Me puer Hebræus Divos Deus ipse gubernans
Cedere sede jubet, tristemque redire sub orcum;
Aris ergo dehinc tacitus discedito nostris.
An Hebrew childe, a God all gods excelling,
To hell again commands me from this dwelling.
Our Altars leave in silence, and no more
A resolution e’re from hence implore.
A second recorded by Plutarch, of a voice that was heard to cry unto Mariners at the Sea, Great Pan is dead; which is a relation very remarkable, and may be read in his defect of Oracles. A third reported by Eusebius in the life of his magnified Constantine; that about that time Apollo mourned, declaring his Oracles were false, and that the righteous upon earth did hinder him from speaking truth. And a fourth related by Theodoret, and delivered by Apollo Daphnes unto Julian, upon his Persian Expedition, that he should remove the bodies about him, before he could return an answer, and not long after his Temple was burnt with Lightning.
All which were evident and convincing acknowledgements of that power which shut his13 lips; and restrained that delusion which had reigned so many Centuries. But as his malice is vigilant, and the sinnes of men doe still continue a toleration of his mischiefs, he resteth not, nor will he ever cease to circumvent the sonnes of the first deceived; and therefore expelled his Oracles and solemn Temples of delusion, he runnes into corners, exercising minor trumperies, and acting his deceits in Witches, Magicians, Diviners, and such inferiour seducers. And yet (what is deplorable) while we apply our selves thereto, and affirming that God hath left to speak by his Prophets, expect in doubtfull matters a resolution from such spirits; while we say the devil is mute, yet confesse that these can speak; while we deny the substance, yet practise the effect; and in the denied solemnity maintain the equivalent efficacy; in vain we cry that Oracles are down; Apollo’s altar still doth smoke; nor is the fire of Delphos out unto this day.
Impertinent it is unto our intention to speak in generall of Oracles, and many have well performed it. The plainest of others was that recorded by Herodotus and delivered unto Cræsus; who as a triall of his omniscience sent unto distant Oracles; and so contrived with the messengers, that though in severall places, yet at the same time they should demand what Cræsus was then a doing. Among all others the Oracle of Delphos only hit it; returning answer, he was boyling a Lamb with a Tortoyse, in a brazen vessell with a cover of the same metall. The stile is haughty in Greek, though somewhat lower in Latine,
Æquoris est spatium & numerus mihi notus arenæ,
Mutum percipio, fantis nihil audio vocem.
Venit ad hos sensus nidor testudinis acris,
Quæ semel agninâ coquitur cum carne labete,
Aere infra strato, & stratum cui desuper as est.
I know the space of Sea, the number of the sand,
I hear the silent, mute I understand.
A tender Lamb joyned with Tortoise flesh,
Thy Master King of Lydia now doth dresse.
The sent thereof doth in my nostrils hover
From brazen pot closed with brazen cover.
Hereby indeed he acquired much wealth and more honour, and was reputed by Cræsus as a Diety: and yet not long after, by a vulgar fallacy he deceived his favourite and greatest friend of Oracles into an irreparable overthrow by Cyrus. And surely the same successe are likely all to have that rely or depend upon him;14 ’twas the first play he practised on mortality, and as time hath rendred him more perfect in the Art, so hath the inveteratenesse of his malice more ready in the execution. ’Tis therefore the sovereign degree of folly, and a crime not only against God, but also our own reasons, to expect a favour from the devil, whose mercies are more cruell then those of Polyphemus; for he devours his favourites first, and the nearer a man approacheth, the sooner he is scorched by Moloch. In brief, his favours are deceitfull and double-headed, he doth apparent good, for reall and convincing evil after it; and exal-teth us up to the top of the Temple, but to humble us down from it.
CHAP.XIII. Of the death of Aristotle
CHAP.XIV. Of the wish of Philoxenus
CHAP.XV. Of the Lake Asphaltites
CHAP.XVI. divers other relations
1. The relation of Averroes and now common in every mouth, of the woman that conceived in a bath, by attracting the sperme or seminall effluxion of a man admitted to bath in some vicinity unto her, I have scarce faith to beleeve; and had I been of the Jury, should have hardly thought I had found the father in the person that stood by her. ’Tis a new and unseconded way in History to fornicate at a distance; and much offendeth the rules of Physick, which say, there is no generation without a joynt emission, nor only a virtuall but corporall and carnall contaction….
2. The relation of Lucillius, and now become common, concerning Crassus the grandfather of Marcus the wealthy Roman, that he never laughed but once in all his life, and that was at an Asse eating Thistles, is something strange. For, if an indifferent and unridiculous object could draw his habituall austerenesse unto a smile; it will be hard to beleeve he could with perpetuity resist the proper motives thereof. For the act of laughter which is a sweet contraction of the muscles of the face, and a pleasant agitation of the vocall organs, is not meerly voluntary; or totally within the jurisdiction of our selves: but as it may be constrained by corporall contraction in any, and hath been enforced in some even in their death; so the new unusuall or unexpected jucundities, which present themselves to any man in his life; at some time or other will have activity enough to excitate the earthiest soul, and raise a smile from most composed tempers….
3. The same conceit there passeth concerning our blessed Saviour, and is sometimes urged as an high example of gravity. And this is opinioned, because in holy Scripture it is recorded he sometimes wept, but never that he laughed. Which howsoever granted, it will be hard to conceive how he passed his younger years and childehood without a smile; if as Divinity affirmeth, for the assurance of his humanity unto men, and the concealment of his Divinity from the devil, he passed this age like other children, and so proceeded untill he evidenced the same. And surely no danger there is to affirm the act or performance of that, whereof we acknowledge the power and essentiall property; and whereby indeed he most neerly convinced the doubt of his humanity. Nor need we be afraid to ascribe that unto the incarnate Sonne, which sometimes is attributed unto the uncarnate Father; of whom it is said, He that dwelleth in the heavens shall laugh the wicked to scorn.15 For, a laugh there is of contempt or indignation, as well as of mirth and Jocosity; And that our Saviour was not exempted from the ground hereof, that is, the passion of anger, regulated and rightly ordered by reason, the Schools doe not deny: and besides the experience of the money-changers, and Dove-sellers in the Temple, is testified by St John when he saith, the speech of David was fulfilled in our Saviour….16
CHAP.XVII. Of some others
5. The story of the wandring Jew is very strange, and will hardly obtain belief; yet is there a formall account thereof set down by Matthew Paris, from the report of an Armenian Bishop; who came into this kingdome about four hundred years ago, and had often entertained this wanderer at his Table. That he was then alive, was first called Cartaphilus, was keeper of the Judgement Hall, whence thrusting out our Saviour with expostulation for his stay, was condemned to stay untill his return; was after baptized by Ananias, and by the name of Joseph; was thirty years old in the daies of our Saviour, remembred the Saints that arised with him, the making of the Apostles Creed, and their severall perigrinations. Surely were this true, he might be an happy arbitrator in many Christian controversies; but must impardonably condemn the obstinacy of the Jews, who can contemn the Rhetorick of such miracles, and blindely behold so living and lasting conversions.
6. Clearer confirmations must be drawn for the history of Pope Joane, who succeeded Leo the fourth, and preceded Benedict the third, then any we yet discover. And since it is delivered with aiunt and ferunt17 by many; since the learned Leo Allatius hath discovered,
that ancient copies of Martinus Polonus, who is chiefly urged for it, had not this story in it; since not only the stream of Latine Historians have omitted it, but Photius the Patriarch, Metrophanes Smyrnæus, and the exasperated Greeks have made no mention of it, but conceded Benedict the third Successor unto Leo the fourth; he wants not grounds that doubts it….
8. Who can but pity the vertuous Epicurus,18 who is commonly conceived to have placed his chief felicity in pleasure and sensuall delights, and hath therefore left an infamous name behinde him? How true, let them determine who reade that he lived seventy years, and wrote more books then any Philosopher but Chrysippus, and no lesse then three hundred, without borrowing from any Author. That he was contented with bread and water, and when he would dine with Jove, and pretend unto epulation,19 he desired no other addition then a piece of Cytheridian cheese.20 That shall consider the words of Seneca, Non dico, quod plerique nostrorum, sectam Epicuri flagitiorum magistrum esse: sed illud dico, male audite infamis est, & immerito.21 Or shall reade his life, his Epistles, his Testament in Laertius; who plainly names them calumnies, which are commonly said against them.
The ground hereof seems a misapprehension of his opinion, who placed his felicity not in the pleasures of the body, but the minde, and tranquillity thereof, obtained by wisdome and vertue, as is most clearly determined in his Epistle unto Menæceus. Now how this opinion was first traduced by the Stoicks, how it afterwards became a common belief, and so taken up by Authors of all ages, by Cicero, Plutarch, Clemens, Ambrose and others; the learned pen of Gassendus22 hath discovered.
CHAP.XVIII. More briefly of some others
CHAP.XIX. Of some Relations whose truth we fear23
Hydriotaphia
[Hydriotaphia, Urne-Buriall, or, A Discourse of the Sepulcbrall Urnes lately found in Norfolk was first published jointly with The Garden of Cyrus in 1658. See also the discussion above, pp. 38 ff.; and for further bibliographical details: below, p. 554.]
TO MY WORTHY AND HONOURED FRIEND
THOMAS LE GROS
OF CROSTWICK ESQUIRE,1
When the Funerall pyre was out, and the last valediction over, men took a lasting adieu of their interred Friends, little expecting the curiosity of future ages should comment upon their ashes, and having no old experience of the duration of their Reliques, held no opinion of such after considerations.
But who knows the fate of his bones, or bow often be is to be buried? who hath the Oracle of his ashes, or whether they are to be scattered? The Reliques of many lie like the ruines of Pompeys,2 in all parts of the earth; And when they arrive at your hands, these may seem to have wandered far, who in a direct3 and Meridian Travell, have but few miles of known Earth betweenyour self and the Pole.
That the bones of Theseus should be seen again in Athens,4 was not beyond conjecture,5 and hopeful expectation; but that these6 should arise so opportunely to serve your self, was an hit of fate and honour beyond prediction.
We cannot but with these Urnes might have the effect of Theatrical vessels, and great Hippodrome Urnes in Rome;7 to resound the acclamations and honour due unto you. But these are sad and sepulchral Pitchers, which have no joyful voices; silently expressing old mortality, the ruines of forgotten times, and can only speak with life, how long in this corruptible frame, some parts may be uncorrupted; yet able to out-last bones long unborn, and noblest pyle8 among us.
We present not these as any strange sight or spectacle unknown to your eyes, who have beheld the best of Urnes, and noblest variety of Ashes; Who are your self no slender master of Antiquities, and can daily command the view of so many Imperiall faces; 9 Which raiseth your thoughts unto old things, and consideration of times before you, when even living men were Antiquities; when the living might exceed the dead, and to depart this world, could not be properly said, to go unto the greater number.10 And so run up your thoughts upon the ancient of dayes, the Antiquities truest object, unto whom the eldest parcels are young, and earth it self an Infant; and without Ægyptian account11 makes but small noise in thousands.
We were hinted by the occasion, not catched the opportunity to write of old things, or intrude upon the Antiquary. We are coldly drawn unto discourses of Antiquities, who have scarce time before us to comprehend new things, or make out learned Novelties. But seeing they arose as they lay, almost in silence among us, at least in short account suddenly passed over; we were very unwilling they should die again, and be buried twice among us.
Beside, to preserve the living, and make the dead to live, to keep men out of their Urnes, and discourse of humane fragments in them, is not impertinent unto our profession; whose study is life and death, who daily behold examples of mortality, and of all men least need artificial memento’s, or coffins by our bed side, to minde us of our graves.
’Tis time to observe Occurrences, and let nothing remarkable escape us; The Supinity of elder dayes hath left so much in silence, or time hath so martyred the Records, that the most industrious heads do finde no easie work to erect a new Britannia.12
’Tis opportune to look back upon old times, and contemplate our Forefathers. Great examples grow thin, and to be fetched from the passed world. Simplicity flies away, and iniquity comes at long strides upon us. We have enough to do to make up our selves from present and passed times, and the whole stage of things scarce serveth for our instruction. A compleat peece of vertue must be made up from the Centos of all ages, as all the beauties of Greece could make but one handsome Venus.13
When the bones of King Arthur were digged up,14 the old Race might think, they beheld therein some Originals of themselves; Unto these of our Urnes none here can pretend relation, and can only behold the Reliques of those persons, who in their life giving the Laws unto their predecessors, after long obscurity, now lye at their mercies. But remembring the early civility they brought upon these Countreys, and forgetting long passed mischiefs; We mercifully preserve their bones, and pisse not upon their ashes.15
In the offer of these Antiquities we drive not at ancient Families, so long out-lasted by them; We are farre from erectingyour worth upon the pillars of your Fore-fathers, whose merits you illustrate. We honour your old Virtues, conformable unto times before you, which are the Noblest Armoury. And having long experience of your friendly conversation, void of empty Formality, full of freedome, constant and Generous Honesty, I look uponyou as a Gemme of the Old Rock,16 and must professe my self even to Urne and Ashes,
Norwich
May 10 [1658]
Your ever faithfull Friend,
and Servant,
THOMAS BROWNE
HYDRIOTAPHIA
URNE-BURIALL
OR,
A BRIEF DISCOURSE OF THE SEPULCHRALL URNES LATELY FOUND IN NORFOLK
CHAPTER I
In the deep discovery of the Subterranean world, a shallow part would satisfie some enquirers; who, if two or three yards were open about the surface, would not care to rake the bowels of Potosi,1 and regions towards the Centre. Nature hath furnished one part of the Earth, and man another. The treasures of time lie high, in Urnes, Coynes, and Monuments, scarce below the roots of some vegetables. Time hath endlesse rarities, and shows of all varieties; which reveals old things in heaven, makes new discoveries in earth, and even earth it self a discovery. That great Antiquity America lay buried for a thousand years; and a large part of the earth is still in the Urne unto us.
Though if Adam were made out of an extract of the Earth,2 all parts might challenge a restitution, yet few have returned their bones farre lower then they might receive them;3 not affecting the graves of Giants, under hilly and heavy coverings, but content with lesse then their owne depth, have wished their bones might lie soft, and the earth be light upon them; Even such as hope to rise again, would not be content with centrall interrment, or so desperately to place their reliques as to lie beyond discovery, and in no way to be seen again; which happy contrivance hath made communication with our forefathers, and left unto our view some parts, which they never
beheld themselves.
Though earth hath engrossed the name yet water hath proved the smartest grave; which in forty dayes4 swallowed almost mankinde, and the living creation; Fishes not wholly escaping, except the Salt Ocean were handsomely contempered5 by a mixture of the fresh Element.
Many have taken voluminous pains to determine the state of the soul upon disunion; but men have been most phantasticall in the singular contrivances of their corporall dissolution: whilest the sobrest Nations have rested in two wayes, of simple inhumation and burning.
That carnall interment or burying, was of the elder date, the old examples of Abraham6 and the Patriarchs are sufficient to illustrate; And were without competition, if it could be made out, that Adam was buried near Damascus, or Mount Calvary, according to some Tradition. God himself, that buried but one, was pleased to make choice of this way, collectible from Scripture-expression, and the hot contest between Satan and the Arch-Angel, about discovering the body of Moses.7 But the practice of Burning was also of great Antiquity, and of no slender extent. For (not to derive the same from Hercules) 8 noble descriptions there are hereof in the Grecian Funerals of Homer, In the formall Obsequies of Patroclus, and Achilles;9 and somewhat elder in the Theban warre, and solemn combustion of Meneceus, and Archemorus,10 contemporary unto Jair the Eighth Judge of Israel.11 Confirmable also among the Trojans, from the Funerall Pyre of Hector, burnt before the gates of Troy, And the burning of Penthisilea the Amazonean Queen:12 and long continuance of that practice, in the inward Countries of Asia; while as low as the Reign of Julian, we finde that the King of Chionia13 burnt the body of his Son, and interred the ashes in a silver Urne.
The Major Works (English Library) Page 24