cross-way, at the town's end, where old Saturn would pass by with
his associates in procession, as commonly he did, deliver that script with
his own hands to Saturn himself; the young man of a bold spirit,
accordingly did it; and when the old fiend had read it, he called Venus to
him, who rode before him, and commanded her to deliver his ring, which
forthwith she did, and so the gentleman was freed. Many such stories I find
in several [4680]authors to confirm this which I have said; as that more
notable amongst the rest, of Philinium and Machates in [4681]Phlegon's
Tract, _de rebus mirabilibus_, and though many be against it, yet I, for my
part, will subscribe to Lactantius, _lib. 14. cap. 15._ [4682]"God sent
angels to the tuition of men; but whilst they lived amongst us, that
mischievous all-commander of the earth, and hot in lust, enticed them by
little and little to this vice, and defiled them with the company of
women:" and to Anaxagoras, _de resurrect_. [4683]"Many of those spiritual
bodies, overcome by the love of maids, and lust, failed, of whom those were
born we call giants." Justin Martyr, Clemens Alexandrinus, Sulpicius
Severus, Eusebius, etc., to this sense make a twofold fall of angels, one
from the beginning of the world, another a little before the deluge, as
Moses teacheth us, [4684]openly professing that these genii can beget, and
have carnal copulation with women. At Japan in the East Indies, at this
present (if we may believe the relation of [4685]travellers), there is an
idol called Teuchedy, to whom one of the fairest virgins in the country is
monthly brought, and left in a private room, in the fotoqui, or church,
where she sits alone to be deflowered. At certain times [4686]the Teuchedy
(which is thought to be the devil) appears to her, and knoweth her
carnally. Every month a fair virgin is taken in; but what becomes of the
old, no man can tell. In that goodly temple of Jupiter Belus in Babylon,
there was a fair chapel, [4687]saith Herodotus, an eyewitness of it, in
which was _splendide stratus lectus et apposita mensa aurea_, a brave bed,
a table of gold, &c., into which no creature came but one only woman, which
their god made choice of, as the Chaldean priests told him, and that their
god lay with her himself, as at Thebes in Egypt was the like done of old.
So that you see this is no news, the devils themselves, or their juggling
priests, have played such pranks in all ages. Many divines stiffly