47 x That is to say, whether
Tollulation,
As they do term't, or Succussation.
Tollulation and succussation are only Latin words
for ambling and trotting; though I believe both were natural
amongst the old Romans; since I never read they made use of the
trammel, or any other art, to pace their horses.Back
60 y As Indian Britons, &c.] The American Indians call a great bird they have, with a white head, a penguin, which signifies the same thing in the British tongue: from whence (with other words of the same kind) some authors have endeavoured to prove, that the Americans are originally derived from the Britons.Back
65 z The dire, &c.] Pharsalia is a city of Thessaly, famous for the battle won by Julius Caesar against Pompey the Great, in the neighbouring plains, in the 607th year of Rome, of which read Lucan's Pharsalia.Back
129 a Chiron, the &c.] Chiron, a Centaur, son to Saturn and Phillyris, living in the mountains, where, being much given to hunting, he became very knowing in the virtues of plants and one of the most famous physicians of his time. He imparted his skill to AEsculapius and was afterwards Apollo's governor, until being wounded by Hercules, and desiring to die, Jupiter placed him in heaven, where he forms the sign of Sagittarius or the Archer.Back
133 b In Staffordshire, where
virtuous Worth
Does raise the Minstrelsy, not Birth, &c.
The whole history of this ancient ceremony you may read at large
in Dr. Plot's History of Staffordshire, under the town
Tutbury.Back
155 c Grave as, &c.] For the history of Pegu, read Mandelsa and Olearius's Travels.Back
172 d In military, &c.] Paris Garden, in Southwark, took its name from the possessor.Back
231 e Though by, &c.] Promethean
fire. Prometheus was the son of Iapetus, and brother of
Atlas, concerning whom the poets have feigned, that having first
formed men of the earth and water, he stole fire from heaven to
put life into them; and that having thereby displeased Jupiter,
he commanded Vulcan to tie him to mount Caucasus with iron
chains, and that a vulture should prey upon his liver
continually: but the truth of the story is, that Prometheus was
an astrologer, and constant in observing the stars upon that
mountain; and, that, among other things, he found the art of
making fire, either by the means of a flint, or by contracting
the sun-beams in a glass. Bochart will have Magog, in the
Scripture, to be the Prometheus of the Pagans.
He here and before sarcastically derides those who were great
admirers of the sympathetic powder and weapon salve, which were
in great repute in those days, and much promoted by the great
Sir Kenelm Digby, who wrote a treatise ex professo
[of his own knowledge] on that subject, and, I believe, thought
what he wrote to be true, which since has been almost exploded
out of the world.Back
267 f And 'mong, &c.] Cossacks are a people that live near Poland. This name was given them for their extraordinary nimbleness; for cosa, or kosa, in the Polish tongue, signifies a goat. He that would know more of them, may read Le Laboreur and ThuldenusBack
275 g And tho', &c.] This custom of the Huns is described by Ammianus Marcellinus, Hunni semicruda cujusvis Pecoris carne vescuntur, quasi inter femora sua & equorum terga subsertam, calefacient brevi. P. 686. [The Huns stoutheartedly eat half-raw meat, which is warned briefly by being hedl between their thighs and their hoeses' backs.] Back
283 h he spous'd in India,
Of noble House, a Lady gay.
The Story in Le Blanc, of a bear that married a king's
daughter, is no more strange than many others, in most
travellers, that pass with allowance; for if they should write
nothing but what is possible, or probable, they might appear to
have lost their labour, and observed nothing but what they might
have done as well at home.Back
343 i In MAGIC he was deeply
read,
As he that made the Brazen-Head;
Profoundly skill'd in the Black Art;
As ENGLISH MERLIN for his Heart.
Roger Bacon and Merlin. See Collier's
Dictionary.Back
368 k As JOAN, &c.] Two notorious women; the last was known here by the name of Moll Cutpurse.Back
378 l Than the Amazonian, &c.] Penthesile, Queen of the Amazons, succeeded Orythia. She carried succours to the Trojans, and after having given noble proofs of her bravery, was killed by Achilles. Pliny saith, it was she that invented the battle-ax. If any one desire to know more of the Amazons, let him read Mr. Sanson.Back
385 m They wou'd not suffer the
stout'st Dame
To swear by HERCULES's Name.
The old Romans had particular oaths for men and women to swear
by, and therefore Macrobius says, Viri per Castorum non
jurabant antiquitus, nec Mulieres per Herculem; AEdepol autem
juramentum erat tum mulieribus, quam viris commune, &c.
[Men did not swear by Castor in ancient times, nor women by
Hercules; however women swore by AEdepol as much as men
did.]Back
393 n As stout, &c.] Two formidable women at arms, in romances, that were cudgelled into love by their gallants.Back
395 o Of GUNDIBERT &c.] Gundibert is a feigned name, made use of by Sir William d' Avenant in his famous epic poem, so called; wherein you may find also that of his mistress. This poem was designed by the author to be an imitation of the English Drama: it being divided into five books, as the other is into five acts; the Cantos to be parallel of the scenes, with this difference, that this is delivered narratively, the other dialoguewise. It was ushered into the world by a large preface, written by Mr. Hobbes, and by the pens of two of our best poets, viz. Mr. Waller and Mr. Cowley, which one would have thought might have proved a sufficient defence and protection against snarling critics. Notwithstanding which, four eminent wits of that age (two of which were Sir John Denham and Mr. Donne) published several copies of verses to Sir William's discredit, under this title, Certain Verses written by several of the Author's Friends, to be reprinted with the second Edition of Gundibert in 8vo. Lond. 1653. These verses were as wittily answered by the author, under this title, The incomparable Poem of Gundibertvindicated from the Wit Combat of four Esquires, Clinias, Damoetas, Sancho, and Jack-Pudding; printed in 8vo. Lond. 1665, Vide Langbain's Account of Dramatic Poets.Back
496 p What OEstrum, &c.] OEstrum is not only a Greek word for madness, but signifies also a gad-bee or horse-fly, that torments cattle in the summer, and makes them run about as if they were mad.Back
525 q Wore in their Hats, &c.] Some few days after the King had accus'd the five Members of Treason in the House of Commons, great Crowds of the rabble came down to Westminster-Hall, with printed copies of the Protestation tied in their hats like favours.Back
526 r When 'twas resolv'd by either
House
Six Members Quarrel to espouse.
The six Members were the Lord Kimbolton, Mr. Pym,
Mr. Hollis, Mr. Hampden, Sir Arthur
Haslerig, and Mr. Stroud, whom the King ordered to
be apprehended, and their papers seized; charging them of
plotting with the Scots, and favouring the late tumults; but the
House voted against the arrest of their persons or papers;
whereupon the King having preferred articles against those
Members, he went with his guard to the House to demand them; but
they, having notice, withdrew.Back
578 s Make that, &c.] Abusive or insulting had been better; but our Knight believed the learned language more convenient to understand in than his own Mother-tongue.Back
650 t And is indeed the self same
Case
With theirs that swore t' Et caeteras.
The Convocation, in one of the short Parliaments, that ushered in
the long one, (as dwarfs are wont to do knights-errant,) made an
oath to be taken by the clergy for observing canonical obedience;
in which they enjoined their brethren, out of the abundance of
their consciences, to swear to articles with, &c.Back
652 u Or the French League, in which
men vow'd
To fight to the last Drop of Blood.
The Holy League in France, designed and made for the extirpation
of the Protestant Religion, was the original out of which the
Solemn League and Covenant here was (with the difference
only of circumstances) most faithfully transcribed. Nor did the
success of both differ more than the intent and purpose; for
after the destruction of vast numbers of people of all sorts,
both ended with the murder of two Kings, whom they had both sworn
to defend: And as our Covenanters swore every man to run one
before another in the way of Reformation, so did the French, in
the Holy League, to fight to the last drop of blood.Back
