The living librarie, or meditations and observations historical, natural, moral, political, and poetical / Written in Latin by P. Camerarius. And done into English by John Molle.
- Philipp Camerarius
- Date:
- 1621
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The living librarie, or meditations and observations historical, natural, moral, political, and poetical / Written in Latin by P. Camerarius. And done into English by John Molle. Source: Wellcome Collection.
48/432 page 28
![Socrat. lib.6. Cap.5. Hiftoricall Meditations. Wrong and Violence atlaft the wicked man doe ouertake, And bis life commonly they wafte,where they their firft abode did make. Among the ftories that are memorable to this purpofe,I thinke there cannot be found amore notable one for many yeares paft, than that of Majon Admirall of Sicilia,in the time of king William, about the yeare 1164. This man being the fonne of a Regrater of oyle, afcended to fuch credit, that hauing obtained theftate of Admiraltie, he managed all the affaires of that kingdome; putting preferring to dignities whom he would. At the laft he went about to make him- felfe king, keeping agreat coyle, and leauing not one ftone vnremoued to bring his purpofe to paffe. But when he thought himfelfeat the top of the wheele, and there meant to faften a peg, fuddenly it turned about; for he was killed by a lord ofthe kingdom,named Mathew Bonell,to whom he had promifed his daugh- terinmarriage. Tothisftorie the Readers may adde the memorable example of Eutrzpius, Chamberlaine to the Emperour Arcadius, whom Chryfofteme doth fharply taxe in his oration of riches and pouertie. In times paft,the authors of lewd inuentions,the counfellers of wickedneffe and crueltie , haue made an ill | Sicilia, with fuch cunning, that the offenders which were put within it, feelin | the heat of the fire that was made vnderneath, feemed to roare like a Bull, not | to crie with mans voice;when he came to. demand the recompence of his paines, | was himfelfe firft of all caft into the Bull, that hee might fhew the proofe of his Lib.9.capg. The Tyrant Phalaris within a Bull of braffe Inclofd Perillus, who inuented bad the [ame : The Authour with his owne deuife first punifbt was, And onely then, of Iufl, the Tyrant had the name. We haue this point illuftrated with the memorable example of the Tyrant Jelfe : that bis vielence fell in upon him, and that his wickednelfe {moothered bim. Alius Lampridius {peaking of the ambufhes that were laid for Alexander (after {urna- med Seuerus) by Heliogabalus, faith thefe words ; The wicked neuer proper in their purpofes againft the innocent ; For it could neuer be brought to paffe, that any man would vun- dertake to kill Alexander ; Contrariwife ; the ffafts which Heliogabalus made readie again/t others, were found to bee whetted againft him/elfe, and himfelfe was caught in the Soares which he laid for good men. Wereof we haue another example in Titus Li- abb. uius,and Valerius Maximus, of the women poyfoners in Rome,who hating com- Inthe a book] POUNded certaine poifons, which many lighting vpon, died'ofgs if it had bene and a6 chap. | of a common Peftilence, none being able to tell from whence this euill procee- | deni ded; at laft the truth of the matter.was difcouered by a woman-feruant , who fayingg. told, That the women of Rome had compounded this poifon: whereupon they | ate called and examined, and maintaine the fame to be wholefome medicines. They are commanded to tafte them,which they doe prefently ; andall that did. | fo,died. ‘Thereupon thereftare fought out and imprifoned,of which an hundred bos and feuentie were condemned to die. Iuflin the Hiftorian maketh mention of fuch a like ftorie. Gryphus king of Egypt had {carce recouered his fathers king- dome, and was but newly gotten out from dangers abroad, before he faw him- felfe readie to be enfhared at home by his owne mother : This woman hauing betraied her husband Demetrius into the hands of his enemies,and caufed one of her fónties to bee killed, that thee her felfe might reigne ; fecing that Gryphas s remaining LI](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30334913_0048.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
