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
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
and her people in the second booke here and that of France in the third both laid together betokning as it were some new bond of Loue shortly to come betwixt that Realme and this which we all pray the Lord to prosper To make way then yet more for this mutuall acquaintance by communication of Language thus much of that Noble Poet I thought meet to counterpage with French and English Not all both because the Kings happie match growing on so fast I had no time to finish and print so great a volume and for that I may say of this Author as of Homer know foure of his bookes and know them all for thus much onely may suffice I presume to helpe an Englishman vnderstand the whole French of Bartas or a Frenchman the whole English of Siluestor If you aske me why I keepe this kind of Hexameter verse I need say no more but that it is the same which the Author kept in the originall and he doubtlesse for the more graue made choice thereof with great reason according to the counsell of Horace who aduiseth all writers Descriptas seruare vices operumque colores his reason followes which with little alteration of the verse I may hereto fitly applie Indignantur enim communibus propè socco Dignis carminibus dici primordia Mundi And what is our English Pentameter but the same kind of verse which is vsed in our Comediâ—s Besides I had a desire to trie how French and English would go hand in hand for enter changeable helpe and teaching of the one by the other now both Nations are so well inclined to learne and conferre together For which purpose I found this worke very fit and readiest on such a sodain to present my Lord the King withall at the here celebration of his marriage And herefore onely if there were none other cause yet gentle Readers my hope is yee will hold me excused I was about to end but may not forget to let you vnderstand that this Bartassian verse not vnlike herein to the Latin Pantameter hath euer this propertie to part in the mids betwixt two wordes so much doe some French prints signifie with a stroke interposed as here in the first two pages you may see for example The neglect of this hath caused many a braue Stanza in the Fâ—irie Queene to end but harshly which might haue beene preuented at the first but now the fault may be sooner found then amended I doe but note it vnto you that you may the better obserue the true cadence of this our Authors verse and so craning your fauourable construction of these and all my like endeauours I rest willing to doe you what further seruice I am able VV. L. Iusqu'a la fin du Mond la lys Francoise Fleurisse iointe auec la Rose Angloise Fin d' Adam commencement de Noe. The end of Adam and beginning of Nöe PVis il commence ainsi ‑ La branlante cité Des peuples escaillez ‑ tout ce lambris vouté Ou du grand Foudroyeur ‑ la puissance eternelle Mit Phebus Phebé ‑ par tour en sentinelle Adam declaire ason fils en coÌ„bien de iours le monde a esté creé L'air des nues la lice ‑ le camp assiné Oùle colerâ— Autan ‑ le Nort mutiné Se donnent le battaille ‑ siers iettent par terre Maint bois qui moytoien ‑ veut esteindre leur guerre Des fragiles humains ‑ le diapré sciour Fut fait en six Solcils ‑ le septiesme iour Fut le sacré Sabat ‑ Ainsi la terre l'onde L'air l'azur dore ‑ des pauillons du Monde Subsisteront six iours ‑ mais longs touts diuers Des iours bornez du cours ‑ de l'oeil de l'Vniuers Combien d'aages il dureia L'vn coÌ„mence par moy ‑ L'autre a pour son Aurore Le pere inuente-nef ‑ qui les coutaux decore D'vn pampre cultiué ‑ L'autre ce grand Berger Qui suit le Tout-puissant ‑ en pays estranger Et dounant plus de foy ‑ à la saincte parole De Dieu Le premier aage du monde sous Adâ— Le second sous Noe. Le troifiesme sous Abraham Le quatriesme sous Dauid ses successâ—s qu' à la raison ‑ son fils vnique immole L'autre vn autra Pasteur ‑ dextrement courageux A qui la fonde-sert ‑ d'vn canon orageux Et qui change veinceur ‑ en septre sa houlette Grand Prophete grand Roy ‑ grand Chantre grand Poêts Celui la qui le suit ‑ prend-son commencement Par lannict de ce Roy qui void cruellement Massacrer ses enfans sur la riue grasse D' Euphrase transporter la Iudaique race Le cinquiesme sous la captiâ—iâ—e dâ— Zedechias Le â—â—xiesme sous Iesus Christ Le deâ—nier qui sera le repos du monde Et lautre a pour Soleil le Messie attendis Qui batu qui chassé qui moque qui pendu Qui mis dans le cercueil a de nostre iniustice Blen que iuste souffert l'execrable supplice Mais le dernier sera le vray iour da Repos L'air deuiendra muet de Neptune les flots Chommeront paresseux le ciel perdra sadance Le Soliel saclarâ—é la terre sa chenaâ—uâ—e Et nous estans plongez en eternels esbats Celebrerons au ciel le Sabat des Sabats Las que doy-te esperer de larace voisine Du seu qui doit vengeur cendroyer la machine Considerations d'Adam sur ce qui doit auenir à ses descendans iusques à la sin du premier moÌ„de exterminé par le deluge comme le rout est expose par Moses Des hommes qui n' auront que leur dosir pour loy Et qui n' orront parler nide Dieu nide moy Puis que pleins de sureur ceux qui prindrent naissance Dessus le sacré sueil Enos â—establiâ— le 〈…〉 Qui sentent bruire eâ—cor le diuin iudgement Et sont comme tesmoins de mon bannissement Semblent despiter Dieu Ame traistre mutine Hé 〈◊〉 est ce assâ—z d'auoir fuit triple l'Androgyne N' est câ— assez O Lamech d'auoir ton lict souillé Si tis n'auois encor ten çoutclas mouillé Dans le sang hisayeul sans que ni la defence De cil sou qui sleschit l'internale puissance Ni la marque qu' au front l'Assassin inhumain Portâ—il pâ—ur saufconduit ait retenu tamain 〈…〉 O saint Enos sus courage redresse L' est 〈…〉 la soy Enos â—establiâ— le 〈…〉 que l'humaine sagesse Foulois la sous les pieds inuoque l'Immortol Pourpre d'vâ—lâ—e le sang les coins de son autel D' vn enceas vaporeux son nez sacré parfume Et l'amorâ—i slambcau de Verité r ' allume Vâ—â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—sciple Henoe du monde
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
the iawes of Hell The skarr'd inhabitants of that same floating Cell Who now a peace-offering deuoutly sacrifise And from his Alter make perfumes to Heau'n arise Of purer kinded beasts and therewithall let flie Zele-winged heartie prayers and thus aloud they crie 15. Here yet the damned Crew Before he goe-on he shewes what certaine profane wretches doe obiect who make doubt of this history concerning the Deluge because they cannot conceiue how it is possible that the Arke being but 300. cubits long and 50. broad and 30. high should liue it is the Sea-mans phrase so many moneths in so great a storme of wind raine and violence of waters with so heauy a charge and containe so many creatures together with their competent food and fodder sithence the greatest Gallion vpon the Sea hath hardly stoage for the nourishment of a Horse an Elephant a Cammell a Bull and a Rhinoceros the space of ten moneths The Poet hath diuers answers to this obiection First that the mungrell beasts of what sort soeuer since engendred as Mules Leopards and other like that Nature daily brings forth were not in the Arke And this may be gathered out of the very text of Moses who speaks of the simple and true kindes not the mingled or mungrell sort as all Expositors agree The second is that the Arke because it contained so many cubits geometricall was able to receiue of all the true and simple kinds wylde tame creeping flying both male and female This is briefly said but we will speake thereof a word more Moses hath recorded in the 6. chap. of Gen. ver 14. c. that God hauing a purpose to destroy the world said vnto Noe Make thee an Arke of Gopher-wood which is thought to be a sort of Pine or Cedar Thou shalt make cabins in the Arke and shalt pitch it inside and out with pitch And thus thou shalt make it The length thereof shall be 300 cubits and the breadth 50 cubits and the height 30 cubits a window shalt thou make in the Arke and in a cubit shalt thou finish it abone and thou shalt set a doore in the side thereof And thou shalt make it with a low second and third roome or storie The timber then of the Arke being of such a fast and sad wood not easily rotting was like to hold out and I imagine it was a kinde of Cedar such as Plinie nameth in the 15. chap. of his 13. booke saying Hanc quoque materiam siccatam mari duritie incorrupta spissari nec vllo modo vehementiùs 1. That this kinde of timber dryed with the Sea more then any wayes else growes so sad and hard that it cannot rot But sithence the Commentors vpon this place differ much in the interpretation of this word Gopher which in all the Old Testament is not found but here I leaue the Reader that will be exact and curious to search it out himselfe As for the rest it is not to be doubted but that Noe endowed with a great measure of the holy Spirit and with exquisite wisdome did herein euen to the full conceiue and execute the commandement of God So as the Arke that is the close or couered ship was surely made and finished according to the proportion set downe by Moses and that of choice well seasoned and most durable materials 100 yeare a preparing as may be gathered by comparing the 7. chap. and 6. verse with the 6.10 and the 5.32 of Genesis And for as much as the whole businesse was managed by the expresse ordinance of God who gaue a secret instinct to the beasts both cleane and vncleane to enter after Noe by payres into the Arke I conclude there was roome distinct and sufficient both for them and their prouisions Apelles an auncient Heretike and the disciple of a most vngodly Master called Marcion hauing presumptuously controuled the bookes of Moses gaue occasion to some of the Fathers and chiefly Origen among other points to treat of the capacitie and largenesse of Noes Arke wherein he accounts each cubit Geometricall the Quadrate whereof is as much as six other cubits And this I. Buteo a learned Mathematician of Daulphine very cunningly declares in a treatise purposely written of the Arke of Noe where he proues to the full whatsoeuer may be questioned concerning that admirable peece of Architecture and all the cabins that it had for the creatures and their seuerall prouisions Io. Goropius discourseth likewise hereof and at large in the second booke of his Antiquities entitled Gigantomachia inserting also some part of Buteo But to speake plainly if we take the cubit in common signification for a foot and a halfe and confider the different syze of men of that age from ours together with the length bredth and height of the Arke and three stages whereof the lowest was for the prouision the next for the foure-footed and creeping creatures and the vppermost for the birds with Noe and his familie and ouer all these a couering wee shall finde roome enough to lodge and place all according to the number in generall set downe by Moses to wit male and female of euery sort vncleane and seauen of the cleane male and female The Poet here speaking of the Geometricall cubit means a cubit solid that is in length bredth and height taken together There are that make the cubit two foot long and make difference betwixt the cubit legale as they call it and the cubit of a man glancing at that which is said Deut. 3. of the bed of Og king of Basan Looke what Arias Montanus saith in his Tubal Cain and Noah where he discourses of the measures and Architectures mentioned in holy Scripture and of the Arke These bookes are in the Volume which he calleth Apparatus ioyned to the great Bibles in Hebrue Greeke and Latine and printed at Antwerpe That which hath led these Atheists and profane wretches into errour is that they consider not that Noe and the men of that Age by reason of their higher stature had longer cubits and hard it is to giue a iust proportion of theirs vnto ours When Moses wrote certaine it is that mens bodies were abated of their bignesse yet that which he wrote was easily vnderstood of the Israelites who receiued these things by tradition and knew them as perfectly as if they saw them with their eyes The last argument here vsed by the Poet adoring the wisdome of Almighty God who made all things in number weight and measure is a reason of all reasons and altogether vnreasonable are they that reason to the contrary then beside reason were it to propound reason to them that haue lost the true vse of reason and will conceiue nothing but that which their owne mad and extrauagant reason soundeth in their eares But againe to the Text. Pere port-trident Pricre de Noé à Dieu Roy des vents dompte-mer Voy nous d'vn oeil benin O Dieu vueille calmer Les bouillons de tonire conduire au
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
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
Bullinger thereupon As for Mosoch Ioseph saith of him are come the Cappadocians and for proofe thereof alledgeth a certaine Towne of their Country called Mazaca It may be gathered out of the 120. Psalme that Mesech or Mosoch was a neighbour people to Syria and Arabia which place the Chalde Paraphrast expounding vseth words of this import O wretch that I am for I haue beene a stranger among the Asians and dwelt in the Arabian tents The Poet considereth what might haue beene in continuance of time and how farre the mans posterity might haue stretched Madai sure was Author of the name of Medes whose Empire was very great in the higher Asia they destroyed the Chaldean Monarchie as may be noted out of Ierem. 51.11 Dan. 5.18 The Thracians Ioseph saith and the Poet are descended of Thyras Melancthou thinkes that of him are come the Russians but the Scripture speaketh not of his posteritie Plinie makes mention of a Riuer Tyra in the Russian or European Sarmatia Melancthon Goropius and others call it Nester Goropius in his seuenth Booke puts the Getes Daces and Bastarnes among the Thracians as all of one stocke and speaking almost the selfe-same tongue which also as he saith comes very neare the Cimbricke and Brabantish Iauan the fourth sonne of Iaphet gaue names to the Ionians who after with their neighbours were called Greekes and therefore the Latine Interpreter translating the place of Ezech. 27.19 for the Hebrue Iauan hath put Graecia so haue the seuenty put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the name of Greece for the same word As also in the 13. verse of the same Chapter and in the 19. of the 66. of Esay they both haue translated the Hebrue Jeuanim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graeci The Country of Athens hath in old time beene called Ionie as Plutarch saith in the life of Theseus and Strabo in his ninth Booke recites out of Hecataeus that the Ionians came out of Asia into Greece Now the Greekes as they were great discoursers they haue deuised a thousand tales of their first beginning but I let them passe because my notes are already waxen ouer long Ioy si-ie voulois ie ferois vne liste Discrete modestie du Poëte qui ayme mieux se taire que traiter de choses obscures cachees sous le voile de l'Antiquité De tous nos deuanciers marchannt sur la piste D'vn supposé Berose d'antres qui menteurs Abusent du loisir bonté des lecteurs Hardi i'entreprendrois de toutes les prouinces Nommer de pere en sils les plus antiques Princes Chanter de l'Vniuers les diuers peuplemens Et des moindres citez fouiller les fondemens Mais quoy ie ne veux pas abandonner ma voile Au premier vent qui souffle sans la clair estoile Qui luit sur touâ— les cieux temeraire ramer Sur les flos inconus de si lontaine mer Toute pleine d'escueils de Scilles profondes Où ne roulle pas moins de naufrages que d'ondes N'ayant autres Patrons que certains escriuains Forgeurs denoms de Roys autheurs decontes vains Qui sont tout à leur poste conuoiteux de gloire Sur vn pied de Ciron bastissent vne histoire He will not enter into matter farre out of knowledge Here if I were dispos'd vpon the ground to treade Of that suppos'd Berose abusing all that reade As he and others doe well might I let you see Of all our Ancestors a fained pedegree I boldly might assay of all the worlds Prouinces From father vnto sonne to name the former Princes To sing of all the world each peoples diuers lot And of the meanest to wâ—â—es to lay the grunsill-plot But what I meane not I as eu'ry wind shall blow To leaue the former course and rashly assay to row The bright Load-starre vnseene vpon the waues vnknow'n Of such an Ocean sea so full of rockes bestrow'n And Scyllaes glutton gulfes where tumbleth equall store Of shipwracks on the sands and billowes to the shore Not hauing other guide then writers such as faine The names of ancient Kings and romants tell vs vaine Who make all for themselues and gaping after glory On footing of a flie can frame a perfect story 12 Now. The like is seene in many bookes of late times and ancient that treat of the Kingdomes Countries and people of the world for many labour more to come neare Noes Arke and to finde there the foundation of their Townes and names of their first Princes then about other more certaine and sure grounds And they had rather forge names and deuise matter of their owne head than leaue to packe huge volumes full of tales witnessing the strange vanity of mans braine The Poet condemnes this foolish ambition and by good â—â—ght all the matter when it is at the best being very doubtfull and vnprofitâ—ble for man was placed on the earth to thinke rather on the seruice of God than so to trouble his head with curious out-search of his ancestors names 13 Of that suppos'ed Berose Who so desires to know that the Berose late printed is false supposed and cleane contrary to the right Chaldean cited often by Ioseph in his Antiquities against Apion let him reade the fourth booke of Goropius his Origines Antuerpianae And so let him thinke also of Manetho Metasthenes Fabius Pictor Sempronius Myrsilus Lesbius and others packt as they are into one volume by some one that thought to doe great matters by abusing so the Readers and holding them in amuse by false deuises from further search of the truth I will not here set downe the words of Goropius who at large discouers the forgednesse of this new Berose and his followers let it suffice to haue pointed at the place The true Berose was one of the Priests of Bel and at the commandement of Antiochus the third who succeeded Seleucus wrote three bookes of the Chaldean Historie so saith Tatianus Ioseph and Clemens Alexandrinus Some fragments of his we reade in Ioseph against Apion and they make flat against that other Berose published in our time Pourquoy la recerche de l'Antiquité est obscure coÌ„bien sont mal apuyez ceux qui sondent sur les etymologies allusions des mots L'allusion des mots n'est vn seur fondement Poury sur-maçonner vn ferme bastiment Veu que les monts plus hauts les riuieres plus belles Et les plus grandes mers changent bien qu'eternelles De nom à chaque coup que la posterité De celuy quibastit les murs d'vne cité N'en est point heritiere qu'ici nullerace En fief perpetuel ne possede vne place Ains qu'a ferme à louage ou par forme de prest Elle possede vn champ vn mont vne forest Et comme quand l'orage esmeut la mer profonde Migrations diuerses habitations des peuples Le flot chasse
road into Spaine the Greekes into France and the Frenchmen into Greece neither could the Pyrene mountaines hinder the Germans passage ouer wayes vnknowne and vntroad the light-headed people haue caried their wiues and children and ouer-aged parents some after long wandering vp and downe seated themselnes not according to their free choice but where they first might when they waxed weary of trauell some on other mens possessions sâ—ized by force of armes some as they sought vnknown places were drowned in the sea some there sat downe where they first began to want proâ—ision And all for sooke not their countries or sought other for the same causes Many after their cities were destroyed by warre sled from their enemies and so berest of their owne possessions were faine to presse vpon other mens many left their dwellings to auoide the disquiet of ciuill warres and many to emptie Cities of their ouerceasing multitude some by pestilence or the earth 's often gulsing or like vnsufferable faults of a bad soyle were cast forth and some were entâ—sed from home by report of a larger and more fruitfull ground some for one cause some for another c. 19. I doe not speake-of here The Poet hath Scoenites which I translate Arabes because they were a people of Arabia great robbers and harâ—â—ers of Aegypt and the coast of Affricke 〈◊〉 the shopheards Nomades are as I take them the Numidians and Moores or as some thinke a kinde of Scythiant The Hordies are the Tartarians who liue in the field in chariots and tents Now the Poet leauing the vncertaine course of these roguing Nations who haue had no more stay in them then swallowes and other wandring birds intendeth to speake of a more warlike people whereof he alledgeth some notable examples 20. Right such that Lombard was He setteth downe much matter in few ords concerning the Lombards There are diuerse opinions of their pedegree Melancthon and Peucer in the third and fourth booke of Carious Chron hold they dwelt in a Saxonie by the riuer Albis about where now are the Bishopricks of Meidburg and Halberstad and a part of the Marquesse of Brandburg and from thence vnder the conduct of Alboin entred Jtalie and in the time of the Emperour Iustin the second seated themselues betweene the Appenine hils and the Alpes where they began a kingdome They were called Lombards either because of their long Ianelines for thence it seeme are come the names of Halbards and Iauclines de barde or because they dwelt in a countrey flat and fruitfull as the Dutch word Bard may signifie Some otherutho rs count them farre-northerne people yet shew not their ancient aboad Ptolomee in the fourth table of Europe deriues them from the countrey of Swaube as also he noteth in the second booke and 11. chapter of his Geogr. with whom agreeth C. Tacitus in his Histories But Lazius in the 12. booke of his Migrations of the Northerne people Vignier in the first part of his Library page 905. and out Poet here followes the opinion of Paulus Diaconus they differ not much but onely about the time of their stay and place of their first aboad Melancthon and Peucer set them first in Saxonic Paulus Diaconus the Poet and others in Scandinauie or Schonland a great nearelsle of the Sound or Baltike Sea from whence they might come in by the bankes of Albis all or some of them and some by the coast of Mekelborg c. For Paulus Diaconus in his first booke second chapter saith of this people They encreased so fast in their fore-said Country that they were faine to part themselues in to three companies and cast lots which of them should goe seeke another seat This I say to shew the Poets cunning drift that in so few lines hath set downe matter enough for any man to write-on whole volumes of bookes Thus then to follow the Poet the first notable and fast aboad of the Lombards who came from the Goths and Vandals was Schonland whence a part of them dislodging vnder the conduct of Ibor and Agio setled in Scoring which is about the marches of Liuonia and Prussia and after they had there dwelt certaine yeeres were constrained by a dearth to seeke further so as they came to Mauringia and at length to Rugiland and the countries neere adioyning which Paulus Diaconus setteth downe by name There after the death of their leaders they chose Agilmond for their king He had reigned 33. yeeres when the Bulgares a neighbour people assailing them vnawares slue King Agilmond After him was chosen Lamisson for King who to reuenge the death of his predecessour made warre with the Bulgares got and held a dart of Pologne then waxing wearie of that countrey he led his people toward the Rhine to the coast of the Countrie Palatine as Tacitus notes in his second booke of Histories and Velleius Patere in the life of Tiberius About Heidelberg there is a towne called Lamberten which seemes to make somewhat for the Lombards aboad there so saith Lazius But many yeeres after they coasted backe againe and dwelt in Moranie where they warred against the Heruâ—es Sucues and Gepides Then went they vp into Hungarie vnder the safe-conduit of the Emperour Iustinian to whom they paid tribute as Procopius and Diaconus declare at large There had they cruell warre with the Gepides but at length agreed and ioyned with them and vnderstanding by the practise of Narses that Italie was a Countrey much sitting their nature their King Alboin made a road thereinto and got Lombardie before called Insubria there they rested and raigned two hundred yeers vntill Charles the groat vanquisht them as is before laid 21. Such was the Goth. Lazius in the tenth booke of his Migrations hath handled well and largely the Historie of Gothes gathered out of Procopius Iornandes Tacitus Claudianus Olaus Magnus Eutropius and many others I will shut vp all in short and by way of Paraphrase vpon the Poets verse The Goths and Almaine people had for their first assured seat the Isles of the Sound or Baltike Sea and Gothland yet retaines the name of them In Syllaes time they left these Isles and came to dwell in Almaine beside the riuer Vistula now called Wixel After they had warred there against the Frenchmen they bent toward Transsiluania Hangaria and Valachia where they remained vntill the time of Valentinian maintaining themselues by force of armes against the Greekes and Romans Then for many causes alledged by Lazius they went forward into Thrace and there dwelt and became tributaries vnto Valentinian and Valens Eutropius saith all went not thither but a good part of them kept their former place and the cause of their sundring was a civill disagreement about religion the one side retaining Heathenisme vnder Athalaricke their King the other vnder Fridigerne mingling with Christenisme the abhominable heresie of Arrius which taketh quite away the true religion of Christ The Arrians drew toward the West and wore after called
but went to field with 1500. foot and 3000. horse ouercâ—me the Gâ—tes and Triballes and wasted all Macedonie only through negligence as they retired loaden with spoile they were brought to their end Yet they that remained in Gaule sent forth other companies into Asia who passed on as far as Bossen and Dardanie where by reason of a quarrell that fell betweene them they sundred themselues One part of them cast into Thrace and raigned there a long time the other setled about where Sauus and Danubius meet not far from Belgrade These that remained in Dardanie when they heard tell of the fruitfull soile of the lesser Asia went on so far as Hellespont and there because they were three Companies they parted Natolia betweene them into three parts The Trocynes had the coast of Hellespont the Tolystoboges Eolide and Jonie which the Turkes call Quision The Tectosages the country further into the maine land All that part of Asia which lyeth on this side Taurus they made their tributary planting themselues all along the riuer Hâ—lys that parteth Paphlagonia from Syria That Prouince where the Gaules dwelt in Asia from their first arriuall to the height of the Romane Empire retained the name of Gaul-Greâ—ce together with that same language which Saint Ierome six or seuen hundred yeares after saith was like that he heard spoken in Gaule about the quarter of Treues Thus concerning the ancient Gaules no to cleare some few darke words of the Text. The worke of Romulus c. He meaneth Rome builded by Romulus the most warlike Citie of all the world and therefore Mars whom the Painims counted the God of Warre may be thought the founder of it Cold Strymon a riuer parting Macedonie from Thrace as Plinie saith and because Thrace is no very warme country he giueth Strymon the adioint of Cold. The Emathicke fields to wit Macedonie so called of King Emathion Plinie speakes thereof in his fourth booke and tenth chapter thus Macedonie a Comtrie containing an hundred and fiftie Nations sometime renowned for two Kings he meaneth Philip and Alexander and for the Empire of the whole world it was afore-time called Emathia which word the Poets as Virgil and Lucan doe sometime vse for Thessaly a Countrie neare Macedonie Lucan in his very first verse Bella per Emathios plusquam ciuilia Campos And Virgil in the end of his second Georgie Nee fuit indiguum superis his sanguine nostro Emathâ—am latos Aemi pinguescere campos The Pharsalian fields are in Thessaly as Fliny recordeth in his fourth booke and eight Chapter Dindyma A hill in Phrygia The Poet calleth it Dindyme chastré guelt Dindym because the Priests of Cybele called Curetes kept and sacrificed there and were Eunuches atrired like women The Poets meaning is that these Gaules harried also Phrygia and called the country where they dwelt in Asia Gaul-Greece after the name of that from whence they first came and so planted as it were another Gaule in the middest of Asia What became of their successours in the Romanes time because the Poet makes no mention thereof I passe it also 23 Of people most renowà d He sheweth in few words wherefore he thrusteth no further into discourse of the out-roads the people made in old time For though Carion Melancthon Pâ—ucer Lazius Rhenanus Goropius and others of our time haue that way farre ventured and some-while with very good successe yet it cannot be denied but that they leaue many doubts and doe not all-where cleare the matter See then how fitly the Poet addes that followeth Il dit en somme queles trois fils de Noé peuplerent le monde Il me suffira donc de suiure son oree Et pendant attentif de la bourche dorce Du sage fils d'Amram rechanter dans ces vers Que Sem laphet Cham peuplerent l'Vniuers Et que du grand Noé la Fuste vagabonde Pour la seconde fois flott a par tout le Monde Cela ne se fit point tout à coup mais par trait de temps Non que i'enuoye Sem de Babylone auant Tout d'vn vol es terroirs du plus lontain Leuant Du Tartare Chorat boire l'onde argentine Et peupler le Catay le Cambalu la Chine En Espaigne Iapheth le profane Cham Es pays alterez de Medre de Bigam Es champs de Cephala dessus le mont Zambrique Et le Cup d'Esperance angle dernier d'Afrique Car ainsi que l'Hymete Comparaisons bien propres pour monstrer comment les parties du moÌ„de furent peuplees par les ou le mont Hiblean Ne furent tous couuert aâ— Auetes en vn an Ains la moindre ruchee enuoyant chaque prime A leurs slancs à leurs pieds à leur flairant cime Deux ou trois peuplemens cher nourissons du ciel En sin tous leurs rochers se fondirent en miel descendans de Noé asauoir peu à peu comme d'an en an par multiplication de peuple Ou plustost tout ainsi que deux Ormes fecondes Qui croissent au milieu d'vn champ emmuré d'ondes An tour de leur estocs produisent des Ormeaux Ceux-cy d'autres encor tousiours les nouueaux Gaignent pied à pied l'Isle font mesme en ieunesse D'vn grand pré tondu-ras vne forest espesse Tout ainsi les maçons de la superbe Tour S'en vont esparpillez acaser à l'entour De Mesopotamie peu à peu leur race Frayant heureusement sleuue apres sleuue passe Saisit terre apres terre si le Tout-puissant Ne va de l'Vniuers les iours accourcissant Il ne se trouuera contree si sauuage Pourquoy la premiere monarchie se dresse en Assirie Que le tige d'Adam de ses branches wombrage C'est pourquoy les pays au Tygre aboutissans Pendant l'âge premier sont les plus fleurissans Qu'il se parle d'eux seuls qu'ils commencent la guerre Et qu'ils sont la Leçon aureste de la terre Babylone viuant sous la grandeur des Roys Tenoit l'empire en main auant que le Gregeois Logeast en ville close que des murs Dircees Vn luth doux eust meçon les pierres agences Le Latin eust des bourgs des maison les Gaulois Des hutes l'Alemant des tentes l'Anglois Les Hebrieux Chaldeans Egyptiens auoyent la Philosophie super naturelle auant que les Grees sâ—eussâ—t quelque chose Les fils d'Heber auoient commerce auce les Anges Detestoient les autels dressez aux Dieux estranges Conotssoient l'Inconu des yeux de la foy Comtemploient bien heureux leur inuisible Roy. Le Chaldee sçauoit des estoilles le nombre Auoit aulné le ciel comprenoit comme l'ombre De la terre eclipsoit l'Astre au front argenté Et la sienne esteignoit du Soleil la clarté
are both of them leuell without mounting or descending any hill and straight without stopping at any lake or poole In a word whosoeuer hath seene either of them will say it is a worke farre surpassing all the great buildings and paued causies of the Romanes or the walles of Babylon built by Queene Semyramis or those most wonderfull Pyramides of Aegypt Guaynacapa a certaine King of the Indians who liued about an hundred yeares agoe caused these waies to be repaired and enlarged but he was not the first beginner of them as some would make vs beleeue for he could not haue finished them in all his life-time and the stone-worke semes to be much more ancient There are built vpon them a daies iourney asunder many goodly Pallaces called Tambos wherein the Court and armies of the Princes wont to lodge But Gomara saith our Spanyards haue by their ciuill warres vtterly destroyed these causies and cut them asunder in many places that they might not come one to another yea the Indians themselues haue broke off and seuered their parts in time of warre Now let vs heare the Poets answer 41 What then alas belike His first answer is that the people of the West-Indies fell not out of the ayre as many little frogs doe in a warme shower framed by the vertue of the Sunne of the dust or vapours arising out of the earth nor that they grew not out of the ground like roots or plants nor by any strange or vaine inchantment as of the Serpents teeth sowne by Cadmus the Poets faine grew souldiers in compleat harnesse But these they are men well-featured stout and long-liuing chiefly in the North and South-parts of the Country where both men and women in stature strength and continuance farre excell the people of Europe Asia and Affricke The commodities they haue for health their meat drinke and dwelling their ceremonies ciuill gouernment and other properties duly noted by the Historians make very good proofe of the Poets saying 42 Indeed this mightie ground This new-found world is called America of the name of Americus Vespusius a certaine famous Pilot of Florence one of the first discouerers of the Countrey not much more than an hundred yeares agoe His second answer is that this part of the world could not be so soone inhabited as the other three because it is discoasted further from the plaine of Sennaar for in Asia the plaine it selfe was And Arabia being peopled Affrick was very neare at hand and Europe from the lesser Asia is parted but with a narrow Phare whereas America is farre beyong all these which way soeuer we coast He calleth Europe a learned Soyle tower-bearing louing-right for the number of learned men and cunning Artisans of Kingdomes and States well gouerned and Fortresses that are there That after Iupiter his deare-beloued hight lo wit Europa that was the daughter of Agenor King of Phaenicia For the prophane Poets faine their great god being in loue with her to haue taken the shape of a Bull and on his backe to haue carried her ouer Hellespont and therefore the place where he first landed her was called by her name From this fable seemes to be drawne the name of Besphore which is as much to say as Bull-ferry Perhaps this Iupiter was some notable Pirate or Tyrant there-about raigning who in a Ship called the Bull stole away some young Lady and fled for safetie into Europe These words which from cold Bosphors head Doth reach the pearly dow of Tithons saffron bed set downe the length of Asia that is from the Bosphere of Thrace vnto the East-Ocean The Castile armes and lore that is the Spanish Religion and forces which Christopher Columbus brought first into America and there planted in the name of the Spanish King 43 But there the buildings The third answer is that the stately buildings infinite treasures and diuers gouernments that are there will witnesse that the country hath beene long inhabited although hard it is to learne how I haue already spoke of the great Causeyes of Peru. Now the sumptuousnesse of Themixtetan the great Citie of the Kingdome of Mexico and the Kings Pallaces of Peru such they are described by the Spaniards make further proofe of the Poets saying As for the vncountable wealth of the Indies it plainly appeares that aboue ten thousand millions of gold haue beene brought thence into Europe beside heapes of Rubies Emerauds and Pearle much wracked in the sea and much brought for a yearely tribute into Spaine Whereunto I will adde what Franciscus Lopes de Gomara saith concerning the vnualuable riches of Guainacapa the name signifieth young and rich the father of Antibalippa last King of Peru whom the Spaniards put to death All the furniture of his house table and kitchin saith he in the 120. chapter of his fourth booke were of gold and siluer and the meanest of siluer somewhat embased with copper for the more strength He had in his Wardrop Giant-like Images of gold liuely featured as also all kinde of beasts fowles trees herbes and flowers that the Land there beareth and all kinde of fishes that either the Sea there or any fresh water of his Kingdome breedeth in the said mettals well and proportianably resembled not so much as cords paniers troughes billets and other such implements but were so to conclude there was nothing in his Kingdome whereof he had not the counfeit in gold or siluer It is also said that the Kings of Peru called Ingaes haue a garden in a certaine Isle neare Puna where they delight themselues when they list take the Sea that hath in gold and siluer all herbes slowers and trees and other things whatsoeuer meet for a pleasant garden such a sumptuous deuice as neuer was heard-of or seene elsewhere Besides all this that King last but one had gathered into Cusco huge masses of gold and siluer vnfined which the Indians hid so secretly as the Spaniards could neuer come by it there was also in and about Cusco great store of picture-tables and tombes all of sine siluer worth some thirtie some fiftie some threescore thousand Ducats a peece also dining-tables vessels and Images a great number all of fine gold The Spaniards at the taking of Antibalippa found as good as 252000. pounds of siluer and of gold 1300265. pezoes euery pezo valued at a Ducat and a halse Besides the great golden table of Antibalippa worth nigh 40000. Crownes Now for all this great spoile that the Spaniards got and hauock that they made as well in Peru as other the Prouinces there-about yet the Indians as Benzo reports who stayed there with the Spaniards fourteene yeares and wrote in three bookes worthy reading that whole story they sticke not to say they haue yet more remaining than all that the Spaniards euer had And to make their meaning plainer they will take out of a great vessel ful of wheat one grain betwixt their singers say See you this the Viracochie so they call the
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
so blest That they and theirs shall golden Scepter weild Whereto must bow and yeild The proudest plant afeild Ph. So here is worke for Muses all but two What hast thou more Mu. Enough for them to do Ph. Nay vse but Clio leaue Melpomene Mu. Why leaue her out a stately Muse is she Ph. But still so sad with looke cast-downe on earth I doubt hir presence will defeat the myrth Mu. No no I will not part her from the Queere But fit her humor and to mend the cheere Out-set all other wofull destinie My fattest lambe shall make a Tragedie And sing the Muse will of no greater bug Then warre betwixt a yong child and his dug Controuling some though not of high degree As cause thereof ye Ladies pardon me The melancholie Muse yet saith not I All that your Sex dishonour I defie But your faire bottles Melpomen doth thinke Dame nature fill'd for your faire bab's to drinke Ph. Milke would she giue else only to the poore Not vnto such as drye't and spill'c a floore Mu. And this 't is like shee 'll adde vnto the rest That Ladies child deserues a Ladies brest That brauer spirit suckt shall more embraue him And make him man-grown like a knight behaue him P. Whē others make their gētle blod far-wors◠By sucking young the basenesse of their nurse Mu For as their Heathen gods the Heathen sayn No mortall blood had running in their vain But Venus wounded once by Diomed Ambrosian liquor at her finger shed Right so in blood of men there is great odds And such among them as are stiled Gods The finest haue to breed their children food Blood was late milk and milk will soone be blood Ph. And some loue more as cause of better luck Then wombe that bore them paps that gaue them luck What parent would not such a reason moue Drawne from the gain or losse of childrens loue Mu. I once beheld where Lady of high degree As with her Lord and others set was she In mids of dinner had her child brought-in And gaue it suck scarce shewing any skin Through ynch-board hole of silk pinn'd vp againe When child was fed without more taking paine Ph. And is not this instinct through all dyssown That eur'y femall hatcheth-vp her owne Well make an end Mu. How can I be too long When Muses beare the burden of my song But here 's a Trumpet Fame selfe hath no better And Clio sounds it well and I 'le entreat her Hereafter sing on high what foe shall bow To th' issues of this happie match but now To surd it as young trompeters are wont And lest it sound too lowd set stop vpon 't Yet first bid welcome with a cheerefull clank The French Deluce to Brytaines Rosy bank Phi. Well fare thine heart for thinking on these things To please the children of so mighty Kings My selfe though poore wil thereto ioine my myte On solemne day so leaue thee for to night Mu. And I so thee time is our sheepe were penn'd The Sunne is soonken at the Landskop end Then Musidor made haste home and began Take order for the busines with his man Wife had he none the more was he distrest See lad quoth he the house and garth well drest To morrow morn for then or soone at least The sweetest Nymph on earth will be my guest Without plash thistles and presumptuous thorns That neare the way grow-vp among the corns For feare they rase her hands more white thē milke Or teare her mantles windy-wauing silke Withìn if Spiders heretofore haue durst With cunning webs where through the stronger burst And weaker flies are caught presume to quyp The sacred lawes of men with besome stryp Both web and weauer downe be-rush the floore The porch and th'entries and about the doore Set eau'n the trestles and the tables wax And strew the windowes house that mistres lacks O how quoth he and deeply sigh'd therat 'T is out of order wants I know not what Haue care my lad and be as 't were my sonne He lowted low and said it should be don Much hereto more was written when the Queene Her beautie shat'd your sea and land betweene But after landing long will be my booke Held vnder presse on part then please you looke Till come the rest but ô with gratious eye And pardon for applying Maiestie To Shepherds stile so may you see conspire Th'English and French as no third tongue comes nigher No not the Greeke vnt ' either though Sir Stephen Hath made the same with French to march full As doth our English and it shall yet more Now heart and hand ye Princes ioyne wherefore eauen I pray and will with Hymen all mine houres That for the good successe of you and yours While earth stands Cent'r and Heau'n in circle goes Together spring French Lillie and English Rose Your Maiesties faithfull subiect and seruant W. L'isle To the Readers COnyes whom Salomon reckons among the wise Little-ones vpon earth do make many skraplets and profers on the ground before they dig earnestly for their neast or litter and writing-schollers draw first in blotting paper many a dash roundell and minime before they frame the perfect letters that shall stand to their coppie so entending some worke that may if I be so happie remain some while after me many waies do I essay and try first my stile and pen that according also to the wise rule of Horace I may thereby iudge my selfe and discerne quid valeant humeri quid ferre recusent Nor do I trust my owne iudgement herein so likely to be partiall but commonly present my worke in writing before it bee printed vnto some Quintilius or other whose noble disposition will authoritie may and learning is able to find fault and aduise me Yet among the sundrie versets or prosets which besides this I haue or shall set-out if you find some that sauour of my younger time passe by them I pray you or affoord them the fauour that my Quintilius doth to let them passe because they were the way that led me to a grauer kind as also the grauest of humain Poetrie brought me at last to the diuine whereof I haue many Essayes now almost readie for the presse This translation of Salust du Bartas what present occasion draweth from me you may well perceiue yet thinke me not herein Acta agere to do that which was before done and very well by Iosua Siluester for it is in a diuers kind and many yeares ere he began this had I lying by me yea partly published in print as Anno 1596 Anno 1598 and dedicated to the late Noble Charles Earle of Nottingham But now the cause why in this I beginne so abruptly is for that I was loth to come neere the booke next aforegoing which our late Soueraigne Lord King Iames in his youth so incomparably made English yet had I a desire to fall vpon that braue commendation of our late Soueraigne Ladie Queene Elizabeth