poor bishop (unfortunate only in being learned in such time of ignorance) was condemned of heresy. Even St. Austin and Lactantius, and some other of the ancient writers, condemn this point of the Antipodes for an incredible ridiculous fable; and venerable Bede esteemed it for no better. 2. The famous king Ethelbert had this epitaph set upon him, which in those days passed with applause: Rex Ethelbertus hic clauditur in polyandro, "King Ethelbert lies here Clos'd in this polyander; For building churches sure he goes To Christ without meander." 3. And how low learning ran in our land amongst the native nobility, some three hundred years since, in the reign of king Henry the Sixth, too plainly appears by the motto on the sword of the mar tial earl of Shrewsbury, which was, Sum Talboti, pro occidere inimicos omeos, the best Latin that Lord, and perchance his chaplains too (in that age) could afford. 4. Rhemigius, an interpreter of St. Paul's Epistles, commenting upon these words, A vobis diffamatus est sermo, tells us, that "diffamatus was somewhat improperly put for divulgatus;" St. Paul being not very solicitous about the propriety of words. Whereupon Ludovi p. 145.-(7.) Macrob. (6.) Vincent Le Blanc's Travels, tom. 1. c. 32. (1.) Heyl. Cosm. p. 24, Herb Truv. 1. 1. p 6 Hak. Apol. 1. 3. c. 8 p. 248. 249. Purch. Pilg. tom. 1. 1. 8. c. 1. p. 895.-(2.) Hak. Apol.1 3. c. s. § 3. p. 255.-(3.) Full. Eccles. Hist. in Præf. to the second book, p. 47. VOL. II, cus cus Nives demands, "What shall we say to these masters in Israel, who know not that St. Paul wrote not in Latin, but in Greek?" 5. It appears by the rescript of Pope Zachary to Boniface, a German bishop, that a priest in those parts baptized in this form, Baptizo te in nomine patria filia & spiritua sancta. And by Eras mus, that some divines in his time would prove that Hereticks were to be put to death, because the Apostle saith, Hareticum hominem devita, which it seems they understood as if he had said, De vita tolle. 6. Du Pratt, a Bishop and Chancellor of France, having received a letter from Henry the Eighth, King of England, to King Francis the First of France, wherein, amongst other things, he wrote Mitto tibi duodecim molossos, "I send you twelve mastiff dogs:" the Chancellor taking molossos to signify mules, made a journey on purpose to court to beg them of the king; who wondering at such a present to be sent him from England, demanded the sight of the letter, and smiling thereat, the Chancellor finding himself deceived, told him, "that he mistook molossos for muletos ;" and so, hoping to mend the matter, made it worse. Nilus in extremum fugit perterri us orbem, "Nile Hed for fear to the world's utmost bound, "And hid his head which cannot yet be found." "But," saith Pererius upon Genesis, “as many other things are found out unknown to the Ancients, so likewise, amongst others, the head-spring of Nilus; which issues out of a lake in Abyssinia." 9. It is very observable and indeed admirable, that neither Herodotus nor Thucydides, nor any other Greek author contemporary with them, have so much as mentioned the Romans, though then growing up to a dreadful power, and being both Europeans. And for the Gauls and Spaniards, the Grecians, as witnesseth Budæus (in his book de Asse) were so utterly ignorant of them, that Ephorus, one of the most accurate writers, took Spain, which he calls Iberia, to be a city, though Cosmographers make the circuit of it to contain above 1136 French miles. 10. The Ancients held, that under the middle or burning Zone, by reason of excessive heat, the earth was altogether uninhabitable: but it is now made evident by experience, that there it is as healthful, temperate, and pleasant dwelling as any where in the world, as appears by the relations of Benzo, Acosta, Herbert and others. 7. The ignorance of former ages was so gross in the point of Geography, that what time Pope Clement the sixth had 11. They were also wholly ignorant elected Lewis of Spain to be the Prince of America, which we now call the West of the Fortunate Islands, and for his aid Indies, till it was discovered by Christoand assistance therein had mustered sol- pher Columbus, a Genoese. All antidiers in France and Italy; our country-quity cannot parallel that exploit, which men were verily persuaded that he was chosen Prince of Britain, as one of the Fortunate Islands. And our Ambassadors there with the Pope, were so deeply settled in this opinion, that forthwith they withdrew themselves out of Rome, and hasted with all speed into England, there to certify their friends and countrymen of the matter. 8. The head of Nilus was to the Ancients utterly unknown, as witnesseth Herodotus, Strabo, and Diodorus Siculus, to which Ovid alludes, he found out by the meer strength of his wit, and his skill in the mathematical sciences: for comtemplating with himself, that the equator, or great circle in the heavens, divided the whole world into two equal parts, and finding that there was such a proportion of earth on the north-east side; he concluded that there must needs be as much on the south-west side of it to counterbalance the globe, and make the heavenly circle to be just in its division. He propounded the making the experiment to his own countrymen, but (7.) Ibid. c. 8. (4.) Hak. Apol. 1. 3. c. 7. § 2. p. 230.- (5.) Ibid. p. 236. (6.) Ibid. §1. P 247.- (8.) Ibid. p. 248. -- (9) Ibid. Joseph. against Apion, 1. 1. p. 768.- (19.) Herb. Trav. 1. 3. p. 343, they they looked upon it as a whim. King 12. Archbishop Parker (in his Anti- 13. King Alfred, in his preface upon the pastorals of St. Gregory, which he translated into English, saith, "That when he came to his kingdom, he knew not one priest on the south side of the river Humber that understood his service in Latin, or that could translate an epistle into English. 14. Archelaus, King of Macedon, was so ignorant of the things of nature, that upon an eclipse of the sun, amazed with fear, he caused the gates of the palace to be shut up, and the hairof his son to be cut off, as he used in solemn mournings. A further survey of the ignorance of the Ancients may be taken from a recollection of some of the instances of the newly discovered phænomena (at least if we be Live Mr. Glanville) which are scattered, as he saith, under the heads of the arts and instruments, which are as follow: In the Heavens, those of the spots, and motion of the sun about his axis; the mountainous protuberances and shadows of the body of the moon; the moons of Jupiter; their mutual eclipsing one another, and its turning round upon its own axis; the ring about Saturn, and its shadow upon the body of that star; the phases of Venus; the increment and decrement of light amongst the planets; the appearing and disappearing of fixed stars; the altitude of comets; and nature In the air, its spring; of the via lactea. the more accurate history and nature of winds and meteors; the probable height of the atmosphere have been added by the Lord Bacon, Des Cartes, Mr. Boyle and others. In the earth, new lands by Columbus, Magellan, and the rest of the discoverers; and in these new plants, new fruits, new animals, new minerals, and a kind of other world of nature, from which this is supplied with numerous conveniences for life. In the waters, the great motion of the sea, unknown in elder times; and the particular laws of flux and reflux in many places are discovered. The history of baths, augmented by Savonarola, Baccius, and Blanchellus. Of metals, by Agricola; and the whole subterranean world described by the universally-learned Kircher. The history of plants much improved by Mathiolus, Ruellius, Bauhinus, and Gerhard, besides the late account of English vegetables, published by Dr. Merret, a worthy member of the Royal Society; and another excellent virtuoso of the same assem bly, Mr. John Evelyn, hath very considerably advanced the history of fruit and forest trees, by his Sylva and Pomona ; and greater things are expected from his preparations for Elysium Britannicum, a noble design now under his hands. The history of animals hath been much enlarged by Gesner, Rondeletius, Aldrovandus, and more accurately inquired into by the micographers, and the late travellers, who have given us accounts of those more remote parts of the earth, that have been less known to these; amongst whom, the ingenious author of the Caribees deserves to be mentioned as an instance. In our bodies, Natural History hath found a rich heap of materials in the particulars of the Vene Lacter, the Vasa Lymphatiça, of the valves and sinus of the veins, the several new passages and glandules, (11.) Hakewell's Apol.-(12.) Hak. Apol. 1. 3. c. 7. § 2. p. 237.- (13.) Hak. Apol. in Adr. 3. p. 5. L 2 the |