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
refute the allegations of Goropius Especially those that make against the Hebrue which he hath too saucilâ—e disgraced in the second booke of his Hermath Pag. 25.26 c. The second opinion which I hold with the Poet is that the Hebrue tongue inclosed chiefly in the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament which haue beene wonderfully preserued vntill our time is the first speech of the world and the same that Moses meant when he said The whole earth had one mouth or language before the building of Babel The reasons therof are touched in a word by the Poet who doth hereafter treat of them more at large as wee haue also noted in the margent and meane to speake somewhat thereof in the 12. Annotation Now whereas this first language hath at this day no letter nor word but is full of maimes and miseries it may be said of euery tongue since the confusion that it is nothing but corrupt â—angling weake vncertaine and changing euer from time to time as many haue already shewed heretofore The Greeke and Latine tongues haue changed fiue or sixe times and the learned know what wrangling there hath beene about the writing pronouncing and disposing of their termes and phrases Then what is to be said of the Greekish and Latinish tongues those that are but apes of the other What of the barbarous strange and new tongues Or of those whose foolish pronunciation only no man can abide or of others that by vse time and force of people are waxen current But this I leaue to such as list to Comment hereupon at large 10. Long since the Phrygians The Egyptians being euer great braggers vaunted long agoe that they were the most ancient people of the world a certaine King of theirs named Psammetichus attempted to search out the truth and for that end thought meet by some meanes to discouer what was the first language of the world Thus he tooke two new-borne babes and deliuered them vnto shepheards to be nourished commanding they should be brought vp in a secret staule there to sucke the milke of Goats and straitly forbidding that none should come there to pronounce any word before them then after a certaine time when they were of age they should be left alone and made to fast a while Now so soone as they were past three years old their gouernour hauing in all points accomplished the Kings commandement came to open the staule and then the two children began to crie Bec bec the shepheard said not a word they repeat still the words and he let his Master vnderstand thereof who caused the children to be brought secretly vnto him and heard them speake So when the meaning of the word was asked and the Egyptians vnderstood it signified bread in the Phrygian tongue they granted the preheminence of antiquitie vnto the Phrygians Herodotus writeth that the Priests of Vulcan in the Citie of Memphis told him the same tale There are some others that thinke these Babes were brought vp of dumbe nurses howsoeuer it be sure it is that the pride of the Egyptians was by some such deuise daunted Suidas touching the very point saith that babes nourished of a Goat must needs crie somewhat like a Goat and such was the sound of the word Bec a meet reward for his wisdome that made such a triall The Grecians in old time were wont to call an old dotard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word composed of Bec and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Moone the same is turned into a prouerbe which Erasinus expoundeth But Goropius in the fifth and ninth booke of his Origines playeth the subtill Sophister as his manner is and vseth his beake vpon the word Bec concluding since Bec in low Dutch signifies bread and Psammetichus his babes called for Bec that so long agoe they spoke low Dutch whereupon it followeth that his tongue was the most ancient of the world He calleth also his discourses vpon the same Bocceselanea offering the subiect of a Comedie to some new Aristophanes But let vs consider the answers of the Poet to the Phrygians and to Goropius Resonnast à l'entour de trois-fois douze mois Eux conduits au milieu des peuples de Xante Et des Egyptiens d'vne halaine impuissante Crient Bec plusieurs-fois Bec bec est le seul mot Et que leur langue forme que leur bouche esclôt Refutation du iugement de ces enfans Adone les Phrygiens sachans qu'en leur langage Bec veut dire dupain peignent de leur courage Laioye sur le front pour auoir eutant d'heur D'obtenir de Nature arrest en leur faueur Sots qui ne pensoient pas que les bélantes troupes Qui retondoyent les fleurs des plus voisines croupes Leur enseignoit ce terme que les mots Gaulois Memphiens Grecs Hebrieux Troyens Latins Anglois Ne naissent auec nous ains que chasque langage S'aprend par hantise par vn long vsage L'aptitude à parler demeurant seulement Naturelle aux humains comme l'autre ornement Qui richement diuers les rend plus dissemblables Aux stupides troupeaux des bestes miserables RespoÌ„se à l'obiection prinse de la voix confuse des animaux Que si tu mets en ien que le Taureau misgit Le tardif Asne brait le Lyon rugit Ore haut ore bas que partels langages Ils nous semblent diserts descouurir leur courages Ce ne sont point des mots ains des expressions Dubrouillé mouuement de peu de passions Des indices confus de douleur de tristesse Dire de soif de faim d'amour on de liesse Response à la seconde obiection prinse du gazouillis des oiseaux On en peut dire autant de ces chantres ailez Qui sur les verds rameaux des bussons reculez Gringotent le matin Car bien que comme il semble Deux à deux trois à trois ils deuisent ensemble Que leur voix se flechisse en cent mille façons Qu'ils decoupent hardis cent mignardes chansons Qu' Apollo ait esté disciple en leur eschole Cest vn son sans sujet des notes sansparole Vne chanson redite en vniour mille fois Vn discours qui muet se perd dedans les bois Auantage de l'homme doué de rayson pardessus tous autres animaux Mais le seul homme peut discourir d'attrempance De force d'equité d'honneur de prudence De Dieu du ciel de l'eau de la terre des airs Auâ—c termes choisis signisians diuers Desuelopant son coeur non par vn seul langage Ains comme Scaliger merucille de nostre âge Louange de Ioseph Scaliger tres-docte entre les doctes de ce temps Le Soleil des sçauant qui parle cloquemment L'Hebrieu Gregois Romain Hespagnol Alemant François Italien Nubien Arabique Syriaque
frozen alleyes Glide swiftly-teemed carres insted of winged gallies Vnto the Genoan Tyrrhene and prouence Seas With those of learned Greece and of Peoloponese Accoast the goodly shore of Asia the lesse The second paradise th'worlds chiefe happinesse And Tartarie the ground that reacheth from Amane Vnto the springs of Rha and pleasant bankes of Tane All those braue men at armes that France haue ouer-spred Of Gomers fruitfull seed themselues professe are bred And so the Germans are sometime hight Gomerites Of Tubal Spaniards came of Mosoch Moscouites Of Madai sprong the Medes of Magog Scythians Of Iauan rose the Greekes of Thyras Thracians 10. Now Japhet Moses reciting Genesis 9.27 how Noe blessed his two children sets downe two notable points the one concerning the great and many Countries which Iaphet and his posteritie should possesse the other of the fauour that God should shew them by lodging them in the tents of Sem that is by receiuing them at length into his Church which hath beene fulfilled in the calling of the Gentiles For the first point whereas he saith God enlarge Iaphet For so the Hebrew word signifieth although some translate it Persuade it is as much as if he had said Let Iaphet and his race possesse the Countries round about him farre and neere And this hath also beene accomplished in that so infinite a multitude of people hath issued out of the stocke of Iaphet and peopled Europe which though it appeare lesser then the other parts hath alwayes had more inhabitants and fewer void Countries The Poet hath set downe so perfect a description thereof as it needes no further to be opened if the Reader haue neuer so little beheld the Maps On the East it is parted from the greater Asia by the Maior Sea the Meotis Lake called by Ortelius the Zabach sea the Riuer Tane or Deu which voids into the Lake and the Spring-herds of Rha Edel or Volga running by Tartarie into the Caspian Sea and from Asia the lesse sometime the honour of the world exceeding rich as still it hath sufficient it is deuided by the Straight of Gallipoli sometime called Hellespont On the West it hath the Straight of Gibraltar the Spanish and Brittish Oceans on the North the Frozen Sea and on the South the Midland Sea which is diuersly called to wit the Sea of Marseil by the coast of Genes the Adriaticke about Athens and Morea and otherwise according to the places adioyning This goodly part of the world beside the Romaine Empire hath many great kingdomes full of people well set forth by the Card-men Daniell Cellarius accounts it in length from Lisbon to Constantinople about six hundred leagues Almaine and very neere as much in breadth from Scrifinie to Sicily 11 Gomer Moses reckeneth seuen sonnes of Iaphet Gen. 10.2 So doth here the Poet not standing much vpon the order of them to follow the verse of Gomer are come the Gomerites whom the Greekes called Galates and Gaules of them came the people that spoiled Delphos and then sate downe about Troas in Asia and were called Gaule-Greekes or Asian Galates who afterward seized a good part of Phrygia The Lord threatning by Ezechiel 38. Chapter Gog chiefe of the Princes of Mesech and Tubal saith he will destroy him with this Gomer and all his bands and the house of Togarmah of the North-quarters They that expound the Prophesie gather out of this place that the Gomerites were people bordering on the North of Asia and brought by the Kings of Syria and Asia to destroy the Iewes after their returne from Babylon They preased forth of Asia and enlarged their dominions greatly as hath beene said for they were a very warlike Nation Of them the Poet saith are come the Germanes so Melancthon affirmeth vpon Carion so doe others also and chiefly Goropius in his fift booke But there is great diuersitie in these outworne matters betweene the late and ancient Writers A diligent conference of places in the old Testament and the ancient Latine Greeke and Chaldean translations serue best for the purpose next a carefull examining of the best Greeke and Latine Histories but this requires a whole volume whereunto the searches of Goropius being so well handled might afford a man great helpe Concerning Tubal the Poet followes the opinion of Iosephus that he was Author of the Spanish which must be rightly vnderstood that is after a long tract of time For by the 38. and 39. of Ezechiel it seemes that the people issued from Tubal Mosoch which were neighbours dwelt neare Arabia and were gouerned or led to war by the Kings of Asia and Syria And in the 32. chap. where is mention made of the mourning that should be among the Nations for the King of Aegypt there are named among others Ashur Elam Mosoch and Tubal whereby it may be gathered they were of Asia As for their Colonies and outcreases into Spaine they are very darke and hardly proued Vasaeus indeed in his Chronicle of Spaine and Taraphe in his Historie and others that haue written of Spaine in diuers languages following Ioseph and Berose make Tubal first King of Spaine but sithence they declare not what time he came thither I leaue the Reader to consider of and search further into the matter Looke the historicall Library of N. Vignier the first part page 15. where he treateth of the people of Europe Magog as the Poet saith is father of the Scythians his first habitation and Colonie was in Coelesyria as may be gathered out of the fift booke and 23. chapter of Plinie and the 37 38 and 39. chapters of Ezechiel At this time the right Scythians are the Selauonians Moscouites and Tartarians who vaunt of their descent from Iaphet This might haue beene by tract of time but not so soone as the Poet in the sequele Melancthon in his first vpon Carion takes the prophecies against Gog and Magog to be meant especially of the Turkes whom he calleth by the name of Scythians and applieth also vnto them that which is written in the Reuelation And in the end of his second Booke he giues the name to all people that professe Mahomet I thinke my selfe that some while after Noes partition of the lands Magog and his people dwelt in Coelesyria or there abouts and thence by succession of time thrust vp into the higher Countries Now as the ancient people of God were much vexed and outraged by the Kings of Syria and Asia successours of Seleucus Nicanor and signified by the name of Gog who aiding the people of Magog Mosoch and Tubal their subiects greatly annoyed the Iewes then returned from Babylon so hath Satan in these later daies against the holy Citie the Church of God stirred vp againe Gog and Magog many Kings and Princes enemies to the Faith who haue conspired together and made a League to ouerthrow it vtterly but the Almightie in due time and season shall confound them Reade the 20. Chapter of the Reuelation and the 89. Sermon of
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
of late from out the tombe of Leath And giu'n it as it were a liuing by a death How was 't inhabited if long agone The first obiection how is' t Nor Persians nor Greeks nor Romans euer wist Or inkling heard thereof whose euer conquering hosts Haue spred abroad so farre and troad so many coasts Or if it were of late The second obiection how could it swarme so thicke In euery towne and haue such workes of stone and bricke As passe the tow'rs of Rome th'antike Egyptian Pyramis The King Mausolus tombe the wals of Queene Semiramis How thinke you then Answer negatiue by an Ironie belike these men fell from the skie All ready-shap'd as doe the srogges rebounding frie That ast'r a sulty day about the sun-set houre Are powred on the meads by some warme Aprill-showre And entertouch themselues and swarme amid the dust All or'e the gaping clists that former drought had brust Or grew of tender slips and were in earthly lap Instead of cradle nurst and had for milke the sap Or as the Musherome the Sowbread and the Blite Among the fatter clods they start vp in a night Or as the Dragons teeth sow'n by the Duke of Thebes They brauely sprong all-arm'd from-out the fertill glebes Indeede this mighty ground The first earnest answer ycleaped Americke Was not enhabited so soone as Affericke Nor as that learned soyle tow'r-bearing louing-right Which after Iupiter his deare-beloued hight Nor as that other part which from cold Bosphers head Doth reach the pearly morne at Titons saffran bed For they much more approach the diaprized ridges And faire-endented bankes of Tegil bursting-bridges From whence our ancestors discamp'd astonished And like to Partridges were all-to-scattered Then doth that newfound world whereto Columbus bore First vnder Ferdinand the Castill armes and lore Generall But there the baildings are so huge and brauely dight So differing the states the wealth so infinite That long agone it seemes some people thither came Although not all atonce nor all by way the same For some by cloudy drift of tempest raging-sore Percase with broken barks were cast vpon the shore Some others much auoid with famine plague and warre Particular Their ancient seats forsooke and sought them new so farre Some by some Captaine led who bare a searching minde With weary ships arriu'd vpon the Westerne Inde Or could not long ere this The second the Quinsay vessels finde A way by th'Anien straight from th' one to th' other Inde As short a cut it is Colonies according to the cond Answer noting by the way certaine meruailes of the countrie as that of Hellespont From Asia to Greece or that where-ore they wont Saile from the Spanish hill vnto the Realme of Fesse Or into Sicilie from out the hau'n of Resse So from the Wastes of Tolme and Quiuer where the kine Bring calues with weathers fleece with Camels bunchie chine And haire as Genets slicke they peopled Azasie Cosse Toua Caliquas Topira Terlichie And Florida the faire Auacal Hochilega The frosen Labour-lands Canada Norumbega They sow'd ath'other side the land of Xalisco Mechuacan Cusule and founded Mexico Like Venice o're a Lake and saw astonished The greenest budding trees become all withered As soone as euer touch'd and eke a mountaine found Vesevus-like enflam'd about Nicargua ground So passing forth along the straight of Panama Vpon the better hand they first Oucanama Then Quito then Cusco then Caxamalca built And in Peruuiland a country thorow-guilt They wondred at the Lake that waters Colochim All vnder-paued salt and fresh about the brim And at the springs of Chinke whose water strongly-good Makes pebble-stones of chalke and sandy stones of mood Then Chili they possest whose riuers cold and bright Run all the day apace and rest them all the night Quinteat Patagonie and all those lower seats Whereon the foamy bracke of Magellanus beats Vpon the left they spread along by Darien side Where Huo them refresh'd then in Vraba spide How Zenu's wealthie waves adowne to Neptune rould As bid as pullets egges the massie graines of gould A mount of Emeralds in Grenad saw they shine But on Cumana banks hoodwinked weare their eyne With shady night of mist so quickly from Cumane They on to Pary went Omagu and Caribane Then by Maragnon dwelt then entred fierce Bresile Then Plata's leauell fields where flowes another Nile Moreouer The third answer one may say that Picne by Grotland The land of Labour was by Brittish Iserland Replenished with men as eke by Terminan By Tombut and Melli the shore of Corican 40 But all this other world This is the first of the foresaid questions how it came to passe that the new world discouered in these latter times could be so replenished with people as the Spaniards who haue thereof written very much did finde it He speaketh of the West India which is called another world or the new world for the hugenesse thereof being more then 9300. leagues about as Gomara saith in his Indian Historie 1. book 12. chap. it is longer then all the other three parts of the world and two or three waies as broad as Asia and Europe laid together This quarter so great and full of kingdomes and people if it haue been long agone inhabited how hap saith our Poet the Perstans Greeks and Remans who vndertooke so many far voyages came neuer there nor once heard thereof For Ptolomee Strabo Mela and other ancient writers make no mention of it and if it were peopled but of late yeares he asketh how came so many people there so many great Cities and stately monuments as Gomara Benzo Cieque Ouiede Cortes and others write of Benzo and Barthelemi de las Casas doe report that in that little the Spaniards haue there gotten within these thirtie or fortie yeares they haue slaine aboue twentie millions of people vndone and brought to great distresse as many or more and wasted and vnpeopled twice as much ground as is contained in Europe and a part of Asia to that Neuerthelesse in many places and euen in Mexico New Spaine and Peru where they haue vsed all the crueltie wickednesse and villanie that mans heart or the deuils rage could imagine there are yet liuing many thousand Indians Concerning the ancient Monuments of this new world I will reckon at this time but one of them taken out of the fourth booke and 194. chapter of Gomara There are saith he in Peru two great high-wayes â—eaching the one thorow the hilles the other ouer the plaines from Quito to Cusco which is aboue fiue hundred leagues out-right a worke so great and chargeable that it is well worthy noting that ouer the plaines is 25. foot broad and walled on either side and hath little brookes running along in it with store of the trees called Molli planted on the bankes The other is of like breadth cutting thorow the rockes and filling vp the lower grounds with stone worke for they
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
Of all that doe repent and will new life beginne The Fishes And these two Fishes they that with fiue loues of bread Blest of th'all-feeding Word aboue fiue thousand fed Of the Antartike Pole Orion But let the twinkling Ball now vpsidowne be rowlâ—d And with like curious eye the sotherne halfe behold O know you not the face of this fierce warlike wight That neere the shining Bull enlustres heau'n with light The sonne of Nun it is that worthy Ioshuah Eridanus The Dogs The Hare Argo Who dry ore Iordan went as on a sandy bay And did those Canan dogges from prey vnworthy scare And set his conquering foot vpon Loues hartlesse Hare Loe here that Argosie which all the world did saue And brauely now triumphs both ouer wind and waue Lo here the yellow plights of Moses brasen snake Hydra That shone in wildernesse all others sting to slake The Raveâ— The Gobles Lo here that happy Rav'n which did Elia feed Here Iosephs golden cup wherein he wont arreed His wondrous prophesies and here that heau'nly knight Which vnto Machabee appeared all in white The Centaure The wo'fe The Altar-slone His ang'r-enflamed launce so strooke this Pagan Woolfe With paine and bursten-rot athwart the belly-gulfe That on Gods Altar-stone prophaned many a yeere Now reeks a sweet perfume and Levies hallowed queere Sings ioyfull Psalms againe in Gods temple Idol-staind And th' Idumean Race this Crowne at length obtainde The southerne Crowne The southerne Fish The Whale To raigne in Israel Now here the Fish behold With tribute paid for him that was for sinners sold And here the gaping Whale whose ill-digesting maw Three daies a Prophets life held as empawn'd by law The Poet by this correction shews his pietie and learning While Heb'r all sings for me with Muse so bold new odd And strikes a string vntouchd and walks a path vntrod Thinke not ô Christen peopl ' I take all that he saith Concerning th'oast of heâ—u'n for articl ' of my faith Or that I ment set-vp old Zenoes schoole againe T'embound th' eternall God and so relinke the chaine Of Stoyck destinie or would of all to come As Caldeman arreed in books of heau'n the summe No nothing lesse I meane but only thought by grace Of such a new deuise as here I enterlace Refresh your weary minds that hauing past before So many a foamy flood such warre against the shore And hurly-burling rage of counterbuffed waue So many a ghastly Wylde a dyke a rock a caue You might set foot at length on some delightfull place Whereon the skie may shew for eu'r a louely face Where runs a siluer streame the wind blowes sweetly awhile And where to welcome you the ground-selfe seems to smile Oh who good Reader knowes but fuller may be done Hereaft'r of some so zeal'd this worke I first begon 42. Yea were it not This is the fourth reason wherein the Poet with commendable courage aduentures to blot out of memory the Greeke Latine and Arabian fables which with so many gybrish names had soyled as it were the face of heauen and makes Heber say that the names of Constellations on either side the Equator doe containe the mysteries of Holy Church First then hee speakes of the North-Pole-Starres and saith the Chariot which is commonly called Charles Waine is the same that carried vp to heauen the Prophet or Seer Elias 2. King 2. And Bootes is Elizeus there mentioned to with-hold first and then behold his Masters going away As for the other names of that kinde here following any Reader acquainted with the Bible may conceiue them at first and what the Poet meanes by them 43. While Heber sings The Poet now hee hath made Heber so largely discourse vpon the reasons of these shapes and names giuen by the Astronomers to the six Starres of both Poles and of the Zodiack he â—oynes thereto a notable correction thereof to auoid two extreames the one of Zeno the chiefe Stoicke and his followers who so tie the first cause which is God to the second that they hold all good or euill successe of our life vnauoydably to depend vpon the Starres Their opinion touching the necessity of Fate hath beene fully refuted by many famous men both old and new Writers but especially by Saint Auslen in his Bookes De Ciuitats Dei The other extremitie is that opinion of Iudiciall Astrologers who make our whole life from the beginning to the end liable to the vertue and influence of the heauens Those also haue beene refuted by diuers of our time especially by the learned John Picus Earle of Mirandula and by his Nephew Francis Picus in his Booke intituled De praenotione rerum Our Author shewes therefore that he vtterly disauoweth such opinions of the Stoicks and Astrologers whom he tearmeth Caldemen or Caldeans because Iudiciall Astrologic was in great vse among that people as may be gathered out of History but most out of the Bookes of the Prophets and Esay chiefely Chap. 52. at length he shewes the reason which I touched before why he brings in this new discourse namely to giue the Reader an acceptable pause of recreation and shew how much he desires that our posteritie may see Heauen cleansed of these Idolls which the Heathen by names giuen to the Starres pretend to haue place there Cest art du tout diuin donnant à tant d'imagee Non le nom des Payens ains des saincts personnages Continuation du descouurement des secrets de l'Astronomie par la declaration des principaux mots vsitez entre les Astronomes Discours sur les cieux des Planetes destinguez subtillement doctement par les Astronomes Mais allons retrouuer Heber dont le discours Enseigne à son Phalec des Planetes le cours Figuré dans l'acier qu'est-ce que Perigee Câ—ncentrique Eccentrique Epicycle Apogee Et de quelle façon Mars le seme-debats La Torche porte-iour la Cyprine aime-esbats Saturne Iupiter ont trois Spheres en vne Cinq le facond Mercure deux fois deux la Lune Car les diuins esprits dont nous tenons cest art Voyant leurs Feux errer or ' d'vne or ' d'autre part Tantost loin tantost pres du centre de Nature Pour bannir de là haut le vuide la rupture Et le brouillis des corps que leur desuoyement Causeroit dans les cieux couuerts du Firmament On t osé plus qu'humains des rouès eternelles Qui portent ces brandons faire plusieurs rouëlles Qui tousiours se baisant ne s'entreheurtent point Tant bien l'vn rond à l'autre est distinctements ioint Le bas est sous le haut qui recourbé l'â—â—ccolle Ainsi que le Marron porte vne taye molle Pour emmantellement la taye vn cuir tané Le cuir vn feutre espais picquant herisonné Puis il prend l'Astrebale ou la Sphere est reduite En forme toute plate