It would be madnessemadness to affirmeaffirm that gold ever rained upon the earth, except
it was allegorically understood: for there are noeno golden rivers, or MynesMines of -
gold veins in the clouds, that it could be saydsaid to be there generated, nor is gold of
soeso little weight, as to be thought to be attracted with vapoursvapors: but a Trope ad=
mittsadmits and excusethexcuses all these things; for soeso truelytruly as Pallas actually sprung
from Jupiters brainebrain, and Sol coḿittedcommitted adultery with Venus, soeso truelytruly allsoalso
fell golden rainerain; not as if weewe doubt both those things to have happened, -
but to take away the vulgar and literallliteral sense from things allegorically
spoken: for if weewe follow the bare words of this EmblemeEmblem, there is nothing
more absurd than them, if the meaning, nothing more true. Now Rhodes -
is an Island, first called Ophiusa by reason of the multitude of Serpents, -
after that Rhodes from the gardens of roses there flourishing, lastly allsoalso -
Colossicula, from the ColosseColossus of the SunneSun, which being there was esteemd
among the seven miracles of the world: Hereupon the ancient Philoso=
phers, their crude MercuriallMercurial matter ShewingShowing itselfeitself like a Serpent, but
after præparationpreparation and coction assuming the purple colourcolor of a rose, -
tooketook certainecertain similitudes from the Island Rhodes: The same allsoalso was
the cause, why they ascribdascribed a golden shower to it, Sol or Apollo having
coition with Venus: This thing first tropically spoken gave occasion to
the Rhodians (growing more proud, because soeso great Gods had begotten
children among them) to erect as it were an idollidol of the SunneSun of -
stupendiousstupendous magnitude and charge: for that ColosseColossus, as hystoryeshistories re=
late, was 70 cubits high, soeso placed, that ShippsShips might passepass be=
tween the leggslegs of it with full SayleSail: the fingers were as biggebig as -
ordinary statues, and few men could graspegrasp the thumb: the Artist
was Chares Lyndius the SchollarScholar of Lysippus, by whomewhom it was -
made in twelve years: after the fifty sixth year being overturned
by an earth=-quakeearthquake, it was allsoalso a miracle lying: The SoldanSultan of -
ÆgyptEgypt, winning and possessing Rhodes, is reported to have laden -
900 CamellsCamels with the brassebrass of this statue: That which Sol is -
among the Planets, saythsays a Philosopher, that is gold amongst metallsmetals;
and this is cheifelychiefly appropriated to the SunneSun in respect of heat, colourcolor,
virtue and essence: for this reason is a golden raynerain ascribed to the -
generation of Sol: when little SunnsSuns are conceivdconceived by Venus: For Ve=
nus hathhas a rosy colourcolor in her face, and if infused into the seed of -
Sol,

the offspring from hence produced must really be a Rhodian: -
HeeHe is beautifullbeautiful, like roses, the SonneSon of the Philosophers, who -
drawesdraws and allures the eyes and minds of all men to him, and de=
serves love, at whose birth it is noeno strange thing if miracles hap=
pen: for heehe in all his actions will be miraculous, and excite a -
golden raynerain: This is the brother of Augius the SonneSon of Sol, -
who had Oxen for a patrimony, the dung whereof Hercules purged away
in one day: HeeHe allsoalso is the brother of ÆetaAeeta, who possessed the golden
fleece obtained by Jason. Of Pallas procedingproceeding from the brainebrain of Jupiter,
without a mother, they report, that sheeshe was brought forth at the river
Triton, and therefore calldcalled Tritonia: SheeShe is feigned to be the goddessegoddess
of wisedomewisdom, who springing from the brainebrain, the seat of wisedomewisdom, is not
without reason soeso called: a golden rainerain did allsoalso adorneadorn her nativity at
Rhodes, that after birth sheeshe might remaineremain in the memory of men. In
publickepublic or solemnesolemn joy, as at the coronation of a King, or allsoalso the birth
of the Kings heireheir peicespieces of gold are sometimes thrownethrown amongst the -
coḿoncommon people, as golden rainerain: SoeSo did the same happen at the birth of
Pallas: For Pallas is wisedomewisdom, who carryescarries health in her right hand, and
riches in the left, and provides for mens health and wellfarewelfare: To her Per=
sensPersons brought the saxifying head of Medusa, terrible with serpentine and vi=
perous hairehair, which sheeshe used in a sheildshield against her enemyesenemies, a rude and bar=
barous people, transmuting them into stones. And indeed naturallnatural wisedomewisdom -
or Philosophy makes those incredulous and envious despisers stupid and
voydvoid of sense and understanding by that very thing, (from which Chrysaor
was produced, who was the father of the tricorporealltricorporeal Geryon aforesaydaforesaid), -
that is, the petrifying Gorgonian blood, which is nothing elselse, but the -
tincture of the PhilosophicallPhilosophical stone . . . . . . . . .