necessarie that som one term or other must bee taken why not the true to choos If the Question were asked indefinitely whether the World began in the Spring the Summer the Winter or the Autumn the answer must bee That it began in all For so soon as the Sun set forth in his Motion the seasons immediately grew necessarie to several positions of the Sphear so divided among the parts of the Earth that all had everie one of these and each one or other at the same time The Question therefore is to respect som particular Horizon and becaus it is not doubted but that the Sun first to this upper Hemisphear and in special from the Horizon of our first Parents The Quere is to bee mooved concerning the Holie-Land at what time of the year the World there began 'T is agreed upon by all that it began in som Cardinal point that is that the Motions began from the Eastern Angle of the Holie-Land the Solstitial or Aequinoctial points one or other of them asscending in the Horoscope Nay Mercator excepted scarce anie man doubteth but this point was Aequinoctial either in the Spring or Autumn Whether in this or that was antiently a great Question between the Doctors Eliezer and Joshua as the Seder Olam relateth Scaliger Joseph and becaus hee did Sethus Calvisius Torniellus and others fix this begining in the Autumn which also was the Opinion of our Bacon long ago But the Father Julius was not of his son's minde Mundum saith hee primo vere natum Sapientes autumant credere par est So the more part Maintein and for the best reasons And if it were not otherwise evident Nature it self is very convincing whose Revolutions begin and end in the vernal Aequinox Nor can anie other good reason bee given why the Astronomers should deduce all their Calculations from the Head of Aries The Aera of the Flood falleth within the 1656 year of the Worlds Creätion as the Hebrew Scripture is plain why 't is otherwise in the Greek accompt shall bee said hereafter CHAP. VI. Nabonassar's Aera WAs of all prophane ones of the greatest note and use Altraganus Albategnius and the King Alphonso's Tables call him Nebuchadonosor or Nebuchadnezar deceived as it seem's by the Almagest So Ptolomie's Book entitled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Magnae Constructionis is call'd by the Arabick Translators Althazor and Serig who at the instance of Almamon their King turn'd this book into that language and that they might speak Ptolomie's title in one word they set down Almageston that is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Great Work The Translators of this Almagest use to render Ptolomie's Nabonassar by Bechadnetzer giving too much heed to the likeness of Names Alfraganus and Albategnius followed the Arabick Translation of Ptolomie and the Alphonsine Tables the Latine Translation of that Mercator Funccius the Prutenick Tables Origanus and manie others confound this Name with Shalmanesser's the Assyrian King But James Christman maketh demonstration that the times agree not besides other circumstances added by Scaliger inducing the same truth with the evidence whereof Origanus holding himself convinced was not ashamed to make his retractation Yet Christman and Scaliger themselvs found it an easier matter to tell who Nabonassar was not then who hee was It seemed to Christman that hee might bee the same with Beladan the father of Merodach or at least that hee was a King of Babylon whose own name was unknown Nabonassar beeing the Royal Name of that Kingdom as hee thinketh and common to them all Scaliger putteth this together and assuring himself that Nabonassar was the same with Beladan maketh no doubt but that was the name of the King this of the man So the 5 book of his Emendations but the third of his Isagogical Canons confesseth this also to bee a mistake This Error was first discovered by the Appearance of Ptolomie's Canon which setteth down a List of the Babylonish Persian and Romane Kings from Nabonassar's time to the time of Ptolomie Mention was made of this Canon by Panodorus Anian and George the Syncellus amongst whom Scaliger but lately and not intirely met with it Sethus Calvisius received a Transcript of a more perfect Copie from D. Overal Dean of S. Paul's the Original whereof is exstant in Biblioth Bodlian and set out with Ptolomie's Hypothesis by D. Bambrigge The Canon begineth Κανων Βασιλειων 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ιδ. Nabonassari 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 β Nadii 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ε Chinceri Pori 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ε Jugaie 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ιβ Mardocempadi 12 c. Nabonassar therefore was King not as som thought of Egypt but Babylon who for delivering his People from the subjection of the Medes was made the Aera of their Kingdom from whom the Chaldeans and the Egyptians therefore accounted their Celestial Calculations For his Synchronism The Canon setteth him down the fifth before Mardocempad or Merodach-cen-pad the same with Meredach Baladan who sent Messengers to K. Ezechia to enquire concerning the Retrocession of the Sun But for a more certain demonstration of the time three Lunar Eclipses noted by Hipparchus are set down by Ptolomie in the fourth of his Almagest The first was seen at Alexandria the 16 daie of Mesori in the 547 year of Nabonassar This Eclips by the Julian Calculation and Tables of Calvisius fell out upon Fridaie the 22 of September at 7 of the Clock in the afternoon and 20 minutes the Sun then beeing in the 26 of Virgo It was the Year 4513 of the Julian Period that is the 3749 from the Worlds Creätion out of which if wee deduct the 547 years of Nabonassar the remainder will bee 3203 the year of the Worlds Creätion wherein this Aera was fixed The daie as the King Alphonsus and before him the Translators of the Almagest have delivered was Dies Thoth or Mercurii answering to the 26 of the Julian Februarie begining so Ptolomie at high noon the Sun then entring into Pisces and the Moon beeing in the 11 degree and 22 minutes of Taurus And the same conclusion will follow from the two other Eclipses reduced in like manner to our Calculation And to put all out of doubt Censorinus saith that the 986 Year of Nobonassar was the 238 of Christ but that was the 4951 of the Julian Period Therefore Nabonassar's Aera began in the 3967 year of the same Period which was the 3203 Year from the World's Creätion So that the Aera is undoubtedly assured This Aera still accounteth by Epyptian years which are therefore called Anni Nabonassarei and becaus it began upon Wednesdaie the first daie of their first Moneth which as the daie it self they hold holie to Thoth or Mercurie useth to bee called Nabonassar's Thoth CHAP. VII The Aera of the Olympiads THe Olympick Games were instituted for the exercise of the Grecian Youth by Hercules as the Tradition go's to the honor of Jupiter Olympius
furie whose Martial presumption under the protection of their Grandsire the God of Battel crusht the rest of the World in pieces like a Potter's Vessel In the heat of these Commotions behold a Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands and falling upon the Statue grind's it to powder This Stone the builders refused but is now becom the head of the corner 'T is that Rock Christ who instead of all these petit Dynastie's hath introduced an everlasting kingdom but his Kingdom is not of this World In the continuance and encreas of this spiritual Dominion the strong union of the Iron legs devide's it self and becom's partly Claie whilest the Romane Eagle displaied with two Heads declare's that the power of Rome is imparted to Constantinople and the Western Empire fallen under the rising of the Eastern Letting pass the rest of the members onely the head is that which wee intend to discours of A golden Head this Prophet stile 's it bee it so but it is now so far distempered with the drossie injuries of time that the greatest Alchimist in Historie can scarce extract one dram of the pure and primigenious metal Annius a Dutch Monk undertook the cure of this broken Head thinking to salv up the matter by stuffing up the wound with forged fragments obtruded to the World under the securitie of old promissing names of undoubted Grandies in Antiquitie Egyptian as Manetho Chaldeän as Berosus Persian as Megasthenes whom hee falsly calleth Metasthenes Munster undertook the defence of this Annius his Countrieman but without caus or Commendation hee that would hear his reasons let him repair to his Cosmographie Munsteri Cosmograph l. 3. c. 8. pag. 362. and read the begining of his discours concerning Germanie manie a creadulous Reader hath been deceived by giving too much reverence to naked names for Berosus his sake believing Annius in that of Berosus which Berosus never dreamed of Scaliger therefore upon better consideration and stricter examination seriously abhor's him Calvisius both refute's him and condemn's him No master in Historie but denie's him wee may conclude him therefore Adulterine and yet not indictâ caussâ for in the continuance of this discours wee shall be disturbed with unhappie opportunities to prove him so to bee In the mean time this supposititious crew shall nothing prejudice those precious relicks of lawful Antiquitie though they bear the same name with the Autor of these spurious pieces for to refuse the good becaus the bad have usurped their names were a consequence most preposterous best fitting the stubborn Logick of a Jew who therefore abhorred the true Christ when hee came becaus there had been before him a fals Messias called by the name of Jesus of Nazaret Leaving therefore this faithless Monk to his unadvised admirers wee will follow the steps of sacred Moses and the best of those Jewish glosses whose Autors have sate in Moses's seat where these fail us wee shall have recours to the better Berosus of the two to the true Manetho Megasthenes Alexander Polyhistor Diodarus Herodotus and Dionysius of Halicarnassus c. adding conjectures where necessitie enforceth but with that moderation that shall best becom our Minoritie In the later part of the Monarchie the sacred style of the Holie Ghost will help us in the high Priest's Annals or Chronicles in the Prophets Esaie and Daniel and els-where Had the entire works of Berosus the Chaldean Priest remained perfect to these daies or those two Volumes which Juba wrote concerning the state of Ashur this labor might have had better success wee should also have been much enformed by Abydenus had not hee suffered wrack with the rest under the injurious behaviour of a careless age however wee will make the more of those chois remainders which are yet left out of which wee will endeavour tenderly and carefully to gather together the decaied pieces of this maimed Monarchie Though this Historical work in hand bee in nature practick yet it must bee indebted to the Theorie of this Art for som certain terms as Aera's or Epoches Characters of the Sun and Moon 's Circle the Eclipses and the Letters Dominical First of all an Aera in Theorical Historie is a certain bound or Terminus à quo whereby they restrain the infinitie and indifferencie of Computation It was called Aera from an indifferent error which escaped the Transcribers of the Spanish Computation In Libro de correctione Anni So Sepulveda and hee a Spaniard conceiveth in his book of the Correction of the Romane Year where hee saith that His antient Countriemen for the great respect they bear to Augustus Caesar thought nothing more worthie then his Name from whence matters Noteable might bear their Date and therefore when they would point out a Time wherein such or such a thing was don they said Annus erat Augusti it was such a year of Augustus that form in time began to bee contracted when men wrote in haste so that instead of Annus erat Augusti they set A. er A. and after a little more negligence put this together and spelt it into a word of Art so that now Aera in Historie signifieth a determinate and set time from whence Chronologers account their years as each man dateth his Letter in the Aera of our Lord when hee setteth down as wee do at this time dated the 20 of December in the Year that is in the Aera of Christ 1630. Scaliger lighting upon this Conjecture of Sepulveda reprehend's both the Conceit and the Autor Lib. de Emendatione temporum the Conceit becaus fals as hee intimateth in the Chap. De Aera Hispanica mainteining that the word Aera signified as much with the Antient Latines as Summa and that in old Spanish Monuments it was not set Aera but Era and therefore could not bee corrupted out of A. er A. The Autor hee reprehendeth becaus hee seemeth to bee so far in love with this new Conceit that for no other reason hee writ the whole Book of the correction of the Romane Year onely to acquaint the World with this plausible devise A hard censure from a matchless man for whom it had been happie that hee had been ignorant but of this one thing that hee knew so much James Christman Keckerman's most learned Master fetcheth this word out of his Arabiâ—k It was called Aera saith hee from Arah which in the Arabians tongue signifieth computare to reckon Châ—istm iâ— lib. de connexione Annorum The Reader may enjoie the priviledg of this varietie and take his Chois if hee take them all hee may perchance lack the right and hee shall not take much amiss if hee take anie by either and by that wee have said hee may easily understand in what manner the word is used in Historie In stead of Aera which the Latines used the Greeks write Epoche the same in effect it beeing derived from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying inhibere becaus an
by waie of Demonstration Astronomical To this begining somthing by Crentzeim was added but verie much more by Bunting the Autor of a most elaborate Chronologie demonstrating by the Characters of Eclipses the Sun and Moons Circles and with Calculation of everie Eclips since the world began But this Art hath received greatest perfection from that excellent work of Scaliger de Emendat Temporum upon whose grounds Calvisius hath erected a most incomparable Chronologie for demonstration of time by Eclipfes and Cycles of the Sun and Moon severally applyed to everie year yet wanting so much to accomplishment as may seem to bee added by the incredible pains of Helvicus who excelleth Calvisius though otherwise excelled by him in Synchronismes infinitely added and the application of the Julian Period which why Sethus Calvisius should not measure is verie much to bee marvelled These two therefore put together make up Chronologie everie waies absolute and brought to such a perfection as needs not to bee added unto for though I doubt not but that even those also are somtimes failing as for som other necessarie and unavoidable defects so also for that they are not throughly advised whose Tables Astronomical they best and most securely may follow Yet I assure my self the differences caussed by this is but verie small and insensible that it cannot bee much amended though never so much care should bee taken and that by tampering it may bee made much wors as by the learned infinite and equally unprofitable pain of Petavius is too well known Therefore good it were that Chronologie brought to this degree of complement might exspect no extremer hand but beeing stampt with the impression of som publick autoritie might go currant in general Opinion without farther clipping or defacing upon whatsoever specious and pretending reformations CHAP. XXII Of Canon Chronological THe designation of Time secundum intervalla the Chronologers call Canon which if it set the Aera's down singly is termed Canon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it make a Connexion of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Example of the first is  Anni From the Aera of the Julian Period Unto that of Orbis Conditi 764. Unto the Vniversal Deluge 2419 Unto the Birth of Abraham 2711 Unto the Destruction of Troy 3530 An Example of the second is The Creätion fell out in the 764 of the Julian Period The Flood came upon the earth Anno 1656 of the Creätion and 2420 of the Julian Period Our Saviour Christ was born Anno Mundi 3949 Anno Period Jul. 4713 Olympiad 194 and 748 of Nabonassar This Connexion of things is called Synchronism whether it bee of the intervals themselvs or together with the Storie An error committed herein is called Anachronism and either saith too much and that is a Prochronism or too little and that is a Metachronism FINIS THE ASSYRIAN MONARCHIE BEEING A short Description of it's Rise and Fall By JOHN GREGORIE Master of Arts of Christ-Church in Oxon. יהוה IVSTVS VIVET FIDE DEVS PROVIDEBIT I. Y LONDON Printed by William Du-gard for Laurence Sadler and are to bee sold at the Golden-Lion in Little Britain 1649. VIA VNA COR VNVM THE ASSYRIAN MONARCHIE BEEING A short Description of it's Rise and Fall A Monarchie as the Philosopher discourseth in his Politicks is the government of one man over manie According to the degrees of this Principalitie the word Monarchie is equivocal in the prime meaning intending The Lawful Absolute Rule of som Prince either Elected or Succeeding exercising Dominion corresponding with the Law of Nature and the Right of Nations Thus His Sacred Majestie is a Monarch or sole Governor within these his Realms In a wider and unjuster sens A Monarchie is taken for The Peremptorie Autoritie of som Mightie Potentate whose Right and Title for the most part is his Sword or if hee hee Succeed 't is in the Ambition and Tyrannie of his Progenitors by which hee usurpeth power where hee pleaseth striking into the hearts of Men rather the fear then the love of him whereby hee enforceth his unwilling Vassals to an unnatural Obedience Thus the great Turk may bee called a Monarch for in this sens though it seem to secure it self under the protection of an acceptable name yet a Monarchie thus taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differeth little from that which Aristotle calleth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vice of a Monarchie to wit a Tyrannie Historians take more notice of this later becaus the more notorious of this kinde were those 4 great Monarchies unto whose Kings as to famous Epoches the stragling and unbounded affairs of the World are orderly reduced In this number the Kingdom of Ashur beareth a place and the first the Description whereof wee have here undertaken In the consideration of this wee shall observ in it a treble Vicissitude which the Babylonians and Assyrians underwent in the continuance of this Government The first from Nimrod to Ninus in which time the seat of the Kingdom was at Babel The second from Ninus to Asarhaddon and in this interim the Assyrians prevailed at Ninivie The third and last from Merodac to Belshazar in which again Babel got the better which it held till all was lost to the Medes and Persians And for the greater illustration to all this wee will promise the Description of the Land of Ashur as knowing this full well that the circumstance of Place as well as Time addeth much to the understanding of the Storie ×שור THe Land of Ashur was so called from him that first planted a Colonie from Babel in those parts whose name was Ashur the Son of Sem. It is the opinion of that learned Rabbin Don Isaac Abarbinel in his Commentaries upon the first Book of Moses called Bereshith in Parasha Noach fol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Assur the son of Sem dwelt in Assyria and from his name it was so called To this opinion among the Antient Greeks onely Eratosthenes attain'd as hee is introduced by the Scholiast of Dionysius the Alexandrian a Geographical Poet his words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Among the Modern Suidas hath embraced this conceit there where hee pleaseth to retract his own in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So also amongst manie others Gemma Frisius for the Latine Writers in his 22 Chapter of the Division of the Earth from the Jew Josephus who also favoureth this Assertion The Etymologist therefore who ever hee were hath deceived himself in assigning the Etymon of this word Assyria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. vide Etymologicum magnum in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesychium in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while hee forgeth this distinction between it and Syria that Syria should bee that part of Asia which was overwhelmed in the Deluge and was therefore so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which also are the words of Hesychius but Assyria saith hee was that part which having escaped the Flood was
at Abraham's offering when the birds were divided and as som think at Abel's offering for this was a great argument of God's acceptance if hee consumed the offering which is the reason that where the English Metaphrase readeth Thou shalt accept our offerings Psal 51. The Hebrew saith Thou shalt consume c. The like was don in the time of King Solomon and in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes under the Maccabees whereof see Josephus in his Hebrew Historie It might therefore com thus to pass that these perceiving that there was a voice came in the fire and the fire onely appeared and consumed the offerings upon this conceit they thought reverently of the fire This Idolatrie also was not conteined within Vr of the Chaldees but the Persian had it in high estimation Herod Diodor. Q Curtius Arrian Strabo c. After these the Trojanes then the Romanes Maximus Tyrius verie elegantly reprehendeth this kinde of Idolatrie in his Sermon aforesaid Suidas and Ruffinus tell a Storie of our Chaldeäns concerning their God Fire Suidas thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The summ is that the Chaldeäns once upon a time carried their God about to trie the masterie amongst all others so it came to pass that the fire consumed all Gods that were made of brass gold silver wood or stone but when they came to Egypt Canopus the Priest work't wililie and to save the credit of the old Gods make 's a new in this manner Hee takes an old water vessel full of holes stopt up with wax and upon this hee set's the head of an old Idol in coms the fire and beeing placed under the God the wax melt's and the fire was extinguished from henceforth the Fire lost it's credit among all Nations as it is at this daie Belus 2. THis Belus whether hee were this Son or Nephew of Nimrod or what affinitie to him hee might have Antiquitie discovereth not Reyneccius is bold to conceiv that this was Arphaxat if yee ask the reason hee answereth Becaus S. Cyril calleth this Belus Arbelus which hee indeavoureth to wring out of Arphaxat the conceit as I conceiv is slender though this Autor deserveth well of all Historians Sanchuniathen an antient Autor among the Phoenicians affirmeth that this Belus was the Son of Saturn This was Nimrod so called by the profane Autors as manie have conceived if so then Nimrod is hee of whom Ovid speak's that in his time the Golden age flourished So Eupolemon Certainly that Conceit of the Poëts in comparing the Ages of the World to Metals seemeth to have sprung from Daniel's own Comparison which hee relateth out of the Kings dream concerning the Head of Gold the Arms and Shoulders of Silver c. In that sens Nimrod might bee Saturn Belus might bee his successor to wit Jove for so this Bel was called And thus forgiving Ovid the fable this is nothing els but what hee hath said That the golden Age that is the Age designed by the head of Gold was in the daies of Saturn that is Nimrod 'T is ordinarily granted that Ovid had seen the books of Moses and under the same privilege hee might also read the Prophet Daniel fetching his golden daies from hence and Saturn from thence Whereas this Bel was called Jove it is to bee understood that as Bel was a name proper first to the true God for so hee is called in Osee so Jehovah also was a sacred expression of the Trinitie in Vnitie at the first and afterwards by the Sacrilege of a crooked generation unaptly given to these arrogant Kings Belus perhaps first called the Sun so and himself afterwards as Nimrod did the Sun by the name of Bel which name the Sun still kept in Phaenicia long after these times for there they called the Sâ—n Baalsemen that is the Lord of Heaven And that the Sun was called Jove the Devil confesseth in the Oracle of Apollo Clarius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When or where this Bel died it is unknown and how manie years hee lived is altogether as uncertain this onely is true that 60 years must bee distributed between him and his predecessor but at what proportion this distribution should bee made is no waie manifest Synchronismi OF the Sicyonians See Pausanias Suidas Homer remembreth them Iliad β. The Kingdom of the Sicyonians was founded in the Reign of Belus in Peloponnesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same see also in the successions of Affricanus both saie that this Kingdom was first founded by Aegialeus from whom Peloponnesus was first called Aegialia Note the Antiquitie of the Greeks whose first beginings were founded in Sicyonia which place was so called from Javan who first pitcht his Tent there For Sicyon is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Succoth Javan or it may bee set Succah Jon the dwelling of Javon by whom throughout the whole Scripture the Hebrews understood the Greeks hence Iönes and the Iönick tongue in which the most antient Poëts are exstant Terah the Father of Abraham is born Ninus THis Ninus was the Son of Belus so all profane Historie affirmeth by a common consent Justine Diodorus and the rest The brief discours of this Kings life see in Justin Ctesias of Cnidas wrote the better part of his more noble expeditions but Diodorus confesseth that none ever writ them all Diodorus ex Ctesia Hee made war with manie Nations and was the first as these Autors think that violated that communitie which men formerly enjoyed It seem's hee was the first that they knew but Moses telleth us of one before him and Eupolemon of another Ninus made war with the King of the Bactrians in which war his Captain Menon fell in love with Semiramis in which suit Ninus was corrival and got the Gentlewoman not her good will doing not what shee would but what hee listed for that Menon becom's desperate and for the loss of his Love cast's away himself Ctesias Colophonius Phaenix a Poët hath thus set forth the life of this Prince 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ninus vir quidam fuit ut audio Assyrius qui auri Mare possidebat Et alia copiosius quà m arena est Caspia Astra nunquam vidit nec forsitan id optavit Ignem apud Magos Sacrum non excitavit Et lege Statutum est Deum nec Virgis attigit Sacrificiis Deos non est veneratus jura non reddidit Subjectos sibi populos affari non didicit ac nè numerare quidem Verùm ad edendum ac bibendum strenuissimus Vinúmque miscens caetera in Saxa amandabat Vir ille ut Mortuus est hoc de se testimonium reliquit omnibus Sepulchrum hoc conspicatus nunc ubi Ninus sit Audi. Sive sis Assyrius sive Medus sive Coraxus sive à supervis Indus capillatus frivola non denuncio Quondam ego Ninus fui Spiritumque vitalem hausi Nunc verò aliud nihil quà m
though the Scripture maketh mention but of Darkness till the Ninth hour yet most certain it is that That Daie had another Darkness about the Twelfth hour of Nature's own Provision For by the Astronomical Tables the Moon was at that time almost totally Eclipsed So truly were these First Fruits cut down in the Night The Typical Sheaf thus reaped down was carried into the Court yard of the Sanctuarie threshed parched ground then lifted up and waved before the Lord So was the True The manner of the Jews Threshing was by the Treading of Oxen and Wheels indented with iron teeth And did not manie Buls compass Him about And was not Hee bruised for our Transgressions His Hands and his Feet were pierced and all his Bones were out of joint they had been broken too but for the Prophecie Hee was Parched for was not his strength dried up as a Pot-sheard Did not his Tongue cleav to the roof of his Mouth And was hee not brought down to the dust of Death You may hear him saie all this himself Psalm 22. Hee was lifted up too for as Moses I fted up the Serpent in the Wilderness so was the Son c. And hee was waved too as som compare it by an Earthquake at the Resurrection But instead of Waving the Text translateth it The Sheaf was Separated So were these first Fruits and the Desertion was so great that hee cried out His God His God had forsaken him Lastly there was an Extraordinarie Lamb to bee offered up as due to the Sheaf And if one should ask us as once the Son did the Father Behold the fire and the wood but where is the Lamb for a burnt Offering Hee would bee answered that God would provide himself a Lamb. Ecce Agnus Dei Behold the Lamb of God But that which most of all concern's is the Condition of the First Fruits That was till These were offered up no Man of the Land of Israel might eat of his New Corn 't was yet Profane and Cursed as the Ground that bare it But the Sheaf once offered up the whole Crop is intituled to the Consecration For if the First Fruits bee holie saith S. Paul then so is also the whole lump This also is the case of the Resurrection for if Christ the first Fruits bee risen then They also that are His the whole Lump at his Coming The Harvest is the end of the World and the end of our Life is in the seed time Church-yards are the Plots which therefore the high Dutch most properly term God's Aeres or Glebe Land wherein the Dead are sown a Natural bodie but the Crop shall not bee such as wherewith the Mower filleth not his hand or hee that bindeth up the Sheafs his bosom It shall bee with the Fat of the Kidnies of Wheat as Moses in the Song Deut. 32.14 'T is sown in Dishonor it riseth again in Glorie And the Reapers are the Angels who shall gather and binde us up again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Betsror hachaiim into the Bundle of Life as in the 1 Sam. 25.29 which words therefore the Jews use to repete in their Diriges and inscribe upon their Tombs The First Fruits beeing risen take anie one of us anie grain of Corn in the whole Lump and cast it into the ground if it die not it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much Fruit. For the Life of the Lump like Corn in the Earth is laied in the First Fruits in God The instance of the Corn is so pregnant that the Greek Churches in their Commemorations of the Dead use to boil Wheat in water and set it before them as a convincing Symbol of the Resurrection And my Autor is bold to saie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that This is the Greater wonder of the two that the Resurrection of the Corn is more Prodigious then that of the Bodie Strange indeed it is that a grain of Corn should not quicken except it die But much more strange that out of one grain and one as good as Dead should spring forth such a Numerous Increas As for our Bodies which are sown in Corruption the Earth when shee shall give up her Dead will render but as the Talent hid in the Napkin the same again or one for another But the Husbandman receiveth his own with Interest shall I saie that this Grain hath gained him Ten Grains Nay in som parts under the Line they reap the profit of a Thousand for One. In Relation to the First Fruits wee are called by Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Complantati such as are planted together with him in Likeness of his Resurrection Correspondently the Prophet Isaiah saith Our bones shall flourish like an Herb. Now the Herbs and Plants wee know however cut down yet reinforcing from the Root spring up and rise again Wee use Vulgarly but Improperly to call the uppermost of the Branches the Top of a Tree but wee are corrected by Aristotle in the Books De Anima where wee are taught to call the Root the Head and the Top the Feet In the Revers of this Comparison the first Fruits are the Root and the Head wee the Branches or Members And in the 36. of Isaiah the Head acknowledgeth the whole departed Race of Mankinde to bee his Trunk or Dead Bodie Wee read it Thy Dead Men shall arise With my dead Bodie shall they arise But the rest is put in by the Translators The Original is Thy dead Men shall arise they shall arise my dead Bodie Seeing therefore that the Ax is not laid to the Root of the Tree what though the Branches bee lopt off by Death there is still Hope in the Tree saith Holie Job For though the Stock thereof die in the ground yet through the sent of water 't will bud and bring forth boughs like a Plant which withereth over night but beeing watered with the dew of Heaven springeth up afresh in the Morning And therefore in the same Prophecie of Isaiah the Dew of dead men is likened to the Dew of Herbs Ros tuus Ros Olerum To this saie the Jews in the Book Zohar That at the last Daie a kinde of Plastical Dew shall fall down upon the Dead and ingender with Luz the little Bone spoken of before and so out of this all the rest of our Bones and the whole Man shall spring forth But wee are not to give heed unto Jewish Fables and therefore it shall not bee here enquired who shall bee the Father of this Rain or Who should beget these drops of Dew Sure wee are that though touch'd by Death wee shrink up like that sensitive Plant yet wee shall soon quicken by his Influence whose Head in the Canticles is fill'd with Dew and his Loks as with the drops of the night In Exprobration therefore unto Death and Mortalitie wee know whose use it was to burie their dead in their Gardens sowing their Bodies with as much faith as their Fruits and equally exspecting
invincible Note of the Masora marked upon the place Nor did ever anie Translation out of the Hebrew acknowledg it Not the Targums whatsoever not the Vulgar Latine not the Spanish or the Vulgar Greek both translated by the Jews themselvs and printed at Constantinople in Hebrew letters Not the Persian Paraphrase by Tawos The Arrabick by Saadiah Gaon or that other by the Jews in Mauritania set forth by Erpenius But neither is the forgerie constant to it self for though wee meet still with it in the Book of Genesis yet in the better Copies of the Chronicles it is not found the Projector so much forgot himself Manifestly therefore both Caïnan and the Numbers came in the wrong waie the design whereof what it was and managed by whom I go about to shew In the first Vers of the first Chapter of Genesis the Hebrew × standing in their Arithmetick for a thousand is six times found From hence the Antient Cabalists concluded Gemara Tal. in Helec Sanhedrin fol. 97. a R. A. Zar. in Imr. Bine C. 43. That the World should last six thousand Years becaus also God was six daies about the Creätion and a thousand Years with him are but as one daie therefore after six daies that is six thousand Years duration of the World there shall bee a seventh daie or Millenarie Sabbath of Rest concerning which Justin Martyr to Tryphon the Jew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is And there is a certain man among us whose name is John one of the Apostles of Christ who in his Apocalyps hath foretold of a thousand Years to bee enjoied in Jerusalem In the Revelation made to him by those which shall believ in our Christ The same also was asserted by Papias Bishop of Hierapolis Apolinarius and Irenaeus as S. Hierom in his Catalogue and hath been of late daies by verie Learned men awaked out of a long sleep and even now is by som to no good ends more then enough resented Though this was wont to bee one of the reasons why the Revelation was accounted but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Cregorie Nyssen and not called by S. John's but the Heretick Cerinthus his name Other Asspersions raised upon this Book by Eusebius Dorotheus Dionysius c. are summed up by Erasmus and more forcibly urged then fully answered by Beza I may add that the Canon of Scripture wee go by groundeth much upon that Enumeration subjoined to the last Canon of the Council of Laodicea which yet is not found in the verie antient Manuscripts Gretser mentioneth one and I meet with another here at home Synodic Gr. Ms. in Arch. Baroc B. Bod. Nor is it exstant in Joseph's Arabick Code where onely the Canon of the Council is set down with a note upon the Idiötical Psalms And yet in the same Code in the Apostolical Canons contrarie to the trust of all the Greek Copies Cod. Concil Arab. Ms. in Arch. Roan B. Bod. it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Revelation of S. John called the Apocalyps but immediately follow the Constitutions of Clement and recommended to the Church upon as equal terms In a Manuscript Arabick Translation of the New Testament in Queens College onely this Book of the Revelation is wanting In the Arabick lives of the four Evangelists observed upon by Kirstenius the note is Observandum quoque est hunc Autorem ne verbo quidem uno mentionem facere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Joannis P. Kirsten in Vit. 4. Evan Arab. fol. 50. quam quidam hunc Evangelistam in Patmo scripsisse asserunt quâ autoritate ipsi videant Atque adeò semper iste Liber inter Apocrypha reputatus est But the Autor doth make mention of the Apocalyps in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but this period saith Kirstenius doctioribus hujus linguae considerandum relinquimus I dare not own the doctioribus but the Reading should bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the meaning is And the report go's that S. John delivered up the Apocalyps to his Disciple Phughir So express is the mention and no stronger the Tradition But in derogation to a Book wherein too much may so soon bee said at least enough bee the writing never so Canonical the Argument is most intractable and to the usuall reach of Men so intricate and lost in Mysterie that unless the Times reveal faster then yet they have don no man will bee found worthie to open and to read the Book neither to look thereon Chap. 5.4 Not to repete over Cajetan's Exponat cui Deus concesserit Calvin the Man whose prais is in the Interpretation of the word of God Sententiam rogatus de Libro Apocalypseos so Bodin report's him ingenuè respondit je penitùs ignorare quid velit tam obscurus Scriptor Joh. Bodin Meth. Hist C. 7. qui qualisque fuerit nondum constat inter Eruditos But this later part of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerneth mee not so pertinently as the former that is the six thousand Years duration of the World unto which more then what was said before must bee added out of Lactantius Sicut ipsum hominem Deus die sexto ultimum fecit c. ità nunc die sexto magno verus homo verbo Dei fingitur that as God made man last in the sixth daie Lactant. L. 7. C. 14. so in the great sixth daie or Millenarie of the World the true man was made by the Word of God Hee saith also that mention was made of this Tradition by the Sibylline Oracles the great Hermes and the old Histaspes King of the Medes Joh. Antioc Ms. in Arc. Barâ— Bib. Bod. Chronograph l. 10. More expresly Clemens Timotheus and Theophilus as they are quoted by Joannes Antiochenus Melala 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is That upon the sixth daie as the Scripture hath foresaid God made man and man fell by sin so upon the sixth daie of the Chiliad or sixth Millenarie of the World our Lord Jesus Christ came into this World and saved man by his Cross and Resurrection To the same purpose Aelfric an Abbot of our own in his Treatise of the Old and New Testament to Sigwerd of East Hoolon ê§ adam getacnude þeonðam sixtan dâ—â—ge geseaÆ¿en Æ¿aes þurh god usne hâ—elend crist þe come to þissere Æ¿orulde on þaere sixtan ylde us geedniÆ¿ode to his gelicnesse That Adam who was shapened by God upon the sixth daie betokeneth our Saviour Christ who came into this World in the sixth Age thereof and renewed us after his own likeness For this duration of the World I think it well enough retorted upon Lactantius by one of the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God hath not made haste to do according to this saying for as Lactantius compute's the Time is alreadie past and gon and yet the World continue's to bee as in the daies of old c. R. Azarias in Imre Binah c. 43.
Seleucus began to raign twelv years after the death of Alexander as appeareth by Albaâ—egnius and the Almagest which consenteth also to Diodorus Siculus who affirmeth that the first year of Seleucus was the first of the 117 Olympiad Therefore this Aera was fixed in the 4402 of the Julian Period which was the 3638 from the world's Creätion the Cycle of the Sun was 6 and the Moon 13. The Aera was fixed saith Scaliger though Petavius will not yield it by Calipus of Cyzicum who finding that Meton's ciclus decennovenalis exceeded the Moon 's Revolution one quadrant of a daie put four of these together and detracting from thence one whole daie for the quadruple excess of hours gave an exacter account of the Lunations then before This Cycle the Author to the honor of Alexander began the 28 of June in the Summer Solstice at the new Moon which followed the fight at Gangamele And this was in the year of the world 3619 as the Eclips assureth which hap'ned eleven daies before but becaus this fell out to bee in the second year of that Olympiad Calippus altered his minde and stayed nineteen years to make his Period concur but Alexander deceasing within seven years the Aera could not begin till twelv years after which was the first of the reign of Seleucus and 3638 of the World CHAP. XI Aera Dhilcarnian IS the same with the Alexandrea Graecorum and hath nothing proper but the Name which it self also is nothing but Alexander in other words as by the Arabick Geographer and otherwise 't is made known Dhilcarnain that is habentis duo cornua as Albumazer's Translator expresseth it So Alexander was called with relation to the Ram in Daniel's Vision as som divine but then they are fain to read it Ailcarnain not considering that it is not the word in Arabick as in Hebrew for a Ram the Arabians if they had meant thus would have said not Aiie but Hamelcarnain but let that pass for the word written in it's own language manifestly importeth no more then one that hath two horns So Alexander saith Christman might bee called either for that his Empire was bipartite into Asia and Syria which is not altogether so true or otherwise for that hee joined the East and West together with Conquests holding as it were the two Hornes of the World in his Victorious hands And this hee saith becaus as Hercules in the West so Alexander set up two Pillars for a non ultra to the Eastern World The Arabians themselvs saie more For though the more commonly known Historians of this Conqueror Q. Curtius and Arrian out of his Ptolomie and Aristobulus take no notice of Alexander's falling in the Western World Cedren excepted wheresoever hee had it yet the Arabick Geographer doubteth not to affirm that hee was the man by whose appointment and Design that Isthmos Gaditaneâ—s was cut out and the Atlantick Ocean let into the Mediterranean so making that Streight or Fretum therefore not to bee term'd Herculeum now called the Sreights of Gibralter or as it should bee Gebal Tarec that is Tarec's Hill so called saith the Arabick Geographer from Tarec the Son of Abdalla who having transported his Barbarians over the Streight secured his Army with the Natural fortification of that Place Geographus Arabs 1. par cl 4. But why Alexander should bee called Dhilcarnain or habens duo cornua Scaliger's reason is beyond exception and which Petavius himself could not choos but commend Alexander to rais himself a reputation of Divinitie suborned the Priest to entitle him the son of Corniger Ammon thenceforth the Cyrenians who had formerly used to express this Jupiter horned in their Coins transferred this honor to the Conqueror and so the reputed son as the Father was known by the name of Corniger which when it came to the Arabians was to bee said as here it is Dilcarnian CHAP. XII The Jews Aera ALexander the Great with his Grecian Armie marching towards Jerusalem with all intention of hostilitie the High Priests and Levites came forth to meet him all in their Holie Garments The King beholding this reverent Assemblie made an approch himself alone and drawing near to the High Priest fell down and worshipped The Captains wondring to see the son of Jupiter Ammon who had given command that all men should worship him himself to fall down to a Jew Parmenion drew near and made bold to ask him the question To whom Alexander 'T is not the Priest saith hee but his God whom I adore and who in his verie habit appeared unto mee long ago at Dius in Macedonia and encouraged mee in my undertakings for the Empire of Asia This don the King ascended the Temple where Sacrifice first don to God the prophecie of Daniel was brought forth the high Priest turning to that place which foretelleth of a mightie Prince of Graecia that was to conquer the Persians which the circumstances well agreeing the King readily applyed unto himself and so departed verie well pleased and full of hope leaving the People to their Antient peace Antiquitat Lib. 11. So their Historian Josephus and the Book Taanith Cap. 9. But it is added moreover by Abraham the Levite in his Cabala that the High Priest by waie of acknowledgment made faith to the King that all the children which should bee born that year to the holie Tribe should bee called by his Name and moreover that from the same Time they would henceforth compute their Minian Staros or Aera of Contracts c. fol. 3. CHAP. XIII AEra Dionysiana Philadelphi A Celestial year is such an one as keepeth touch with the Sun the Months whereof begin at his entrance into the Signs precisely and especially serving for the Prognostication of the Seasons Such a kinde of year Dionysius an Astrologer in Egypt set up after the example of Metan and others as by Theon 't is noted upon Aratus The Aera whereof hee fixed in the first yeare of the famous Ptolomie surnamed Philadelph 'T is often cited in the Almagest which also giveth Testimonie that this Aera began in the 463 of Nabonassar's Thosh Ptolm lib. 10. C. 4. 5 Almagesti which was the fourth year of the 123 Olympiad answering to the 4429 of the Julian Period which was the 3665 of the world's Creätion The Cycle of the Sun was 5 and the Moon 2. But neither was this this year of Dionysius meerly coelestial 't was also civil as Scaliger discovereth yet of no greater use in Historie to reconcile one place in that golden book as the same Autor termeth it of Jesus the son of Sirach That wise man saith that in the 38 year when Evergetes was King hee came into Egypt c. but how could that bee saith Scaliger seeing this Ptolomie raigned but 26 years To saie as som do that hee meant the years of his own life Emendat Temp. lib. 5. or the life of Evergetes is rather to excuse the Autor then interpret him And
and Onkelos the one translating that Text of Moses to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mountain of Ararat by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cardu the other by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cardon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elias in Methurgeman both entending the Gordiaean Mountains whereof Strabo and Curtius discours Elias also in his Methurgeman allowing their interpretation Of these Mountains Stephanus maketh mention in his Book De urbibus So also Elmarinus the Arabian translated by Erpenius and another of that Nation whose name is unknown cited by Schickard in his Taric of the Kings of Persia The later thus writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is This is Mount Godius upon which that Ship rested that Ship of Noach on whom be peace But whereas this Autor calleth the Mountain Godius Schickard admonisheth that it is an error of the Transcriber who in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gordi writ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gadi It is apparant then that the Ark abode upon the Gordian Mountains but where or upon which that is yet doubtful Rabbi Benjamin Tudelensis who travelled through all parts to visit his Countrie-men the ten Tribes dispersed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rab. Benjamin in Itinerario citante Schichaâ—do giveth notice in his Itinerarie that the place where the Ark rested is four miles distant from Gezir Ben Omar and that is an Isle Situate in the mid'st of Tigris at the foot of the Mountains of Ararat The Armenians also design the place urging Tradition for a certain Mountain heretofore called Gordie but now Gibel Noe as Andrew Thevet intimateth in these words Au reste quelques Chrestiens Levantins entre autres La Cosmographie Universelle Livre 8. Chap. 15. les Armeniens Caspiens mainetiennent que ceste Arche s'arresta en la MontaÃgne que l'on nommoit jadis Gordie à present dit par aucuns du païs Gibel Noe. Wee have also those among the Moderns who have placed this Mount under a peremptorie Longitude and Latitude as a thing ordinarily known yet for ought I perceiv Posteritie in this hath obteined of Antiquitie nothing more then the verie name and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Testimonie of Nicolas of Damascus not Lobar as Epiphanius Josephus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à c. 4. though Junius would correct the other by this It was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 birath which in the Armenian tongue signifieth properly anie stately Edifice such as this vast Vessel might seem to bee In after times 't is like they called their Ships by the same name and thence the Greeks traduc'd the same signification for so Suidas Hesychius and the Etymologist conceiv of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it often is taken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore Lycophron in his Cassandra calleth the Argonavis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this conjecture that it may pass the better know that great Scaliger hath born his part as the Reader may finde in his notes upon the Greek fragments Scaliger in Notis ad Fragmenta pag. 40. added as an appendix to his admired industrie in the Emendation of the Times Thus much shall suffice for our abode in the North of this Countrie where the Reader may pardon our long tarrying for Noah's sake Upon the East as was said this Region is bounded by the Medes in special by the mountain Zagros whereof a most Antient Geographer maketh this mention 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Upon the South wee shall finde first Susian the Province so called from the Metropolitane Citie Susis which the Etymologist saith might bee derived from Susia signifying in the Syrian tongue a Hors for that this place afforded good Horses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Etymolo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athenaeus Indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Syriack signifieth so but his other conceit is more probable that it was so called from the Lilies which grew thereabout as Aristobulus and Chares most aptly determine in Athenaeus this onely is their error that they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a Lilie in the Greek tongue whereas they ought to have said in the Hebrew for the Jews indeed call a Lilie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shusan and therefore was this place so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the pleasure of the place becaus of so manie Lilies wherewith it was most naturally and pleasantly beset Here the Kings of Persia kept their Courts in Winter becaus the Region hereabouts was then most temperate though in Summer it was so extremely hot that when the Sun was in the Meridian the Lizards and Serpents could not pass by the waie but were strucken dead with the extraordinarie fervor which the Sun beams projected Strabo lib. 15. Geog. beeing multiplied more strongly by the reflection of certain Mountains not far from thence Strabo lib. 15. Geog. as Strabo the Autor most probably persuadeth Who also addeth that for this cans the Inhabitants were forced to make earthen floors upon the tops of their Houses the depth of two cubits for no other reason but to free themselvs from the intolerable heat Strabo ibid. By this Citie ran the River Vlai as Daniel calleth it Plinie Herodotus Maximus Tyrius Ptolomie and Plinie write Eulaeus no great error it was also called Choaspes becaus that runneth into it This River was venerable in the opinion of the Kings of Persia who alwaies drank of this water where-ever they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benjamin in Itinerario fol. 20. Rabbi Benjamin hath observed that in his time among the ruines of Elam stood Susan the Castle in time past the Palace of Ahasueros having yet manie fair and goodly buildings from the daies of old Hee noteth also that hee found there 7000 Jews in 14 Synagogues there beeing before one of them erected the Sepulcre of Daniel the Prophet Thus Rabbi Benjamin in whose daies it seemeth by what hee saith afterwards that the River was built upon both sides and the citie divided into two parts that dissevering them both whence it came to pass in after-times that the one part by reason of commerce thriving more then the other it was superstitiously imputed to Daniels Tomb which the richer part then kept this fond conceit once set abroach caussed great emulations and in fine to compose the debate Singar * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shach with the Persians and Arabians and the neighboring inhabitants signifieth a King from whence is derived that form of Speech which wee use at the Chess-game when the King is taken to wit of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shach Mat commonly Check-Mate which in this language signifiâ—th The King is dead Shichard in Taris Regum Persar Shach commanded that the Tomb should bee displaced and set upon the Bridg in the midst of the River Vlai that so both
in Athenaeus relateth that hee was a Luxurious Prince 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Sic Ctesias Diodorus also maketh mention of this Zames Ninias in whom see further That this Ninias spent his time otherwise then became a Prince Trogus relateth in Justine in these words Filius ejus Ninus contentus elaborato à parentibus imperio belli studia deposuit veluti sexum cum matre mutâsset rarò à viris visus in foeminarum turba consenuit Posteri quoque ejus exempla sequuti responsa gentibus per internuncios dabant Synchronismi ABout the time of this Ninias happened that remarkable Judgment of God upon Pentapolis or the five Cities to wit Sodome Gomorrah Admah Zeboïm and Segor which deserv's to bee remembred as well by us as a profane Historian Cornelias Tacitus whose attestation to Moses in this matter is well worth our consideration The Autor having described the Lake of Sodom addeth as followeth Haud procul indè campi quos olim uberes magnÃsque urbibus habitatos fulminum jactu arsisse manere vestigia terrámque specie torridam vim frugiferam perdidisse Nam cuncta sponte edita aut manu sata sive herbâ tenus aut flore seu solitam in speciem adolevere atra inania velut in cineres evanescunt Ego sicut Judaïcas quondam urbes igne coelesti flagrâsse concesserim ità halitu lacûs infici terram corrumpi superfusum spiritum eóque foetus segetum Autumni putrescere reor Solo caelóque juxtà gravi Tacitus Hist lib. 4. pag. 619. Lipsianae editionis in octavo The Autor of the Abstract before mentioned when hee cometh to Ninus setteth down to succeed him one Thourias who was called Ares to whom hee saith they made the first Statue and called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Lord God of which saith hee the Prophet Daniel hath made mention Suidas either had this from this Autor or hee from Suidas who hath written the same for as I know not the Autor so neither his time It was after Eusebius how long I yet cannot tell whereas they cite Daniel wee are to understand not that Man of desires but his name's sake intitled to the Storie of Bell and the Dragon which who will may read more at large in Hebrew then 't is found in Greek if they will patiently revolv the Stories of Josippus the Jew called also Gorionides After Thourias the Abstract placeth Lames then Sardanapalus omitting that whole succession of Affricanus without recompens more then of Thourias and Lames neither of which are known Thus far the better hand of pure Antiquitie hath helped us Julius Affricanus reckoneth up â—he Kings from Zames to Sardanapalus and after him Eusebius and amongst the Moderns Funccius Angelocrator Henningius Reyneccius and divers others Those that deserv greatest commendation are first and chiefly Sethus Calvisius in his judicious Chronologie After him Salian in his Annals so Joseph Scaliger in his Isagogical Canons However I might have both their help and Autoritie yet I forbear so to fill up the great Chasm in this part of our Monarchie yet it shall not bee said that I refus'd to follow such great Leaders for a little reason Amongst others these two have principally persuaded First becaus the Account of Africanus reckoned per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is summing up the years of each King together agreeth not with the Computation of the years in general Secondly becaus wee finde in Autors of undoubted Credit som Kings of Ashur whom notwithstanding wee finde not in the succession of Africanus as for Example Moses maketh mention of Amraphel whom the Hebrews would have to bee Nimrod grounding their conceit upon a fabulous Etymologie becaus they say Abraham was brought before Nimrod for burning his Father Terah's Idols and beeing then but three years old discoursed before the Tyrant concerning the Creätor of Heaven and Earth Nimrod proudly replied that it was hee that made the Heavens and the host of Heaven if so said Abram then say thou to thy Sun that hee should rise in the West and set in the East and I will believ thee Nimrod thus exasperated with the childes audacitie and discretion command's that hee should bee cast into the fire therefore the Jews saie that hee was called Amraphel from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amar and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 phul that is dixit descende hee said to Abraham go go down into the fire and this saie they is Vr of the Chaldees out of which God brought Abraham This Storie is in the Book of Maase Torah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 postea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Munster's Annotations upon Genesis where these words and the entire Storie is set down out of the aforesaid Book but this discours is idle Again Suidas maketh mention of one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who rained after Ninus and Macrobius of one Deleboris but of these or either of them Africanus saith nothing Som would have that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Suidas to bee Arius in Affricanus their reason is a Conjecture from another name which this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had for which see Suidas in this word Thurias Besides all this Diodorus reckoneth but thirtiâ— Kings from Ninias to Sardanapalus But Affricanus accounteth more This disorder and disagreement in the matter hath mooved us to break of the Succession in this place from Ninias to Sardanapalus interposing one onely Prince of whom Diodorus maketh mention that in his time happened the Noble Expedition of the Argonautes and the wars of Troie The King's name was Teutames but in what place to rank him I finde not not following Affricanus So doth the Abstract leaving out all those Kings which in Affricanus and the fals Berosus were suspected adulterine a thing in this nameless Autor much to bee regarded for certainly he took it for granted that this part of the Succession was meerely lost and without hope of recoverie I will add one reason more which at this instant take's mee up that the maintainers of these Kings reciting their names put 's the Readers off so slenderly that wee cannot but suspect them for of each King they still disgracefully report that hee did nothing worthie of memorie a likely matter that all those Kings were idle The Trojan war is famous and a great part thereof Fabulous For the Historie see Dictys the Cretian and Dares the Trojan translated the one out of the Phoenician Language Or rather our own Josephus Iscanus the other out of the Greek tongue by Cornelius Nepos though som have called in question the credit of both these See also Valerius Flaccus in Latine and Apollonius in Greek for these Argonautes The last King therefore of the first state of this Monarchie was Sardanapalus as Diodorus and Trogus make mention Diodor. lib. 2. Justin ex Trogo libro 1. Sardanapalus HEe was the son of Anacyndraxis A most obscene and most
by this Part in honor to Alexander whom therefore they call not so but Dhilcarnain that is The man of the two Horns for that hee joined the Ends of the Known World together by those Pillars in the East upon one side and these in the West on the other Which seeing it is so the Reduceing of the Great Meridian to Tenariff again will bee so far from closing with that of the Uttermost Western Shore that according to the Account of som they will stand at 15 Degrees distance one from the other which also maketh show of som reason of the Disagreement betwixt Abulfeda the Prince and the King Alphonsus in assigning the difference of the Arabick Meridian from the Greek the Prince allowing but 10 The Catalogue 17 Degrees which was noted before For any concurrence therefore of the Greek and Arabick Meridians by this means wee are not to take the Geographer's word but nevertheless to embrace this Alteration of his Cours in bringing the Greek Meridian to his place again The same advice of Stevinus is commended and taken by Wil. Bleau a man very like to if not the very same with Johnson himself Cap. 4 of his first Part which teacheh the Use of the Globes according to the Improper Hypothesis of Ptolomie as the Title termeth it per terram quiescentem For the second Part maketh good the same Use of the Celestial and Terrestrial Spheres by the Supposition of Copernicus per terram mobilem His words are Longitudo alicujus loci c. The Longitude of anie place is an Arch of the Equator comprehended between two half Meridians the one passing through the Place it self the other through the High Mountain called Pico de Teide in Tenariffe Qui tam in maximo nostro Globo Terrestri saith hee quà m in variis Tabulis Geographicis à nobis editis pro Initio Longitudinis terrae assumptus est pro eo in bac descriptione semper assumatur c. And 't will never bee well with Geographie till this bee believed in and made the common and unchangeable Practice What Cours is to bee taken with this Varietie of Meridians and how followed or neglected by the Geographers ANd now if one may make so bold as to give Law to the Geographers it cannot bee denied but that the readiest and least entangling waie of reckoning the Longitudes is to meet again upon the first Meridian in Tenariffe but for want of this and til it can bee rellish't universally the likest waie to the Best is for the Describers either of the Whole or any Part of the Earth not to fail of setting down the several Meridians obteining as then Also the Difference of Longitude betwixt these Meridians and lastly which of those they mean to go by If I were to draw up If I could a New Geographie of the Whole Earth This or the like to this ought to prepare to the Description That the Great Meridian by the most Antient Greek Geographers was made to pass through the Fortunate Islands now called The Canaries That from thence it was translated by the Arabians to the uttermost Point of the Western-Shore That our own Geographers removed it into the Azores placing it som of them in S. Michaël others in Corvo That the Best of them brought it back to the Canaries again and drew it upon the Pico in Tenariffe The same or thought to bee the same with Ptolomie's Junonia That the Difference of Longitude from El Pico to the Arabick Meridian is 10 Degrees more East according to Abulfeda the Prince From Pico to the Isle of S. Michaël 9 Degrees From Pico to Corvo 15 and both so much more West And such or such a Meridian I mean to follow To this very purpose the same Abulfeda in the Introduction to his Geographie It is received by Traditon saith hee that the Inhabited Earth begineth at the West in the Fortunate Isles as they are called and lying waste as now From these Islands som take the Begining of Longitude Others from the Western Shore The Difference of Longitude is 10 Degrees accounted in the Equator c. As for the Longitudes reckoned in this Book they are all taken from the Shores of the Western Oceän and therefore they are 10 Degrees short of those which are taken from the Fortunate Isles c. If wee now exact as I think wee may to this Rule which hath been lately don by our own Describers especially wee may perhaps finde it otherwise then wee thought for Here it will not need to take much notice of those who have described the Situation of Countries by the Climes and Paralells Thus much onely That they had as good as said nothing I confess I conclude under this Censure the verie good Autor of the Estates du Mond translated by Grimstone But it was to bee noted For what if I saie that Great Britain lieth under the 9th and 13 Climates of the Northern Temperate Zone as 't is no otherwise Describ'd to the Site by a Geographer of our own is this to tell where England is No more then to tell where the Streights of Anian are much about the same Clime and Paralel and yet 160 Degrees distant and more They are not much more accurate who Describe the Situation of Countries by their Latitudes onely as the Gentleman in his Description of Huntingdon Shire inserted into M. Speed And the most learned Sir Henrie Spelman in his Description or Northfolk It is no more to saie the Situation of this or that place then of anie other in the Whole Sphere lying under the same Parallel But to saie the truth By reason of the Varietie of Meridians The Longitudes were grown to such an uncertain and confused pass that it was not everie man's work to set them down Mr Carew in his Survey of Cornwall setteth down that Shire in the Longitude of 6 Degrees I believ hee mean't 16 as most men account But what doe's hee mean by that or what manner of account is it which most men use in this case Norden in the Introduction to his Speculum Britanniae saith That the Center of this Land which hee taketh to bee about Titburie Castle in Stafford-Shire is 21 Degrees and 28 Minutes of Longitude But from what Meridian all this while for the Longitude may bee manie Degrees more or less or just so much as hee saith and yet all may bee true M. Speed more particularly professeth to follow Mercator as in assigning the Longitude of Oxford hee saith that it is distant from the West 19 Degrees 20 Minutes by Mercator's Measure So M. William Burton in the Description of Leicester-Shire But how are wee the wiser for this Mercator's Measure was not the same for in his Globe dedicated to the Lord Granvella the great Meridian passeth through the Canaries but in his great Map through the Azores M. Gabriel Richardson in the State of Europe yet more distinctly telleth his Reader That the Longitudes in his book shall bee
uttermost Parallel and those of Latitude upon a portion of the Great Meridian answerable to the Semidiameter of that Latitude And the Climes maie bee set down to the Degrees of Latitude as in the Description of Portugal by Vernandus Alvarus But it hath seemed good to som Geographers nay even to Ortelius himself in these particular Descriptions for the most part to make no Graduation or Projection at all but to put the matter off to a Scale of Miles and leav the rest to bee beleev'd Whether this or Mercator's waie in the Atlas were more Artificial I will not judg in the caus of the King of Spain's Geographer For the first Meridian Reference to the great Meridian It is a fault you will more generally finde that there is verie seldom any expression of that Reference so that though there bee Graduation and the Longitude set before your eies yet you will finde your self uncertain unless it bee told you before that the Longitudes in Mr Camdem Speed Nordon and the late English Describers generally are taken from Mercator's First Meridian by S. Michael in the Azores though som of them indeed and not M. Camdem onely but such too as made it their business to do otherwise have proposed the Matter in effect to bee don by the Canaries as the Autor of the Brief Introduction to Geographie if I understand him in these words Vpon the Globe there are manie Meridians drawn all which pass through the Poles and go North and South but there is one more remarkable than the rest drawn broad with small Divisions which runneth thorough the Canarie-Islands or Azores Westward of Spain which is counted the first Meridian in regard of reckoning and measuring of Distances of places one from another for otherwise there if neither first nor last in the round Earth But som place must bee appointed where to begin the Account And those Islands have been thought fittest becaus no part of the World that laie Westward was known to the Antients further than that and as they began to reckon there wee follow them But as concerning Mercator himself you have more to look to Mercator's constant Meridian was that by S. Michaël and so you will finde it in the Atlas set out by Rumuldus But in that of Hondius Edition lately translated into English you will finde it otherwise though you shall see too in what a fair waie you are to bee deceived of this also In the Description of Island pag. 33. The Book saith It is situated not under the first Meridian as one bath noted but in the eighth Degree from thence To which the Margin but not knowing what saith That this first Meridian is a great Circle rounding the Earth from Pole to Pole and passing thorough the Islands called Azores and namely the Isle of S. Michaël as the same Noter to pag. 10. Hee might think hee went upon aground good enough for in the seventh Chapter of the Introduction Mercator himself saith thus Ptolomie hath placed the first Meridian in the Fortunate Isles which at this daie are called the Canaries Since the Spanish Pilots have placed it in the Isle of Goss-hauks which in their Language are called Assores and som of them placed it in the middle of Spain c. Now wee must hold saith hee that the Longitude is a certain space or interval of the Equator closed between Meridians the one from the Isles called Azores from whence it taketh the begining the other from that Place or Region whereof wee would know the Distance And yet for all this the Longitudes in that Book are accounted from the Canaries as you may see in the East Hemisphere and in the general Description of Africa The Editioner Hondius would have it so and which is marvel the Marginal Noter could chuse but know hee himself in the verie Begining maketh this Profession of it Ptolomie saith hee and wee in this Book do make the Longitude to bee a segment of the Equator comprehended betwixt the Meridian of the place and the Meridian of the Fortunate Islands for from these Islands the Begining of Longitude is taken c. Having saved you this Labor in Mercator you may now bee told what is to bee don with Ortelius For his own Descriptions hee alwaies taketh to Ptolomie's Meridian by the Canaries as you may see in his Vniversal Face of the World and in the General Description of Africa to the Description of Hispaniola Cuba Culiacan c. hee giveth this Admonition Sciat Lector Autorem Anonymunt qui hanc Culiacanam regionem has insulas perlustravit descripsit Regionum Longitudines non ut Ptolomaeus aliÃque solent à Fortunatis insulis versus Orientem sumpsisse sed à Toleto Hispaniae umbilico Occidentem versús ex Eclipsibus ab ipsomet observatis deprehendisse The like Note hee affixeth to the Description of New-Spain his meaning in both is to let the Reader know that the Describer who ever hee was did not in these Maps account the Degrees of Longitude as Ptolomie from West to East and from the Fortunate Isles but from East to West and from the Meridian of Toledo Hispaniae Vmbilico which is the meaning of Mercator when hee saith That som of the Spanish Pilots placed the Great Meridian in the middle of Spain And if you look upon the Longitude in the North and South sides of the Parallelogram you shall see the Degrees reckoned backwards contrarie to the received manner of Graduation It is no verie hard matter to reduce these Longitudes to the ordinarie waie but rather then so your may have recours to the Later Description of America by Leat and others For the Scale in particular Maps extending to a considerable portion of Longitude and Latitude it dependeth for the ground upon the Degrees of the Great Circles and the Proportion of Miles in several Countries to anie such Degree But in Lesser Descriptions it hath more to do with the known distance of anie two or more places experimentally found or taken upon trust of Common Reputation Here it is not to bee thought that the Longitudes and Latitudes of all Places in a particular Chart need to bee taken but of the Principal onely the rest to bee reduced by the Radius the Angle of Position and the like and much also in this matter useth to bee given to the Common Supputation all which the last especially are the Causses why the Maps agree no better for of all other the Account of the Common People is most uncertain The French Cosmographer of Amiens before named when hee took upon him to finde out how manie of their Leagues answered to a Degree took his Journie from Paris as directly under the Meridian as hee might till hee rode 25 Leagues according to the Account of the Inhabitants of the Place Nec tamen vulgi supputationem satiatus saith hee vehiculum quod Parisios rectâ viâ petebat conscendi in eóque residens tota via 17024