his booke De ant quitate linguae Hebraicae there are many such Treatises set forth by diuers learned men whereout and of the bookes aforenamed may be gathered infinite proofes of that which the Poet hath touched in this second reason The third is that there liues no Nation vnder the cope of heauen but keepeth still some words of Hebrew in their speech First the Caldean Syrian Arabian Egyptian Persian Ethiopian and many other as the Gotthicke Troglodyticke Punicke are so deriued thence that they come as neere it as Italian to Latine some more some lesse Secondly the Greeke Latine and those others that are farthest off haue yet here and there some words that we must needes grant are sprong from the same fountaine a man may set downe a many of them but it were too long here to coate the examples Thirdly the roots of many words that are taken to be Greeke or some other tongue are found to be Hebrew as Franciscus Iunius hath plainly shewed in his learned oration Deliuguae Hebraea antiquitate praeslantia The fourth reason is that the doctrine of the old Testament which is the doctrine of the first and most ancient people of the world was not written but in Hebrew No man denieth that the people that came of Sem the sonne of Noe is the most ancient among these remained the Church of God and the Hebrew tongue God spake not but in the Hebrew tongue by the high Priest that wore the sacred Ephod and the breast-plate of iudgement whereon was set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vrim Thummim words signifying lights and perfections which some thinke was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or foure-letered name Iehoua contained within the brest-plate others say it was the rankes of those twelue precious stones there enchased that on them had ingrauen the names of the twelue tribes of Israel as if it were a repetition of that which Moses saith in the 17 18 19 and 20. verses of the 28. chapter of Exodus where he speaketh of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vrim Thummim in the 30. verse others hold they were certaine names others are of diuers other opinions Some late writers thinke those words were ingrauen in the breast-plate This is a secret the search whereof whether one dispute of the words or what they meant or what 's become of them c. is very painfull and needlesse for that now sithence the comming of Christ we ought to follow the truth it selfe and not stay vpon shadowes These words doubtlesse gaue to vnderstand that all light and perfection commeth of our Sauiour in whom all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily dwelleth in whom are hid all the treasures of vnderstanding knowledge who is the light of his Church that is made vnto vs of God his father wisedome iustice redemption and holinesse In all iudgements demands oracles and reuelations that were made by Vrim and Thummim as may be gathered out of the 27. chapter of Numbers the first booke of Samuel the 13. and 30. chapters and other places where aduise and counsell was asked of God and answere was made by the mouth of the high Priest there appeared a cleere light a sure truth and perfection all which in Christ is accomplished Now these demands and answers were propounded and rendred in the Hebrew tongue long time before any other language was vsed in the world For so soone after their scattering at Babel they could not well be incorporated into a common wealth and as for religion that was not kept but in the race of Sem as Moses plainly declareth all through the historie of Abraham Concerning the Prophets their dreames and visions God spake not they vnderstood not neither answered or taught they the Church but in the Hebrew that significant vnmingled holy chaste and heauenly tongue whereas others lispe and stammer-out vncertaine sounds and are infinite wayes defiled through the dishonest foolish erronious and vngodly discourses of their inuentours I except the bookes of the new Testament and all writings drawne from the cleere fountaines of holy Scripture besides the which there is nothing but vanitie filth wickednesse and vngodlinesse in the world Moreouer the Lord himselfe setteth downe his law to his people and writing it twise with his owne finger and speaking with his owne mouth to Moses and his other seruants in the Mount vsed the Hebrew tongue So did the Angels and Prophets and Iesus Christ spake the Syriacke a tongue so deriued of the Hebrew that they are very like as their Grammars declare The Apostles spake diuers tongues and wrote also according to the people and persons with whom they had to doe yet for all that in their bookes may be noted an infinite many of phrases borrowed of the Hebrew as the learned interpreters of the new Testament haue exactly shewed The fift and last reason set downe by the Poet is that the Hebrew words especially the proper names some are alledged for example and many other may be added are of great waight and importance for sometimes they lay open vnto vs the chiefe things that doe befall the person so named Nay further if a man would take the paines to change the order of letters hee may sinde in them many goodly mysteries The Greekes haue found the way and followed it in the interpretation of their proper names but they come farre short of the liuelihood and maiestie of the Hebrewes who begun the thing before them many hundred yeeres As for other tongues the most part of their proper names haue no meaning they are deuised at-all-auentures so are they right tokens of barbarisme Some tongues there are more happy and plentious than others in this behalfe but their interpretations are for the most part vncertaine especially if the Root thereof come not from or neere the Hebrew Herehence againe the curious reader may take occasion of a large commentarie I leaue it vnto him 13. Then doe I theesalute It is not without cause that the Poet straight vpon the former discourse vseth these words considering the excellency of the Hebrew tongue and that he setteth out in so few verses her wonderfull perfections each one of them requiring a large treatise and himselfe being vnable to shut vp so great matters in so few words For example sake let vs consider but very briefly those three points that the Poet here toucheth to wit that the two and twenty Hebrew letters are full of hidden sense that the proper names of persons Countries and Cities in this tongue are as much as abridgements of their life and deedes that the names of birds beasts and fishes containe the history of their natures howbeit since the fall of Adam the knowledge thereof is greatly darkened To make the Reader somewhat more desirous to enter mediation hereon I will set him downe some examples Concerning the mysteries of the Hebrew Letter-row Eusebius and S. Ierom in his Epistle ad Paul vrbic which is the 155. expoundeth them as I
right nature of things in the right hand an Ewer because the speech of the wise dampeth and putteth out the flame of passions I might note hereof many examples but I leaue them for the diligent Reader to search meaning here to offer him but Annotations which I feare alreadie are growen too long The little chaines that come forth from the Images golden tongue and draw such a number of hearers by the eares and heart signifie the great power of a well framed speech the truth whereof appeareth chiefely in preaching the word in counsels of graue common-wealths-men and orations of good Magistrates and valiant Captaines In this manner did the ancient Frenchmen paint and set out their Hercules surnamed Ognius whereupon Alciat hath made a pretie Embleme it is the 180. expounded at large by Cl. Minos The summe of all is that Eloquence is to be preferred before force Our Poet aimeth at that description Further concerning the Bore the Tygre and the Beare lying tame at the feet of this Image it signifieth that a pleasant and learned speech appeaseth all angrie cruell and sauage men and cuen the maddest and most brutish people in the world it maketh the woods and hills to daunce and leape that is to say it moueth bendeth and instructeth very block-heads and such as are most hard of vnderstanding and this may be the meaning of those fained tales of Amphion Orpheus Arion and other like Lastly this Image is inuironed with a double ranke of pillers well and strongly grounded and vnder-pinned that beare vp in due proportion the nino languages following each by her owne chiefe authors and maintainers For euery pillar was wrought in fashion of a man and framed to the countenance of one of their best writers in a long gowne or stole And that is the meaning of the French à la Cariatide After the Carian right as Vitruuius writeth at large in the first Chapter of his first booke of Architecture This I note because the French Commenter lets it passe and it troubled my selfe to vnderstand it at the first 23. Among the blessed wits For chiefe props of the Hebrue tongue which he placeth in the fore-front of Eloquence as in euery regard it was meet whether we cofider the sweet grauitie the natural impliance the shortnes hautines liuelines of it or the sincerity holines light heauenly Maiestic he nameth first Moses because he is the most anciēt of those whose writings in this tongue are extant As for the book of the Prophesie of Henoch it was lost a long time agoe He describeth this holy Law-writer after an excellent manner as was requisite in a discourse of eloquence His face shineth like a blasing Star alluding to that in the Scripture that Moses comming downe frō the Mount where he had talked with God his face so shined that none was able to behold his countenance in so much as he was faine to weare a vaile ouer it the rest is very easie to be vnderstood especially of such as haue neuer so lightly turned ouer the history Now for the bookes of Moses they were written many hundred yeares before the Greekes were knowne who were not heard of in the world but a little before the reigne of Saul had but few workes in writing or none at all till after the time of Salomon as their owne Histories witnesse whosoeuer will take paines to turne them ouer Nay further all their knowledge came from the Aegyptians Phenicians and others who had leaned somewhat by conuersing with the Hebiues And to come againe to Moses he hath beene in maruellous account with insinite Heathen Writers If any haue lightly regarded or found fault with him it was either because they vnderstood him not at all or maliced him exceedingly which a man may easily finde in their writings The second Author of the Hebrue he counteth Dauid whose Psalmes he speaketh of much in few lines but little it is in comparison of their excellencie whereof many ancient and late Writers haue spoken notable things I will not heape them vp here assuring my selfe that all true Christians will grant me that the Book of Dauids Psalmes is as Saint Basil saith the Store-house and treasurie of all good learning for all men to come at and will confesse with Saint Ierome and Saint Chrysostome that nothing better becommeth a man be he Peasant or Crafts-man great or small than to sing vnto the Lord the praises and thankesgiuing in these excellent songs contained the very liuely and true Anatomies of a beleeuing soule O how cursed and abominable before God and his Church are those wicked ones that haue forbidden Christians the vnderstanding and vse of them and banished them out of Christendome that haue suffered allowed maintained commanded and commended vnto the people these shamefull and wanton Poesies these books of vanitie error and leasings which with their Authors deserue the fire not the quiet and peaceable persons that call vpon Iesus Christ and belecue stedfastly the life euerlasting The soule that feareth God will not take this my digression ill nor thinke it needlesse As for the vngodly let them spit at it if they will I regard them not The third Author and ornament of the Hebrue is reckoned Salomon in his Prouerbs the Booke of the Preacher and the Song of Songs bookes more besprinckled with golden words and notable sentences than his Crowne was with pretious stones and pearles embossed Happie is the man that taketh delight to marke and daily thinke vpon so profitable and necessary instructions The fourth is the Prophet Esay the sonne of Amos right such a one as the Poet hath described These foure hee thought sufficient to name because they haue most Writings extant and are withall exceeding cloquent as might easily be proued by particulars if I were to write a Commentary or a whole discourse thereof 24. The Greeke Homer his Illias and Odyssea containing 48. bookes is the most ancient Greeke Author we haue his inuentions are wonderfull his vaine naturall his verses smooth and full of Art and the more they are considered the greater grace they haue There is also in them a hidden sense and the very well-spring of all humane knowledge as may appeare by that infinite peeces of his poesies are cited in the bookes of ancient and late Phylosophers Geographers Historiographers and Orators as Plutarch and others witnesse The next to Homer is Plato not in time but in worthinesse he is called the diuine Phylosopher because he is so maruellous pure so high and lofty in all his disconrses the true scholler of him that professing himselfe to know but one thing namely that he knew nothing declared that he knew all things that might be learned in the world as touching the world For concerning the knowledge of saluation Plato and his maister both were ignorant and sith all other knowledge is nothing in comparison of that the more are we bound to God that haue it he said most truely
will sooner mount and light aire downward presse Then how thou'lt aske me come these huge and raging floods That spoile on Riphean hils the Boree-shakeÌ„ woods Drowne Libanus and shew their enuious desires To quench with tost-vp waue the highest heau'nly fires He aske thee Cham how Wolues Panthers from the Wild This refutes all the obiections of Atheists At time by Heau'n design'd before me came so mild How I keepe vnder yoke so many a fierce captiue Restored as I were to th' high prerogatiue From whence fath'r Adam fell how wild foule neuer mand From euery coast of Heau'n came flying to my hand How in these cabins darke so many a gluttonous head Is with so little meat or drinke or stouer fed Nor feares the Partridge here the Falcons beake pounces Nor shuns the light-foot Hare a Tygers looke or Ounces How th' Arch holds-out so long against the wauy shot How th' aire so close the breath and dong it choaks vs not Confused as it is and that we find no roome For life in all the world but as it were in toombe Ther 's not so many planks or boords or nailes i'th'arch As holy myracles and wonders which to marke Astonnes the wit of man God shew'th as well his might By thus preseruing all as bringing all to light O holy Syre appease appease thy wroth and land In hau'n our Sea-beat ship ô knit the waters band That we may sing-of now and ours in after age Thy mercie shew'd on vs as on the rest thy rage Annotations vpon the first Booke of Noe called the Arke 1 DIvine verse He complaines of the miseries of our time of his bodies crasinesse and care of houshold affaires which hinder his bold designes and make his Muse fall as it were from heauen to earth He calls the verse diuine because of the subiect matter which he handleth acknowledging withall that as Ouid saith Carmina proueniunt anime deducta sereno and this serenitie or quietnesse of spirit which is all in all for a Christian Poem is a gift from Heauen And therefore this our Poet In stead of calling vpon his Muse which is but himselfe or helpe of profane inuentions looketh vp rather vnto that power from whence commeth euery good and perfect gift that is the father of light 2 Oh rid me This is a zealous inuocation and well beseeming the Authors intent which also is enriched with a daintie comparison For verily the chiefe grace of a Poem is that the Poet begin not in a straine ouer high to continue and so grow worse and worse to the end but rather that he increase and aduance himselfe by little and little as Virgil among the Latin Poets most happily hath done Horace also willeth a good writer in a long-winded worke ex sumo dare lucem that is to goe-on and finish more happily then he began Who so doth otherwise like is to the blustring wind which the longer it continues growes lesse and lesse by degrees but the wise Poet will follow rather the example of Riuers which from a small spring the farther they run grow on still to more and more streame and greatnesse 3 As our foresire foretold Saint Peter in his 2. chapt of his 2. Ep. calls Noe the Herault or Preacher of righteousnesse and in the eleauenth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes it is said that Noe being aduertised from God of things not yet seene conceined a reuerent seare and built the Arch for safegard of his familie through the which Arch he condemned the world and was made heire of the righteousnesse which is by saâ—th By these places may be gathered that Noe laying hold on the truth of Gods threats and promises as Moses also sheweth in the sixt of Gen. prepared materials for the Arch and in building the same did as well by worke as word of a Preacher condemne the impiety and wickednesse of men warning them of the iudgement which hung ouer their heads which also was put in execution at the very time appointed by the Almighty 4 When all were once i' th' Arke This historie of the Deluge our Poet had before touched in the end of the second day of his first weeke which passage I the Translator thought good here to insert that the description might be the fuller These verses and the rest to the end of this booke shew vs the fearefull iudgement of God vpon the sinnes of that former world set downe first by Moses in the 6.7 and 8. chapters of Genesis Were I to write a full commentary thereof I should discourse of Noes Arke and diuers questions which present themselues concerning that rare subiect with the precedents consequents and coincidents but I touch lightly these things to draw the Readers care and make still more and more knowne vnto him the great learning and Art shewed in this diuine Poem To see how our Author is his crafts-master let a man conferre this decription with that of Ouid in the first booke of his Metam concerning the Deluge of Deucalion Some of his verses I thought good here to set downe for encouragement of such as haue leysure more neerely to consider and compare the French with the Latine Protinus Aeolijs Aquilonem claudit in antris Et quaecunque fugant inductas flamina nubes Ennttitque Notum madidis Notus euolat alis Terribilem piceá tectus caligine vultum Barba grauts nimbis canis fluit vnda capillis Fronte sedent nobulae rorant pennaeque sinusque Vtqué manu latè pendentia nubila pressit Fit fragor densi sunduntur ab aethere nimbi Then speaking of the land and out-let of Riuers thus Intremuit motuque vias patesecit aquarum Eupatiata ruunt per apertos slumina campos Cwnque satis arbusla trabunt pecudesque virosque Tectaque cumque sais rapiunt penetralia sacris See the rest of Ouid who hath not so exactly described these things as our Poet. 5 Nereus By this word he means the Sea which at the Deluge ouerflowed the whole Earth because it was not then held within the proper bounds thereof by the powerfull goodnesse and prouidence of the Creator Ouid expresseth it thus Omnia pontus erant deerant quoquelittora ponto Virgil thus Spumeus atque imo Nereus ciet aequora sundo Natalis Comes in his Mythologie lib. 8. cap. 6. hath much of Nereus and the Nereides where also he giues a reason why the Poets so call the Sea 6 The Sea-Calues So I translate le Manat for the Veal-like flesh thereof though this be indeed a great Sea-fish described by Rondeletius in the 18. chapter of his sixt booke He is also like a young Bull with a broad backe and a very thicke skin they say he weigheth more then two oxen are well able to draw His flesh as I said before commeth neere the taste of Yeale but it is fatter and not so well relished he will be made as tame as a dog but hath a shrewd remembrance of
dans sa nuict Il descouure vn Soleil qui sauorable luit Qu'vn air infect l'estouffe en si puante estable Il ne veut desloger que Dieu n'ait agreable Son desembar quement que deuotieux Il soit auec tout ce qui estoit enserré de viuans auec luy Iln'entende tonner quelque oracle des cieux Mais si tost que Dieu parle il sorte de sa cauerne Ou plustost des cachots d'vn pestilent Auerne Auec Sem Cham Iaphet sa femme ses trois Brus Et cent cent façons soit d'animaux pollus Soit de purs animaux Car le sainct Patriarche En auoit de tout genre enclos dedans son Arche God makes the flood to cease 11 Thus Noah past the time and lesned all their harme Of irkesome prisonment with such like gentle charme His hope was onely in God who stopping now the vaines Whence issued-out before so many wells and raines Chidde th' aire To that end commands the winds to driue backe the water and drie the earth and bid her shut the flood-gate of her seas And sent North-windes abroad go ye quoth he and case The Land of all this ill ye cooling fannes of Heau'n Earths broomes and warre of woods my herauts posts and cau'n My sinnows and mine armes ye birds that hale so lightly My charriot ore the world when as in cloud so nightly With blasting scept'r in hand I thundring rage and ire From smoaky flamed mouth breathe sulph'r and coles of fire Awake I say make hast and soop the wat'r away That hides the Land from Heau'n robs the world of day The winds obey his voice the flood beginnes t' abate The Sea retireth backe 12 The Arklanded And th' Arch in Ararate Lands on a mountains head that seem'd to threat the skie And troad downe vnd'r his feet a thousand hills full high 13 Now Noes heart reioic'd with sweet conceit of hope The Rauen sent out to discouer And for the Rau'n to flie he sets a casement ope To find some resting place the bird soares round-about And finding none returnes to him that sent her out Who few daies after sends the Doue another spie That also came againe because she found no drie But after senights rest The Doue sent out the second time brings an Oliue branch in signe of peace he sends her out againe To search if any Land yet peer'd aboue the maine Behold an Oliue branch she brings at length in beake Then thus the Patriarch with ioy began to speake O happie signe o newes the best that could be thought O mysterie most-desir'd Io the Doue hath brought The gentle Doue hath brought a peacefull Oliue-bough God makes a truce with vs and so sure sealeth now The patent of his Loue and heau'nly promises That sooner shall we see the Tyger furylesse The Lyon fight in seare the Leuret waxen bold Then him against our hope his woonted grace with-hold O first fruit of the world O holy Oliue-tree O saufty-boading branch for wheth'r aliue thou be And wert all while the flood destroyd all else I ioy That all is not destroyd or if since all th'anoy That waters brought on all so soone thou did'st rebudde I wonder at the Lord that is so mightie and good To ralliue euery plant and in so short a space Cloath all the world anew in liueries of his grace 14 So said he Noe comes not out of the Arke but by the commandement of God who sent him thereinto yet although the flood had so reflowd That all about appeerd some Islets thinly strew'd Him offring where to rest although he spied a bright And cheerefull day amid his age-encreasing night Although th' infected ayre of such a nastie stall Ny choakt him would he not come forth before the call Of God that sent him in before some thunder-steauen For warranâ— of his act gaue Oracle from Heauen No sooner spake the Lord He comes forth and all other liuing creatures that were with him but he comes out of Cell Or rath'r out of dennes of some infectious Hell With Sem Cham and laphet his wise and daughters three And all the kinds of Bruits that pure or impure be Of hundred hundred shapes for th' holy Patriarch Had some of euery sort enclosd with him i'th'Arch 11. Thus Noah In the beginning of the 8. Chap. of Gen. Moses reports that God remembred Noe and euery beast and all the cattell that were with him in the Arke and made a wind passe vpon the earth and the waters ceased This the Poet expoundeth giuing by the way very proper Epithites vnto the winds and such also as are mentioned in the Psalmes 18. and 104. This wind dried the earth by degrees and caused the waters to retire into their proper place of deepe Sea and Chanels for the waters enterlaced with the earth make but one globe And though at the Deluge by Gods appointment they went out far beyond their bounds to drowne the wicked yet when the same God would deliuer his seruant Noe out of danger at his command they remasse themselues into their wonted heap furthered thereunto by the winds and there continue so setled that they passe not the bounds of an ordinarie ebbe and flow This is done by the power of God and for the promise he made to Noe that there should be no more generall Flood to destroy the earth 12. And th'Arke The Poet here calls it the Holy Carraque as built by the commandement of God and containing his Church On the seuenth day of the seuenth moneth saith Moses Gen. 8.4 rested the Arke vpon the Mountaines of Ararat Some by this name vnderstand the great Armenia others the top of Caucasus So Goropius who thereupon discourseth at large in the 5. booke of his Antiquities entitled Indo-Scythica Iosephus in his first sheweth what thought Berosus Nicolaus Damascenus and others very auncient concerning the Arke but followeth the first opinion The Poet contents himselfe here to signifie and expresse only in generall some very high hill 13. Now Noahs heart reioyc'd From the end of the seuenth moneth to the end of the ninth saith Moses the waters began to abate daily more and more and on the first day of the tenth moneth that is eight moneths and thirteene dayes after the Flood began the tops of the hills appeared so then already were the waters soonke aboue fifteene cubits This fust made the Patriarke be of good hope For after forty dayes he opened the window of the Arke and let goe the Rauen which went and came till the waters were dried from the surface of the earth He sent out also a Doue to try if they were yet further abated but the Doue not finding where to rest the sole of her foot returnâ—d vnto him againe into the Arke for the waters were yet ouer the whole earth and he reached out his band and tooke her to him into the Arke And when he
raigne without some habitations for himselfe and his subiects and considering that Moses in the selfe-same place affirmâ—th that the Cities founded by Nimrod were in the countrey of Sennaar and that in the 12. verse of the 11. Chapter he saith that these builders of Babel dwelt on a plaine in the countrey of Sennaar by good reason the inuention and beginning thereof is here ascribed to Nimrod who by this meanes sought to set his state on foot Also this Monarchie of Babylon was one of the first and with it that of Niniuie as may be gathered out of the words of Moses But the more particular discourse of these matters and diuers other questions concerning Nimrod and his outrages require a larger commentatie 5. Like as the Vulcan weake The Poet saith that as a small deale of fire let fall by some Shepherds among the drie leaues of a great Forrest setting it selfe and hatching as it were the heat a while at length with helpe of the wind groweth to so great a flame that it taketh the whole Forrest and leaueth not a Driad that is not a tree in his proper or naturall barke So the words first vttered by Nimrod then blowne with the bellowes of his Minions and fauourites set the hearts of the people on fire that he soone obtained his purpose This is it that Moses noteth in the eleuenth Chapter of Genesis the third and fourth verses They said one to another the chiefe men hauing put it in their heads Come let vs make bricke and burne in well in the fire so had they bricke in stead of stone and sâ—â—me had they in stead of morter Then said they Goe let vs build vs a Citie and a Tower whose top may reach vnto the heauens that we may get vs a name lest we be scattered vpon the whole earth The Poet in his verse discourseth vpon this deuise It is thought that this proud building was begun about an hundred and fiftie yeares after the Floud The good Patriarch Noe that liued yet long time after saw his posteritie confounded and scattered for so it was the Lords will to exercise the patient faith of his seruant to whom in recompence he shewed the effect of his blessings in the family of Sem where still remained the Hebrew tongue together with the doctrine and discipline of the true Church Now out of this history of Moses touching the building of the Towne and the confusion of the builders is sprong as it seemeth the fabulous discourse of the Poets set downe by Ouid in his first booke of Metamorphosis touching the Giants that heaped hilles one vpon another to scale heauen and dispossesse Iupiter of his throne Thus hath Satan endeuoured to falsifie the truth of sacred historie Well this arrogant building sheweth vs how vaine are the imaginations of worldly men namely to set at naught the true renowne of heauenly life and seeke after the false of earth Carnall men haue no care at all to worship and reuerence the name of the true God they regard only to be accounted-of themselues and so to write their names in the dust Against the attempts of the men of Babel and all their successours let vs oppose these sentences the 18. and 21. of Prouerbs The name of the Lord is a strong tower thither shall the iust repaire and be exalted There is no wisdome nor vnderstanding nor force can preuaile against the Lord and that which is written Psal the 127. Except the Lord doe build the house the builders labour but in vaine 6. God seeing this Moses in the 5. and 6. verses of the 11. chapter saith Then the Lord came downe to see the Citie and Towre which the sonnes of men had built And the Lord said Behold the people is one and they all haue one language and this they begin to doe neither can they now bee stopped from whatsoeuer they haue imagined to doe come on let vs goe downe and there confound their language that they vnderstand not one another Then he addeth the execution of the sentence saying So the Lord scattered them from thence vpon all the earth and they left off to build the Citie Therefore the name of it was called Babel because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth and scattered them from thence ouer all the world God that is all in all neuer changeth his place he goeth neither vpward nor downward but the Scripture saith hee goeth downe then when he worketh any thing on earth which falling out beyond and against the ordinary course of nature witnesseth his particular presence Vnder these few words of Moses a many things are to be considered chiefly he noteth the great sinnes of the builders in that he bringeth in the Lord iudge of the whole world vouchsafing to bow downe his eyes particularly vpon that foolish people For it is not without cause that the great God of heauen and earth should arise from his throne and if I durst so say leaue the palace of his glory to come and view these durt-dawbers or morter-makers By this manner of speech Moses sheweth and giueth vs to vnderstand that long time before these Babylonians had built in their hearts most wonderfull high and stately towers and that long agoe they had bak'd in the sire of their concupiscence some maruellous brickes to wit they had much counsailed one with another and discoursed of meanes to get renowme and found no better way to attaine their purpose then to raise a tower vp to the heauens to rauish with astonishment all those that should behold it So Moses saith that this pride and froward selfe trust deserued a grieuous punishment but as God is perfectly iust so layeth he vpon the builders a chastisement proportionable vnto their offence 7. Thus had he said and straight In God it is all one to will and to doe And further he sendeth not lightning winde nor tempest against the tower but contenteth himselfe to strike the proud and puffed-vp braines of the builders and so the building founded vpon their folly was ouerthrowne by their foolish iangling that God mingled with their language and the vainglorious masons insteed of their imagined renowne haue gotten themselues euerlasting shame Who would haue thought that God had had so ready such kinde of rods to punish mankinde withall But let the Reader consider whether the world at this day be not full of Babel-towers Marke what a number of men doe in euery kinde of vocation Sith I doe not take vpon mee but to write bare Annotations I leaue it to the Readers consideration who may see now more then euer that the world continueth the building of Babel that is men madly gainset their owne wisedome and power against the wisedome and power of God who treading as it were with woollen feet and stealing on softly is able with an arme of Iron to surprise and seize vpon these builders and turne by diuers meanes their vaine purposes and weake endeuours to
that he knew nothing The third is Herodotus who writeth in the Ionick Dialect that is a kinde of Greeke differing a little in phrases and pronuntiation from the common-spoken as some farre scituate shires doe from the Court or mother-Citie of their Countrie in diuers points it agreeth with the French Plutarch dealeth somewhat too roughly with this worthy Historiographer in whose defence I will oppose the authoritie of a learned man of our time who in a certaine Preface of his saith of Herodotus Narrationes eius sunt disertae iudicationes expressae speciosae explicationes accuratae euidentes collectiones certae atqueplenae in his rerum gestarum hominum temporum fides accurata compertorum relatio dubiorum coniccturasagâ—x sabulosorum verecunda commemoratio miravbique simplicitas eximius quidam candor See the great praises and perfections of a graue Historiographer The fourth is Demosthenes the prince of Greeke Orators the very rule and square of all that endeuour to speake eloquently a man that leadeth other mens mindes as he list excellent in all his discourses which are extant the most of them and read to the great vse and prosit of those that know how to apply them 25. Then he of Anthonie and Catiline great foe That is Cicero surnamed the father of Eloquence he is the first and chiefe of those that grace and maintaine the Latine tongue He was extreamely hated of Marke Anthonie and Catiline both whom he hath also bitterly pursued and touched to the quicke as his Catilinarie and Philippicke Orations declare the often printing of his workes and learned mens continuall reading of them and borrowing thence the best graces of their writings doe proue his learning eloquence and plentie of speech to be such as the Poet here describeth The second is Caesar the most valiant of eloquent men and most eloquent of valiant men as may well appeare by his life in Plutarch and his Commontaries de bello Gallico by which worke he hath wrung the pen out of learned mens hands and in a manner discouraged them all from writing Histories because they see such perfection therein as they are not able to come neere The third is the Historiographer Salust we haue of his workes besides diuers Orations two Histories remaining Coniuratio Catilinae bellum Iugurthinum short they are but full of sentence and sinewes witnessing the ancient force and vigor of the Roman tongue The Reader may hereto adde the commendations of these three Authors as they are in many learned bookes of late writers here and there scattered As for those that thinke Cicero bableth without learning and that Caesar the Dictatour and first Emperour wrote not these Commentaries that beare his name and that Salust writeth a hard and forced stile because their accusations are false and they so farre out of the way I thinke them worthy none other answer than our Poets few verses here Of the fourth which is the Poet Virgil too much cannot be spoken his bookes of Georgickes and Aeneidos being such maruellous workes and so farre exceeding all other bookes of humanitic I speake not onely for the excellence of his verse but sure in the depth of his inuentions his iudgement his decence his modestie his grauitie and his state how much he doth outstrip and goe beyond all others may be seene not onely in euery booke of his but euen in euery verse wherein is contained a thousand thousand secrets and as it were the abridgement of all kinde of Arts and knowledge besides his proper tearmes his Epythites alway fit his metaphors and figures sow'n and sprinkled in their right places and his speech quite throughout eloquent and pure without any bodging or dawberie whatsoeuer The learned Caesar Scaliger among many others hath plainly and at large declared in his Art of Poetrie the excellency of this Author 26. Th'Italian For ornament of the Italian a language risen of the Roman or Latine he nameth three Poets and one Orator slipping diuers writers of historie and Secretaries that haue left diuers excellent workes Orations and Epistles among vs. The reason is I thinke because these foure containe in them all the graces of the others He nameth also the Tuscan tongue because of all the diuers Dialects of Italie the Luquish Milanish Geneuish and Venetian none are so pure and fine as the Florentine or Tuscan Iohn Boccace hath written long time agoe but a very fine and pure stile as his Decameron his Fiametta the Philocope The Laberinth and his other bookes witnesse that with the world are in so great request Francis Petrach hath written since and inuented goodly words and partly by his owne pregnant wit partly by imitation of the best Authors hath enriched the tongue with many graces he hath ventured also farre and made Sonets Chapters and Cantoes wonderfull curious Then Ludouico Ariosto of Ferara hath set forth a legend of Loue entituled Orlando furioso in verses sweet and meet famous throughout all Italie he is full of affections in his discourse and as delightfull as is possible by reason of the varietie of that fabulous matter he writeth of which he shadoweth so cunningly that the Reader is therewith often affected and mouâ—d as if it were a true storie or at least not altogether false Torquato Tasso is last of the foure in time of writing but in account as the Poet saith the first and chiefe he was the sonne of Bernardo Tasso that eloquent man whose excellent Epistles are in print This his sonne hath written in twenty bookes or Cantoes of stately verse a poeme the best of all Italians entituled Gierusalemme liberata all the graces and riches of the Greekes and Latines are there gathered together all wrought into it after the best manner so graue so short so learned so comely so liuely so stately as if it were the worke of another Virgil. There are also printed at Ferrara three volumnes of his workes containing other kindes of verse and all sorts of fine inuentions a Comedie a Tragedie diuers Dialogues and discourses in prose all are worth reading and all make good the iudgement that our Poet hath giuen of the Authour 27. The language Arabicke This language is comen of the Hebrew among other learned mens bookes that haue made this tongue of account we haue the workes of Aben Rois that is the sonne of Kings for Ben signifieth a sonne in Hebrew and the Arabians adde to the beginning this preposition A and sometime Al. This Aben Rois is the same that we commonly call Auerroës the Commentar a very excellent Philosopher He hath commented vpon most of Aristotle and is translated into Latine printed at Venice the worke doth shew the deepe reach and subtill braine of the man Auicen was a great Rhilosopher and Physitian as his writings also declare Gesner saith Auerroës was of Cordway and Auicen of Seuill and so I thinke but it appeareth by their workes that they were both Arabians and professed the superstition
betwixt the which runneth Euphrates Arphaxad passing Euphrates staied in Chaldea and for that Astronomy and other excellent arts there chiefly flourished the Poet surnameth him the Learned which appertaineth also vnto him in regard of the true doctrine maintained by his posteritie and after some corruption reformed in the house of Abraham whom the Lord remoued from Vr of the Chaldeans into Syria C ham tire vers le Midi Cham fut fait le Seigneur de la terre bornee Vers l'Autan par les flots de la noire Guinee De Sephal Botongas Gaguametre Benin Et du chaut Concritan trop fertil en venin Vers le Nort de la mer qui naissant pres d'Abile Depart lariche Europe l'Afrique sterile Vers la part ou Tytanle soir noye ses rez De l'onde de Cap-verd de Cap-blanc de Fez. Et vers celle ou Phebus le matin se resueille De l'Ocean d'Aden de la mer Vermeille Et qui plus est encore tout ce qui gist enclos Entre le mont Liban les Arabes slots Habitation des successcuts de Cham. Entre l'onde Erytree le Goulfe Persique Il l'adiouste grand Prince à son sceptre d'Afrique Canan l'vn de ces fils s'amaisonne à l'entour Du Iourdain doux-glissant ou se doit quel que iour Heberger Israel Pheud pouple la Lybie Mizraim fon Egypte Chus l'Ethiopie C ham Lord was of the Land that Southward is beset With blacke Guineas waues and those of Guagamet Of Benin Cefala Botongas Concritan That fruitfull is of drugs to poison beast or man It Northward fronts the sea from Abil pent betweene The barren Affrick shore and Europs fertil greene And on the Westerne coast where Phoebus drownes his light Thrusts-out the Cape of Fesse the green Cape and the white And hath on th' other side whence comes the Sun from sleepe Th'Arabick seas and all the ruddy-sanded deepe Nay all the land betwixt the Liban mountaine spred And Aden waues betwixt the Persick and the Red This mightie Southerne Prince commanding far and wide Vnto the Regiment and scept'r of Affrick tide For Canan one his sonne began to build and dwell By Iordan gentle streame whereas great Israel Was after to be lodg'd Phut peopled Lybia Misraijm Egypt had Chus Ethiopia 8. Cham. The share of Cham was Africke which the Poet boundeth out as followeth It hath on the Southside the Aeâ—hiopicke Ocean or the sea of Guinea the land of Negros the realmes of Caefala which commeth neere the South Tropicke and is right-ouer against Madagascar or as the Spanish call it the Isle of S Laurence Bolongas lower and hard by the Cape of good hope Guagamet about the lake of Zembre from whence the riuer Nile springeth as Daniell Cellarius noteth in his Map of Africke and Benin that Ises aboue th'Equator neere the great bay betwixt Meleget and Mauicongo As for Concritan it is a great wildernesse betweene Cefala and Bolongas which by reason of extreame heare brings forth great store of poisonous things Now the Northbound of Affricke is the Midland-sea and on the West it shooteth out three capes or promontories named in the text all toward the Atlanticke Ocean but the greene cape which is more southward and pointeth more toward the Sea called in respect of the Antatticke pole the North Sea though it lye very neere the Equator on the East of Affricke plaies the Arabian Gulfe and the great red Sea now called the Indicke Ocean and beyond these bounds the Poet saith Cham also possest Arabia which is distinguished into three parts the Happy the Desert and the Stony all enclosed by the Mount Libanus and the Red and Persian Gulfes 9. Canan He setteth downe briefly and in foure verses the seuerall abodes of Chams foure sonnes according as they are named in the tenth chapter of Genesis Chus the eldest brother had Aethiopia which some take for that vnder Aegypt others for the land of Chus which is a part of Arabia the Happy as may be gathered by many places of the old Testament well noted of M. Beroals in the sixt chapter of his fourth booke of Chronicles Mizraim peopled Aegypt that of the Hebrewes was commonly called Mitzraijm and long after Aegypt of the name of King Aegyptus who succeeded Belus in that kingdome and was brother to Danaus who came into Greece and was Author of that name generall to the Grecians which as Saint Augustine thinkes De Ciu. Dei the eighteenth booke and tenth chapter happened about the time of Iosua Phut the third sonne of Cham gaue name saith Iosephus to the Phutaeans after called Lybians of one of the sonnes of Mesren or Mizrain named Lybis He addeth also that in Mauritania there is 〈◊〉 certaine riuer and countrey called Phute Ezechiel 30.5 numbreth Phut among those that were in league with Chus and Lud which the Latine interpreter translateth Ethiopia Lydia and the Lydians so also did the 70. Interpreters This I say to mouâ— the Reader that is so delighted vnto a further and more diligent search I thinke Phut was seated neere Arabia and Aegypt although Arias Montanus and others place him in the coast of Affricke now called Barbary about Tunis Bugie Algeri and the Mountaines of Maroco Now of Canan or Chanaan the fourth sonne of Cham was called that Land of Promise which the twelue Tribes of Israel vnder the conduct of Iosua in due time entered and possessed The bounds thereof are plainly set downe in the booke of Exodus chap 23. verse 31. and elsewhere I neede not here discourse of them except I were to write a long Commentarie Iaphet tirevers le Septentrion l'Occident Iaphet s'estend depuis les eaux de l'Hellespont La Tane flot Euxin iusques au double mont Du fameux Gibaltar l'Ocean qui baigne De son flus reflus le ruiage d'Hespaigne Et depuis ceste mer ou les chars attelez Se promenent au lieu des Gallions ailez Iusqu'au flot Prouençal Tyrrhene Ligustique L'onde de la Morce de la docte Attique Contre le beau terroir de l'Asie mineur Second iardin d'Eden du monde l'honneur Et ce large pays qui gist depuis Amane Iusqu'au source du Rha du bord de la Tanes Habitation des enfans de laphet leurs descendans Des reins de so Gomer se disent descendus Tant de peuple guerriers par la Gaule espandus Et les Germains encor iadis dits Gomerites De tubal ceux d'Hespaigne de Magog les Scythes Mazaca de Mosoch de Madai les Medois Les Thraces de Thyras de Iauan les Gregeois Iaphet to the North and West Now Iaphet spred along from th'Ellesponticke waters Th'Euxine and Tanaies vnto the mount Gibraltars Renowned doubl ' ascent and that sun-setting Maine Which with his ebbe and flow playes on the shore of Spaine And from that higher sea vpon whose
Spaniards haue taken as it were this one graine away but thus much say they pointing to the rest in the vessell thus much and more haue they left behinde them Now the word Viracochie because it comes thus in my way Benzo himselfe in his third booke saith it signifies the froth or scumme of the Sea and that the Peruvians so call the Spaniards for deepe hatred and abomination of them saying also sometimes one to another in their language The wind beares downe houses and trees and the fire burnes them but these Viracochie they doe worse than wind and fire They waste all they eat all they turne the earth and all vpside downe they turne the course of Riuers they are neuer at quiet they neuer cease ranging vp and downe to seeke gold and siluer and all they finde is too little for them When they haue it what doe they They take their pleasure they warre one with another rob one another kill one another they are euer giuen to lying blaspheming and denying the same God whom they professe and these men haue cruelly slame without cause our fathers our children and kinsfolkes taken from vs contrary to all right our goods our libertie and countrie Hauing thus commended the Spaniards they cause the Sea for vomiting on the Earth so cruell and wicked a people and often haue vpbraided the Spaniards themselues with this notorious reproach that Gold was the Christians God O how shall this people in the latter day condemne that euer greedy couetousnesse for which Europe now adaies heareth so ill and is by the selfe-people thereof so wasted and vnpeopled But concerning the diuers gouernments of the West-Indies seeing they are set downe so well at large by Lopes Ouâ—ede Benzo and others it is too great a matter for me to handle in this discourse which is I feare me growne too long already therefore will I draw to an end The Poet at the 413. verse begins to shew some likely opinions how this new-found world was pleopled and first in generall that the people of countries inhabited exercising their ordinary traffick one with another might sometimes be cast by force of tempest vpon the West-Indian shore and so be constrained their ships being broken to remaine still there Others by plague war or famine were driuen to leaue their countries and seeke some quietter dwelling farre off and so haue lighted on these new Countries Or perhaps some great man of authority or cunning Pilot by ventring made a discouery thereof and led the ouer-creases of some people thither As the Poet sheweth more particularly in the verses following 44 Nay could not long agoe He guesseth in speciall and most likely that the inhabitants of the furthest Northeast shore of Asia to wit the men of Quinsay and other places there might haue emptied their ouer-peopled Cities by passing the Anien Straight a part of Sea no broader as he saith then the Phare of Gallipoli Gibraltare or Messine and so from the East Indies might they haue stored first the land of Tolguage which Theues in his map of the new world placeth betwixt the Realmes of Anián Tolm and Quiuir within 15 degrees of the North-pole then the rest as followeth 45 So from the Wastes of Tolm and Quiuir In all this huge Northren part of America few people there are especially toward the coast ouer against Quinsay and the other East countries There are therefore great Waste-lands as the later Card-men haue noted about the kingdomes or countries of Anian Tolguage Quiuir and Tolm about 12000 leagues compasse So then the Poet holds opinion that some of Sems posteritie hauing once passed from the farthest East-point of Asia ouer to the West-Indian Coast thrust their of-spring farther into the land The Countries here named by the Poet are to be found in the Sea-cards and Land-maps betwixt Now-Spaine and Estotilant as if he meant that the North-part of America was first inhabited concerning the properties and particular descriptions of these places reade the third volume of the Spanish Nauigations the second Booke of the generall historie of Lopez de Gomara chap. 37. c. the Historie of Florida Benzo the Reports of Johannes Verazzanus laques Cartier and other French Captaines concerning their discouering of the Land of Labour where the Sea is frozen Baccalos New France Canada Hochilega and other lands thereabouts Reade Thenet also and the later Card men For the French Calienza I haue translated Caliquas according as I finde it writted both in others and in Ortellus who also hath for Mechi Terlichi-mechi and therefore I translate it Terlichi 46 They sow'd at'nother side Xalisco now called Noua Gallicia is described by Gomara in the 21. chapter of his fift booke It is a land very fruitfull and rich in honey waxe and siluer and the people there are Idolaters and Men-eaters Nunnius Gusmannus who seized the country for the King of Spaine in the yeare 1530. hath written a discourse thereof and it is to be read in the third volume of the Spanish Nauigations The Prouince of Mechuacan from whence not far lyeth Cusule is about 40 leagues lower southward then Xalisco that also the said Gusmannus conquered after he had most cruelly and traiterously put to death the Prince and Peeres of the country as Gomara sheweth in his booke and chapter aboue quoted Mexico which some account all one with Themixtetan is the mother-Citie of that kingdome now called Hispania Nona wonderfull rich it is and strong and of high renoume built farre more curiously then Venice vpon a lake salt on the north-side because it is there of a Sea-like breadth and on the south-side fresh because of a Riuer that empties there into it Greater is the Citie thought to be then Seuille in Spaine the streets are passing well set and their channels in such manner cast as cannot be mended Diuers places there are to buy and sell-in the needfull and ordinarie wares but one there is greater then the rest with many walkes and galleries round about it where euery day may be seene aboue threescore thousand Chapmen There is the Iudgement Hall for common Pleas and were also many temples and shrines of Idols before the comming of Ferdinando Cortez who made thereof the first conquest for the king of Spaine exercising most horrible cruelties vpon all both young and old in the Citie as Barthelemi delas Casas a Monke and Bishop of Spaine reports in his historie of the Indies where he stayed a long time Looke the description of Mexico in the third volume of the Spanish Nauigations fol. 300. See also Benzo of Millaine his historie of the new world the second booke and 13. Chapter Now from these parts abouenamed after report of some wonders of many there seene and worthy a larger discourse by themselues the Poet drawes his Colonies downe further towards Peru by the Land-straight of Panama which parts the South-sea from the Ocean and thereabout is hardly 20. leagues in breadth The fiery mountaine
may aske How falls it out that the Nations of the world comming all of one father Noe doe varie so much one from another both in body and minde The Poet therefore making this obiection most worthy to be considered giueth also answer thereunto first in generall by way of exclamation and maruaile then in particular manner setting downe some speciall reasons of this wonderfull diuersitie that appeareth in the stature complexion strength colour and custome of people wheresoeuer dispersed ouer the face of the earth The first and principall cause is Nature it selfe that is the wise prouidence of God maruellous in all his workes If God had made the earth in all places alike all flowers of one colour and sauour all beasts fowles fishes and creeping things of one kinde had he made the heauen without starres or the starres all of one bignesse and men all of the same hew beauty feature strength and disposition as well of bodie as minde the diuers colours of his infinite wisdome had not so shined in them But as he is aboue all yea onely wise good and beautifull so would he in his workes keepe a certaine resemblance of his owne perfection prouoking vs thereby daily to aduance and raise our thoughts vnto the high consideration perfect loue and due reuerence of himselfe Now if we consider all his workes the light of his wonderfull glory no where appeareth more then in the diligent view of Man who is very fitly called of the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the little world For in this little table hath he lymbed-out in orient colours for all that will behold the wonders of his vnsearchable wisdome and they are here some of them by the Poet well pointed-out And a wonderfull thing indeed it is that among so many men as haue beene since the beginning are or shall be to the worlds end there neuer was nor is nor can be any one but differing much from all the rest both in bodie and minde and in many things else that ensue thereon This I am content to note but in a word leauing all the particulars of this miracle for the Reader priuatly to consider that he may wonder the more thereat and praise there-according th' almighty Creator the Soueraigne Good neither will I now take in hand to dispute against those that in searching the causes of this diuersitie ascribe all to Fortune or Nature as they call it meaning a secret propertie and power of the creatures or to the starres and other heauenly bodies to mans lawes custome or nourishment in stead of God who is indeed the first and only working cause of all things in whom we liue moue and are This matter would require a long discourse and though the Poet here beside the chiefe and only tine cause reckoneth certaine vnder-causes as custome growing to Nature th' example of Elders prouinciall Lawes and the influence of Stars it is not his meaning to take from the Lord of Nature this honour due vnto him for the diuersitie of his wonderfull works but only to lay open vnto vs a few such instruments as his incomprehensible wisdome vseth to make vs the better conceiue the manner of his heauenly working The Philosophers Astronomers Physicians and Politicks discourse at large vpon these differences he that would see them well handled let him reade the fift chapter of Bodines Method entituled de recto historiarum indicio and the first chapter of his fift booke de Republica which is the summe of all that he writes thereof in his Method Peucer also in the 13. and 14. bookes of his discourse vpon the principall sorts of diuinations and Hippocrates in his booke de Aëre aquis locis but especially Bodin may ferue to expound our Poet who in very few lines hath penned matter of so long discourse 59 The Northen man He entreth consideration of many points wherein the North and Southerne people differ Bodin in the places afore-quoted shewes the causes thereof according to Philosophie and Physicke because his bookes are common specially his Politicks I will not here set downe what he saith nor examine his opinions but leaue that wholly to the diligent Reader Concerning that the Poer noteth the best Histories auerre the same and namely for the Southerne people Iohannes Leo and Franciscus Aluares for the Northen Olaus Magnus the Baron of Herbestan in his Muscouie Buchanan in the historie of Scotland and diuers others 60 The Middle Man Bodm in the fift booke of his Politickes the first chapter diuideth all people dwelling on this side the Aequator into 3. kinds to wit the hot and Southerne people from the Aequator 30. degrees vpward the Meane and temperate in the next 30. and the Extreame cold and Northen people from the 60. degree to the Pole And so of the nations and countries beyond the Aequator The reason hereof he setteth downe in his Method chap. 5. 61 For in the sacred close The Poet goes on according to the said diuision and in few words implies all that discourse of Bodin who saith among other matters there that the people dwelling in the middle Regions haue more strength and lesse wit then the Southerne better parts of minde and lesse bodily force then the Northen and are moreouer the fittest for gouernment of Common-wealths and iustest in their actions And if a man doe marke well the histories of the world he shall finde that the greatest and most valiant Armies came euer out of the North the deepest and subtilest knowledge of Philosophie Mathematickes and all other contemplatiue Arts from the South and the best gouernment the best lawes Lawyers and Orators from the Middle countries and that the greatest Empires were founded and established there c. What reason there is for this he sheweth also in his fift chap. of his Meth. Looke more thereof in L. Regius de vicissitudine varietate rerum For my part I am of opinion that Almighty God as he hath knit and bound together the Elements and Creatures made of them with a maruellous compasse in number weight and measure best for continuance of the whole worke and mutuall agreement of the parts so hee hath also placed the chiefe subtiltie and liuely-hood of spirit farthest from the greatest bodily force either in beast or man for the better maintenance of humane societie in a iust counterpoys and gaue the middle kinde of people a nature of either tempered though if a man enter into particular discourse he may easily finde the northerne southerne and middle Nature in euery Nation What say I euery Nation nay I dare say in euery one of vs so fitly is Man called a little world But the southerne men for the most part hauing so quick and liuely parts of minde in a bodie lesse charged with flesh they represent the contemplatiue and studious kinde of life the northerne that haue their vvit in their fingers ends that is that are so cunning craftesmen inuenters of warlike engins artillerie and
whereof Euclide and his Expositors haue spoken at large in their sixt booke as they haue also many propositions touching the same before 22. The Globe This is a kind of Geometricall Solide most excellent and perfect aboue all others as all men that haue written thereof doe plainly declare whom the Poet here also followeth Their chiefe reasons are 1. That it hath the same fashion and shape that the world hath 2. That it hath neither beginning mids nor end 3. That it is moueable in place and immoueable out of place That it is concaue and conuex which is as much to say as Inbent and Out-bent or crusye and bulked that it is made of straight lines meaning the diameters and yet crooked round about as is the surface thereof that it mooueth euery way at once vpward downward backward forward rightway leftway that it swayes and mooues with it according to proportion all round bodies next it This we may well perceiue by that heauen called Primum mobile which drawes with it the firmament of fixed starres together with the seauen spheres of Planets That although it stand still as when the sphere is laid on a plaine yet seemes it to be in continuall motion and euery way nods and threatens to fall because the base or foot it stands-on is but a point from whence on euery-side halfe hangs-ouer This may seeme strange then euen where there is a foundation to rest-on Much more in the Earth that hath no foundation to sense but hangs in the Ayre whereof the Poet giues a good reason because it selfe is the resting-place or middle point of all the bodies concentrike and round of it selfe is not by any promontorie or corner forced from abroad More ample reasons hereof shall yee finde in the Commentaries of Clauius Junctinus Schreckensuschius and others vpon the Spheare of Iohn of Hallifax commonly called Iohannes de sacro Bosco and in the Commentarie of Millichius vpon the second booke of Plinie 4. The Sphere is alwaies and euery where throughout like it selfe so are not other bodies Geometricall 5 As houses that are blunt-cornerd receiue more into them then do the straight or sharp-cornerd because these stride not so wide as the other so the Sphere being as it were euery way blunt containes more then any Geometricall bodie of other shape 6. Other Solides are broken oft-times by reason of their beginnings ends plights knobs and ioynts whereas the Sphere is voide of all those and therefore must needs be more perfect and sound as all Astronomers and Geometricians doe proue both by their owne experience and to the view of others 23. The doubling of a Cube and squaring of a Round About these two secrets of Geometrie diuers learned men of our Age haue taken great pains as well in their Commentaries vpon Euclide as in Bookes and Treatises printed apart But because these matters doe require demonstrations with distinct number and figure it was impossible for me to set them downe here and my ayme is at things of more vse and profit He that would be further satisfied herein let him repaire to the learned Mathematicians or to their Bookes set forth in Print Nicolas de Cusa Orontius Cardan in his worke de proportionibus Pelletier Clauius Candales in diuers demonstrations vpon Euclide haue largely discoursed vpon these Secrets and others drawing neere vnto them 24. Keepe faster The Theoremes Problemes and Propositions of Geometrie contained in the books of Euclide are most certaine and out of all controuersie among people endued with reason as the Expositors of this Author doe plainly shew Howbeit the Sceptikes and Pyrrhonians both old and new do oppose them But the Poet simply considers the truth of things reiecting all Sophistrie which deserues not to be disputed withall especially when it denies principles and such as these whereby Geometrie hath filled the whole world and that but a hundred yeares since with an infinite sort of rare and admirable inuentions 25. By her the gentle streame For proofe of that last point he brings in 1. The vse of Wind-mills and Water-mills 2. Artillerie 3. The Saile mast sterne and other furniture of a ship 4. Printing 5. The Crane or wheele deuised to draw or lift-vp great stones to a high building and other Engines to command and beat downe pyles planks and whole trees if need be into the earth vnder water 6. The Crosse-staffe or Iacobs-staffe as we call it to measure the Earth Ayre Heauen and Sea and vnder this may be comprised all other instruments which the Surveyours of Land Camp-masters Geometors Astronomers and other men vse to that purpose or the like 7. All kinde of howre-glasses of sand or water Dyals of all sorts and sounding clocks to marke how the time passes both by day and night 8. Certaine statues and deuises of wood which by meanes of sundry gynnes of motion within them haue beene made to pronounce some words of mans voice whereto may be added the woodden Pigeon of Archytas the Eagle and Flie of Iohn de Montroyall the brasen head of Albertus Magnus the clock-cock of Strausburg 9. The deuise of Daedalus to flie in the ayre which hath beene imitated since by others In the tenth and last place he glaunceth at the vaunt which Archimedes made that he would mooue the Earth out of place if he had but elsewhere to stand These all deserue throughly to be considered but for the present I will content my selfe thus only to haue pointed at them And so come to the third Image which is Astronomie 3. L'Astronomie ne peut estre bien veue que de ceux qui conoissent l'Arithmetique la Germetrie Or d'autant que ces deux nous donnent seure entree Dans le sainct Cabinet où l'Vranie astree Tient sa ceinture d'or ses lumineux pendans Ses Perles ses rubis ses saphirs ardans Qu'homme ne peut monter sur les croupes iumelles Du Parnasse estoillé que guindé sur leurs ailes Que quiconque est priué de l'vn de ces deux yeux Contemple vainement l'artifice des cieux Le sculpteur a dressé pres de l'Arithmetique Et l'Art mesure-champ l'image Astronomique Ornemens de l'Astronomie Elle a pour Diademe vn argentè Croissant Sous qui iusqa'aux talons à iaunes flots descend Vn Comet allumé pour yeux deux Escarboucles Pour robe vn bleu Rideau que deux luisantes boucles Attachent sur l'espaule vn damas azurè D'estoilles d'animaux richement figuré Et pour plumes encor elle porte les ailes De l'oiseau moucheté de brillantes rouëles Now these two Arts because they lead vs onward right Into that sacred tent where Vranie the bright Sits guirt in golden belt with spangles albedight Of carbuncl ' and of pearle of rubye and chrysolite And that a man withou the help of eithers quill May neuer mount the twyns of starrie Pernas hill But whosoeuer wants one of these Eagles eies In vaine