wherin the later haue not agreed with the former namely in those which are not yet sought out and will neuer be found if we content our selues with that which is alreadie inuented without adding any thing therunto By occasion whereof I will aunswere them henceforward which obiect that there are too many bookes Certainly if all that hath bin written by the auncient Philosophers Historiographers Oratours Poets Physitians Diuines and Lawiers had come to our hands all had bin full of bookes and we should haue had no other moueables in our house but bookes we should be constrained to go sit and lie vpon bookes And yet there remaine so many and are made from day to day that the age of man could not suffice to read not onely the writings in many disciplines but in one particuler and seldome are the Inuentories found perfect The great number serueth rather for charge then for instruction and it is much better to read some few that be good then to wander thorough many which are euill Lucian blameth an ignorant person which boasted that he had many bookes and Martial mocketh an other who thought thereby to be accounted learned Seauen hundred Volumes were found in the Librarie of Alexandria which were all burned together by a mischance of fire The learned caried their books thither from all parts as to the Theater of learning and they read them in the Museum which was there at the plaies ordained for the honour of Apollo and of the Muses the vanquishers receiuing great gifts in the sight and knowledge of all the world In somuch that none were reckoned learned which had not won some prize there Liuie calleth that great Librarie a worthy work of kingly care and magnificence But Seneca saith that it was neither care nor magnificēce but a studious pompe or superfluity yet not studious because the K s. Ptolomeyes had not erected it to serue for study but for a shew and spectacle As we see many priuate men also which haue gathered many togither wel printed boūd gilded to serue onely for ornaments which they neuer looke in themselues nor suffer others for feare of fouling them Also king ATTALVS assembled at Pergamus in emulation of the Ptolomeyes two hundred thousand volumes which were giuen by Antonius to Cleopatra so vanished There were in the Library of the GORDIANS xl thousand and a great number of exquisite ones in that of LVCVLLVS and AVGVSTVS There are some at this present very wel furnished both amongst the Christians and the Mahometists But going by the professions I haue read that DIDYMVS a Grammarian composed foure thousand books APPIAN sixe thousand who was so arrogant as to say that he made them immortall to whom hee dedicated his workes CICERO said that if his age were doubled yet would it not suffice to read all the Lyrick Poets Seneca thinketh as much of those that haue written of Logick There is no people nation citie common-wealth seigniorie coūtrey kingdom or empire but hath his Cronicles and Histories In Greece one only war of Marathon found three hundred Historiographers Plutarch in his liues alleageth more then two hundred of them SALVST and LIVIE are come to vs vnperfect and faulty as are also many others of lesse reckoning both Greekes and Romaines It is not possible to recken the books that are made of Phisicke which hath many times bin changed and diuided into diuers sects ARISTOTLE the Philosopher composed iiij hundred volumes and VARRO the most learned amongst the Romains as many The Emperour IVSTINIAN by the excessiue multitude of books which were of the ciuil Law was constrained to cause the Pandects to be made on which contrary to his edict haue bin heaped innumerable cōmentaries S. Iohn the euangelist saith that the world is not able to receiue all the books which should bee written of IESVS CHRIST as appeared in the time following wherein were infinite written in many languages concerning the Christian religion and the exposition of the old and new Testament ORIGEN alone hath written sixe thousand bookes The Gothes Vandales Alanes Hunnes Lombards Sarazens Turkes and Tartarians brought an inestimable losse to the libraries and corruption to the languages Bookes are different also according to the disposition of the times and inclination of the countries wherein they are made euen as wines are diuers according to the territorie qualitie of the aire and disposition of the yere the nature of the vine industry of the keeper Euery age hath his peculiar kind of speech Euery nation and age his phrase the Greekes and Latins writing after one sort the Hebrewes Chaldees and Arabians after an other All are not of continuance and as many are lightly and easily made so they are estsoones and incontinently lost Some are left off for the obscurity and to affected subtilty and barbarousnes which is in them Others despised or neglected as vnprofitable or consumed by length of time or destroied by warres changes of tonges and of religions or by being euil written and copied out or corrupted depraued In others there is nothing but tedious repetitions by changing the order and the words Plinie a man of great reading saith that in conferring and comparing of authours he hath found the old written out word for word by those that were next after them concealing their names and choosing rather to be taken in their theft then to acknowledge the debt Those which are respected here as holy are burned elswhere as abhomination The affected to some certaine sect religion or profession are red onely by people of the same sect religion and profession The poemes orations epistles chronicles histories comedies and tragedies are not loked on but by such as vnderstand the tongue wherin they are written out of it they commonly lose their grace There are not any which please and satisfy al people or which are receiued in al places except they be aduisedly made with great iudgment profound learning by a singular grace of God and a rare goodnes of nature resisting against enuious old age warranting themselues from the silence of obliuion Such as seeme to be those of Plato Aristotle Hippocrates Ptolomey who not content with the images of things and shadows of opiniōs haue sought the truth directly haue therfore escaped the iniury of time of fire of water of wars among so many nations contrary sects translated into diuers languages yet keeping stil the same grace as when they were newly made For as time abolisheth the opinions that are not wel groūded so it also cōfirmeth the infallible iudgemēts of a wise vnderstanding nature augmēting alwaies the reputatiō of those writers which haue best obserued vnderstood it The iudgment of time discouereth in the end the secret faults of al things who being the father of truth and a iudge void of passion hath alwaies accustomed to giue a iust sentēce of the life or death of writings But seeing that the arts
their defect haue bin often changed and augmented how should they then satisfie another In somuch that it seemeth to some to bee a thing impossible that a people hauing a peculier tongue of their owne should vse strange letters but with great difficultie as we see in the Dutch and English vsing Latin letters and in the Turke and Persian which vse the Arabian As also they are of opinion that the historie of one Nation can not conueniently be written in another language then that of the same countrie induced to think so by the Romain historie which being written in Greeke seemeth no more to be Romain especially where there is question of customs lawes magistrates moneyes reuenewes and ceremonies wherein the Greeke tongue being otherwise rich and plentiful seemeth rude barbarous where the latin is fine and eloquent The same is befalne to the Greek Historie written in the Latin tongue and likewise to the French made by Gaguinus Paulus Emilius and others representing little and ill to the purpose the affaires of Fraunce in a strange language vsed onely now a daies in schooles whereas Froissard Monstrellet Phillip de Commines Guill and Martin du Bellay are found large and conuenient But to th end not to digresse from our commenced purpose I will returne to speake of Letters The Hebrewes and Latines haue twentie and two The Slauons and Iacobites two and thirtie The Armenians 38 The Abissins or Ethiopians 47 The Arabians 31 The Chaldeans 28 The Latins Greeks and other inhabitants of Europe and the Indians of Malabar hauing peculiar letters of their owne do write from the left side towards the right The Hebrewes Chaldees Arabians and generally all the Asiatickes and Africans from the right to the left imitating the mouing of the Heauen which is from the right hand to the left and is most perfect according to Aristotle approching neerest to the vnitie which of Plato is called the motion of similitude or of vniformity The Cathayans or people of China Iapania from aboue downe-wards saying that therein they follow the order of nature which hath giuen to men their heads placed aboue and their feete below Diodorus the Sicilian writeth that in a certaine Island found towards the South by Iambolus thinhabitants did not write from one side to thother as we do but drew their lyne straight from aboue downwards hauing 28 letters in number according to the signification which they giue them Other maners of writing there can not be except one would write a crosse or ouerthwart The Eastern and Southern nations do vse points the Greekes their abbreuiations the Latines their titles the Egiptians in holy things did vse the figures of beastes for letters which they called Hierogliphicks The most Auncients did write in the rynde or barke of trees and in tables and leaues of wood others in Palm-leaues according to the commoditie of their countrey others in lead Their missiue letters or Epistles were written in tables or waxe the Lawes and other durable things were engrauen in brasse or copper They did write also in fine linnen cloth Themperor Commodus vsed the fine bark of the Linden tree called of the Latins Tylia or Philyra Others the rynds of a little tree called Papyrus growing in the marishes of Egipt which were thicker from whence came the name of Paper vsed at this present which is made of old raggs of cloth steeped along time in water and braied in the mill after brought into a kind of past which being stretched out on a gredyron of brasse to thend to drie it being put betwen locks of woll and pressed after it is a little dried becommeth fine smooth thin white paper we vse Parchmin also more strong durable then paper which is made of sheepskins goatskins and calueskins coried and dressed by the Leather-dressers and parchminmakers Herodotus in his Terpsichore witnesseth that they vsed these skins to write on in his time And Iosephus saith that the holy Scriptures were first written in them M. Varro thinks they were first found out at Pergamus a Citie of Asia from whence they yet take their name at such time as the two kings Ptolomeus and Eumenes erected their Libraries enuying one the other Diodorus the Sicilian writeth that the letters of the Ethiopians were made after the likenesse of sundrie beasts and the extremities of diuers members of man and of diuers instruments and tooles of artificers and their intentions words were not expressed by composition of sillables or letters but by formes and figures of Images whose signification remained vnto them by vse in the memorie of men for they would set downe a Kyte a Crocodile a mans eye a hand a face and other such like things The Kyte signified a thing soone done because he is one of the swiftest birds and this character is properly applied to home affaires which are speedily dispatched the Crocodile did note some euil thing the eye an obseruer of Iustice and a gard or watchman of the bodie the right hand with the fingers stretched out betokened libertie or liberalitie and the left hand closed was hardnes and greedines After this maner the figures of other parts of the bodie formes of certain instruments did notifie some other thing amongst those Ethiopians who retayning it thorough long practize in their memorie did readily vnderstand what the said figures ment and signified Those of Malabar and other Indians dwelling between the riuer of Inde and Ganges do yet at this day write in palm-leaues either greater or lesser according to the matter which they intend to write In whole ones they write such things as they would haue to endure long as the affaires of their Religion and their Histories the other things of lesse consequence in a quarter or half quarter aswell on th one side as thother And when they haue written a great number meaning to ioin them in books they fasten them betwene two bordes in steed of those forels or couers which we vse after as we sow our leaues so do they tie theirs with strings to the said couers For their missiue letters it suffiseth that the leaf be writteÌ„ and rolled vp in it self in steed of sealing of it they bind it with a thred of the palm it self They vse to writ with an instrumeÌ„t of yron or wood sharpned passing lightly ouer the leaf not percing it and imprinting the characters of their letters in such sort that they may write on both sides Thother writings more permanent as foundations of Churches are â—â—t in Copper or grauen in stone Peter Martyâ—a Milanois historian writing of the difcouerie of the new found lands made by the Castilians saith that the inhabitants of Collacuan brought into Spaine amongst other gifts certaine bookes written in the fine inner ryndes of trees which are found betweene the wood and the thicke vttermost barke And that they are taken sometimes of willowes or of Alders which they couered with course cloth and fastned together with
Poets FLEMINGS Erasmus Longolius Gaguinus Vesalius GERMAINS The Cardinal of Cusa Purbachius Ioannes Regiomontanus the principall Mathematician of this age Rodolphus Agricola Reuchlinus Capnio Melancthon Zasius Beatus Rhenanus Vadianus Glareanus Gulielmus Copus Leonardus Fuscius Georgius Agricola most expert in Mettalls Saxo a Grammarian Oldendorpius Brunus Eobanus Hessus Sleidan Simon Grinaeus Huttenus Bilibaldus Pyrkmerus Cornarius Camerarius Omphalius Latomus Sturmius Wolfgangus Lazius Cranzius and Funccius ENGLISHMEN More Linacre Tunstall Pacey and Fisher. SCOTS Hector Boetius and Buchanan POLONIANS Osius Frixius Cromerus and Iohannes Zamoscius SPANIARDES Nebrissensis Viues Poblacion Amatus Antonius Pinus and Goueanus But it is better to distinguish these renowmed parsons of this age by their exercises and professions as we haue done in other reuolutions The most renowmed WARRIOVRS then haue bin Tamberlan called of his followers Temitcultu or Demirbenâ— or Demirly Amorath and Mahomet his sonne Selim and Soliman being Otthomans Charles the eight king of France king Ferdinand of Spaine the first called the Catholicke King Gonsaluus the great the Emperour Charles the fith Charles of Bourbon the Sophi Ismael the Scirife of Fez and Francis Duke of Guize BY SEA Andrew Dorie Adrian Bassa called Barbarossa Dragut and Salec Rez and Sâ—rozza the Priour of Capua PLATONICAL PHILOSOPHERS Bessarion Gemistius Ficinus PERIPATETICKS Trapezuntius Argiropolus Fabius Nymphus Pomponacius Contarenus and Simon Grinaeus Iohannes Picus purposed to hauereconciled Plato and Aristotle and to haue accorded the two sects as Boetius had vndertaken before him But both th one and thother haue laien downe vnder the burthen without accomplishing of this promise ELOQVENT Imitatours of the auncients obseruers of Cicero Laurentius Valla is the first in this ranke who hath reduced Latin speach to the ancient maner of speaking a great admirer of Quinctilian as the Cardinal Hadrian was of Cicero then Nizolius and Doleta Those which haue most expressed ymitated Cicero in their writings are Bembus Sadoletus Longolius Perionius and Elaminius Latin Italian French English POETS are Petrarch Antonius Panormitanus Pontanus Marullus Syncerns Vida Fracastorius Molsa Naugerius Flaminius Capicius Palearius Morus Borbonius Macrinus Eobanus Hessus Sabinus Bachananus Ariosto Rousard Ioachin du Bellay Ponthus de Tyard Marc Antony du Baif Remy Belleau Marot Mellin du Sangelais Stephen Iodelle Philippede Portes HISTORIOGRAPHERS Callimachus Platina Laurentius Valla Ioannes Saxo Pope Pius Bloridus Sabellicus Pontanus Peter Martir of Milâ—inâ— Michael Riccius Paulus Emilius Polydore Virgil Paulus Iouius Sleidan Staphilus Pandulphus Galeatius Capella Coccinus Bembus Tritemius Gaguinus Cuspinianus Paradinus Bonfinis Sorter and Turoce Hongarians Cromerus a Polonian Crantzius a Saxon Olaus a Goth Ioannes Leo an African Franciscus Aluares Damian Goes Iuan de Baros Portugales Franciscus Taraphus Antonius Nebrissensis Petrus Medimna Rodericus Pallentinus and FerdinaÌ„do Gonzales Ouiedes Spanyards Machiauel and Guicchiardin Italians Iean Froissard Enguerren de Monstrelet and Philippe Comines Frenchmen Stomphius a Swisser Mounster a German CIVILIANS Zasius Alciatus Oldendorpius Baro Duarinus Balduinus Cuiacius Othomannus and Tâ—iraquellus PHYSICIANS Leonicenus Manardus Copus Linacer Ioannes Ruellius Cornarius Guinterius Fuscius Fernelius Rondeletius Iacobus Syluius Amatus Lusitanus Vesalius Martinus Acakia Tagaueltius and Iacobus Houlerius MATHEMATICIANS Bonatus Iohannes Regiomontanus the Cardinal of Cusa Purbachius Collimicius Petrus Appianus Gemma Frisius Vadianus Copernicus Leouicius Orontius Turrianus Gauricius and Hieronimus Cardanus PAINTERS Zotta a Florentine who hath restored the art of painting after it had bin long laide aside and beautified it much Belim who for his excellency was sent to Sultan Mahomet Emperour of Constantinople from the seigniory of Venice Petrus Burgensis Raphael of Vrbin Albert Durer who hath written in the Dutch tongue of Painting as Iean Cousin hath also done in French and Leo Baptista Albertus in Latin STATVARIES GRAVERS Donatel Michael Angelo Andrea of Cremona Christophero Mantoano and Lorenzo who was fiftie yeres making the gates of a Chappel at Florence in which with wonderful workmanship are grauen in brasse the histories of the old and new testament ARCHITECTS Leo Baptista Albert who hath written a very learned worke of Architecture Ioannes Iucundus of Verona who built the great bridge at Paris and first published Vitruuius corrected with figures and Caesar his Commentaries 〈…〉 Philip that made the great Church of Florence the vaute whereofby singular arte is not sustained by any pillars Aristotlea Bolonian remoued certaine towers of stone from one place to another whole without any hurt by putting wheeles artifically vnder the foundations Pierre L'Escot called Claigny ouerseer of the worke and reparation of the Louâ—re at Paris begon vnder king Frauncis the first and Philbert de L'orme chiefe Maister of the buildinges of the Tuilleries of Annet and of Saint Mor at Paris hee hath left bookes written of his art and hath inuented a new kinde of Carpentrie for couering of houses PHILOLOGVES or serchers of antiquitie and proprietie of tongues Correctours of bookes Translatours and Commentatours Laurentius Valla Perottus Gaza Trapezuncius Pomponius Laetus Domicius Calderinus Georgius Merula Georgius Valla Politian Hermolaus Barbarus Raphael Volateranus Galeotius Naâ—nianus Christopherus Landinus Equacius Nebrissensis Budeus Erasmus Sigonius Gruchius Mancinellus Sulpicius Verulanus Beroaldus and Beraltius Textor Baptista Pius Robertellus Victorius Turnâ—bus Gelius Calcagninus and Rhodoginus And others innumerable in many tongues and Nations Famous trauailers Pylots NAVIGATOVRS discouerers and conquerers of New landes Christopherus Columbus a Genouese Americus Vespucius a Florentine and Dom Henry the Infant of Portugale Magellan Cortese Pizairus Alphonsus Alburquequen and Chabot The Princes that haue most holpen the restitution of artes are Alphonsus king of Naples hauing honourably receaued and liberally rewarded such as presented him with Greeke bookes translated into Latin Frauncis the King of Fraunce the first of that name who appointed salaries or stipendes for the publicke professours at Paris and erected a sumtuous Library at Fontainebleau full of all good bookes The Kinges of Castile And of Portugall haue bestowed liberally on the discouery of the New-found lands and of the Indies Cosmo and Lorenzo de Medicis Florentynes haue bin much helpefull vnto learning receauing the learned men which came to them out of all partes and intertayning them honourably and moreouer sending at their charge thoroughout all Greece to seeke out good and auncient bookes which were neglected there they builded for the common vtility magnificent libraries Besides the restitution of the auncient learning almost accomplished The Inuention of many goodly new things seruing not onely for necessitie but for pleasure also and ornament of this life hath bin reserued to this age Amongst which the Art of PRINTING deserueth to be in the first place for the excellency vtilitie and subtility of arte whereby it is guided in the grauing of the matrices casting distributing and gathering of the letters maner of the ynke and of the baules to put it on
former famous ages The world is such as it was before The heauen and the time keepe the same order which they did The Sunne and thother Planets haue not changed their courses and there is no starre remoued out of his place The Elements haue the same power men are made of the same matter in the same sort disposed as they were in old time And were not the maner of lyuing corrupted which we vse preferring idlenesse before diligence pleasure before profit and riches before vertue nothing would let but this age might bring foorth as eminent personages in Philosophie as were Plato and Aristotle in Physick as Hippocrates and Galen or in the Mathematicks as Euclide Archimedes and Ptolomey Considering the help which we receiue of their books the examples wherwith antiquitie hath instructed vs so many obseruations and inuentions sithence their time and so long experience of all things In such sort that if we consider it well there was neuer age more happie for the aduancement of learning then this present if weying the shortnes of mans life we resolue to employ our whole endeuour industrie on the studie of true knowlege Wisdom hath not fulfilled her work much remaineth and will alwaies remaine and there will neuer be wanting occasion to add therunto Trueth doth offer her selfe to all those that wil seek her and are of capacitie to receiue her albeit Democritus complayneth that she is hid in a place as deep as a well wherhence in his opinion it is not possible to draw her foorth Whosoeuer giueth himself to it in good earnest shall find alway somewhat to do therin All the mysteries of God and secrets of nature are not discouered at one time The greatest things are difficult and long in comming How many are there not yet reduced into art How many haue bin first knowen and found out in this age I say new lands new seas new formes of men maners lawes and customes new diseases and new remedies new waies of the Heauen and of the Ocean neuer before found out and new starres seen yea and how many remaine to be knowen by our posteritie That which is now hidden with time will come to light and our successours will wonder that wee were ignorant of them M. Varro witnesseth that in the space of a thousand yeares the Arts were inuented and augmented which yet vntill this time are not perfected and accomplished But if the perfection of them hath not hitherto bin found it followeth not therof that it cannot be found For those things which at this day are held to be the greatest and most admirable had a time of beginning and that which is now verie good was not so at the first but is increased by little and little amending from time to time Certainly the excellencie in all thinges is slow difficult and rare seing that there is scarcely found in many hundreds and thousands of yeares amongst an infinite number of Students one man worthie of admiration beeing learned and eloquent indeed that with a good naturall wit liuelynes and sharpnes of vnderstanding experience and vse of things hath the constancie and pacience to perseuere which are requisite to such an interprise This notwithstanding we ought not to faint or to dispaire for if there be but small hope to excell and go beyond the best yet is it an honour to follow them and if there be no meanes to reach them yet is it commendable to be second or third vnto them It is therefore conuenient to applie our industrie to the searching out of the trueth as they haue done and to endeuour to augment the doctrine of the Auncients without so much subiecting our selues to antiquitie that we do nothing for our age and haue no care of our posteritie Moreouer many things inuented by the Auncients are lost The wisdome of the Egiptians Persians Indians and Bactrians hath not come vnto vs many good Greek and Latine Authours are not found And amongst those that remayne there are few agreable to the present maners and affaires We do not build now adaies after the fashion of Vitruuius neither tyl the ground nor plant according to Varro or Columella nor take foode or physick after the ordinance of Hippocrates and Galen We iudge not according to the Ciuil Law of the Romaines neither plead we as did Demosthenes and Cicero or gouerne our common wealthes by the Lawes of Solon and Lycurgus or following the politicke precepts of Plato and Aristotle We sing not as did the Auncients neither warre we according to Vegetius the art militarie being changed and all kind of armes both offensiue and defensiue Ptolomey in his Cosmographie doth aduertize men to beleeue the latest trauaylers touching the longitude and latitude of places Aristotle saith that the Quadrature of the Circle may be knowen but that it is not yet found out Plato affirmeth that Geometrie was vnperfect in his time and that Stereometrie and the Cubike wanted The Calculations of the Heauens are not all found true Vesalius curiously obseruing Anatomie hath found manie pointes therein omitted by Aristotle and Galen Plinie boasteth that he hath added in the Historie of liuing Creatures that which Aristotle was ignorant of Leonicenus reproueth Plinie of lyes and errours in manie places Auenreis hath written agaynst Galene Galene against Aristotle and Aristotle against Plato There is no Authour so accomplished or perfected in whom one may not finde somewhat wanting or worthie of reproofe And that which is worse there are some men so giuen and so affectionate to antiquitie that they are ignorant or haue very smal knowledge of the Countrie and time wherein they liue They know in euery point how Athens Lacedemon Carthage Persia Egipt were gouerned not knowing the affaires of their owne Countrie wherin they are strangers As there are found many among vs discoursing of the assembly of the Ariopagites of the Comices of the Romains vnderstanding nothing of the counsaile of France the handling of the reuenewes and the order of the Parliaments Is it not then an abusing of studie and of learning to dwell continually among the Auncients and not to endeuour to bring foorth new inuentions agreeable to the maners and affaires of this time When wil we leaue taking of grasse for corne the flower for the fruit and the rind for the wood doing nothing but translate correct expound or abridge the bookes of the Auncients who if they had bin also of this mind not setting themselues to write or to say any thing but that which had bin written or said before no Art should haue bin inuented or at least they had all remained in their beginnings without receiuing any increase The perpetuall Imitatours or alwaies Translatours or Commentatours hyding themselues vnder the shadow of others are verie slaues and haue no generous courage in them if they dare not once to do that which they haue so long time learned They alwaies distrust themselues and follow the first in those things
OF THE INTERCHANGEABLE COVRSE OR VARIETY OF THINGS IN THE WHOLE WORLD AND THE CONCVRRENCE OF ARMES AND Learning thorough the first and famousest Nations from the beginning of Ciuility and Memory of man to this Present MOREOVER WHETHER IT BE true or no that there can be nothing sayd which hath not bin said heretofore And that we ought by our owne Inuentions to augment the doctrine of the Auncients not contenting our selues with Translations Expositions Corrections and Abridgments of their writings Written in French by Loysle Roy called Regiusâ— and Translated into English by R. A. Inest rebus omnibus quidam velut orbis vt quemadmodum Temporum vices ita Morum vertantur nec omnia apud priores meliora sed nostra etiam aetas multa Laudis Artium laudanda Posteris tulit Tacitus AT LONDON Printed by Charles Yetsweirt Esq. at his house in Fleetestreete neere the Middle Temple gate 1594. CVM PRIVILEGIO Regiae Maiestatis TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE MY SINGVLAR GOOD LORD Sir Iohn Puckering Knight Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England HAuing heretofore for the great liking which I saw generally conceiued of this worke perused allowed and at my better leisure translated it into English for the benefit of such as were not sufficiently acquainted with the French I was bold ere the Translation were fully finished to acquaint your L. with the Argument who concurring with the rest in good liking and Iudgment my intent to publish it vnder your L s. Patronage was thereby fully confirmed SO that the Picture which it pleased your L. to like of heretofore being in his first lineaments but rudely shadowed is now presented with all his principal colours perfected and accomplished I haue bin carefull to perfect it by the Paterne and to limme it according to life yet when I haue all don it is but a Counterfait which wanteth much of the perfection of the Principal THE substance is none of mine I challenge nought but the shadowe wherein if the substance be truely represented I hope it may be allowed of though it be not curiously beautified I CONFES it were better to put forth his owne Inuentions for him that hath means to do it and that which this Author affirmeth namely that Translations are more painful then praise-worthy is by me also acknowledged For diligence assisted with iudgement is herein chiefely requisite and not any excellent knowledge thereunto required which appeareth more in inuenting of it selfe then in translating out of others Which though it be done neuer so faithfully and elegantly yet cometh alwaies short of the good grace of the Original as this Author acknowledgeth notwithstanding Theodore Gaza an excellent Translator affirme the contrary BVT mine owne wit and Inuention being vnable to write or inuent any thing worth the reading yet my wil being a welwisher to all good Inuentions I thought it more commendable to commend and communicate to others that which other men haue excellently inuented being not able myselfe to attaine to so much excellency then in publishing any fabulous fancy of mine owne or matter of meane account as many do now adaies to shew some arrogancy ioyned with my insufficiency THIS worke is a Comparison of this later age with all antiquity in Armes in Learning and all other Excellency There was neuer any mighty Empire or Monarchie Kingdom or Common-wealth but is here represented no famous Founder or Gouernor of State no learned Law-maker or worthy Warriour but is here mencioned and ech of them to the other in all conueniences and contrarieties compared which being don by a man of great learning and iudgment to men of much businesse and employment as to your L. especially who haue no time to fetch euery thing from the Fountaine search all Antiquitie and read the Histories of all nations must needs be much auaileable and the pleasure thereof to all sorts of men accordingly answerable MY duety to your L. to whom this hath bin long intended hath at length commanded an Intermission of mine ordinary studies and exercises for the reuiewing and publishing hereof vnder whose fauourable protection it is now communicated vnto all who continually partaking of your L. equity goodnes and benignitie are bound with me to pray for the continuance of your honour health and happines euerlastingly From the Middle-Temple the 6. of October 1594. Your L s. in seruice humbly deuoted Robert Ashley THE SVMMARIE OF THIS WORKE BECAVSE the Discourse following is long and somewhat difficult to comprehend by reason of the diuersitie of matters contained therein I haue gathered and set downe first The Summarie of the whole worke Then of euery Booke in order to giue more light vnto the Readers for the vnderstanding therof In the whole worke therfore are represented the successiue or rather alternatiue changes of the whole world aswell in the higher or superiour as lower and inferiour part thereof and how by the concurrence of Armes and Letters thorough the most renowmed Nations of the world all liberall Sciences and Mechanical Arts haue flourished together fallen and bin restored diuers times in proces of Age With a comparison of such Nations as haue excelled both in power and knowledge of the great Empires and renowmed Monarkes vnder whom these notable mutations of mankind haue hapned and conferring of this our present with the famousest former Ages to know wherein it is either inferiour superiour or equall to any of them THE FIRST BOOKE THE Enterchangeable course or Variety obserued in the motions of Heauen and the Heauenly Spheares whereon are depending the Changes which happen in this inferiour World are declared in the first Booke The Vicissitude which the fower Elements haue one with an other and euery one by himselfe How all things in the World are tempered and conserued by others that are contrarie and dislike The Intercourse of Shadowes Daies and Seasons of the yeare and the Diuersitie of habitations of the Earth and other thinges according to the difference of places The Variety and Vicissitude of Men of Nations Cities Common weales Kingdomes and Empires THE II. BOOKE THE Variety of Tongues vsed thorough out the world both Learned and Vulgar The Beginning of them Continuance Perfection Corruption Chaunge and Losse of the old Introduction of new Translation out of one into an other Imposition of Names to things Inuention and profit of Letters Diuersitie of Characters and Writings Instruments and Matters to write with Of Printing Orthographic and Pronunciation THE III. BOOKE THE Vicissitude and Inuention of Arts And how Men from their first simplicitie and rudenesse haue attained to the Commoditie Magnificence and Excellencie of this time THE IIII. BOOKE THe Intercourse of Armes and of Letters concurring in the coniunction of Power and Wisdome amongst the most renowmed Nations of the world And who haue bin the first and Auncientest of all that haue excelled in both The Power Knowledge and other Excellencie of the Egiptians Assyrians and Persians A Comparison of the great Monarchies
the Egiptian Assyrian Median Persian and Parthian in their situations beginnings largenes reuenewes riches mightines of such famous Monarchs as founded them and vnder whom they perished Of the Egiptian Priests or Prophets of the Chaldees Mages Brachmanes Druydes and others of Religion and Learning amongst the Auncients Nobilitie amongst the Egiptians Persians Assyriansi Indians Scythians Thracians and other auncient and modern Nations The exquisite Artisans and workmanship of the Auncients THE V. BOOKE OF the Learning Poesie Eloquence Power and other Excellencie of the Greekes A Comparison of them with the Egiptians Assyrians Persians Indians The Empire of Greece A Comparison of Alexander the great with Cyrus Agesilaus Themistocles Pericles Achilles Vlysses Diomedes Bacchus Hercules and others A Comparison of the Grecian Philosophers with the Chaldees of Babylon and the Priestes of Egipt The Nobilitie of auncient Greece The Artisans and workes of the Grecians THE VI. BOOKE OF the Power Warfare Learning Eloquence Poesie and other Excellencie of the Romaines The fall of their Power Learning and Eloquence THE VII BOOKE A Comparison of the Romains with the Egiptians Assyrians Persians Greeks and Parthians in Power Warfare Learning Language Eloquence Poesie and in the workmanships of other Arts of the Romain Empire with the Assyrian Median Persian Macedonian and Parthian The birth of Rome and continuance thereof and conferred with the 4. Ages of mans life A comparison of Rome with Babylon and Constantinople of the Romain common wealth with the Lacedemonian and Carthaginian of the power of Alexander the great with that which the Romains had in his time and if when he had conquered Asia he had turned his forces against Europe what might haue hapned by the iudgement of Liuie Of Pompey the great with Alexander Hercules Bacchus according to Plinie Of Iulius Caesar with Alexander according to Appianus Alexandrinus of Iulius Caesar and Augustus with Romulus and Numa of Romulus with Cyrus Theseus Arsaces and Semiramis who founded Cities or Kingdomes or Monarchies A Comparison of the Romain warfare with the Parthian Carthaginian Assyrian Of the Romain Learning and other excellencie with the Grecian Egiptian and Chaldean Of the Latin Authours with the Greek namely of Cicero with Demosthenes The Ciuil Law of the Romains A Comparison of the Latin tongue with the Greek THE VIII BOOKE OF the Religion Power knowledge and other excellency of the Arabians or Sarasens and other Mahometists A Comparison of Mahomet with Licurgus Minos Numa Zoroaster Charondas Zaleucus Trismegistus and other heathen Lawmakers or Founders of Cities and Empires The Power of the Arabians or Sarasens compared to the Romain Macedonian Persian Parthian Assyrian Egiptian A Comparison of the Arabian learning with the Greek Egiptian Chaldean Persian Romain or Latin Of the Arabian tongue with the Greek Latin and Hebrew THE IX BOOKE COntaineth the sequence of the Power and Religion of the Mahometists as of the first Turks Corasmians Tartarians of the Souldan of the Ottoman of the Sophi where there is mention made of the estates of the great Cham of Cathay of the king of Narsingue of the Moscouite and of Presbiter Iohn because they began or grew vp at that time notwithstanding they haue other Religions THE X. BOOKE HOw that in this age haue bin restored the tongues and knowledges after they had surceased about almost twelue hundred yeres hauing newly receaued great light and increase where are considered the meruailes of this present age thorough Europe Asia Africke The new-found lands in the East West North and South beginning at the great inuincible Tamberlan whose power valiancy and felicity is briefly represented During whose raign began the restitution of Learning of Arts By what persons means it hath bin continued in diuers nations The Princes that most haue fauoured it Moreouer how that many goodly things vnknowen to antiquity haue bin newly found out especially Printing The direction to sayle by the needle of steele rubbed on the Lode-stone carying alwaies the point answerable to the place where we imagine the pole Artique by means whereof the whole Sea hath bin sayled ouer and the whole world knowne thorough out Then the skill of Ordinance and Artillery which hath made all other auncient military instruments to cease which by this one are all surpassed in impetuosity swiftnes and violence Also how amongst the meruailes of this age haue risen new and strange Diseases vnknowen heretofore and diuers Sects haue sprong vp in all countries which haue much altered the common quiet and weakned the mutual charitie of men THE XI BOOKE THis Age is compared vnto the former ages most famous in deedes of Armes conduct of States excellencie of Learning perfection of Workmanship noueltie of Inuentions Nauigations neuer attempted heretofore discouering of New lands vnknowen to Antiquitie to know wherin we are inferiour or equall to the Auncients and wherin we ought to be preferred First of all is conferred our modern Warfare with the auncient Greek and Romain Tamberlan is compared with Ninus Sesostris Cyrus Darius Alexander Arsaces Hannibal Iulius Caesar Constantine Attila and Charles the great Then followeth the Comparison of our modern Kingdomes Empires Monarchies and Common weales with the Auncient Of Militarie Nations Armies Battailes by sea and by land Sieges Assaults of Fortresses Of Nauigations and discoueries of Countries Peregrinations and Voiages by land Of the Wealth of the present time with that of the time past Of the Maners of this Age with the former Finally of the Learning of this age with the Auncient in Philosophie Eloquence Law Policie Physick Poesie Astrologie Cosmographie and the other Mathematicks Then commeth the Conclusion of the work by the which there is a vicissitude resolued on in all matters And how it is to be feared that Power Wisdom Learning Sciences Bookes Industrie Workmanships and the Knowledge of the world being now come to so great Excellencie should fall againe as they haue done in times past THE XII BOOKE COnsidering then that the variable disposition of humane things is to be readie to fall when they are at the highest and that vertue vice are come to their top and perfection doubting least among so many Partialities and Heresies wherof the world is full and the Warres which threaten vs on euery side that Learning might come to be dispised and be as loosely left off and neglected as heretofore it hath bin diligently followed and regarded To the end to preuent such a mischiefe and to aduize the studious to remedie it as much as they may I haue added an Inquisition on the common speach of men by which they haue alwaies maintained and do yet maintaine That nothing can be now said which hath not bin said heretofore Wherein I endeuour to show that there remaineth yet much to be said and that the trueth hath not bin thoroughly discouered neither all knowledge forestalled by our forerunners Admonishing the Learned to adde that by their owne Inuentions which is wanting in
aboue the earth and the six other vnderneath Againe the inhabitants of the earth compared one to the other are called Periecians Antecians and Antipodes Periecians may be called collateral and are they which dwell vnder the selfe same climate paralelle and Meridian drawen through the Poles They haue this common with vs First that they inhabite the same temperate Zone secondly that at the same time they haue winter and summer and the other seasons the increasing of daies and nights but differ in this that they haue not the same East and West and that when it is high noone with vs it is midnight with them Such are the inhabitants of the Canaries with the people of China Antecians are they which inhabit thother temperate zone towards the South turning their backes towards vs distant equally from the Equinoctial on their side as we are on ours Hauing then a contrarie latitude they haue also the seasons of the yere contrarie The Autumne in Aries when the Spring is with vs The winter in Cancer when we haue summer the spring in Libra when haruest is here the summer in capricorn which to vs is winter But because they are in the same longitude they haue at the same instant with vs midday and midnight Such are the Egiptians with the farthest Africans The Antipodes so called because they go with their feet opposite to ours hauing the Horizon Hemisphers opposed vnto whom al things are cōtrary winter sommer day and night East west OF THE VARIETY OF THINGS AC cording to the difference of places HEnceforward following our purposed order we will speake of the diuersitie of thinges according to the difference of places Where then the heat is neither to extreme and feruent nor the cold to excessiue and sharpe where there are neither vnmeasurable raines nor too violent windes but the seasons of the yere continue in moderate disposition there is found a conuenient temperature of the aire holsomnes of waters and fertility of groundes by meanes whereof the Countrey is made pleasant healthsome apt to bring forth corne and pulse to norishe all kinde of plants as well others as wilde bearing fruite abundantly in their seasons The beastes birdes and fishes are better formed more fruitfull and of better tast then elswhere But where as hot or cold drie or moist doe exceede they hurt euery thing and make it worse The Ethiopians being neere vnto the Sunne which burneth them with his beames are blacke hauing their heare and beard frisled or curled On the contrary they which inhabite the colde and ycie countries haue their skinne white and soft their heare yellow and vnited both the one and the other being naturally cruell by reason of their excessiue cold and heat They are in both countries of high stature which proceedeth of the abundance of heat in respect of the Ethiopians and of the abundant moisture in regard of those which inhabite the cold countries But the regions of the meane temperature are very good and fertile the people which inhabite there of meane stature quicke witted and well tempered of colour They are delicate in their maner of liuing and haue a good sharpe and quick witt readie to comprehend any thing And cōmonly the great Empires and famous monarchies are in their hands which are not foūd amongst people remoued from this temperature by reason of their beastly sauagenes and brutish immanity Likewise the beasts which are bred in the cold coūtries are lumpish and heauy And on the contrary they are light that are in the hoate regions the one sort very much differing from the other both in forme shape colours and properties The fishes from sea to sea the birds from countrey to countrey do differ much one frō thother as may be knowen by the sight of thē vnderstood by the books which are writtē of thē There is no lesse differēce amongst herbs trees according to the place where they are brought forth For they which grow in the hāgings of hils cold dry exposed to the wind are of greater vertu thē the others on the cōtrary such as grow on plains and shadowed places and waterie being hid from the wind are not of such efficacy Also the soile and season maketh them oft times to shoot forward or to be backward We see better trees fuller of leaues and better stored with fruit in one territory then in another because they like the place better Those trees which loue the hils are very great and faire as Cedars Firre trees pynetrees boxetrees and plaintrees In the Forests the okes beeches corketrees lotetrees elmes ashes and haseltrees do grow The alders poplars willowes and reedes on the riuers sides and in watrie places Some come not any where but in the South Countries as the orange tree the citron or lemmon tree palme or date tree and the sicamore Others in the cold Countries as appletrees and pearetrees The same difference is found both in herbes and lesser plants th one not growing but in hot countries the other in cold others in those that are meanely temperate Some grow in marishes others in standing waters There are some which are found ordinarily in moist places and some in drie others loue the fieldes others the vines and others the meadowes Some do better in the vallies then on the sides of hils others loue the high places exposed to the winde There are that finde norishment along the walles of Townes and Castels and betwixt the closures and ruines of houses Corne coms better in one place the vine in another and cattel in an other The aire is so temperate in Calecut that there is neuer any plague but continuall greenenes in the herbes and trees and there are euery moneth new fruits differing altogether from ours yet good neuerthelesse and maruelous pleasant The countrie of Syria chiefely about Damasco aboundeth with all sort of corne flesh and fruit especially with newe grapes all the yere long Also pomgranats quinces almonds oliues and roses of diuers colours very faire and odoriferous But their apples peares and peaches are of an euil tast In the west Indies as well throughout the Islands as in the Maine there are wilde vines that beare good grapes without industry or care of man But the kernels of the peaches plums cherries sowen in diuers places there do take no roote Oliue trees being planted there bring nothing but leaues without fruit The countrey of Babilon is most fertile in corne but the vine and figg-tree wil not grow there In Moscouia there is great abundance of hony and waxe riche skinnes and exquisite furres but not any fruit worth the reckoning The Tartarians and Arabians haue nothing but cattell The Moluccaes yeeld the aromaticall druggs of spicery and in all thinges else are barren In one place are the Emerauds Rubies Turkoises and Pearles In another is Corrall Ambor and Christall in one place there is gold found in another lead tinne and siluer Plinie esteeming the wheate of
because it is needfull for them to remoue their cattaile from place to place for pasture they are constrained to follow exercising as it were a liuely kind of husbandry Some liue on hunting in diuers sorts as some on their pray others on fishing as they which liue neere vnto lakes pondes and riuers and such as border on the sea others on birds and wild beasts which inhabite neere vnto the woodes The poore thoroughout the wide forests and high mountaines liue on roots akornes and wildfruits notwithstanding the greatest part of men liue of the earth and of such fruits as they finde at home So that the manners of liuing vsed amongst them are pasturage tillage hunting hauking fishing and fouling Others by mingling of these do liue better at ease helping their life which hath need of many things with that which it wanteth to thend to haue sufficient As some vse pasturage and hauking others ioyne tillage with hunting and so the other kinds of liuing according as necessitie constraineth them or delight and pleasure prouoketh them The Canibals euen at this day do eate mans flesh rosted likewise the other Sauages eate their enimies which they haue taken in wars The Arabians feed on Camels and Ostriches bread of Millet and rapeseed pilled The Tartarians on raw flesh indifferently of dogs horses cats snakes and such other beasts which they do only presse betweene two stones to draw out the bloud thereof or els do mortifie it on the backe of a horse when a man is on him They drinke mares milke preparing it in such sort that it resembleth white-wine it is not much vnsauoury nor of ill tast The Cathayans also eate raw flesh cutting it first in small peeces then they conserue it in odoriferous oyles with good spices and then do eate if so prepared Their drink is made of rice with diuers spices which hath a tast more delicious pleasant then wine and they which drink more then enough thereof are sooner drunk then with wine The Medites hauing neither corne nor wine vse great hunting in the summer time taking both of wild beasts and birds wherof they make their prouision to liue in winter And in some places they make bisket of fishes dried and cut in smal peeces which they beate and bray into powder or flower then they temper it with water make past thereof mould it and make it into loaues of bread which they dry in the sunne liue thereof all the yere The people of Calecut liue on rice fishes spices fruits altogether different from ours They drinke wine of palmes and of dates mingled with rice and sugar Throughout al the western Islands they make bread of a kind of wheat called Mahiz and of a roote named Iuca which are ordinary feeding aswel in the Islands as in the maine land They make drinke of certain Pine apples which the call Ya yama which is holsome but because it is to sweet it is not so pleasant to drinke as the drinke of our countries It would be too long tedious to recite here and set downe seuerally all the kinds of liuing receiued of men either for necessitie or for superfluitie and delights Therfore these already rehearsed as the most strange and most different from ours shal suffice at this time But besides the commodities and discommodities of liuing which men haue in their seuerall Countries some abstain from certaine meates either by opinion as the Pythagoreans did from a cow and from a beane or els by religion and that either for a time as from flesh in Lent and on fasting daies amongst the Christians or alwaies as the Charterhouse Monkes and Carthusian Friers On the contrary the auncient priests of Egipt thought it a great sin to eate fishe as Herodotus hath wrtiten The Egiptians abstained also from swines-flesh as the Iews do at this day and the Mahometans who moreouer wil drinke no wine The Malharbians and Guzeras do eate nothing that hath blood neither kil they any thing that hath life Therefore they neither eate greene herbes nor newe fruit thinking that there is life in them and that it is a great offence to make them die They worship Oxen and abstaine from eating them as the Iewes do from swine The others being not so scrupulous do vse indifferently all kind of meates which they can comeby OF THE VARIETY of People IT seemeth that there is in men some natural desire to chaunge their habitations and dwellings hauing a mutable mind impacient of rest and desirous of nouelties By reason whereof they cease not from going one to an other changing of maners tongues letters lordships and religions Few countries are inhabited by the true originaries almost all Nations are mingled In auncient time the Egyptians dwelt in Babylon Cholchis Syria and Greece The Grecians in that part of Italie which is next the lower sea the Tyrians in Afrike the Africans in Spaine the Phocians in Gaule the Gaules in Greece and Asia the Macedonians in Syria and Egipt So haue the Arabians past into Persia Syria Afrike Italie and Spaine So the Tartarians into Scythia So the Spaniards into America to Peru and into the East and West India The excessiue heates and coldes the deepe seas and large riuers the high mountaines the great woodes and deserts can not let them from changing their dwellinges Notwithstanding they remoue commonly out of cold Regions into temperate as the Parthians and Turks haue done on the side of Asia and in Europe the Cymbrians Sicambrians Saxons Gothes Lombards Burgundians Frenchmen Vandales Normans Alanes Hunnes Hungarians and Slauonians which at diuers times going out of the North haue possessed the principall regions of Europe Others hauing long straied and wandered do not make choise of their habitation but stay at the first place where they find themselues wearle being not able to go any farther Others get it by force of armes Some straiers perish bythe way others dwell where their pouertie leaueth them and they haue not all the same necessitie to abandon their Countrie and to seek a new Some by strange armies being beaten out of their owne inuade some other others being oppressed with ciuil sedition others being increased to an ouergreat multitude others by pestilence or by barrennes of their land and others hoping to recouer a better Howsoeuer all vsurpers haue accustomed to abolysh as much as lay in them the dignitie and memorie of their predecessors aswell for enuie hatred and contempt as for ambition to thend to make their name onely from that time forward to flourish as the Medians did vsurping the Lordship ouer the Assyrians the Persians ouer the Medes and Egiptians the Romains ouer the Gaules Spaniards and Africans the Gothes and Vandales ouer the Romains the Arabians ouer the Persians Egiptians Africans which at this day also the Spaniards do in the new found Lands and the Turks in those places which they get on the Christians destroying their buildings titles letters bookes histories
and sciences THE VICISSITVDE of Townes SOme Towns and Cities begin others end others increase others diminish cōming of little to be great of great little some are ouerthrowen by warres others by sedition others by long peace turned into loosenes or by pompe and prodigalitie pernitious to great riches or by casuall chaunces of fire inundation of waters or Earthquakes or els by old age which consumeth all things Niniue so great so faire and sumptuous was distroyed by Arbaces and the Medians Carthage by Scipio and the Romaines By tract of time the greatest part of Babylon hath bin turned vnto tillage and at this day is nothing or els hath chaunged his name Athens is reduced into a little village Troy into Champaigne Ierusalem so famous throughout the scripture hath bin often distroied and reedified Thebes was sometime the fairest Citie not onely of Egypt but of the whole world the magnificence of which was diminished by the increase of Memphis And that of Memphis by the edification and augmentation of Alexandria holden for the chiefe or second Citie in the world Rome began when Babylon ended and Constantinople is growen vp by the spoile of Rome the Empire being transported thither with his chiefe forces and riches Lions first scituated on a hill was burned then reedified below Elice and Buria drowned In auncient time there were in Candie 100. Townes which are now reduced vnto three On the contrarie in Germany there were no Townes there are at this day the fairest the strongest and best gouerned that are any where The Arabians and Tartarians march by great troupes representing great walking cities In other places are seen veriefaire Cities which were not in former time As Cair Alep Tauris Mosko Prague Cracouia Nugradia Antwerp London Lishbon Paris Roan Mexico in Temistiten Venice Cambalu Quinzay Meace in Gyapan Malach and Ormus THE VICISSITVDE OF COMMON Weales Kingdomes and Empires THe first and chiefest forme of Ciuil gouernment is a Monarchie erected naturally which by good establishment begetteth a Kingdom or Roialtie but when a Roialtie falleth into those vices which are neerest i◠as into Tyrannie of their abolition ariseth Aristocratie which is commonlie chaunged into Oligarchie And when the Communaltie reuengeth the iniustice of the Gouernors there followeth a Democratie by the outrages and iniquities whereof is againe erected the Ochlocratie Such is the naturall reuolution of gouernments according vnto which the estate of the common wealth is chaunged and translated and againe returneth to the same Yf the vertue of commaunders were alwaies alike the affaires of men would go better and more certainlie without being transported to and fro and incessantly altered for aucthoritie is easilie maintayned by the same meanes by which it is gotten but where for diligence idlenes for continencie and equitie couetousnes and pride do take place there the fortune chaungeth with the maner of their lyuing Wherefore the Kingdoms and Empires are translated continually from the lesse apt and able to those that more chaunging from familie to familie and from nation to nation As by the variable course of the Moone is gouerned the great Sea mouing or appeasing his waues aduauncing or withdrawing the flowing and the ebbing of the tydes so are by the vnstabilitie of fortune and mens want of wisdom publike states increased diminished exalted abased changed destroied conuerted and put ouer from some vnto others those that are best gouerned hauing their power more assured and durable then the rest and yet none being perpetuall for asmuch as they are corrupted in length of yeares whatsoeuer good orders there are at the beginning if heed be not carefully taken in reforming them often and reducing them as much as is possible to their first integritie We see that a Lordship well founded doth prosper a time by the goodnes of the gouernment and goeth from good to better drawing in a right line towards the midst or the highest of his true politique course afterwards declineth from high to low or from the midst to the extremitie True it is that where th one endeth thother beginneth and is aduaunced by the ruyne of the former or many smal are reduced into one great and that great one diuided into lesser THE VICISSITVDE AND variety of Tongues LIkewise the Tongues words writings and Characters are continually changed hauing no better hap then other humaine things which do change ordinarily with their words namely maners of liuing both publike and priuate customes meates lawes habits and garments edifices buildings armes engines and instruments They haue a beginning continuance perfection corruption and alteration Some are altogether lost others do spring out of the former beeing corrupted and mingled others after they haue bin long time disanulled are restored They are maintayned with their proprietie sweetnes and elegancie with the sciences which are written in them thorough the power and greatnes of Empire and by religions with which meanes they are largely spread abroad in diuers Countries and endure long as also they are lost by the contrarie THE VICISSITVDE of Artes. BY the same order and interchangeable course the Arts and Sciences being small at beginning do augment by little and little and come vp to their perfection whether after they are once come they fall eftsoones and finally perish thorough the slouth of men or by the calamitie of warres long continued or by the tyrannie of barbarous people Then when they haue bin a while let downe they arise againe and successiuelie recouer their former strength Which hath giuen occasion to some excellent Philosophers and Astrologers to thinke that the same Sciences haue sundrie times bin inuented before time out of minde and lost againe as they may be againe also in time to come seeing that power and wisedom leaue not long each other but ordinarily keepe good companie together As I haue obserued within these three thousand yeares to haue falne out fiue or sixe times at certain seasons finding the excellency of armes and learning to haue bin first in Egipt Assyria Persia and Asia the lesser consequently in Greece Italie and Sarasmenia and finallie in this age in which we see almost all auncient liberal and Mechanical arts to be restored with the tongues after that they had bin lost almost twelue hundred yeares and other new inuented in their places Wherein shal be employed all the discourse ensuing depending on the former which we will begin with the Tongues with which are preserued and lost all humaine arts and affaires The end of the first Booke OF THE VICISSITVDE AND varietie of Tongues The second Booke GOD creating Man gaue him for a great and excellent gift the vse of Reason and Speech and by these two prerogatiues hath separated him from other Creatures But reason would little helpe him and would lesse appeare in him if he could not by speech expresse that which before hee had conceiued in his mind for the beastes seeme to yeeld vnto him rather in speech then vnderstanding doing finely and
not chaunge thorough our opinions but according to their nature remaine alwaies in the same order also that the true names did not chaunge after our pleasure but were agreeable to the things signified whose essence and similitude they did imitate being first conceiued in mind afterwards expressed in sound and voice and then written by letters and sillables Which opinion some haue so farre beleeued that they haue gone about to enquire and search out the proprietie of things by the proprietie of words and to insinuate so far by the secret vertue which they deemed in them as to do miracles in pronouncing them and to heale the diseases both of bodie and mind therwith And that which is more they haue affirmed that there are some inuented by diuine inspiration meaning amongst others the name of GOD which is pronounced by fower letters onely in most languages In which they say so manie Nations could not agree without some maruailous mysterie of the diuinitie If the imposition propertie and vertue of names be admirable the inuention and vse of Letters is no lesse and to haue found a mean to comprehend in a few notes such a multitude and varietie of sounds and voices of men By them are written the things of greatest profit vnto the world as the lawes sentences of Iudges testaments contracts and other such things necessarie for the vnderstanding of the life of man Those which haue bin long time dead are reuiued in the memorie of the lyuing and they which are many miles distant a sunder commune with their absent friends as if they were present The sacred Bookes of the holie Scripture and word of God are preserued by them the sentences of wise men philosophy and generally all sciences are deliuered ouer from hand to hand to the suruiuors Some haue cauiled at this inuention as Thames king of Egipt in Platoes Phaedrus who made answere to Theut boasting himself therof that he had not found a remedie or help for memory but for remembrance Therfore the Pythagoreans and the French Druydes did write nothing but deliuered one to another their mysteries without writing to th end that they should not exercise their memorie the lesse thorough the confidence of letters Notwithstanding experience which is Mistres of things hath manifestly opened their errour for asmuch as by writing nothing the memorie of their doctrine in processe of yeares thorough mans imbecillitie is vtterly lost no apparance or auncient mark therof remayning at this day In like maner the Hebrewes say of their Cabal that it was first giuen by God to the Patriarches and to Moises afterwards to the Prophets not written but reuealed successiuely and giuen from hand to hand by the one to the other But after they were deliuered from the Captiuitie of Babylon by Cyrus and that vnder Zorobabel they had reedified the Temple then Esdras who alreadie had restored the books of Moises fore-seeing that his nation amongst so many calamities flights banishments and mortalities vnto which it was exposed could not at length preserue and keepe the secreats of that celestial doctrine reuealed to them from aboue and preferred before the written Law except they did write them he gathered what he could of the wise men then suruiuing and reduced it into seuentie Volumes Letters then being most necessarie after they were inuented they which considered them neerest diuided them into Vowels and Consonants then into halfe vowels mutes and liquids calling that art Grammer which serued to know to discerne and to assemble them to make sillables nounes verbs and speach And although Plinie building on the authoritie of Epigenes thinketh the vse of letters to haue bin eternal that is to say without beginning neuertheles he is gainsaid in that by other Authors Philo the Iew imputeth the inuention of the Hebrew letters to Abraham Eusebius to Moises and others vnto Esdras Iosephus saith that the children of Seth the sonne of Adam erected two Pillars the one of stone thother of earth in the which they wrote the arts inuented by them and that th one of stone was yet in his time remayning in Syria Cicero attributeth the Egiptian letters to Mercury and the Phrygian to Hercules Liuie ascribeth the Latin to Euander the Arcadian whom he calleth venerable by the miracle of letters Cor. Tacitus the Hetrurian letters to Demaratus the Corinthian The Slauonians attribute theirs to S. Iherome who they say translated into their tongue the old new Testament The Bishop Gordian gaue letters to the Gothes The auncient Frenchmen which first possessed both the Gauls had three sorts of letters differing th one from thother The first inuēted by Wastald the other by Dorac the third by Hiche The Normans had theirs also described by Bede In like maner many Nations haue inuented new Characters haue changed and corrupted the old as the Slauons those of the Greeks the Armeniās of the Chaldees the Chaldees of the Hebrewes the Gothes Lombards Spaniards Germains and Frenchmen those of the Romains The other Hetrurian letters which are seen yet at this day in the ancient sepulchers are altogether vnknowen Others searching the same yet more deeply and fetching it farther off affime that they were first inuented by the Ethiopians who deliuered them to the Egiptians the Egiptians to the Assyrians the Assyrians to the Phenicians the Phenicians to the Pelagians the Pelagians to the Latins the Latins to the Italians Frenchmen Spaniards Almains Englishmen Scots Noruegians Suecians Polacques and Hungarians The Characters of the letters are no lesse different then the tongues can not serue any tongue but that wherunto they were ordayned nor represent the entier natural pronunciation no not of their owne which changeth not onely from towne to towne but almost from village to village for Greek could not be written in Latin letters nor the Latin in Greek letters and the Greeks and Latins do not alwaies pronounce as they write but to make the sound of their words softer do change the pronounciation of some letters taking th one for thother whereof ther is a complaint made in Lucian to the iudgment of the vowels Suetonius writeth of Augustus that he obserued not the Ortographie set down by the Gramarians but seem rather to leane to the opiniō of those which think that we ought to writ as we speak In the which howbeit he were followed yet could he not with his imperial authority and inestimable power preuaile against custome And therfore I wonder at some Frenchmen who not considering that in Grammer there is more obseruation thē reasō that it behoueth in such things as are speking writing pronoūcing with nature to mingle custom which as Quint. saith is the most certain Mistresse thereof haue of late intruded themselues assaying to reduce the writing of that language which they haue cleane turned vp-side downe wholie to the pronunciation without thinking that the French doe vse straunge letters which if they could neuer thoroughly satisfie their owne tongue but because of
cyment and rubbed ouer with fine plaister which when it is drie they write what they will on them There bookes are not made by leaues but they stretch them forth many cubits in length and bring them into square peeces ioined in such sort with cyment or soder that they are easie to turne and seeme to be made of bordes or tables of wood and wheresoeuer they are opened there appeare twosides written in maner of two pages as much there is vnderneath if they be not stretched out in length because that vnder one leafe are many leaues written The letters and characters are like vnto hookes ginnes files starres and other such formes where with they write in lines after our fashion representing in some sort the auncient maner of the Egiptians and Ethiopians and they paint between the lines figures of liuing creatures namely of men as is aforesaid as of Kings and princes reciting their acts They write also their Lawes sacrifices ceremonies obseruations of the starres and of husbandrie Both the vpper and vnder side is of fine workmanship and such as when they are foulded vp they seeme nothing different from ours They make little table-table-bookes also of bordes of figtree to write common things on which they can easilie deface againe The said Martyr saith also that there haue bin found in Darienna bookes made of the leaues of trees sowed together and that at Mesira they vse figures by which they signifie their affaires aswell as by writing Moreouer that in Hispaniola there is found a tree called Coppeia whose leafe is as fit to write on as paper with a needle or pin or a pointed sticke and that it is to be thought that this is the tree in the leaues of which the Chaldees the first inuentors of Letters did write their conceits before the vse of letters was inuented The leafe will abide writing on both sides aswell as our paper it is about twelue fingers broad and almost round thicker then double parchmine and verie tough When it is wet the letters appeare white in the greene leafe but when it is dried it becoms white and hard as a woodden borde but then the letters are yellow it is neuer marred nor defaced for wetting if it be not burnt Paulus Venetus writeth that in the prouince of Arcadan which is subject to the great Cham there are neither letters nor characters but that men there make their contracts and obligations by little bordes or tablets which they diuide in the midst and compare afterwardes together and confer their markes and signes one with the other and so doe acknowledge the cause of such contracts The simple people of the new found land not knowing the vse of Letters did maruaile much to see that Christians by meanes of them vnderstood one an other and thought that the written leaues did speake by their commandement and reported their secrets in such sort that they touched and caried them with feare as if there had bin some spirite in them and that they had spoken by some diuinitie and not by industrie of man THE most cōmon kind of writing which we vse at this day in these parts is with black Inke which heretofore was made of the sweat of bathes and furnaces but now of gaules gum Arabick and ryndes of pomgranats being all steeped in water of victriol or copperis beaten into pouder There is vsed also red ynke made either of Vermilion or of the shauings or fylings of Brasell steeped in strong Lye being yet warme and putting a little Alum to it and Azure made of some blew stone or earth yelow of goldsand or pouder Also one may write with the iuyce of Mulberies Cheries and other such fruicts And that with pennes made of reedes or canes such as Erasmus vsed or of brasse gold or siluer or of goose-feathers swans peacockes or ostriches Without speaking of the subtilities of writing with Cyphers which Princes vse and notes which Cicero inuented or with Alum where the letters do not appeare nor can not be read except they be dipt in water or with salt Armoniack iuyce of an orenge limon citron or onyon to be discouered onelie when they are held neere the fire or with grease cinders and coales But the maner to write by imprinting hath excelled all the rest in readynes and diligence dispatching more worke in a day then many speedie or swift writers are able to doe in a yeare And since it commeth in so fitlie to our purpose we will intermeddle here a little and say briefly as much as we shall think fit for this present discourse of that which we haue heard and learned of the most expert touching this so rare so profitable and admirable Art to the end that if by warres or other humaine mischiefes and casualties the vse thereof should at any time be left off yet it should not bee altogether lost but be faithfully kept and preserued by bookes as it hath saued and preserued manie bookes TO MAKE Characters for imprinting it is requisite first to haue ponchions of steel softned by the fire on the which they graue with coūter-ponchions hardned or grauing yrons steeled the white which is within the letters perfecting and smoothing the bodies of them with fyles where they are eminent or vneuen not at the right ends but at the contrarie after they wet these ponchions in water to harden them and then polish them and do strike them into little peeces of fine copper that haue bin in the fire which being so engrauen do naturally represent the forme of the letters which the artisans do call striking of the matrices Then do they iustify their matrices on moulds of yron and in the white therof make their castings with lead tinglasse antimony and other mixed maters to the end to harden them and that they may endure the longer The Letters being thus cast made are put in a great case or box of wood ful of little boxes in to which they are distributed according to their seuerall sorts From whence the Compositors hauing layd before them the writing which they are to imprint do take thē one by one dispose them by pages and formes which they put again into other chasies or frames of yron with one or two crosses locked or shut fast with furnitures of wood Then the gouernour of the Presse taketh these last chasies or fourmes and laieth them on the marble of his Presse then beateth them with balles of wood filled with woll couered with white leather and soaked or rubbed with ynke well mixed and distributed placing the leafe that is to be printed on a double tympan or parchmin hauing a wollen cloth betwixt them and a moyst linnen cloth to keepe the leafe from mackling and putting downe the frisquet of parchmin which couereth the white or margent of the leafe he maketh the traine of the presse to roule which resteth on the cariage till it come vnder the vice or spindle vnto which the plattin is fastned and
taking the barre in his hand he pulleth as hard as he can vntill the leafe be imprinted on one side on which they bestow halfe the day and the other halfe on the other side yelding in a day twelue hundred and fiftie sheetes or thirteen hundred imprinted But before they do this they make two or three proofes which are reulewed and on this correction continew the rest Two men are requisite about the presse one to take to gather and order the sheetes o◠leaues thother to beate on the fourme which is on the presse and to distribute or bray the ynke on the stone or blocke which could not serue the turne by reason of the great trauaile required therein if they did not drawe the presse one after the other and by turnes Two presses also are needfull th one for the ordinary worke and thother to make the proofes and reiterations More or lesse Compositours that is to say Collectors of letters togither according as they are great or small or in a meane betweene both and sometimes a Founder or melter is requisite to renew the letters The ynke is made of the smoke or sweat of oyle and dissolued in oyle which must be beaten and distributed because of the thicknes and it would not sticke on the paper if it were not wett Others haue thought it better to make letters of copper saying that they are of lesse cost and yet will endure longer But experience hath founde that they are not so commodious and that they pierce the paper This is that which wee haue vnderstoode of this Art vnknowen heretofore amongst the auncient Greekes and Romains wherof the Almains attribute the inuention to themselues Notwithstanding the Portugals traficking on the farthest parts of the East and the North into China and Cathay haue brought therehence books printed in the languag and writing of that Countrey saying that they haue vsed it there a long time which hath moued some to thinke that the inuention hath bin brought out of that countrey through Tartaria and Moscouia into Germany and so after communicated to the rest of Christiandome and yet not receiued of the Mahometistes who superstitiously account it a great sinne to write their Alcoran by any other meane but by the hand of man Almost all nations haue remained a long time without letters which hath bin a cause of making the antiquities and originals vncertain Touching those bookes which we haue there are none of them written aboue 3000. yeres agone except the Hebrew neither is there found amongst the Gentils any authour more auncient then Homer Therefore the Egiptian Priest in Platoes Timeus reprocheth vnto Solon that the Greekes were all yong of vnderstanding hauing no olde opinion deriued from antiquitie nor any aged sciēce And Herodotus in his Terpsichore writeth that the Phenicians arriuing with Cadmus at Berce brought in the letters with them which the Greekes had not before and as Liuy writeth they came but lately into Italy The German toong was not written in auncient time and the Hongarian began not long since to be written The Nomedes of the great Tartaria and some Sauages of the new-found Lands do vse no letters at all But they haue amongst them some matters touching their antiquities not written nor represented by notes which they giue by worde of mouth successiuely the one to thother As the Iewes kept a long time the memory of the antiquities which Moises afterward set downe in writing continued by the successors of Adam and of Noe euen to his time And the verses of Homer before they were gathered in the forme which we see by Aristarchus were learned and song onely by hart And so vsed at the first the Egiptians Chaldees Babylonians Greekes Latins and other nations WE haue said enough of the imposition of names the inuention diuersitie and antiquitie of Letters the maners of writing and matters which are written on and with what instruments and of the Arte of Imprinting now comming againe to our speach of tongues I say that they get reputation by their property elegancy and sweetenes by the sciences which are written in them by power and greatnes of Empire and by the religions by which meanes they are inlarged in many Countries and endure long as also they are soone lost and decaied by their contraries THE GREEKE tongue came in estimation by the elegancie sweetenes and richnes thereof by Philosophy which hath bin handled therein and al Arts and Sciences It hath bin propagated by the nauigations and Colonies of the Athenians and by the armes of the Macedonians which ruling far in Asia and namely in Syria and Egipt made their language to be vnderstood in many Countries In so much as by the saying of Cicero it was in his time red almost in all nations Also the new Testament first written in Greeke hath made it knowen in many places THE ROMAINS no lesse ambitious in amplifying their tongue then their Empire constrained the people which they had ouercome to speak Latin and did not negociate with straungers in any tongue but their owne to th end to spread it ouer all with more veneration as Valerius saith in his second booke of auncient Institutions They made their Prouincials to change not onely their language but also their maners and customes to make them more tractable Afterward the Christian religion passing into the West and vsing Latin in the Churches and Schooles and consequently in publicke instruments and sentences of soueraigne Iudges hath preserued it thoroughout Italy France Spaine England Scotland Germany Poland Prussia Sweden Hungarie Bohemia and part of Slauonia The Christians in the East and South Countries as the Nestorians Iacobites and Maronites vse the Syrian tongue as we do the Latin The Abyssins or Ethiopians vse the Chaldaick in the which they haue al the holy Scripture not giuing credite to any other language whatsoeuer The Iewes wheresoeuer they are thoroughout the world would neuer consent that the old Testament which they vse should be translated but do read and singe it in Hebrew practizing in their contracts the tongues of those Countreys where they dwell Likewise the Mahometists haue not suffred their Alcoran to be red or vnderstood in any tongue but the Arabian in which it was written which resembling the Hebrew Chaldaicke and Syriack is at this day largely spred abroad For although the Tartarians Corasmians Persians and Turkes haue a diuers language from the Arabian the Syrians modern Arabians and Mores a tongue somwhat like it yet so is it that the Arabian-grammer tongue in religion and sciences amongst the learned the Iudges and Priests is common to all the inhabitants almost of Asia Africke and the third part of Europe Amongst all the languages of Europe there is not any more ample and large then the Slauonian vnderstood and spoken by the Seruians Mysians Bosnians Dalmatians Croatians Slauons Carnians Bohemians Morauians Slesites Polaques Mazouites Pomerans Cassubites Sarbians Ruthenians and Moscouites Moreouer the Lythuanians Nugardians
Plescouians Smolnians and Ohalicians begin to speake Slauonian It was also familiar amongst the Mammelucs as it is at this present in the Turkishe Court. In Asia the Tartarian is vnderstoode thoroughout the Northe and a part of the East The Moorish thoroughout Africke and the Brasilian in the newe found Lands YET haue not tongues any better estate then other humane things but euen as buildinges habites maners customes lawes Magistrates maners of liuing both publicke and priuate armes engins and instruments are changed so are wordes and languages which perishe at length not leauing by succession of time any apparance of their manner of writing We haue now no knowledge at all of the Oscian and Hetrurian tongue The Prouencal in times past so much celebrated amongst famous writers is not vnderstood of the Prouencals at this day The auncient Gaulish Spanish Persian and Punick languages are lost THE HEBREW hath lost much of his integritie by the calamitous exiles and often mutations hapned to the Iewes vnder diuers Lords For the Assyrians Egyptians Greekes and Romains raigning ouer the Iewes assaied for the hatred they bare to their religion to distroy the Hebrew tongue and the books of the Law which they caused all to be burned as many as they could get into their hāds namely the Assyrians But they were miraculously restored againe by Esdras or Iesus his sonne the high priest which knew then by hart and changed the Hebrew letters to hinder the Iewes from being mingled with the Samaritans which came of the Gentils in Iury as Eusebius reporteth These letters which the Iewes haue sithence vsed differ onely by figures and points from those of the Samaritans which are those that were giuen asore time by Moyses But being so many times dispersed hither and thither into diuers Countries and mingled with strangers whose Captiues and tributaries they were as they are yet at this present in what part soeuer they dwell they haue kept few words pure amongst which are found some ambiguous signifying contrary things not to be vnderstood but by continuance of the speach or by the addition detraction or inuersion of the points holding the place of vowels Their phrases are obscure and full of metaphors parables and riddles to bee construed diuersly Neuertheles it is profitable for Christians and especially for Diuines to know this tongue as well for the better vnderstanding of the scriptures as to refute more certainly the Iewes if they happen to dispute against them As also the Arabian is necessary for the conuersion of Mahometistes by reason whereof it was ordeined at the Counsell of Vienna that these two tongues should be publickly taught in the chiese Vniuersities of Christendome THE SARAZENS spreading abroad by armes with their religion lordship the Arabian tongue first they destroied the Persian with the letters and learning thereof and by the commandement of their Caliphes they caused the bookes written therein to be burnt imagining that while the Persians contending before with the Greekes in armes and learning should haue these bookes contayning naturall sciences lawes of the Countrey and auncient cerimonies they could not be good Mahometists as before the Christians had indeuoured to abolish the bookes of the Gentils and vtterly to deface the memorie of their diuinitie After these Sarazens going into Egipt they banished out of Alexandria the Greek with the disciplines written therein and out of Africk the Latin as the Romaines before had banished the African tongue with the learning and letters thereof So that nations passing out of one Countrey into another do change the maners tongues religions and dominions the victors spoyling whatsoeuer they thinke good in the land of the vanquished defacing their titles and destroying for enuy that which they cannot cary away to th end to abolish the honour and vertue of others and that none but their owne may be celebrated and spoken off So do the Turkes at this day to the Christians they rule ouer and so did in auncient time the Goths Alans Hunnes Vandales Seruiens Turules and Lombards who diuers times conquering Countries whose languages they disdained neither vnderstanding them nor knowing how to read them corrupted them in making new by mixtion of their own with those which they found insomuch as the poore people remayning after such transmigrations did learne the languages of the cruel and inhumane vsurpers to vse in speach vnto them that they might be thought the fitter subiectes Moreouer these barbarous people referring all vnto warre and contemning all other disciplines burnt the libraries and all the bookes in them vnto which the learned had recommended all their memorials in so much that with the losse of the tongues there ensued also the losse of the sciences which were written in them from whence there arose great ignorance in the world which lasted a long time In this maner of the Grammaticall Greeke proceeded the vulgar Of the Latin the Italian French and Spanish in which are found many Arabian words by reason that the Sarazens held Spaine a long time Of the grammaticall Arabian the Vulgar and Moorish vsed from Syria vnto the straights of Marocco and comming as neere vnto it as the Italian doth to the Latin Of the Almaygne and French the English The Moore which commeth of the Arabian and the Turke of the Tartarian vnderstanding on an other as the Italian and Spanyarde And so of those which are nowe in vse are others made and of them others will bee made in time to come But howbeit they change vncessantly and that in the same Countrey and language there appeareth in short time a difference both in speaking and pronouncing yet euery where there are somethat speake finer and purer then the rest such as were the Athenians in Greece the Romains in Italy and the Tuscans there at this day The Castilians in Spaine the Saxons in Germany The Persians in Asia The Nobles and Courtiers in France whereby the question is decided which hath bin debated betweene some learned men namely whether the auncient Greekes and Romaines had two languages and whether Plato Aristotle and Demosthenes in Greeke and Cicero Salust and Cesar in Latin did write in their mother-tongues It is certaine that in Athens there was but one language and in Rome one other yet the speach of the common people was not so pure as that of men of calling and the ciuiler sort as one may see by the Latin of Vitruuius who was a chiefe Mason and Cicero who was Consull Which elegancie and purity of speech is preserued longer amongst women which conuerse not so much with strangers as the men and commonly are more curious to speake well Tully in the third booke of his Oratour writeth that in his time the learning of the Athenians was lost in Athens only remaining in that towne the school or house of studies which was not cared for of the Citizens and the strangers enioyed it which were drawen thither in some sort by the name and authority of
the citie notwithstanding that an vnlearned Athenian excelled the most learned of Asia not in words but in sound of the voice and not so much in speaking wel as in pronoūcing sweetly Likewise saith he there is a certain voice or accent peculiar and proper to the Romain kind to the City in the which there is nothing offending or displeasing the eare or sauouring in any sort of peregrinity strangnes in so much that the Romains with lesse study then the Latins did excell the most learned amongst thē by sweetnes of voice THE GREEKES dwelling in true Greece in Italy Asia in Sicile and other Islandes had fower tongues or speeches The Atticke Dorike Eolike and Ionian and in choosing out of euery of them throughout the Poets words and figures as came fittest to their purpose they made another tongue which they called the Common and after vnder one name onely called them all fiue the Greeketongue And although the Athenian were finer and more fruitfull then the rest yet the learned which were not Athenians by nation did write only after their natural maner fearing peraduenture that they should not attaine to the Attike purity vnto which but seldome and by leasure attained those which were borne elswhere For Theophrastus who had long abode in Athens being reputed most eloquent was knowen by an old woman of Athens to be a straunger by his speach Pollio obiected Paduanisme vnto Liuie and vnto Virgill who was a Mantuan it was reproached that he spake not Romain so euery tongue by how much the farther it is from his natural spring is the lesse pure As in old time the Syrians and Egyptians speaking Greeke did not speake it so purely as the Athenians nor the Gaules Spaniards or Africans Latin as the Romains for although their words were Greeke or Latin yet they retained the phrase of their owne Countrey Insomuch that speaking Greeke or Latin they were alwaies knowen for straungers as it hapneth to the English Scots Flemings Almains Italians and Spaniards when they speake French if they haue not learned it very young But the tongues as all other humaine things haue their beginning progresse perfection corruption and end and being rude at first do afterwards polish themselues with ciuilitie of maners and knowledge And when they haue endured a time in puritie and elegancy they are corrupted and do finally perish and by proces of time no appearance of their writing remaineth The Greekes at the first were but rude and grosse as Thucydides Plato and Aristotle affirme and the first which became ciuill amongst them were the Athenians who polished their language which they also brought vnto perfection where it remained not long but was corrupted and lost togither with the libertie of the Countrey being supplanted by the Macedonians Romains and other straungers which haue ruled there In such sort that neuer sithence could be restored the true propriety and natural elegancy of the Greeke which was spoken by Plato Aristotle Isocrates Demosthenes and Eschines but in steed of that tongue which may be said to haue bin the best in the world there is at length come an other vsed at this present in Greece and in the Isles adioyning mingled of many other languages which is euery day falling to decay vnder the Turkish Empire wherewith the Countrey hath bin already more then a hundred yeres most miserably oppressed If the first Romain writings had endured till this present we should see that Euander and Turnus and the other Latins of that time spake otherwise then did afterwards the last Romaine Kings and the first Consuls The verses which were song by the Salian priests were scarcely vnderstood but because they were so ordained by the first founders they were not chaunged for reuerence of the religion Polybius writeth that the language was so much changed from the first Punick warr to the second that with great difficulty were vnderstood the treaties made before betweene the Romains and Carthaginians And it remained rude about fiue hundred yeres hauing no writer in it worthy of memory From that time forward the people gaue themselues to learning and some became learned yet hard in their speech commended onely for hauing bin the inuentours and first teachers of the Latin tongue which was after made most pure and perfect by Cicero Caesar and other eloquent men which florished then in great number in whom indeed the purity there of is to be acknowledged For afterward the common wealth being changed into a monarchy and the maners corrupted the speach was also changed and corrupted losing his natural grace goodnes vnder the Emperours Then the Empire being translated from Rome to Constantinople many strange nations comming into Italy altered the tongue so that men left speaking it it remained in books only which were not red nor vnderstood by the space of eight hūdred yeres some of them lost others eaten by worms and deuoured by age til such time as some Greekes and Italians did by study make these two auncient tongues to reuiue when they were almost dead by copying out publishing and correcting the bookes that remained in some libraries such as had bin preserued from the rage of those barbarous nations which hath so happely succeeded that the said tongues haue recouered great light with the arts written in them which we see restored with them and many inuentions added to antiquitie as shal be declared hereafter Then the Romain Empire declining to the West as the Ostrogoths and Lombards had possessed Italy the Visigoths and Sarazens the Countrey of Prouence Languedoc Aquitayne and Spayne The Burguignons and Frenchmen the Gaules Belgick and Celtick the Vandals Bethick Africk by their conuersation the Latin was corrupted Of which corruption came the Italian French and Spanish The Italian remained long time vnpolished because there was none that tooke care thereof or endeuoured to giue it any polishment vntill Dante Petrarch and Boccace who haue much embelished it by their conceipts ingeniously expressed and elegantly couched in prose and verse Where in they haue bin seconded by others no lesse learned and eloquent who haue likewise enriched this language with many faire works and translations As much is there happened to the Spanish French which haue bin made within these fiftie yeres more elegant then they were before by the diligence of some excellent men which haue translated a great number of bookes not onely Greeke and Latin but Italian also into them showing that all sciences may conueniently be handled in them CERTAINLY it is a great Comfort and ease found out in this variety of languages which cannot be vnderstood nor learned of all to translate out of one into another By this meanes the old Testament hath bin translated out of Hebrew into Greek and into Latin the new Testament out of Greek into Latin and consequently both Testaments into Syriack Chaldaick Egyptian Persian Indian Armenian Scythian Sclauonian German English French Italian and into all languages vsed by
Arians taxed at CCC In the seuenteenth the Paricanians the Ethiopians of Asia CCCC In the eighteenth the Manineans Sarpites Atlarodians CC. In the xix the Mosches Tibarenes Macrosians Mosinicians Mardians CCC In the xx were the Indians which because they were a verie great multitude paied more tribute then al the other nations namely CCClx. talents of gold Al these sums which were paid in the Babilonian talent of siluer being referred to the Euboick talent came to nine thousand fiue hundred and fortie talents And the gold of the myne being multiplied by thirteene to fower thousand six hundred and fower score Euboick talents and was leuied on Asia and some part of Africk Then he raised an other tribute on the Isles and Nations of Europe hauing stretched out his dominion as far as Thessalie Persia was freed from all payments and the Ethiopians sent onely certaine presents as from three yeares to three a bushell of gold from the myne two hundred fagots of Ebony fiue hundred blacke boies and xxij Elephants the greatest that could be found The Cholchois and Caucasians from fiue yeares to fiue one hundred young boies and as manie girles The Arabians euery yeare a present of incense weighing a thousand talents The meanes which he vsed to keepe his Treasures was thus He caused the gold and siluer to be melted and cast into earthen barrels then when the vessell was full he made it be remoued vp and downe with his Court and whensoeuer he wanted money he broke or cut out therof as much as he would Touching his husbandrie and care for the intertayning of such power and riches first this king was most carefull of Armes ordayning himselfe in each gouernment both the victuals and paies which were to be distributed to his souldiers aswell strangers as his natural subiects thoroughout his garrisons and seeing the musters in person Where such as were found to haue fulfilled the appointed number of their men and had best mounted and furnished them with armes were aduanced in honours and inriched with great gifts On the contrarie he chastised such as failed or were giuen to picory putting others in their charges Moreouer he visited himselfe as much as he might the Countries vnder his obedience endeuouring to vnderstand their estate and those which he could not see he caused to be visited by some trustie persons sent for that purpose Where he found the Countries well peopled and the lands diligently husbanded full of corne trees and fruits he rewarded the Princes or Gouernors with great gifts and augmented their charges But those whose countries were found desert or euill inhabited by reason of their rudenes insolencie or negligence he punished or discharged them being no lesse carefull to haue his Countries well ordered by the inhabitants then to haue them kept in safetie by the garrisons and caring no lesse for his reuenewes then his armes and proposing as great a reward to the diligent labourers as to the valiant warriours We read that then when the king of Persia was in his greatest glorie and reputation that his Maiestie was highly exalted and magnificently adorned with august and venerable aucthoritie that his royall seat being established at SVSA or ECBATANA he retyred himselfe out of the sight of men into his pallace being verie faire and richly decked with gold siluer yuorie and other exquisite things In the which were many galleries and halls one within an other many dores compassed betweene them and separated by spaces and the commings to them shut and closed with gates of brasse That there were many Princes and Lords appointed in their seuerall places and some garding and seruing his person some looking to those that came in and out at the gates some receyuours and treasourers others Captaines and men of warre some hunters and faulconers and others ordayned vnto other offices as â—se and necessitie required Moreouer the Satrapes or Princes went and came to and fro gouerning the whole Empier of Asia beginning in the West at Hellespont and ending in India toward the East Herodotus showeth by iourneis and lodginges that from Sardes in Lydia to Susa in Mennonia which was the Kinges seat it was three Monethes iourney It is written also in the booke of Hester that ASSVERVS king of Persia raigned euen from the Indies vnto Ethiopia ouer an hundred twentie and seauen prouinces writing to euerie prouince according to the Stile thereof and to euerie people in their owne language In the meane time the king termed by them their Lord and God saw and vnderstood all things by meanes of postes ordayned in all the Countries vnder his obedience and spies dispersed here and there and secret Intellegencers so that being so many Officers they did euery one in his charge indeuour himselfe in such sort that their Lord knew incontinently whatsoeuer new thing hapned euen from the frontiers of his gouernment to the place of his residence which was in the midst of his kingdome dwelling the winter in Babylon because the aire there is verie mild and temperate the three monethes of the Spring-time in the Towne of Susa and the two monethes of great heat in the Citie of Ecbatana In such sort that by this changing of Countries what season of the yeare so euer it were he was alwaies in a time like vnto the spring He was warned euery morning when he waked to feare God and to see to those affaires which God hath committed to his charge The intertainment of the Queene was correspondent to this greatnes and magnificence for many prouinces were allotted her for the furnishing thereof which were called diuersly according to the vse whereunto they were appointed As one was the Queenes girdle an other her vaile and so likewise the rest according to those ornaments which they furnished As soone as his first sonne which was to succeede in the Crowne was borne all his subiectes celebrated this day and afterwardes euery yeare thorough out Asia they solemnized the feast of his natiuitie Then the child was giuen to be nourished to the Eunuches which held verie honourable places in the Court and their principall charge amongst others was to make him faire and well proporcioned by composing and ordering his partes conueniently Then when he was come to seuen yeares hee learned to ride and began to goe on hunting At the fourteenth yeare of his age hee was instructed by Masters called the royall Paedagogues or Tutours which were fower chosen amongst all the Persians the chiefest of age and sufficiencie that is the most wise iust temperate and valiant The first taught hym the Magicke of ZOROASTER consisting in the seruice of the Godds and kingly manners The second warned him to bee all his life true and veritable The third that hee should not bee supplanted by any cupidity or desire The fourth was to make him without feare to the end he should not be subiect to cowardise and pusillanimitie But howbeit these things were well and religiously instituted yet were
aboundance of oliues that was to come wherin he might haue gained much showing that it were easy for Philosophers to enriche themselues if they would but it is not their study and profession And Plato in his Theaetetus telleth that as he beheld the starres and looked vpwards he fell into a diche whereof he was reprehended by his maide who was pleasant and witty that he woulde endeuour to know what was in heauen being ignorant of that which was in earth and before his feete DEMOCRITVS is called by Seneca in the seuenth of his naturall questions the most subtill of the auncients and in his booke of the shortnes of life he reckoneth him amongst the chiefe and most excellent masters of the sciences Cicero in his first Booke of the ends of good and euill calleth him a man learned and perfect in Geometrie and recommendeth his stile or maner of writing vnto Brutus in his Oratour saying that albeit it be estraunged from verse yet because it is eleuated and enriched with most cleare lights of words that it seemeth rather to be a poeme then the verses of Comick Poets Plinie telleth howe that hee and Pythagoras trauailed into Persia Arabia Egypt and Ethiopia to the end to learne Magicke and that they two were the first that did celebrate it in these parts And in an other place it is manifest saith hee that DEMOCRITVS a wise man otherwise profitable vnto life hath erred through too much desire which he had to be helpful vnto mē And in his vij Book he promised saith he to reuiue others which hath not raised vp himselfe He was so exceedingly giuen to cōtemplation that his citizens the Abderites counted him franticke and sent for Hippocrates to heale him who when he came to Abdera found him only wise amongst them all Seneca writing of the diuine prouidence saith that he abandoned riches thinking them to be burden som to a good wit Some say that willingly with a burning glasse he depriued himselfe of his sight that he might see more clerly with his vnderstanding Tully in his fifth Tusculane DEMOCRITVS saith he hauing lost the sight of his eies could not discerne white black but wel could he the good and euil iust and vniust honest and dishonest profitable and vnprofitable And could liue wel and happely without the sight of colours but not without the knowledge of things This mā thought the sight of the mind to be hindred by the sight of the eies And as others did not see oft-times that which was before their feet so he wandered throughout al infinity without consisting in any extremity Plutarch in his treatise of curiosity affirmeth it to be false Seneca in his second Booke of Anger saith that HERACLITVS going out of his house and seeing about him so many liuing euil or rather dying in euil he had pity of them all and wept on the contrary DEMOCRITVS was neuer seene but laughing HIPPOCRATES had his honor to haue bin the first that did write perspicuously of Physick of the rules therof Plutarch witnesseth of him that hauing written touching the seames or ioinings of mans head in Anatomy and afterwards finding that he had failed in somwhat he did publickly declare his fault for feare lest others might fall into the like errour Saint Augustin after him hath bin the only man that hath publickly corrected himselfe by setting forth his retractations Others are commonly so ouergon with glory and so opinatiue that they had rather dye then yeld in any thing EMPEDOCLES the Agrigentine a famous natural Philosopher wrote in verse vj books of the knowledg of nature wherof Aristotle maketh often mētion especially in his Poetry where he saith that Homer Empedocles had nothing one like thother but their verses and that the one is a right Poet and thother ought rather to be called a naturall Philosopher then a Poet. And in his Metaphysicks speaking of him and of Anaxagoras he witnesseth that Anaxagoras was superior in age to Empedocles but inferior to him in works And he saith in his problemes that he was of melancholick cōplexion Plinie saith that he trauailed far to learne Magick as did Pithagoras Democritus And Horace in his art of Poetry that being desirous to leaue an opinion of himselfe that he was a God and was vanished secretly out of the sight of men he cast himselfe into the burning and smoking hole of the hil Etna and that this deed was afterwardes discouered by one of his slippers which being made of bras was cast vp by the vehemency of the fire and wind ANAXAGORAS a Clazomenian gentleman became a very excellent Philosopher and was called by those of his time Nous which signifieth the minde or vnderstanding were it for admiration which they had of his knowledge and vnderstanding which appeared to be great especially in naturall Philosophy or els because he was the first which added the intelligence vnto the matter and appointed vnto naturall things for their beginning and first cause of their distinction and ordinance the intelligence Plinie writeth of him that by knowledge of the starres hee foretolde that within certaine daies after there would fall a stone from heauen which happened in the parts of Thrace in the day time He was the first that published books written by him and liued in the time of Democritus In auncient time in Greece they which did write first of diuine celestial naturall morall politicke and military matters were the Poets and they were commonly Priests Theologians Musicians Astrologians and Physicians as Linus Musaeus Orpheus and Amphion LINVS the sonne of Apollo and of Terpsichore being very skilfull in Musick was the master of Hercules of Tamyras and of Orpheus They say that he brought the knowledge thereof out of Phenicia into Greece as did Atlas the Astrology out of Lybia Museus was reputed as a Prophet hauing deliuered many Cerimonies to the Grecians of whom Virgill giueth a very honourable testimony in the sixth Booke of his Aneids calling him an excellent Poet in great perfection and making him to seeme in the Elysian fields the most eminent amongst all the men of honour and learning that were there which haue had a memorable name in all ages ORPHEVS and AMPHION were such excellent musicions that they were said by their sweete Songes to moue trees and stones to stop the course of riuers and to tame the fiercenes of wild beasts ORPHEVS first instituted in Greece the Initiatiōs of the Gods the purgation of sinnes remedies of diseases by charmes and Inchauntmentes and meanes to appease the wrath of the Gods They say that of him and of Zoroaster as fathers and authors came al the ancient wisedome Iamblicus affirmeth that Pythagoras followed Orpheus his diuinity as a paterne on the which he framed formed his Philosophy which is more that the words of Pythagoras had not bin esteemed holy or sacred but for being deriued from the precept of Orpheus That from thence came the secret doctrine
more pleasant in such sort that one woulde thinke that he obtained that which he intreateth by force And albeit by his vehemencie he transporteth the Iudge yet seemeth he not to be drawne himselfe but to followe of his owne accorde Moreouer there is such authority in whatsoeuer he saith that it seemeth a shame to gainsay him not bringing with him the diligence of an aduocate but the testimonie of a witnes or of a Iudge all these things notwithstanding flowing from him without constraint or labour amongst the which each of them striuing particularly yet with great difficultie excelleth each other And there appeareth in his speach a happie facilitie goodly to heare Wherfore he was not without cause accounted by those of his time to raigne in iudgements and hath gotten amongst posteritie the name not of a man but of eloquence Plinie giueth such testimonie of him But what errour were it for me saith he to omit thee M. Tullie or what excellent praise shall I giue thee but euen that which hath bin bestowed on thee by the common voice and vniuersall suffrage of all the people of this nation in taking out of all thy life the works onely of thy Consulship when you spake the Tribunes refused the law Agrarie that is to say their foode and sustenance When you perswaded they pardoned Roseius the authour of the law Theatral When you perored and pleaded it was permitted vnto the children of banished persons to seeke for honours and magistracies Catiline flyeth from thy wisdome Thou hast proscribed and banished Mark Anthony I salute thee the first that hath bin called the father of the Countrie the first that hath deserued in a gowne the triumph of the Crowne of lawrell by speaking well parent of the Latine language and elegancie and as Cesar the Dictator was wont to say of thee hauing the prerogatiue of all triumphes for asmuch as it is more to haue aduaunced the bounds of the Romain learning then of the Empire The same Plinie writeth thus of M. VARRO The statue of him alone whiles he liued was placed by Asinius Pollio in the librarie which he first of all others erected of the spoiles gotten of the enemies which I esteeme no lesse glorie proceeding of a principall Oratour and Citizen in that multitude of good witts that then was and giuing this crowne to him alone then when Pompey the great gaue him the nauale Crowne for hauing wel behaued himselfe in the warre against the pirates where he was his Lieutenant Cicero dedicating to him his first Academick saith Thou hast declared the age of the Countrie the descriptions of time the rights of holy things and of Priests the discipline of peace and of warre the situation of Countries and places the names kinds offices and causes of all both diuine and humane affaires bringing great light to our Poets and generally to Latine words and letters and hast in many places begun Philosophie enough to awaken men though little to teach them And in his second Philippick M. Varro saith he would that this place should be the house of his studies what matters were handeled therein and what written The rights of the people of Rome the monuments of the auncestours the reason and doctrine of all wisdome And writing vnto him in his Epistles he saith I haue alwayes esteemed you a great personage especially that in these troubles are almost alone in quiet and receiue the fruites of learning which are great considering and treating of things the vtilitie and delectation whereof ought to be preferred before all the actions and pleasures of theis others Surely I account this abode which you make at Tusculum to be the true life and would willingly leaue all riches to all men that it might be permitted me without any hinderance to liue after this maner Lactantius dareth to affirme that there was neuer any more learned amongst the Greeks and Latins S. Augustine calleth him the sharpest of all men and without doubt the most learned who hath read so many things that it is a wonder he had any leasure to write of ought and yet hath written so much that it is scarce credible that any one could read it all for he wrote CCCCXC books Also who hath more curiously searched out this then Marcus Varro or more learnedly found it or more attentiuely considered it or more subtilly distinguished it or written more diligently and fully of it who albeit he be not so sweete in speach aboundeth notwithstanding aswell in knowledge and sentences as in all doctrine which we call secular and they liberall he can aswell teach the studious of things as Cicero delight the curious of words Cicero in his booke of the world giueth such testimonie of P. NIGIDIVS This personage was adorned with all liberall arts and a diligent searcher of things which were hidden and folded vp in nature And I account thus of him that after the noble Pythagorians whose discipline was in a maner extinct hauing florished many yeares in Italie and Sicilie he hath renewed it The same Cicero saith of SERVIVS SVLPITIVS a Lawier his admirable incredible and almost diuine knowledge in exposition of the lawes and declaration of right and equitie shall not be forgotten If all those which euer in this Citie had vnderstanding of the Lawes were assembled together in one place yet were they not comparable to Seruius Sulpitius for he was not so well seen in law as in Iustice wherefore he referred alwaies to facilitie and equitie the deeds proceeding of the rule of right and of the Ciuile Law And did not take so much paines to set downe the actions and pleadings of causes as to take away the doubts of matters and difficulties of controuersies The same Cicero of GALLVS AQVILIVS an other Lawier I say one could not to much esteeme the aucthoritie of such a man whose wisdome the people of Rome hath knowen in taking heed to himselfe and not in deceauing of others Who did neuer seuer the reason of Law from Equitie who so many yeares hath readily imployed his wit labour and fidelitie for the good of the people of Rome who is so iust and so good that he seemeth to be a Lawier by nature and not by discipline so learned and prudent that he seemeth to be not onely a naturall knowledge but also a certain goodnesse of the ciuile Law whose vnderstanding is so good and such his fidelitie that whatsoeuer is drawen from thence is found to be pure and cleere Before this time the Latine Poesie was rude which was then polished and brought to perfection especially by VERGIL whom Quintilian witnesseth among all the Heroicke poets both Greeks and Latins to haue come neerest vnto Homer in whom notwithstanding he acknowledgeth that there was more of nature These are the most notable personages that florished then both in armes and learning But IESVS CHRIST defaced all their excellencie who in the raign of Augustus discending out of Heauen here on earth and clothing
double seruice in the churches double mutining continually accusations defences banishments and martyrdomes Which disorder endured a long time this discord being spread far and wyde thoroughout the world yea euen amongst the Gothes Vandales Lombards who vnder this pretence committed execrable cruelties and innumerable spoiles On this scandal happened an other yet worse then the former For IVLIAN their cosin and successour comming to the Empire when Christiandome seemed cleane deliuered of Paganisme he set it vp againe denying the faith of IESVS CHRIST whereby he got the surname of an Apostata He took away the reuenews graunted by Constantine to the churches of the Christians and forbad the schooles vnto children depriuing both the teachers and learners of their maintenance He killed many that made profession of christian Religion depriued others of their charges as Iouinian Valentinian and Valens tooke away their goods from others saying in mockery that by making of them poore he made it easier for them to go into paradice because it was written in their bookes Blessed is the poore for vnto such belongeth the kingdome of heauen He exhorted the Iewes to restore their maner of gouernement for hatred of the Christians and to reedifie the Temple Hee wrote bookes against the Christian doctrine which he said was repugnant to common sense and did take away the bands of humaine society but his furie passed as a cloude for he raigned onely nineteene monethes dying of a hurt in the war which he made against the Persians In whose place IOVINIAN was chosen Emperour by the armie who brought matters into a better state The destruction of the Iudaick and Delphick Temples happened at that time which portending the ruine of both those religions abated much the insolence of the Iewes and of the Pagans and assured and comforted the good Christians Afterwards the Gothes Vandales Lombardes Arrianizing as we haue said afflicted Europe and Africk almost two hundred yeres ruinated the Empire of the West Which they that were reputed wise men amongst the Gentiles seeing said that this desolation proceeded of the changing of the auncient religion wherein the Empire had bin nourished increased and maintained long and that the Gods being angrie sent such calamities for reuenge of their contempt Against whom S. Augustin opposed him selfe writing his bookes of the city of God to refute them On the other side the Nestorians Eutichyans and Manichees troubled all the East The Persians destroyed Asia and Africk their king Cosroe publishing an edict that whosoeuer would saue his life should renounce that God that was crucified Then the Sarasens entierly exterminated the Persians with their language and religion Moreouer the Emperours of Constantinople beating downe the Images and statues of the temples were excommunicated by the Popes of Rome Who forbad them thoroughout Italy to pay them any tribute or to put their pictures in their coine cōmanded that their names should be omitted in their masses and publick praiers refused their edicts commandemēts letters making them to lose that which they had remaining in the west to assure thēselues against them and aganst the Lombards who had seazed on the Hexarchat of Rauenna they sent for Charles Martel Pepin who were Frenchmen of the house of Austrich to their succour whose strength authority renowme at that time was great And consequently they created consecrated crowned CHARLEMAIGN Emperor of the west calling him Augustus Cesar three hundred and twenty yeres after the Emperors were ceased in Italy He deliuered Italy from the Lombards Germainy from the Hongarians Gaule of the Sarasens with the victories which the grand-father and his Father wan of them He went twice into Spaine and ouercame the Saxons And as he was learned in Greeke and Latin being no lesse a fauourer of learning then a louer of armes he ordained the Vniuersitie of Paris which hath bin sithence the most famous of the worlde and most florishing in all Artes hauing serued for a refuge for the studies of learning which are waxen cold in Asia vtterly lost in Greece decaied in Italy and driuen out of Egypt and Africk So this magnanimous and victorious prince ioyning togither the greatest prouinces of Europe was a Monarch protector of the peace religion lawes iudgements and disciplines By such occasion was the Empire restored to the west which had first his seat in France thē in Germany where from hereditary it is become electiue and in proces of yeres by euill ordering is so much diminished and impouerished that there remaineth nothing but the shadowe of a great name and vaine title The princes Electours holding the imperial lands with their rents reuenewes customes and commodities horded vp and the principall countreyes being franchised by the Emperours who haue giuen them priuileges to gouerne freely their common weales Concerning Italy which was the chiefe and ancient patrimony of the empire it is either possessed by the Popes which hold Rome that was wont to be the proper seat of the Emperors and many other places or by the kings of Naples or by the Venitians or by the dukes of Milayne Florence Ferrara Mantua Vrbin and other potentates sequestred from the empire The Isles of Sicilie Sardigna Corsica Maiorca Minorca and Sauoye also are cut off Thus hath the Empire by succession of time bin distracted and dissipated Sithence the ruine whereof the world hath not had his vertue so vnited But many kingdoms are lifted vp ech in his countrey as towards the west that of France Spaine and Portingale In the North England Denmarke Sueden Moscouy Polonia Hungaria In the East Persia Narsingue China or Cathay In the South that of the Soudan of Presbiter-Iohn Tuniz and Fez and elswhere many seigniories and communalties which acknowledge none but themselues The end of the sixth Booke A COMPARISON OF THE ROMAINS with the Egyptians Assyrians Persians Greekes and Parthians in power warfare learning language Eloquence Poesie and workes of other arts The Seuenth Booke NAture hauing placed ITALIE in a middle seat between the south and the North hath as much or more fauored the ITALIANS as any other people on the habitable earth making them not onely strong comely and couragious but also ingenious and prudent And consequently excellent in maners lawes artes and workemanships By meanes of which singularities and prerogatiues they got in auncient time the greatest Empire that euer was and yet not of such largenesse that it comprehended the whole worlde which neuer happened hitherto neither is euer possible to come to passe For on the North side they neuer ruled ouer all Germany and great Britaine neither ouer Norway Sweueland Moscouia Lituania and Scythia Neither towards the south ouer Ethiopia and the higher Africk where the Blackmores inhabite neither in the East ouer India China Catay Giapan and Taprobana which Easterly parte hath the riuer Tygris for a fatall bound without speaking of the lands lately discouered in the West in so much that looking considerately
such stor◠of learned men that we yeeld not much or rather nothing at all to the Grecians Philosophy hath bin omitted vntill this time hauing not yet receaued any light from Latin letters which we must beautifie and bring to light wherein we ought to take so much the more paines because it is said that there are many Latin bookes written inconsiderately by good and honest parsons but yet not sufficiently learned The same Cicero in his fourth Tusculane As in many places saieth he I haue accustomed to admire the good wits and vertues of our men so I chieflly admire them in these studies which being very lately desired of them haue bin transported out of Greece into this Citie For the auspices ceremonies comices appellations counsailes of the fathers the orders of footemen and of horsemen and of the whole warsare being from the beginning of the citie by royall lawes and institutions diuinely ordained Surely then when the common wealth was deliuered from the domination of kinges it made an admirable increase and an incredible course in all excellence Considering then the studies of learning many reasons make me thinke that they haue also bin brought from else-where and not onely bin desired but also conserued and refined How many and what excellent Poets haue here bin in a little time and what Oratours In such sort as it appeareth that our men haue easily attained to all things when they haue bin desirous of them The studie of wisedome hath bin of auncient time amongst them Yet doe I not find any that may be called wise-men before the age of Lelius and Scipio While they were yet but yong I see that Diogenes the Stoick and Carneades the Academick were sent Ambassadours by the Athenians to our senate and how that neither of them before had handled any publick affaires and th one was a Cyrenian thother a Babylonian and that they neuer had bin takē out of the scholes chosen vnto this charge if at that time there had bin any learning in those that were chief of the citie Who writing in diuers professions some of them handled ciuile Lawe others made Orations or Histories representing the doctrine of good life the most venerable of all others and more by example of life then by writing Then in this true and elegant Philosophy which began in Socrates and hath remained amongst the Peripateticks and Stoicks which say the selfe same thing but after a diuers maner and the Academickes endeuouring to decide their differents there are not any Latin writers or if there be some they are but a small number as well by reason of the greatnesse of the matters as of the hinderances of men or because they thought them not to bee approued of the ignorant A COMPARISON OF THE LATIN authours with the Greeke and namely of Cicero with Demosthenes QVintilian who came after Cicero comparing the Latin authours with the Greeke First touching Heroicall poesie he giueth the seconde praise vnto Virgil singularly admiring the happie and easie naturall vaine of Homer and in Virgil his diligence and curious ymitation In an Elegie he liketh wel of Tibullus and Propertius whom hee compareth with the Greeke Elegiacks Concerning the Lyrickes he accounteth Horace the chiefe of all the Latins and almost alone deseruing to be read He confesseth Pindarus is not ymitable That the Latin Tragedie attaineth not to the grauity of Sophocles and Euripides And the Comedy yet lesse to the Attick grace and eloquence No Latin Poet hath made any Iambicke or Dithyrambicke worke The Satyre is altogither Latin The Latins were happier in Historie then in Poesie Salust being nothing inferiour to Thucydides and Liuie to Herodotus But touching Eloquence Cicero maketh this iudgement of Demosthenes and himselfe Demosthenes perfecteth many things and I begin them You may iudge that he is able and that I am willing and that he declareth him selfe according as the matter requireth But he was excellent and succeeded vnto excellent personages and there were many great Oratours in his time Wee should haue done very much in comming in any sort to that which wee pretended in the place where as Antony thought neuer any eloquent man had bin heard It is certaine that these two Oratours were very like in their Inuentions and dispositions keeping the same order and the same maner of diuiding preparing and prouing But they were different in elocution and in affections One is more strict the other more abundant The one concludeth in fewer words Thother disputeth more at large Th one is more sharpe and the other for the most parte graue One can take nothing from th one nor add any thing to the other In briefe there is more diligence in Demosthenes and more nature in Cicero It was forbidden in Athens to vse any proemes or epilogues and it was not lawful in peroring to moue affections By reason wherof Demosthenes herein is inferiour But the Greek tongue which he vsed is richer and pleasanter then the Latin Moreouer he that would enquire what personages they were and howe they liued he shall finde their liues and fortunes very like First of al both the one and the other came from meane place to great authoritie They were both banished their cities and after called backe with great honour They vndertooke quarrelles against mightie Lords into whose hands they fell and died with the libertie of their Citizens The excellent Poets liuing at rest and solitarie being remoued from publicke affaires haue ended more happely But besides their foresaid similitudes and differences I finde that Demosthenes employed wholly al the sence and science which he had either of nature or gotten by art of Rhetorick and that he surpassed in force and vertue of eloquence all the Oratours of his time and in grauitie and magnificence of stile all those which wrote onely for showe and ostentation and in exquisite art and diligence all the Sophisters of Greece and the Masters of Rhetorick And that Cicero was as well seen in many sciences as a statesman might be being often emploied in priuate and publicke ciuile and criminali affaires as may be knowen by many Philosophicall bookes which he hath written of his owne inuention after the maner of the Academick Philosophers and seene by his Orations in which he sought occasions as he went to show that he was learned Also in their stiles may be found some shadowe of their natural disposition for the stile of Demosthenes hath nothing tending to sport or mirth but is euery where stricte and there is nothing in it but pricketh to the purpose sauouring of great trauaile with austerity and sharpenes of nature whereas Cicero vsed oftentimes to iest euen almost like a Iester or pleasant companion and tourning in his pleadings matters of consequence into game and laughter because it came somwhat to his purpose he sometimes forgat the duetie belonging to a personage of grauity such as he was Moreouer one may see in their workes and compositions that the one
the fourme placing of the presses and maner of vsing them of wetting the paper laying on taking off and drying the leaues then reducing them into volumes reuiewing and correcting of the impression whereof we haue spoken before and whereby there is more dispatched in one day then many diligent writers could do in one yeare By reason hereof the books which before were rare and deare are now become more common and easier to be had For it seemeth to haue bin miraculously inuented to make learning and good letters to liue againe which were in a manner dead The inuention thereof is attributed to the Germaines and began at Mentz therehence it was caried to Venice and afterwardes spread ouer all Christiandome and so brought vnto his perfection by Nicholas Genson Aldus the Iuntes Frobenius Badius Robert Stephens and others Notwithstanding the Portugues traficking about the farthest of the East and of the North into China Catay haue brought therehence bookes written in the language and writing of that countrie saying that they haue vsed it there a long time Which hath made some to thinke that the inuention thereof was brought therhence thorough Tartaria and Moscouia into Germany and so communicated to thother Christians to whom by the diuine prouidence hath bin especially reserued the consummation of diuine and humaine wisdome The Mahometists depriued of this grace do vtterly reiect printing not vsing it amoÌ„gst them neither suffering any to bring them bookes written of their affaires in Arabian and printed else-where The second praise ought to be giuen to the inueÌ„tion of the Sea-mans compas consisting of a Rose and a needle of steele which being touched or rubbed with an adamant or loadstone showeth alwaies the point which is answerable to the place where wee ymagine the pole Artick Aristotle vnderstood not this propertie nor Galen nor Alexander Aphrodiseus nor Auicen the most curious obseruers of natural things For if they had knowen such a miracle of nature and so profitable a meanes of sayling they would sure haue made mention thereof in their bookes hauing stood so much vpon others of much lesse importance It was also vnknowen to the Romains who suffered so many shipwrackes fighting on sea against the Carthaginians and vnder Octauian they lost a great fleete of Vessels against Sextus Pompeius By means hereof al the Ocean hath bin sailed ouer innumerable Isles found out and a great part of the continent or maine land discouered towards the west and the south vnknowen before of the Ancients and hath therefore bin called the new world and not onely bin ouercome but also conuerted by the Christians The enterprise being begon by Columbus a Genouese Vespucius a Florentine men of excellent vnderstanding and exquisite iudgments deseruing no lesse praise then Hercules of Greece that was so famous and afterward continued by the Castilians being emulatours of the same honour and desirous of gaine Whereof some haue bin swallowed vp into the huge sea not being yet thoroughly knowen and others eaten by the Cannibals leauing a piteous remembrance of their audacious enterprises But there are three that hauing had more fauourable fortune haue made famous discoueries namely Cortese of the kingdome of Mexico and of the great Citie Themistiten seated builded and peopled like vnto Venice Pizairus of Peru and Cuscu riche in golde and Magellan of the Moluccaes where the spices grow At the same time the Portugales parting the world with the Castilians by the same knowledge of Nauigation passed the Atlantick sea and the Canaries winning in the vtter Barbarie many Townes on the Sarazens Then crossing the line heretofore termed the burning Zone and â—alsely esteemed to be desert they haue gone beyonde the tropicke of Capricorne conquering Brasil and other countries Afterwards drawing towards the East they went along all the coast of Africk and the banke of Ethiopia surmounted the gulfes of the Arabian and Persian seas and being come to India hauing ouercome by armes the kings of Cambaya Canonot Calecut building in their countries fortresses thereby to safegard the traficke of the East whereof they made them selues maisters And farther passing ouer the riuers of Ganges and Indus they trauailed as far as Taprobana and to the golden Chersonesus making the king of Malache their tributary From whence setting saile towards the North they went to China and Catay where they made an ende on this side of their Nauigation entering into amity and confederacy with the great Cham to thend to haue liberty to traficke with safety in his countrey which before was not accessible but with apparant daunger of death vnto strangers In such sort that by our industry al the world is at this day knowen wherof a great part that had so long remained vnknoweÌ„ the vttermost parts of the East West North South do coÌ„municate togither the men that are separated with so many seas so distant and different visiting one another by meanes of nauigation being made safer and easier by this Inuention I would willingly giue the third place to great ORDINANCE and ARTILERY which hath made all other auncient military instruments and engines of war to cease al which it exceedeth in impetuosity violence quicknes were it not that it seemeth to haue bin inuented rather for the destruction then the profit of mankind being an enemy to generous and couragious vertue which it spareth no more then the rest but breaketh and bruseth whatsoeuer it encountreth First it was inuented in Germany by a blower in Alchimie wherhence it hath bin transported ouer al the world seemeth at this day to be brought almost to his perfection sithence the meanes is found to discharge by volies many pieces togither which batter and beat downe al places how strong soeuer they are in situation height or thicknes of wals rampires The Canon at the first was called a Bombard for the noise which it maketh and Morter which was of yron bound with many pieces heauy and vnweldie shooting huge bullets of stone with a great quantitie of powder made of salt-peter sulpher and willow coales proportioned the inuention whereof hath bin no lesse admirable then of the Canon it selfe After in steed of yron succeeded brasse whereof at first were made great peeces laied on wheeles yet more maniable then was the mortar giuing them bullets of yron vnto which haue bin guien names of birds and other liuing creatures which haue apparance of terrour as Coleurines Serpentines Basilisks Sacres Faulcons and other appellations imposed according to the diuersitie of their measures formes and cariages at the pleasure of those that made them or of the Princes which commaunded them Sithence there haue bin made some lesser lighter and maniable to shoote with bullets of lead as muskets caliuers harquebuzes pistoles and pistolets But because the noise and violence of the Canon hath bin fitly expressed by the Poet Fracastorius I will here insert his Verses Continuò caua terrificis horrentia bombis Aera flammiferum tormenta