Book 2 . The Tern fie of ^'jf J owe, 225

dilcover the reafon, why Plutarch^ "^traho^ Tragus, Ta- cituSf and Diodoms had accafed rhe Jews of worftiip- ping a Vine.- I have fince [bund , that it was , be- caufe they had heard fay, and even themfclvcs icen, at kaft fomc of chern , chat m the Temple at fernfalem , there was a Golden Vine, with ic's leaves, andclu- fters of grapes, made againil the wall ; as it is deJcrib- edby Jejephns. Iitenor porta^ faies he, tot a tnaurata erac^ut dixi^ & cir cum earn aPiratns p^risi defuper ai4^ tern h^bebat atireos pampinos^ und: raecmi^flatHra homi" msydcpendebanc, I knjw very well, that many fo un- derhand the words ci Jofephftf, as if this Vine were not of folid MafTy gold, but only gilded, after the man- ner of Phrygian work. But the other Jofephns^ the Son of Cjorioa , contradids this Incerprecation of the words: for, fpeaking in the iame Hiftory ( of the De- ftradion of ferufalem) both more clearly , and more at large, of this Golden Vine, and it's bunches of Grapes, he faies : Fecit infnper Herodes vitem de anro mundo, & poftt't infttmmitMem colnmnarHmy cnjpts- fon- dus erat mdU takntorum aureornm. Erat autem vitis ipfafatiaopereiyigentefo^ habens ramos perplexos - cHJfis foUa^ & germin.t fcitia erant ex rfitila.}iti auro •, botri aiitem ex atirofulvo,& grana e]:is^ acini ^ atqfie folUcH* li faiii erctntex lapiiibas preciofis : totumqtie opti^ erat fabrefa^um opere vario^nt e^et mimndtim [pcUncnltim ^ & ga-Adiptm cordis omnibHS intu'-ntibus if [am. And prefently after he adds: Malti ijaorjue Jcriptores Ro" mjini tefiantur^fe earn vidi^e^cnm dcfjUrettirTemplum, Now the forenamed Authors Plutarch, Strabo^ and the reft feeing the Jcwes had in their Temple a Golden VinCjfo nch,fo precious, and of fo admirable Work- nianihip , they were eafily perfwaded that they wor- shipped it, in honour of B^cchfis^ who was the firft:
that
2^4 T^^^ Temple of Wifdome - Book. 2 .
that fubdued the Eaft : and this is the Opinion of Ccr- nelms Tacitus, who lived at the fame time, when this Beautifull Temple was deftroycd. Sed q^ua, (aith he y ^acerdotes fud£orHm tibi^ytymp^nifcjue concinsbant^ he^ dera vinciebanttdr ^ vitifqHe aurea tnTempb reverta f Liberam P^trem coli^ domitoremOrisntis^ q'tidam drbi' trati funt; neqaaqHam congru^yitibns tnftittitisi Qftippe li- ber/fy?Ji,/'«^fl'/^;^/f«^ pofHit;}udxomm mos abfuydnsfor^ didufq\* But we pafsby this hnpious ^uthor,who makes a mock at the Religion of the j ewes on all occaQons.
In the Second Part , where I render the Greek word^ '^iha.n iw:voi.LU as they ought to be underftood , which fignifies properly, Ltttie^Delicate, and fmall: as we call one of the Greek letters Tpfiloa, that is to Oy, the Littlel\ Now the (econd thoughts are fmall, fine, and Delicate, b^caufe they confider things abflrafted, and feperatcd from Matter ; whichrhe firft do not.
In the followmi; part you may add thefe admi- rable (j^w-^^^^* Ac Pif^i in the Church of St. Johrt^ you have, on a certain (lone, an Old Hermite, per- fedly drawn by Natuic only ; but with fo much ex- adneffe, that there leemes not to be wanting any thing that belongs to one of that fort of men. For he is reprefented in a Deferr, fuitable to his profefii- on, and fitting near a Brooks fide, with a Clock in his hand. This Natural piece or pidure , almoft fully anfwers that, they deliver 5c, the Temple ofS. 5«p/;M,at Confiaminepley there isal- fofecnupon a plain white Marble, the Image of St. Jv^;? 5ip»y?, cloachcd wicha Cimclsskin; being only def edive in this>that Nature hath drawn him but with one foot. At Rjve?ji'U^'mthQ Church of St> f^itaiis^ there is to be ieen a FranclfcAn Frier , naturally drawn uponaftoncof an Afli-colour. At Sneiberg'm
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