The fecond Booke of 



itnto a man is hc^tliat helpeth a man ;and this is the true and dired- pathway to cvetlafting glo- G 

 ne. In this way went the noble Romans in old time ; and in diis trad at this day gocthjwith hea. 

 venly pace, nfafmn AuguUm, both he and hischildrcn : VcfpafimJ ray.themoihnightie ruler 

 of the whole world: whiles hee relic veth the affliacd State of the Romane Empire and Com- 

 monwealc. And this is the moftauncient manner of rcquitalltofuch beneFadours, That they 

 iliould be canonized gods. And hereof came the names as well of all other gods^as of the (hrs 

 and planets (which 1 have mentioned before) inrecognifance of mens good defcrts. As for 

 luptler verily and CMercum^ and other princes raunged aQ:!ong the gods, who doub teth that 

 they were called otherwife among themfelves ? and who confcfleth not how thefe bee celcftiali 

 dcnominations^to expreflc and interprete their nature ? 



.. Now,That the foveraigne power and deitie^whatfoever it iSj{hould have regard ofmankind, H 



ilunTuke ^ vanitie worthie to be laughed at. For can wee chufe but belcevejcan wee make any 



^eed,andbcc doubtjbut uceds thatDivinitic and Godhead muft be polluted withfo bafe and manifold a mi- 

 God^for niteic ? And hardly in manner may it be judged^whetfeer of the twaine be better and more ex- 

 light revLicd pedient for mankind to beleevcj that the gods have regard of us^ or to bee perfuaded that they 

 unto them out have none at all: confidering,That fomc men have no relped and reverence at all of the gods , 

 fcnptul'cs!^ others againe fo much,as it is a very iliame to fee their fuperftition . Addided thefe are and de- 

 voted to lerve them by forraine magicke ceremonies : they weare their gods upon their fingers 

 in ringSjyea^they worfhip and adore monftcrs : they condemne and forbid fome meats^yet they 

 dcvife others for them.Impofe they doe upon them hard and vengible charges to execute, not 

 fuffering them to reft and ilsepe in quiet. They chufe neitner mariages^nor children jue yet any | 

 ,jOne thing els^but by the approbation and allowance of facred rites and myfterics.Contrariwifej 

 others there are ib godicfiCj that in the very Capitoll they uiedeceit, and forfweare themfelves 

 even by htpiicrfoi all that he is readie to flioot his thunderbolts. And as fome fpeed well ynough 

 with their wicked deeds and irreligion : fo others againe feele the fmart and are punilhed by the 

 faintswhom they adorejand the holy ceremonies which they obferve. 



Howbeit, betweene both thefe opinions, men have found out to themfelves a middle god- 

 head and divine powetjto the end that weefhouid giveflill a more uncertaine conjecture as tou- 

 ching God indeed. For_,throughout the whole world, in every place;,at all times and in all mens 

 ■) mourhSjFortune alone is fought uhto and called upon :fhe only is named andinrequeftj fhee 

 alone is blamed jaccufedjand endited.None but (lie is thought upon ;fhe only is praifed^fhc on- g 

 ly IS reproved and rebuked : yea^and worfhipped is fliee with railing and reprochfuU cearms: and 

 namely when fhe is taken to be wavering and mutable : and of the moft fort fljppofed alfb blind : 

 roving at randoUjUnconftanr, uncertaine, variablcjUnd favouring the unworthie: whatfocver is 

 laid forthjfpent and loft,whatfoever is receivedjwoon & gotten : all that comes in, all that goes 

 outjis imputed to Fortune : and in all mens reckonings and accounts, fhe makes up die booke, 

 and fets all ftreight. So abjcCl; wee are, fofervilealfo and enthralled to Lots, that even the very 

 chaunce of Lots is taken for a god-^than which nothing malceth us more doubtfull and ignorant 

 of God. 



Now there are another fortjthat reje<5i Fortune and Chaunce both wil not abide them: but 

 ' attribute the events and iffues of things,, to their owne feverall if arres, and goc by the fatal! ho- £ 

 rofcope or afcendent of their nativitie ; affirming that the fame flial ever befall, which once hath 

 been fet downe and decreed by God : fo as hee for ever after may fit ilili and refl himfelfe . And 

 this opinion beginneth now to fettle and take dcepe rootjinlbmuch as both the learnedjand al- 

 io the rude and ignorant mukitude,run that way on end.From hence(bchold)proceed the war- 

 nings & admonitions of lighteningS5the fore-knowledge by Oracles,the predictions of Sooth- 

 faiers, yea,and other contemptible things not wordiie to bee oncefpoken of 5 as fnceiing, and 

 tumbling with the foor,are counted matters of prefage. t^ugufim Cdfrr of famous memorie 

 hath made report and left in writing, that his left footfhoe was untowardly put on before the 

 right, on that very day, when hee had like to have miicarriedin a muunie among his fbuldiors. 



Thus thefe things every one doe enwrap and entangle iilie moriali men. void of all forecafl; 

 and true underfl:anding:fo as this only point among the reft remainethfurc and certain, name- 

 Iy,That nothing is certaine; neither is there ought more wretched and more prowd withall,than 

 ipan. Foralilivcly creatures els take care onely for their food : wherein Natures goodnefle 

 andbountie of it felfe is fufficient : which one point verily is to bee preferred before ail good 



things 



