: 66 ■ Tilt feventli Eooke of 



lift : for fo a gentleman of Rome one lalim Fktor, defcep.ded from the race of ibe Vocontians G 

 our allies jbcing folneinto a kind of dropfie becweene the skin and the fleOi during his ininoritie 

 and nonage, and forbidden by the Phyficions to drinke:fo accuftomed himfclfe toobferve their 

 dire^tionj that naturally he could abide it ; in fo much.that all his old age even to his dying day^ 

 he forbarc his drinke.Ochers alfo have ben able to command and over-rule tlieii; nature in many 

 cafes, and breake themfclves of divers things. 



Chap. xi2{. 

 ^ Straange natures and fro^ertics of divm pirfim^ 



IT is faidj that Craf//^ (grandfather to that Crap^ who was flaine in Parthia) was never kn ownc H 

 tolaughallhislifetimejandth^euponwascalled L^^^/iijjf/^i : and contrariwife. many have 

 been found that never wept. Alfo that fage and renowmed wife man Socrates yms fcen alwaies 

 to carrie one and the felfcfatue countenances never more merrie and chcerfull nor more folenin 

 and unqmer,3t one time than at another* But this obftin ate conftancie andfirmecariageof ebs 

 raindjturnethnowand then in the end into a certaine rigour and auikritieof naturcjib hard 

 and inflexible thatit cannot beruledj and in very truth defpoileth men of all affections^aod Inch 

 are called of the GreekeSsApatheSjwho had the eKperience of many fuch :and(thatv;hich isa 

 marVeitous matter) thofe efpecially that were the great pillars of Phiiofophie and deepc learned 

 Clerkesj namely Diogerjes the Cmckc^Pyrrh^Heracbm^zndTimo^znd as for him he wasfo 

 farre gone in this humorj that he (eemed profefTcdiy to hate all mankind. But ihcfe were exam- I 

 pics of a corrupt, perverfe, and froward nature. As for other things^ there be fundrie notable 

 obfervations in many, as in »ioKia the wife of Drufm^ who as it was well knowne, never (pit : 

 m Fompfffvifis the poet,one that had fometimesbeeneConfull, whenever belched.Butasior 

 fuch asnaturally have their bones not hollow, but whole and folid, they be very rare andfddom 

 feene, and called they are in Latinc C&rKei^ i . hard as horne. 



Chap. xx. 



^Ofhodiljfirengthandfiviftne^e^ 



VAn o in his treatife of prodigious and extraordinatie ftrength, maketh report of one 'Tri- K 

 tAnu6y a man that of bodie was but little and leane withall , howbeit of incomparable 

 ftrcngth,much renowmed in the fenfc fchoolcj and namelyjin handling the Samnites wea- 

 pons, wearing their manner of armor, and performing their feats and mafteries of great name. 

 He maketh mention alfo of a fonne of his^a fouldier,that ferved under Pomvem the < jieatjwho 

 had all over his bodie,yea and throughout his armes and hands,fome iincwes running ftreight 

 out in length, others crofTmg over-thwart lattife-wife: and he faith moreover of him,thac when 

 an cnemic oucof the campe gave him defiance and challenged him to a combat, he would nei- 

 ther put on defsnfive harnefle, ne yet arme his right hand with offenfive weapon 5 but with naked 

 hand made means to f bile and overcome him,and in the end when he had caught hold of him, _ 

 brought him away perforce into his owne campe with one finger. Imm ydens a captain, pen- 

 fioner, or centurion of the guard fouldiers about C^/^r, was wont alone to bcare up a 



ch arriot laden with certaine hogflieads or a butt of wine, untill it was difcharged therof,and the 

 wine drawn out: alfo his manner was with one hand to ilay a coach againft all the force of the 

 horfes llriving and ilraining to the contrarie : and to perform other wondcrfull mafterieSj which 

 are to be feene engraven upon his tombe : and therefore (qi p^arro) being Caiied tlercuks Rujli- 

 ^■^//^,hetookeuphis mule upon his backe and carried him z^NZ'j. Fufim Sahm having two 

 hundred pound weights at his feet,and as many in hishands, and twife as much upon his .liaul- 

 ders, went withall up a paireof ftaires or a ladder , My felfe have feene one named Arhmo' 

 do wonderfull ftracnge matters in the open fhew and face of the woi Id, namely.io waike his 

 ftations upon the flage with a cuirace of lead weighing 5 00 pound, booted befides with apaiie M 

 of buskins or greives about his legges that came to as much in weight. As ioi xjidili^tht great 

 wreftler of Crotone, when bee flood firme upon his feet, there was not a mm could make ' iim 

 IHrre one foot : if he held a pomegranat faft within his hand^no man was able 1:0 ilretch a finger 

 of his and force it out at length, li was counted a great matter^that Pkiippdcns,n 1 140 itadia , to 



■ witp 



