The feventh Booke of 



andrcfolution of histofamifhand pinchimfelfetodcath^havingto thatendfaAed4dayesand G 

 toure nights^and in that time received into his bodie the greater part of his own deaih* Bcfides, 

 the overthrow and rout of Farm and his forccsjthe foule ftaine and blemifh to the touch of his 

 honour and majeftie very neer : the putting away of Pcsihtmjtm ^grippa aher his adoptioHjand 

 the mifle that he had of him after his banifhmcnt : then.the fufpicion that he conceived of 

 ^//<^,fordifclofing his fccrcts:addeherctOj the opinion and conceit thathetookc of hisowne 

 wife and T/^^rzWj which furpafled all his other cares. To conclude, that god, andhec who I 

 wot not whether he obtained heaven or defervcd it more, departed this life^ and left behind him 

 for his heire to the crownc^ his enemies fonne. 



Chap. xlvi. jjj 

 Whomethc Gods iudgemojl h^ppie\ 



ICannotover-paflcin this difcourfcandconfidcration, the Oracles of Delphos^ delivered 

 from that heavenly god tochaftife an4-reprefle as it were, the folly and vanitie of men rand 

 two there be which give anfwer to the point in queftion, after this manner : Firft, that Phedws 

 (who but a while before died in the fervice of his countrey) was moft huppie . Moreover, Gjges 

 (the mof^ puifTant K.in thoicdaies of al theearth)fenta fecond time toknowoftheOracle^VVho 

 was the happieit man next him ? and anfwer was made. That AgUm Pfophidm was happier than 

 theformer : now this Aglaus was a good honeft man well flept in yeeres, dwelling in a very nar- 

 row corner of Arcadia, where he had a litdc houfe and land of his own,fufficienc with the yeerly i 

 commodities thereof to maintaine him plentifully with eafe ; out of which hee never went, but 

 employed himfelfe in the tillage and husbandrie thereof, to make the bcft benefitehe could ; in 

 fuchfortjthat (asitappeaiedby thatcourfeof life)ashe coveted Ieaft,fo he felt as little trouble 

 and adverfuie while he lived, 



Chap^ xlviu 

 Who m$ canonized a gody here upon enrth L^hgi 



BY the ordinance and appointment of the lame Oracle,as alfo by the aflent and approbation 

 of lupitcr the foveraigne God, the famous wreftler (who evermore wan the befl: K 



prize at Olympiajflwe once) was reputed and Goniecrated a god whiles he lived, and knew 

 thereof: borne he was at Locri in Italic, where one ftatue of his,as alfo another at Oly mpia.were 

 both upon one day ftrucken with lightning : whereof I fee Callmachm wondred at.as if nothing 

 clfe were worthie admiration, and gave order that he fhouldbe facrificed unto as a god : which 

 was perfourmcd accordingly , both whiles he lived and after he was dead. A thing^thatl marveile 

 more at than any thing elle. That the gods were therewith contented, and would permit fuch a 

 difhonour to their majeftie. 



Chap, xlviii* 

 of the longeft lives, ^ 



THe tcarmc and length of mans life is uncertein, not only by rcafon of the divetfitic of cli- 

 mats, but alfo becaufe the Hiftorians have delivered fuch varietie of mens ages,and every 

 mdn by himfelfe hath a feverall time limited unto him, at the very day of hisnativitie. He- 

 fiodm^ the firft writer (as I take it) who hath treated of this argument, and yet Uke a poet, in his 

 fabulous difcouifc as touching the age of manjfaith forfooth,That a crow liveth <? times as long 

 as we; and the harts or flags 4 times aslongas the crowjbut the ravens thrice as long as they. As 

 for his otherrcports as touching the Nymphes and the bird Phoenix, they are more likcpoeti- 

 call talesjthan hiftoricall narrations. Anacrcon the poet maketh report, that Argmhoniui king 

 of the TartelTians, lived 150 yeeres : and C^^^r^^ likewife king of the Cyprians, ten yeeres Ion- 

 ger . T heopompu4 affirmetb,that 'Epimtntdes the Gix)flian,died when he was 1 5 7 yeeres old. Hel- 

 lamcm hath writtenjthat among theEpians in ^tolia,iherebe fome that continue ful two hun« 

 drcd yeeres: and with him aceordethp^iw^/^j; adding moreover,, that there was ovizFi6ioret^i 

 among them, a man of exceeding ftature, mightie and flrong withalI,who lived 300 yeeres, 



'Bphorm 



