as it were thorow christall gates for then be dreames and visions cléerest and best distinguished whereas before our meate be fully digested our braine ouerloden with vapors receiueth but troublesome impressions waued so to and fro and so enterlaced one with another that in the twinkling of an eie it frameth a thousand shapes that presently vanisheth away and are no more remembred Now the Poet saith he was guided as he thought into a place most delightfull which he describeth in few verses and it is verie fit for the matter following 22. Iust in the middle point First he describeth the dwelling of Eloquence to wit on a great Rocke wrought and fashioned in manner of a footestall or base for an Image to stande on to shew how stedfast and certaine a thing this excellent gift of God is Secondly the resemblance or Image of Eloquence he calleth a Colosse that is of stature surpassing all others which betokeneth thus much that eloquent and faire spoken men go many degrées beyonde others whom they vse at their pleasure and draw whither they list as the examples of Pericles and Cicero declare and many proofes thereof are founde in the holie Scripture He maketh this Image of Brasse which implieth the faire glosse the swéete sounde and strong force of Eloquence he placeth in the left hand a fire-brand to signifie that learned true and faire vttrance maketh men sée touch as it were the right nature of things in the right hand an Ewer bicause the spéech 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 already are growen too long The little chaines that come foorth from the Images golden toong draw such a number of hearers by the eares hart signifie the great power of a wel framed spéech the truth wherof appéereth chiefely in preaching the word in counsels of graue common wealths-men and orations of good Magistrates and valiant Captaines In this maner did the ancient Frenchmen paint 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 al 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 féete of this Image it signifieth that a pleasant and learned spéech appeaseth all angrie cruell and sauage men and euen the maddest and most brutish people in the worlde it maketh the woods and hils to daunce and leape that is to saie it mooueth bendeth instructeth very block-heads and such as are most hard of vnderstanding this may be the meaning of those fained tales of Amphion Orpheus Arion and other like Lastly this Image is enuironed with a double ranke of pillers well and strongly grounded and vnder-pinned that beare vp in due proportion the nine languages following each by hir owne chiefe authors maintainers For euery pillar was wrought in fashion of a man framed to the countenance of one of their best writers in a long gowne or stole And that is the meaning of the French a la Cariatide After the Carian right as Vitruuius writeth at large in this first Chapter of his first booke of Architecture This I note bicause the French Commentar 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 toong which he placeth in the fore front of Eloquence as in euery regard it was méete whether we consider the swéete grauitie the naturall impliance the shortnes hautines liuelyhood of it or the sinceritie holines light and heauenly maiestie he nameth first Moses bicause he is the most ancient of those whose writings in this toong are extant As for the booke of the Prophesie of Henoch it was lost a long time ago He describeth this holy Law-writer after an excellent manner as was requisite in a discourse of Eloquence His face shineth like a blasing Starre alluding to that in the Scripture that Moses comming downe from the mount where he had talked with God his face so shined that none was able to behold his countenance insomuch as he was faine to weare a vaile ouer it the rest is verie easie to be vnderstood especially of such as haue neuer so lightlie turned ouer the Historie Now for the bookes of Moses they were written many hundred yéeres before the Gréekes were knowne who were not heard of in the world but a little before the raigne of Saul and had but few works in writing or none at all till after the time of Salomon as their owne Histories witnes whosoeuer will take paines to turne them ouer Naie further all their knowledge came from the Egyptians Phenicians and others who had learned somewhat by conuersing with the Hebrues And to come againe to Moses he hath béene in maruellous account with infinite Heathen writers If any haue lightly regarded or found fault with him it was either bicause they vnderstood him not at all or maliced him excéedingly which a man may easily finde in their writings The second author of the Hebrue he counteth Dauid whose Psalmes he speaketh much of in few lines but little it is in comparison of their excellencie wherof 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 Booke of Dauids Psalmes is as Saint Basill saith the Storehouse and treasurie of all good learning for all men to come at and will confesse with Saint Ierome and S. Chrysostome that nothing better becommeth a man be he Peasant or Craftes-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 beléeuing 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 Christendom that haue suffred allowed maintained commanded and commended vnto the people these shamefull and wanton Poesies these bookes of vanitie error leasings which with their authors deserue the fire and not the quiet and peaceable persons that call vpon Iesus Christ and beléeue stedfastly the life euerlasting The soule that feareth God will not take this my digression ill nor thinke it néedlesse As for the vngodly let them spit at it if they will I regarde them not The thirde authour and ornament of the Hebrue is reckoned Salomon in his Prouerbes 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 necessarie instructions The fourth
in vaine Each one the more he striues the lesse appeeres his paine Another excellent comparison declaring how neither counsell art force diligence nor multitude is able to resist God And shortly as the men that altogither stood To build in channell deepe of some great rau'ning flood High arches of a bridge marking from hils descend A hundred sudden streames and now far to extend The mountaine-hating waues leaue off without aduise Scudding some here some there their goodly enterprise Right so these Architects feeling the stormie smart Of Gods displeasure rise had neither strength nor hart But there they left their worke and with hands malcontent Rules mallets plummets lines all down the Towre they sent 4. Now he enthroned is This is the exposition of the words mighty hunter before the Lord to wit that Nimrod Chams nephew did proudly lift himselfe vp against God and man His buildings and the beginning of his raigne could not haue béene such without offring violence to the peace and libertie of diuers families ouer whom he bare rule and there is no shew to the contrarie but that by diuers practises from time to time he got the soueraigntie The holy Scripture oftentimes by the names of hunters and chasers meaneth Gods enimies and the persecutors of his church Psalme 91. 124. Ezech. 32. Lamentations 3. The seauentie Interpreters translate th' Hebrue text after this maner This Nimrod began to be a Gyant on the earth and a huntesman or leader of houndes before the Lorde God By the hounds of Nimrod may be vnderstood his guardes and the fauorers of his tyrannie Moses calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gibor tsaid that is lusty strong or great and mightie chaser Which noteth not onely the stature and height of bodie but also might and authoritie ioyned with violence in all those that want the feare of God Now although Moses in the 11. Chapter of Genesis where he speaketh of the citie towre of Babel make no mention of Nimrod yet hath the Poet aptly gathered out of the chapter aforegoing that Nimrod was the author and promoter of those buildings in as much as Babel is called the beginning of his raigne who could not any waies raigne without some habitations for himselfe and his subiects and considering that Moses in the selfe same place affirmeth that the cities founded by Nimrod were in the countrey of Sennaar and that in the 12. verse of the 11. chapter he saith that these builders of Babel dwelt on a plaine in the countrey of Sennaar by good reason the inuention and beginning thereof is héere ascribed to Nimrod who by this meanes sought to set his state on foote Also this Monarchie of Babylon was one of the first and with it that of Niniuie as may be gathered out of the wordes of Moses But the more particular discourse of these matters and diuerse other questions concerning Nimrod and his outrages require a larger commentarie 5. Like as the Vulcan weake The Poet saith that as a small deale of fire let fall by some shepheards among the drie leaues of a great forest setting it selfe and hatching as it were the heate awhile at length with helpe of the winde groweth to so great a flame that it taketh the whole forest and leaueth not a Driad that is not a trée in his proper or naturall barke So the words first vttered by Nimrod the blowne with the bellowes of his mynions fauorites set so the harts of the people on fire that he soon obtained his purpose This is it that Moses noteth in the 11. chap. of Gen. the 3. and 4. vers They saide one to another the chiefe men hauing put it in their heads Come let vs make bricke and burne it well in the fire so had they bricke instéed of stone and slime had they in steade of morter Then said they go let vs build vs a citie and a tower whose top may reach vnto the heauens that we may get vs a name least we be scattered vpon the whole earth The Poet in his verse discourseth vpon this deuise It is thought that this proud building was begun about a hundred and fiftie yéeres after the flood The good patriarch Noe that liued yet long time after saw his posteritie confounded and scattered for so it was the Lords will to exercise the patient faith of his seruant to whom in recompence he shewed the effect of his blessings in the familie of Sem where still remained the Hebrue toong togither with the doctrine and discipline of the true church Now out of this historie of Moses touching the building of the towne and the confusion of the builders is sprong as it séemeth the fabulous discourse of the Poets set downe by Quid in his first booke of Metamorphosis touching the Gyants that heaped hils one vpon another to scale heauen and dispossesse Iupiter of his throne Thus hath Satan endeuoured to falsifie the truth of sacred histories Well this arrogant building sheweth vs how vaine are the imaginations of worldly men namely to set at naught the true renowme of heauenly life and séeke after the false on earth Carnall men haue no care at all to worship and reuerence the name of the true God they regarde onely to be accounted of themselues and so to write their names in the dust Against th' attempts of the men of Babel and all their successors let vs oppose these sentences the 18. and 21. of Prouerbs The name of the Lord is a strong towre thither shall the iust repaire and be exalted There is no wisedome nor vnderstanding nor force can preuaile against the Lord and that which is written Psal the 127. Except the Lord do buylde the house the builders labour but in vaine 6. God seeing this Moses in the 5. and 6. verses of the 11. chapter saith Then the Lord came downe to sée the citie and Towre which the sonnes of men had built And the Lorde saide Behold the people is one and they all haue one language and this they begin to do neither can they now be stopped from whatsoeuer they haue imagined to do come on let vs go downe and there confound their language that they vnderstand not one another Then he addeth the execution of the sentence saying So the Lorde scattered them from thence vpon all the earth and they left off to build the citie Therefore the name of it was called Babel bicause the Lord did there confounde the language of all the earth and scattered them from thence ouer all the world God that is all in all neuer changeth his place he goeth neither vpwarde nor downwarde but the Scripture saith he goeth downe then whē he worketh any thing on earth which falling out beyond and against the ordinarie course of nature witnesseth his particular presence Vnder these few words of Moses a many things are to be considered chiefly he noteth the great sinnes of the builders in that he bringeth in the Lord iudge of the
and alter-placing the letters of Hebrue words and that which the Gréekes others haue after their example inuented is nothing in comparison For there is scarce any word in the Hebrue but being inuerted as may easily be done and somtimes two thrée or fower waies as the number of the letters are offereth to our consideration another word either of like sense or contrarie or making relation to the first giueth thereto such light beautie and liuelihood that it is woonderfull to behold Againe oftentimes a Nowne or other word yea a letter importeth a whole sentence like vnto the Egyptians Hieroglyphikes inuented of them to the imitation of the Hebrue letters and words yet nothing in comparison of them This matter would require a whole volume to be written according to Art by the hand of some one that were wel seene in the toongs and I could name thrée paire yet liuing that are well able to do it In the meane season whosoeuer is desirous to search further herein let him read the Harmonie of the World written by Franciscus Georgius and Guido Faber the Heptap of Ioannes Picus Earle of Mirandula the Hieroglyphickes of I. Goropius from the beginning of the seuenth booke to the end of the sixtéenth thrée bookes of I. Reuclinus De arte Cabaiistica and other thrée bookes of his De Verbo mirabili the Cabala of Picus with the interpretations of Angelus Burgoneuensis thereupon Further much good matter to this purpose a man may finde in Thesauro linguae sanctae set out by S. Pagninus and after augmented by many other learned professors of this toong Sée further the Syriac Institut c. of Caninius the Mithridates of C. Gesnerus the Alphabet in 12. toongs of Postella and his booke De antiquitate linguae Hebraica there are many such Treatises set foorth 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 thirde is that there liues no nation vnder the cope of heauen but kéepeth still some words of Hebrue in their spéech First the Caldean Syrian Arabian Egyptian Persian Ethiopian and many other as the Gotthicke Troglodytick Punick are so deriued thence that they come as néere it as Italian to Latine some more some lesse Secondly the Gréeke Latine and those others that are farther off haue yet here and there some words that we must néedes 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 rootes of many words that are taken to be Gréeke or some other toong are founde to be Hebrue as Franciscus Iunius hath plainly shewed in his learned oration De linguae Hebraeae antiquitate praestantia 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 Hebrue 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 Hebrue toong God spake not but in the Hebrue toong by the high priest that wore the sacred Ephod and the breast-plate of iudgement whereon was set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vrim Thummim words signifying lights perfectiōs which some thinke was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or four-letered name Iehoua contained within the brest-plate others say it was the ranks 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 néedlesse for that now sithence the comming of Christ we ought to follow the truth it selfe and not stay vpon shadowes These words doubtles gaue to vnderstand that all light and perfection commeth of our Sauiour in whom all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily dwelleth in whom are hid all the treasures of vnderstanding and knowledge who is the light of his Church that is made vnto vs of God his father wisedome iustice redemption and holines In all iudgements demaunds 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 appéered a cléere light a sure truth and perfection all which in Christ is accomplished Now these demaunds answers were propounded rendred in the Hebrue toong 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 Abrahā Concerning the Prophets their dreames visions God spake not they vnderstood not neither answered or taught they the Church but in the Hebrue that significant vnmingled holy chaste heauenly toong wheras others lispe and stammer out vncertaine sounds and are infinite waies defiled through the dishonest foolish erronious and vngodly discourses of their inuentours I except the bookes of the new Testament and all writings drawen from the cléere fountaines of holy Scripture besides the which there is nothing but vanitie filth wickednes and vngodlines in the world Moreouer the Lord himselfe setting 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 Hebrue toong So did the Angels and Prophets and Iesus Christ spake the Syriacke a toong so deriued of the Hebrue that they are very like as their Grammars declare The Apostles spake diuers toongs 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 Hebrue as the learned interpreters of the new Testament haue exactly shewed The fift and last reason set downe by the Poet is that the Hebrue words especially the proper names some are alledged for example and many other may be added are of great waight and importance for somtimes 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 he may finde in them many goodly mysteries
of in the Reuelation hath made so many confusions that it is vnpossible to name them all There remaineth the third point touching Birds foure-footed beasts and fishes whereof and euery of them I will name two onely for a patterne least I séeme too long in the annotations The Storke so commended for hir loue towarde those by whom she receiued life is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chasida that is to say dutifull louing and religious The Eagle is called Nescher that commeth néere to Shor and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iashar the one signifieth to looke the other to be rightfull and this bird of all other hath the sharpest sight and looketh against the sunne There is further a liuely description of this bird in the 39. chapter of Iob as also of the Austrich and many other in diuers places of Scripture The horse called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sus is thought to come of the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nasas if rather this Verbe be not thence deriued which signifieth to aduaunce himselfe for it is the brauest and fiercest of all other foure-footed beasts as Iob finely describeth him in the 39. chapter The Hebrues haue thrée names for a Lion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arieh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labi and Laijsch the first commeth of a Verbe that signifieth to snatch and teare in sunder the second of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leb that signifieth the Hart and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laab to be in solitarie and desert places the third is commonly interpreted a great and roring Lion not vnlike the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Losh that signifieth to surprise or deuoure for thaâ—â—his beast rampeth-vpon and swalloweth vp his pray The â—…hales and great fishes are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thannim Snakes Serâ—…nts or Dragons bicause they are of a great length and turne and fould themselues euery way and are no lesse dangerous in the sea than serpents and dragons on the land In the 40. chapter of Iob that great fish is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leuiathan which some deâ—… of the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lauah which signifieth to borrow or take 〈◊〉 â—or his recreation bicause the Whale séemeth to play vp 〈◊〉 downe the sea as in a place borrowed for recreation The Câ—â—codile that liueth both on land and water is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hatsaâ— and séemeth to come of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsab which signifieth the couering of a Chariot bicause this mightie creature hath so long and so thicke a skin Moreouer th'Hebrues of the whole kinde of fishes speake commonly as if they were of another world bicause they are so farre parted and seuered from the sight and conuersation of men they make thrée sorts of them which they expresse by the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dagh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thannim and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leuiathan This haue I added the more to shew the liuelihood and naturall importance of this toong and héerewith I will content my selfe at this time desiring that some other stirred vp by my example would take this matter in hand and discourse of it better and more at large 14 For when Adam Moses saith plainly in the 19. and 20. verses of the second Chapter of Genesis That God made all the beasts of the fielde and foules of the heauen come before Adam to sée how he would name them and that howsoeuer he named euery thing liuing so was the name thereof The Man therefore gaue names vnto all Cattaile and to the Foules of heauen and to euery Beast of the field The wisedome wherewith our first father was endued before his fall importeth thus much that he should giue méete and couenable names vnto all creatures vnder his dominion although the knowledge and search of birds and beasts names be hard bicause of the weaknes of mans iudgement now since his fall yet is it not vnpossible as men wel séene in the Hebrue toong haue alreadie shewed 15 15 And for each Bodie Adam a man parfitly wise before he sinned gaue not onely méete names to all creatures that were in a maner the moouables and instruments of his house and of this great shop of the world whereof the Lord had made him master but further enriched his language with all maner of ornaments that might be required to make it parfit So that before his fall he spake more eloquently than any mortall man since After he had sinned entred ignorance into his vnderstanding and frowardnes into his affections which haue made the spéech of him and his posteritie vnfitting vnparfit deceiuable and often false euen in humane and indifferent things yea such sometime as we most curiouslie studie vpon But the grace of God the long life of this Patriarch and his fresh remembrance of the woondrous things that he had séene in the Garden of Eden haue brought to passe doubtlesse that the conuersation instruction reports and authoritie of so great a personage had a maruellous force to perswade and teach all those that were in his schoole For from him had we first our Arts Sciences deriued especially the knowledge of the true God And although since his time the things haue béene more and more illightened and parfited yet must we néedes confesse that Adam was the first teacher of them Who so desireth to know the depth of his wisedome let him at his leysure meditate vpon the foure first Chapters of Genesis and he will confesse there is contained the summe of all that all men haue knowne or shall vnto the worlds end Now out of all doubt it is that Adam taught his children and their posteritie all these things exactly But Moses by the direction of the spirit of God thought it sufficient to represent onely the grounde of things otherwise the world neither had nor would euer be able to containe the bookes that might be made vpon these foure first Chapters 16 This toong that Adam spoke The first world continued 1656. yéeres Adam liued 930. yéeres his posteritie kept his language and although they possessed with their tents and dwellings a large péece of ground yet is there no place of Scripture to be found whereout may be gathered any proofe of the diuersitie of toongs before the flood There being then but one it must néedes be the same that Adam taught his children as may also appéere by this that all proper names vntill the flood are Hebrue Noe the true sonne of Adam retained and spoke this toong and taught it his children And although thrée or foure score yéeres before the flood they began to spread abroade themselues and corruption grew more and more among them as by that may be gathered that is written of Nimrod and Asshur and the children of Cham Genesis the 10. yet in the beginning of the eleuenth Chapter Moses witnesseth that at what time they that came to dwell in the plaine of Sennaar spake of building the
is the Prophet Esay the sonne of Amos right such a one as the Poet hath described These foure he thought sufficient to name bicause they haue most writings extant and are withall excéeding eloquent as might easilie be prooued by particulars if I were to write a Commentarie or a whole discourse thereof 24. The Greeke Homer his Illias and Odyssea containing 48. bookes is the most ancient Gréeke Auctor we haue his inuentions are wonderfull his vaine naturall his verses smoothe 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 welspring of all humane knowledge as may appéere by that infinite péeces of his poesies are cited in the bookes of ancient late Philosophers Geographers Historiographers and Orators as Plutarch and others witnes The next to Homer is Plato not in time but in worthines he is called the diuine Philosopher bicause he is so maruellous pure so high loftie in al his discourses 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 worlde as touching the worlde 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 truly that he knew nothing The third is Herodotus who writeth in th' Ionick Dialect that is a kinde of Gréeke differing a little in phrases and pronuntiation from the common-spoken as some farre scituate shires do from the Court or mother Citie of their Countrie in diuers points it agréeth with the French Plutarch dealeth somewhat too roughly with this woorthy 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 indicationes expressae speciosae explicationes accuratae euidentes collectiones certa atque plenae in his rerum gestarum hominum temporum fides accurata compertorum relatio dubiorum coniectura sagax fabulosorum verecunda commemoratio mira vbique simplicitas eximius quidam candor Sée the great praises and perfections of a graue Historiographer The fourth is Demosthenes the prince of Gréeke 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 profit of those that know how to applie 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 toong He was extremely hated of Marke Anthonie and Catiline both whom he hath also bitterly pursued and touched to the quicke as his Catilinarie and Philippick Orations declare the often printing of his works and learned mens continuall reading of them and borrowing thence the best graces of their writings do prooue his learning eloquence and plentie of spéech to be such as the Poet héere describeth The second is Caesar the most valiant of eloquent men and most eloquent of valiant men as may well appéere by his life in Plutarch and his Commentaries de bello Gallico by which worke he hath wrung the pen out of learned mens hands and in a maner discouraged them al from writing Histories bicause they sée such perfection therein as they are not able to come néere The third is the Historiographer Salust we haue of his works 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 toong The Reader may hereto adde the commendations of these thrée 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 bicause their accusations are false and they so farre out of the way I thinke them woorthie none other answere 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 works and so farre excéeding all other bookes of humanitie 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 go beyond al others may be séene 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 kind 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 spéech 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 excellencie of this Authour 26. Th' Italian For ornament of the Italian a language risen of the Roman or Latine he nameth thrée Poets and one Orator slipping diuers writers of historie Secretaries that haue left diuers excellent works Orations and Epistles among vs. The reason is I thinke bicause these foure containe in them all the graces of the others He nameth also the Tuscan toong bicause 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 witnes that with the world are in so great request Frauncis Petrarch hath written since and inuented goodly words and partly by his owne pregnant wit partly by imitation of all the best Auctors hath enriched the toong with many graces he hath ventured also far and made Sonets Chapters and Cantoes wonderfull curious Then Ludouico Ariosto of Ferara hath set foorth a legend of Loue entituled Orlando furioso in verses swéete and méete 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 mooued as if it were a true storie or at least not altogither 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