This once begunne, was prosecuted amongst them
in all exercises, and, now and then, handled with some egernesse
and roughnes, each partie knowing, and still keeping the same
companions, and Captaine. At last one of the boyes, conuerted the
spill of an old candlesticke to a gunne, charged it with powder and
a stone, and (through mischance, or vngraciousnesse) therewith
killed a calfe: whereupon, the owner complayned, the master whipped,
and the diuision ended.
By such tokens, sometimes wonderfull, sometimes ridiculous, doth God
at his pleasure, foreshewe future accidents: as in the Planets,
before the battell at Thrasimenus, betweene Hannibal and the Romanes,
by the fighting together of the Sunne and Moone. In birds, what time
Brute brought forth the remnant of his army at Philippi, against
Caesar and Anthony, by the furious bickering betweene two Eagles.
In men, against the destruction of Hierusalem, by the encountring of
Chariots and armies in the ayre. And before Alexanders battel
with Darius; first, by a casual skirmish of the camp-straglers,
vnder two Captaines, borrowing the names of those Princes; and then
by Alexanders voluntary setting those Captaines to a single combat.
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