Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A28291
|
New Atlantis a work unfinished / written by the Right Honourable Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban.
|
Bacon, Francis, 1561-1626.
|
1658
(1658)
|
Wing B307; ESTC R21978
|
31,652
|
41
|
this Question in the first place For it sheweth that you First seek the Kingdom of Heaven And I shall gladly and briefly satisfie your demand About twenty Years after the Ascension of our SAVIOUR it came to pass that there was seen by the People of Renfusa a City upon the Eastern Coast of our Island within night the Night was Cloudy and Calm as it might be some mile in the Sea a great Pillar of Light Not sharp but in form of a Column or Cylinder rising from the Sea a great way up towards Heaven and on the top of it was seen a large Crosse of Light more bright and resplendent than the Body of the Pillar Upon which so strange a Spectacle the People of the City gathered apace together upon the Sands to wonder And so after put themselves into a number of small Boats to go nearer to this Marvellous sight But when the Boats were come within about sixty yards of the Pillar they found themselves all bound and could go no further yet so as they might move to go about but might not approach nearer So as the Boats stood all as in a Theater beholding this Light as an Heavenly Sign It so fell out that there was in one of the Boats one of the Wise Men of the Society of Salomons House which House or College my good Brethren is the very Eye of this Kingdome who having a while attentively and devoutly viewed and contemplated this Pillar and Crosse fell down upon his face And then raised himself upon his knees and lifting up his Hands to Heaven made his Prayers in this manner LOrd God of Heaven and Earth thou hast vouchsafed of thy Grace to those of our Order to know thy Works of Creation and true Secrets of them And to discern as far as appertaineth to the Generations of Men between Divine Miracles Works of Nature Works of Art and Impostures and Illuâ—ions of all sorts I do here acknowledge and testifie before this People that the Thing we now see before our eyes is thy Finger and a true Miracleâ—And for as-much as we learn in our Books that thou never workest Miracles but to a Diviue and Excellent End for the Laws of Nature are thine own Laws and thou exceedest them not but upon good cause we most humbly beseech thee to prosper this great Sign And to give us the Interpretation and use of it in Mercy VVhich thou dost in some part secretly promise by sending it unto us When he had made his Prayer he presently found the Boat he was in moveable and unbound whereas all the rest remained still fast And taking that for an assurance of Leave to approach he caused the Boat to be softly and with silence rowed towards the Pillar But ere he came near it the Pillar and Crosse of Light brake up and cast it self abroad as it were into a Firmament of many Starres which also vanished soon after and there was nothing left to be seen but a small Ark or Chest of Cedar dry and not wet at all with water though it swam And in the Fore-end of it which was towards him grew a small green Branch of Palm And when the wise man had taken it with all reverence into his Boat it opened of it self and there was found in it a Book and a Letter Both written in fine Parchment and wrapped in Sindons of Linnen The Book contained all the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament according as you have them For we know well what the Churches with you receive And the Apocalypse it self And some other Books of the New Testament which were not at that time written were neverthelesse in the Book And for the Letter it was in these words I Bartholomew a Servant of the Highest and Apostle of IESVS CHRIST was warned by an Angel that appeared to me in a vision of Glory that I should commit this Ark to the flouds of the Sea Therefore I do testifie and declare unto that People where GOD shall ordain this Ark to come to Land that in the same day is come unto them Salvation and Peace and Good VVill from the Father and from the LORD IESVS There was also in both these Writings as well the Book as the Letter wrought a great Miracle Conform to that of the Apostles in the Original Gift oâ— Tongues For there being at that time in thiâ— Land Hebrews Persians and Indians besides the Natives every one read upon the Book and Letter as if they had been written in his own Language And thus was this Land saved from Infidelity as the Remain of the Old World was from Water by an Ark through the Apostolical and Miraculous Evangelisme of S. Bartholomew And here he paused and a Messenger came and called him forth from us So this was all that passed in that Conference The next Day the same Governor came again to us immediately after Dinner and excused himself saying That the Day before be was called from us somewhat abruptly but now he would make us amends and spend time with us if we held his Company and Conference agreeable VVe answered That we held it so agreeable and pleasing to us as we forgot both Dangers past and Fears to come for the time we heard him speak And that we thought a Hour spent with him was worth Years of our former life He bowed himself a little to us and after we were set again he said Well the Questions are on your part One of our Number said after a little Pause That there was a Matter we were no lesse desirous to know than fearfull to ask lest we might presume too far But incouraged by his rare Humanity toward us that could scarce think our selves strangers being his vowed and professed Servants we would take the Hardnesse to propound it Humbly beseeching him if he thought it not fit to be answered that he would pardon it though he rejected it VVe said We well observed those his words which he formerly spake That this happy Island where we now stood was known to few and yet knew most of the Nations of the World which we fouâ—d to be true considering they had the Languages of Europe and knew much of our State and Businesse And yet we in Europe notwithstanding all the remote Discoveries and Navigations of this last Age never heard any of the least Inkling or Glimpse of this Island This we found wonderfull strange for that all Nations have Enterknowledge one of another either by Voyage into Forein Parts or by Strangers that come to them And though the Traveller into a Forein Country doth commonly know more by the Eye than he that stayed at home can by relation of the Traveller Yet both waies suffice to make a mutual Knowledge in some degree on both parts But for this Island we never heard tell of any Ship of theirs that had been seen to aâ—ive upon any shore of Europe No nor of either the East or VVest Indies nor yet