The Christian disputations, by Master Peter Viret. Divided into three parts, dialogue wiseThe Christian disputations, by Master Peter Viret. Deuided into three partes, dialogue wise

Hillarius. Thou understandest not the cause, and how the Paynims did excuse the Goddess. Thou oughtest to understand, that the very same night that ¹Herostratus did set the Temple of Diana on fire, Olympias the mother of great Alexander, was in havayle with child, & because that Diana was gone thither for to help her travail to bring forth Alexander, she could not defend her Temple. For thou doest very well know that women did call upon her in their travail. And therefore she being absent, and busied about Olympias and her son Alexander, she could not help her Temple nor resist the God of the Persians, no more then the Gods of our Priests can at this day resist it. For that cause the Chaldeans did marvellously beast themselves against all other Patyons, saying, that there were none that had such a God as theirs, which consumeth all other. Yet nevertheless if the tale or history be true which Suidas ²did tell of a Priest of Canopus, he played or showed them a fine feat, of whom he hath written that the Priest of god Canopus which was adored and worshipped of some in Egypt, seeing the arrogance and pride of the ⟨p. 157⟩Chaldeans, fearing also to loose his good theere and fare, ³if the majesty of his God were diminished, devised this craft and deceit. In Egypt they used to make water pots of earth, having many holes for to distil the water and to make it more pure, because that the waters of Egypt are much troubled and full of mud and slime that Priest did take one of those water pots, and stopped subtly with ware all the holes thereof, afterwards painted it with diverse colours, so that one could not perceive it. That being done, filled it with water, afterwards did cut of the head of an old Image, the which he set upon that great water pol, so cunningly that it was like to his god Canopus. After that, the Chaldeans came, who would prove the power of yt fire of their God, against the God Canopus. The fire then being kindled, and Canopus being cast into it, after that manner and sort as he was trimmed and apparelled by his Priest. Now whilst that on either sides men did behold which of those two Gods should have the victory, the wax with which the holes were stopped, feeling the heat of the fire, did begin to melt, & the water to drop out, which quenched the fire.