that he knew nothing The third is Herodotus who writeth in the Ionick Dialect that is a kinde of Greeke differing a little in phrases and pronuntiation from the common-spoken as some farre scituate shires doe from the Court or mother-Citie of their Countrie in diuers points it agreeth with the French Plutarch dealeth somewhat too roughly with this worthy Historiographer in whose defence I will oppose the authoritie of a learned man of our time who in a certaine Preface of his saith of Herodotus Narrationes eius sunt disertae iudicationes expressae speciosae explicationes accuratae euidentes collectiones certae atqueplenae in his rerum gestarum hominum temporum fides accurata compertorum relatio dubiorum coniccturasagâ—x sabulosorum verecunda commemoratio miravbique simplicitas eximius quidam candor See the great praises and perfections of a graue Historiographer The fourth is Demosthenes the prince of Greeke Orators the very rule and square of all that endeuour to speake eloquently a man that leadeth other mens mindes as he list excellent in all his discourses which are extant the most of them and read to the great vse and prosit of those that know how to apply them 25. Then he of Anthonie and Catiline great foe That is Cicero surnamed the father of Eloquence he is the first and chiefe of those that grace and maintaine the Latine tongue He was extreamely hated of Marke Anthonie and Catiline both whom he hath also bitterly pursued and touched to the quicke as his Catilinarie and Philippicke Orations declare the often printing of his workes and learned mens continuall reading of them and borrowing thence the best graces of their writings doe proue his learning eloquence and plentie of speech to be such as the Poet here describeth The second is Caesar the most valiant of eloquent men and most eloquent of valiant men as may well appeare by his life in Plutarch and his Commontaries de bello Gallico by which worke he hath wrung the pen out of learned mens hands and in a manner discouraged them all from writing Histories because they see such perfection therein as they are not able to come neere The third is the Historiographer Salust we haue of his workes besides diuers Orations two Histories remaining Coniuratio Catilinae bellum Iugurthinum short they are but full of sentence and sinewes witnessing the ancient force and vigor of the Roman tongue The Reader may hereto adde the commendations of these three Authors as they are in many learned bookes of late writers here and there scattered As for those that thinke Cicero bableth without learning and that Caesar the Dictatour and first Emperour wrote not these Commentaries that beare his name and that Salust writeth a hard and forced stile because their accusations are false and they so farre out of the way I thinke them worthy none other answer than our Poets few verses here Of the fourth which is the Poet Virgil too much cannot be spoken his bookes of Georgickes and Aeneidos being such maruellous workes and so farre exceeding all other bookes of humanitic I speake not onely for the excellence of his verse but sure in the depth of his inuentions his iudgement his decence his modestie his grauitie and his state how much he doth outstrip and goe beyond all others may be seene not onely in euery booke of his but euen in euery verse wherein is contained a thousand thousand secrets and as it were the abridgement of all kinde of Arts and knowledge besides his proper tearmes his Epythites alway fit his metaphors and figures sow'n and sprinkled in their right places and his speech quite throughout eloquent and pure without any bodging or dawberie whatsoeuer The learned Caesar Scaliger among many others hath plainly and at large declared in his Art of Poetrie the excellency of this Author 26. Th'Italian For ornament of the Italian a language risen of the Roman or Latine he nameth three Poets and one Orator slipping diuers writers of historie and Secretaries that haue left diuers excellent workes Orations and Epistles among vs. The reason is I thinke because these foure containe in them all the graces of the others He nameth also the Tuscan tongue because of all the diuers Dialects of Italie the Luquish Milanish Geneuish and Venetian none are so pure and fine as the Florentine or Tuscan Iohn Boccace hath written long time agoe but a very fine and pure stile as his Decameron his Fiametta the Philocope The Laberinth and his other bookes witnesse that with the world are in so great request Francis Petrach hath written since and inuented goodly words and partly by his owne pregnant wit partly by imitation of the best Authors hath enriched the tongue with many graces he hath ventured also farre and made Sonets Chapters and Cantoes wonderfull curious Then Ludouico Ariosto of Ferara hath set forth a legend of Loue entituled Orlando furioso in verses sweet and meet famous throughout all Italie he is full of affections in his discourse and as delightfull as is possible by reason of the varietie of that fabulous matter he writeth of which he shadoweth so cunningly that the Reader is therewith often affected and mouâ—d as if it were a true storie or at least not altogether false Torquato Tasso is last of the foure in time of writing but in account as the Poet saith the first and chiefe he was the sonne of Bernardo Tasso that eloquent man whose excellent Epistles are in print This his sonne hath written in twenty bookes or Cantoes of stately verse a poeme the best of all Italians entituled Gierusalemme liberata all the graces and riches of the Greekes and Latines are there gathered together all wrought into it after the best manner so graue so short so learned so comely so liuely so stately as if it were the worke of another Virgil. There are also printed at Ferrara three volumnes of his workes containing other kindes of verse and all sorts of fine inuentions a Comedie a Tragedie diuers Dialogues and discourses in prose all are worth reading and all make good the iudgement that our Poet hath giuen of the Authour 27. The language Arabicke This language is comen of the Hebrew among other learned mens bookes that haue made this tongue of account we haue the workes of Aben Rois that is the sonne of Kings for Ben signifieth a sonne in Hebrew and the Arabians adde to the beginning this preposition A and sometime Al. This Aben Rois is the same that we commonly call Auerroës the Commentar a very excellent Philosopher He hath commented vpon most of Aristotle and is translated into Latine printed at Venice the worke doth shew the deepe reach and subtill braine of the man Auicen was a great Rhilosopher and Physitian as his writings also declare Gesner saith Auerroës was of Cordway and Auicen of Seuill and so I thinke but it appeareth by their workes that they were both Arabians and professed the superstition
refute the allegations of Goropius Especially those that make against the Hebrue which he hath too saucilâ—e disgraced in the second booke of his Hermath Pag. 25.26 c. The second opinion which I hold with the Poet is that the Hebrue tongue inclosed chiefly in the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament which haue beene wonderfully preserued vntill our time is the first speech of the world and the same that Moses meant when he said The whole earth had one mouth or language before the building of Babel The reasons therof are touched in a word by the Poet who doth hereafter treat of them more at large as wee haue also noted in the margent and meane to speake somewhat thereof in the 12. Annotation Now whereas this first language hath at this day no letter nor word but is full of maimes and miseries it may be said of euery tongue since the confusion that it is nothing but corrupt â—angling weake vncertaine and changing euer from time to time as many haue already shewed heretofore The Greeke and Latine tongues haue changed fiue or sixe times and the learned know what wrangling there hath beene about the writing pronouncing and disposing of their termes and phrases Then what is to be said of the Greekish and Latinish tongues those that are but apes of the other What of the barbarous strange and new tongues Or of those whose foolish pronunciation only no man can abide or of others that by vse time and force of people are waxen current But this I leaue to such as list to Comment hereupon at large 10. Long since the Phrygians The Egyptians being euer great braggers vaunted long agoe that they were the most ancient people of the world a certaine King of theirs named Psammetichus attempted to search out the truth and for that end thought meet by some meanes to discouer what was the first language of the world Thus he tooke two new-borne babes and deliuered them vnto shepheards to be nourished commanding they should be brought vp in a secret staule there to sucke the milke of Goats and straitly forbidding that none should come there to pronounce any word before them then after a certaine time when they were of age they should be left alone and made to fast a while Now so soone as they were past three years old their gouernour hauing in all points accomplished the Kings commandement came to open the staule and then the two children began to crie Bec bec the shepheard said not a word they repeat still the words and he let his Master vnderstand thereof who caused the children to be brought secretly vnto him and heard them speake So when the meaning of the word was asked and the Egyptians vnderstood it signified bread in the Phrygian tongue they granted the preheminence of antiquitie vnto the Phrygians Herodotus writeth that the Priests of Vulcan in the Citie of Memphis told him the same tale There are some others that thinke these Babes were brought vp of dumbe nurses howsoeuer it be sure it is that the pride of the Egyptians was by some such deuise daunted Suidas touching the very point saith that babes nourished of a Goat must needs crie somewhat like a Goat and such was the sound of the word Bec a meet reward for his wisdome that made such a triall The Grecians in old time were wont to call an old dotard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word composed of Bec and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Moone the same is turned into a prouerbe which Erasinus expoundeth But Goropius in the fifth and ninth booke of his Origines playeth the subtill Sophister as his manner is and vseth his beake vpon the word Bec concluding since Bec in low Dutch signifies bread and Psammetichus his babes called for Bec that so long agoe they spoke low Dutch whereupon it followeth that his tongue was the most ancient of the world He calleth also his discourses vpon the same Bocceselanea offering the subiect of a Comedie to some new Aristophanes But let vs consider the answers of the Poet to the Phrygians and to Goropius Resonnast à l'entour de trois-fois douze mois Eux conduits au milieu des peuples de Xante Et des Egyptiens d'vne halaine impuissante Crient Bec plusieurs-fois Bec bec est le seul mot Et que leur langue forme que leur bouche esclôt Refutation du iugement de ces enfans Adone les Phrygiens sachans qu'en leur langage Bec veut dire dupain peignent de leur courage Laioye sur le front pour auoir eutant d'heur D'obtenir de Nature arrest en leur faueur Sots qui ne pensoient pas que les bélantes troupes Qui retondoyent les fleurs des plus voisines croupes Leur enseignoit ce terme que les mots Gaulois Memphiens Grecs Hebrieux Troyens Latins Anglois Ne naissent auec nous ains que chasque langage S'aprend par hantise par vn long vsage L'aptitude à parler demeurant seulement Naturelle aux humains comme l'autre ornement Qui richement diuers les rend plus dissemblables Aux stupides troupeaux des bestes miserables RespoÌ„se à l'obiection prinse de la voix confuse des animaux Que si tu mets en ien que le Taureau misgit Le tardif Asne brait le Lyon rugit Ore haut ore bas que partels langages Ils nous semblent diserts descouurir leur courages Ce ne sont point des mots ains des expressions Dubrouillé mouuement de peu de passions Des indices confus de douleur de tristesse Dire de soif de faim d'amour on de liesse Response à la seconde obiection prinse du gazouillis des oiseaux On en peut dire autant de ces chantres ailez Qui sur les verds rameaux des bussons reculez Gringotent le matin Car bien que comme il semble Deux à deux trois à trois ils deuisent ensemble Que leur voix se flechisse en cent mille façons Qu'ils decoupent hardis cent mignardes chansons Qu' Apollo ait esté disciple en leur eschole Cest vn son sans sujet des notes sansparole Vne chanson redite en vniour mille fois Vn discours qui muet se perd dedans les bois Auantage de l'homme doué de rayson pardessus tous autres animaux Mais le seul homme peut discourir d'attrempance De force d'equité d'honneur de prudence De Dieu du ciel de l'eau de la terre des airs Auâ—c termes choisis signisians diuers Desuelopant son coeur non par vn seul langage Ains comme Scaliger merucille de nostre âge Louange de Ioseph Scaliger tres-docte entre les doctes de ce temps Le Soleil des sçauant qui parle cloquemment L'Hebrieu Gregois Romain Hespagnol Alemant François Italien Nubien Arabique Syriaque
right nature of things in the right hand an Ewer because the speech of the wise dampeth and putteth out the flame of passions I might note hereof many examples but I leaue them for the diligent Reader to search meaning here to offer him but Annotations which I feare alreadie are growen too long The little chaines that come forth from the Images golden tongue and draw such a number of hearers by the eares and heart signifie the great power of a well framed speech the truth whereof appeareth chiefely in preaching the word in counsels of graue common-wealths-men and orations of good Magistrates and valiant Captaines In this manner did the ancient Frenchmen paint and set out their Hercules surnamed Ognius whereupon Alciat hath made a pretie Embleme it is the 180. expounded at large by Cl. Minos The summe of all is that Eloquence is to be preferred before force Our Poet aimeth at that description Further concerning the Bore the Tygre and the Beare lying tame at the feet of this Image it signifieth that a pleasant and learned speech appeaseth all angrie cruell and sauage men and cuen the maddest and most brutish people in the world it maketh the woods and hills to daunce and leape that is to say it moueth bendeth and instructeth very block-heads and such as are most hard of vnderstanding and this may be the meaning of those fained tales of Amphion Orpheus Arion and other like Lastly this Image is inuironed with a double ranke of pillers well and strongly grounded and vnder-pinned that beare vp in due proportion the nino languages following each by her owne chiefe authors and maintainers For euery pillar was wrought in fashion of a man and framed to the countenance of one of their best writers in a long gowne or stole And that is the meaning of the French à la Cariatide After the Carian right as Vitruuius writeth at large in the first Chapter of his first booke of Architecture This I note because the French Commenter lets it passe and it troubled my selfe to vnderstand it at the first 23. Among the blessed wits For chiefe props of the Hebrue tongue which he placeth in the fore-front of Eloquence as in euery regard it was meet whether we cofider the sweet grauitie the natural impliance the shortnes hautines liuelines of it or the sincerity holines light heauenly Maiestic he nameth first Moses because he is the most anciēt of those whose writings in this tongue are extant As for the book of the Prophesie of Henoch it was lost a long time agoe He describeth this holy Law-writer after an excellent manner as was requisite in a discourse of eloquence His face shineth like a blasing Star alluding to that in the Scripture that Moses comming downe frō the Mount where he had talked with God his face so shined that none was able to behold his countenance in so much as he was faine to weare a vaile ouer it the rest is very easie to be vnderstood especially of such as haue neuer so lightly turned ouer the history Now for the bookes of Moses they were written many hundred yeares before the Greekes were knowne who were not heard of in the world but a little before the reigne of Saul had but few workes in writing or none at all till after the time of Salomon as their owne Histories witnesse whosoeuer will take paines to turne them ouer Nay further all their knowledge came from the Aegyptians Phenicians and others who had leaned somewhat by conuersing with the Hebiues And to come againe to Moses he hath beene in maruellous account with insinite Heathen Writers If any haue lightly regarded or found fault with him it was either because they vnderstood him not at all or maliced him exceedingly which a man may easily finde in their writings The second Author of the Hebrue he counteth Dauid whose Psalmes he speaketh of much in few lines but little it is in comparison of their excellencie whereof many ancient and late Writers haue spoken notable things I will not heape them vp here assuring my selfe that all true Christians will grant me that the Book of Dauids Psalmes is as Saint Basil saith the Store-house and treasurie of all good learning for all men to come at and will confesse with Saint Ierome and Saint Chrysostome that nothing better becommeth a man be he Peasant or Crafts-man great or small than to sing vnto the Lord the praises and thankesgiuing in these excellent songs contained the very liuely and true Anatomies of a beleeuing soule O how cursed and abominable before God and his Church are those wicked ones that haue forbidden Christians the vnderstanding and vse of them and banished them out of Christendome that haue suffered allowed maintained commanded and commended vnto the people these shamefull and wanton Poesies these books of vanitie error and leasings which with their Authors deserue the fire not the quiet and peaceable persons that call vpon Iesus Christ and belecue stedfastly the life euerlasting The soule that feareth God will not take this my digression ill nor thinke it needlesse As for the vngodly let them spit at it if they will I regard them not The third Author and ornament of the Hebrue is reckoned Salomon in his Prouerbs the Booke of the Preacher and the Song of Songs bookes more besprinckled with golden words and notable sentences than his Crowne was with pretious stones and pearles embossed Happie is the man that taketh delight to marke and daily thinke vpon so profitable and necessary instructions The fourth is the Prophet Esay the sonne of Amos right such a one as the Poet hath described These foure hee thought sufficient to name because they haue most Writings extant and are withall exceeding cloquent as might easily be proued by particulars if I were to write a Commentary or a whole discourse thereof 24. The Greeke Homer his Illias and Odyssea containing 48. bookes is the most ancient Greeke Author we haue his inuentions are wonderfull his vaine naturall his verses smooth and full of Art and the more they are considered the greater grace they haue There is also in them a hidden sense and the very well-spring of all humane knowledge as may appeare by that infinite peeces of his poesies are cited in the bookes of ancient and late Phylosophers Geographers Historiographers and Orators as Plutarch and others witnesse The next to Homer is Plato not in time but in worthinesse he is called the diuine Phylosopher because he is so maruellous pure so high and lofty in all his disconrses the true scholler of him that professing himselfe to know but one thing namely that he knew nothing declared that he knew all things that might be learned in the world as touching the world For concerning the knowledge of saluation Plato and his maister both were ignorant and sith all other knowledge is nothing in comparison of that the more are we bound to God that haue it he said most truely
but went to field with 1500. foot and 3000. horse ouercâ—me the Gâ—tes and Triballes and wasted all Macedonie only through negligence as they retired loaden with spoile they were brought to their end Yet they that remained in Gaule sent forth other companies into Asia who passed on as far as Bossen and Dardanie where by reason of a quarrell that fell betweene them they sundred themselues One part of them cast into Thrace and raigned there a long time the other setled about where Sauus and Danubius meet not far from Belgrade These that remained in Dardanie when they heard tell of the fruitfull soile of the lesser Asia went on so far as Hellespont and there because they were three Companies they parted Natolia betweene them into three parts The Trocynes had the coast of Hellespont the Tolystoboges Eolide and Jonie which the Turkes call Quision The Tectosages the country further into the maine land All that part of Asia which lyeth on this side Taurus they made their tributary planting themselues all along the riuer Hâ—lys that parteth Paphlagonia from Syria That Prouince where the Gaules dwelt in Asia from their first arriuall to the height of the Romane Empire retained the name of Gaul-Greâ—ce together with that same language which Saint Ierome six or seuen hundred yeares after saith was like that he heard spoken in Gaule about the quarter of Treues Thus concerning the ancient Gaules no to cleare some few darke words of the Text. The worke of Romulus c. He meaneth Rome builded by Romulus the most warlike Citie of all the world and therefore Mars whom the Painims counted the God of Warre may be thought the founder of it Cold Strymon a riuer parting Macedonie from Thrace as Plinie saith and because Thrace is no very warme country he giueth Strymon the adioint of Cold. The Emathicke fields to wit Macedonie so called of King Emathion Plinie speakes thereof in his fourth booke and tenth chapter thus Macedonie a Comtrie containing an hundred and fiftie Nations sometime renowned for two Kings he meaneth Philip and Alexander and for the Empire of the whole world it was afore-time called Emathia which word the Poets as Virgil and Lucan doe sometime vse for Thessaly a Countrie neare Macedonie Lucan in his very first verse Bella per Emathios plusquam ciuilia Campos And Virgil in the end of his second Georgie Nee fuit indiguum superis his sanguine nostro Emathâ—am latos Aemi pinguescere campos The Pharsalian fields are in Thessaly as Fliny recordeth in his fourth booke and eight Chapter Dindyma A hill in Phrygia The Poet calleth it Dindyme chastré guelt Dindym because the Priests of Cybele called Curetes kept and sacrificed there and were Eunuches atrired like women The Poets meaning is that these Gaules harried also Phrygia and called the country where they dwelt in Asia Gaul-Greece after the name of that from whence they first came and so planted as it were another Gaule in the middest of Asia What became of their successours in the Romanes time because the Poet makes no mention thereof I passe it also 23 Of people most renowà d He sheweth in few words wherefore he thrusteth no further into discourse of the out-roads the people made in old time For though Carion Melancthon Pâ—ucer Lazius Rhenanus Goropius and others of our time haue that way farre ventured and some-while with very good successe yet it cannot be denied but that they leaue many doubts and doe not all-where cleare the matter See then how fitly the Poet addes that followeth Il dit en somme queles trois fils de Noé peuplerent le monde Il me suffira donc de suiure son oree Et pendant attentif de la bourche dorce Du sage fils d'Amram rechanter dans ces vers Que Sem laphet Cham peuplerent l'Vniuers Et que du grand Noé la Fuste vagabonde Pour la seconde fois flott a par tout le Monde Cela ne se fit point tout à coup mais par trait de temps Non que i'enuoye Sem de Babylone auant Tout d'vn vol es terroirs du plus lontain Leuant Du Tartare Chorat boire l'onde argentine Et peupler le Catay le Cambalu la Chine En Espaigne Iapheth le profane Cham Es pays alterez de Medre de Bigam Es champs de Cephala dessus le mont Zambrique Et le Cup d'Esperance angle dernier d'Afrique Car ainsi que l'Hymete Comparaisons bien propres pour monstrer comment les parties du moÌ„de furent peuplees par les ou le mont Hiblean Ne furent tous couuert aâ— Auetes en vn an Ains la moindre ruchee enuoyant chaque prime A leurs slancs à leurs pieds à leur flairant cime Deux ou trois peuplemens cher nourissons du ciel En sin tous leurs rochers se fondirent en miel descendans de Noé asauoir peu à peu comme d'an en an par multiplication de peuple Ou plustost tout ainsi que deux Ormes fecondes Qui croissent au milieu d'vn champ emmuré d'ondes An tour de leur estocs produisent des Ormeaux Ceux-cy d'autres encor tousiours les nouueaux Gaignent pied à pied l'Isle font mesme en ieunesse D'vn grand pré tondu-ras vne forest espesse Tout ainsi les maçons de la superbe Tour S'en vont esparpillez acaser à l'entour De Mesopotamie peu à peu leur race Frayant heureusement sleuue apres sleuue passe Saisit terre apres terre si le Tout-puissant Ne va de l'Vniuers les iours accourcissant Il ne se trouuera contree si sauuage Pourquoy la premiere monarchie se dresse en Assirie Que le tige d'Adam de ses branches wombrage C'est pourquoy les pays au Tygre aboutissans Pendant l'âge premier sont les plus fleurissans Qu'il se parle d'eux seuls qu'ils commencent la guerre Et qu'ils sont la Leçon aureste de la terre Babylone viuant sous la grandeur des Roys Tenoit l'empire en main auant que le Gregeois Logeast en ville close que des murs Dircees Vn luth doux eust meçon les pierres agences Le Latin eust des bourgs des maison les Gaulois Des hutes l'Alemant des tentes l'Anglois Les Hebrieux Chaldeans Egyptiens auoyent la Philosophie super naturelle auant que les Grees sâ—eussâ—t quelque chose Les fils d'Heber auoient commerce auce les Anges Detestoient les autels dressez aux Dieux estranges Conotssoient l'Inconu des yeux de la foy Comtemploient bien heureux leur inuisible Roy. Le Chaldee sçauoit des estoilles le nombre Auoit aulné le ciel comprenoit comme l'ombre De la terre eclipsoit l'Astre au front argenté Et la sienne esteignoit du Soleil la clarté
will sooner mount and light aire downward presse Then how thou'lt aske me come these huge and raging floods That spoile on Riphean hils the Boree-shakeÌ„ woods Drowne Libanus and shew their enuious desires To quench with tost-vp waue the highest heau'nly fires He aske thee Cham how Wolues Panthers from the Wild This refutes all the obiections of Atheists At time by Heau'n design'd before me came so mild How I keepe vnder yoke so many a fierce captiue Restored as I were to th' high prerogatiue From whence fath'r Adam fell how wild foule neuer mand From euery coast of Heau'n came flying to my hand How in these cabins darke so many a gluttonous head Is with so little meat or drinke or stouer fed Nor feares the Partridge here the Falcons beake pounces Nor shuns the light-foot Hare a Tygers looke or Ounces How th' Arch holds-out so long against the wauy shot How th' aire so close the breath and dong it choaks vs not Confused as it is and that we find no roome For life in all the world but as it were in toombe Ther 's not so many planks or boords or nailes i'th'arch As holy myracles and wonders which to marke Astonnes the wit of man God shew'th as well his might By thus preseruing all as bringing all to light O holy Syre appease appease thy wroth and land In hau'n our Sea-beat ship ô knit the waters band That we may sing-of now and ours in after age Thy mercie shew'd on vs as on the rest thy rage Annotations vpon the first Booke of Noe called the Arke 1 DIvine verse He complaines of the miseries of our time of his bodies crasinesse and care of houshold affaires which hinder his bold designes and make his Muse fall as it were from heauen to earth He calls the verse diuine because of the subiect matter which he handleth acknowledging withall that as Ouid saith Carmina proueniunt anime deducta sereno and this serenitie or quietnesse of spirit which is all in all for a Christian Poem is a gift from Heauen And therefore this our Poet In stead of calling vpon his Muse which is but himselfe or helpe of profane inuentions looketh vp rather vnto that power from whence commeth euery good and perfect gift that is the father of light 2 Oh rid me This is a zealous inuocation and well beseeming the Authors intent which also is enriched with a daintie comparison For verily the chiefe grace of a Poem is that the Poet begin not in a straine ouer high to continue and so grow worse and worse to the end but rather that he increase and aduance himselfe by little and little as Virgil among the Latin Poets most happily hath done Horace also willeth a good writer in a long-winded worke ex sumo dare lucem that is to goe-on and finish more happily then he began Who so doth otherwise like is to the blustring wind which the longer it continues growes lesse and lesse by degrees but the wise Poet will follow rather the example of Riuers which from a small spring the farther they run grow on still to more and more streame and greatnesse 3 As our foresire foretold Saint Peter in his 2. chapt of his 2. Ep. calls Noe the Herault or Preacher of righteousnesse and in the eleauenth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes it is said that Noe being aduertised from God of things not yet seene conceined a reuerent seare and built the Arch for safegard of his familie through the which Arch he condemned the world and was made heire of the righteousnesse which is by saâ—th By these places may be gathered that Noe laying hold on the truth of Gods threats and promises as Moses also sheweth in the sixt of Gen. prepared materials for the Arch and in building the same did as well by worke as word of a Preacher condemne the impiety and wickednesse of men warning them of the iudgement which hung ouer their heads which also was put in execution at the very time appointed by the Almighty 4 When all were once i' th' Arke This historie of the Deluge our Poet had before touched in the end of the second day of his first weeke which passage I the Translator thought good here to insert that the description might be the fuller These verses and the rest to the end of this booke shew vs the fearefull iudgement of God vpon the sinnes of that former world set downe first by Moses in the 6.7 and 8. chapters of Genesis Were I to write a full commentary thereof I should discourse of Noes Arke and diuers questions which present themselues concerning that rare subiect with the precedents consequents and coincidents but I touch lightly these things to draw the Readers care and make still more and more knowne vnto him the great learning and Art shewed in this diuine Poem To see how our Author is his crafts-master let a man conferre this decription with that of Ouid in the first booke of his Metam concerning the Deluge of Deucalion Some of his verses I thought good here to set downe for encouragement of such as haue leysure more neerely to consider and compare the French with the Latine Protinus Aeolijs Aquilonem claudit in antris Et quaecunque fugant inductas flamina nubes Ennttitque Notum madidis Notus euolat alis Terribilem piceá tectus caligine vultum Barba grauts nimbis canis fluit vnda capillis Fronte sedent nobulae rorant pennaeque sinusque Vtqué manu latè pendentia nubila pressit Fit fragor densi sunduntur ab aethere nimbi Then speaking of the land and out-let of Riuers thus Intremuit motuque vias patesecit aquarum Eupatiata ruunt per apertos slumina campos Cwnque satis arbusla trabunt pecudesque virosque Tectaque cumque sais rapiunt penetralia sacris See the rest of Ouid who hath not so exactly described these things as our Poet. 5 Nereus By this word he means the Sea which at the Deluge ouerflowed the whole Earth because it was not then held within the proper bounds thereof by the powerfull goodnesse and prouidence of the Creator Ouid expresseth it thus Omnia pontus erant deerant quoquelittora ponto Virgil thus Spumeus atque imo Nereus ciet aequora sundo Natalis Comes in his Mythologie lib. 8. cap. 6. hath much of Nereus and the Nereides where also he giues a reason why the Poets so call the Sea 6 The Sea-Calues So I translate le Manat for the Veal-like flesh thereof though this be indeed a great Sea-fish described by Rondeletius in the 18. chapter of his sixt booke He is also like a young Bull with a broad backe and a very thicke skin they say he weigheth more then two oxen are well able to draw His flesh as I said before commeth neere the taste of Yeale but it is fatter and not so well relished he will be made as tame as a dog but hath a shrewd remembrance of
hand the murdrer soone or late Moreouer God promiseth there shall bee nâ— more generall stoods of a flood stand you no more in feare The world shall ne'r againe be ouerflow'n I sweare I sweare eu'n by my selfe and when broake I myne oath Yet for a seale and more assurance of the troath Behold I set my bow vpon the cloud of raine That The Rainbow a signe thereof when long season wet the world shall threat'n againe When th' aire all cloudie-thick at noone shal bring you night And heau'n orelaid with raine shall on your hills alight Ye may reioice to see my seale so eue'nly bow'd For though 't imprinted be vpon a misly clowd Though albeset with raine and though it seeme to call The waues of all the sea to drowne the world withall Yet at the sight thereof in all your sore distresse Ye shall remember me and I my promises Then Noe cast-vp eye A description of the Rainebow and wondred to behold A demy-circl ' i th' aire of colours manifold That brightly shining-out and heauing-vp to heau'n Hath for Dyameter a line estrained eau'n Betwixt both Horizons a goodly bow to see And comming all alike nay one bow made of three A yellow a greene a blew and yet blew yellow greene But dapled each with oth'r in neith'r is to be seene A bow that shines aloft in Thunder-shooters hand That halfe-diuides the heau'n and laies on face of land As t were her fine spunne string and bending ore the rocks Against a misly Sun i'th'Ocean dips her nockes The short enduring grace of Heau'ns enflamed blewes Whereon dame Nature layes her most-quicke-lustred hewes What things are signified by this Bow But if thou doe perceiue no more then blew and red Take them for Sacraments as if they figured The Water and the Fire whereof th' one hath of yore And th' other at latter day shall all the world deuore 17. Goe breed The rest of this booke containes a short exposition of the chiefe points handled in the ninth chap. of Gen. Whereof the first shewes the blessing of God that would haue Noe and his children with the rest increase and multiply and replenish the earth For the world now as it were created anew had need be sanctified and quickned from God with a new blessing The second point is that all creatures should be subiect vnto man which we finde true at this day as well by the inuentions we haue to master them all and skill to draw food seruice profit and pleasure many wayes from them as also by this that the fiercest of them doe vs but seldome hurt though easily they might destroy vs if that word of God The feare of you be vpon all the beasts of the earth were not verified and cast as it were a bridle into the iawes and shackle to the pawes of enemies armed with so much aduantage against our kinde The third that Noe and his haue leaue giuen them as freely to make vse of the beasts as of any fruit growing vpon the Earth so that they eat not the flesh with the blood for God would by this restraint shew how abominable murder is in his sight whereof as the fourth point there is mention made expresly in the text And lastly to comfort Noe and his the Lord tells them and sweares thereto that the world should neuer more be destroyed by a generall Flood and further to assure them hereof saith This is the token of the couenant which I make betweene me and you and betweene euery liuing thing that is with you for euer I will set my Bow in the cloud c. Gen 9.12 c. 18. Then Noe cast-vp eye To this elegant description of the Rainebow nothing can be added It appeared certainly before the Flood but then was it not a token of Gods couenant with mankind as now it began to be that the world should be no more destroyed by waters That our Poet so playes the Philosopher vpon the colours of blew and red hee takes it of some ancient Fathers of the Church and it is no wayes impertinent or absurd But the Reader is at liberty to settle his iudgument on that hee shall thinke more conuenient Such Allegories and Poeticall licence haue their grace and good vse when a man propounds them with modestie as doth our Poet not importuning any to receiue them but leauing all men their iudgement free Ayant inuoqué Dieu Noé cultiue la terre comme il faisoit auant le deluge Les enfans de Cain s'estomt adonnez aux arts hauts estats tandis que ceux de Seth s'occupeÌ„t à l'agriculture nostre Ayeul ne veut pas Qu'vn paresseux repos engourdisse ses bras Ilse met en besongae sage recommence Exercer le mestier appris dés son enfance Car les fils du Tyran qui dans le sang germain Premiere of a tremper sa detestable main Ayant comme en horreur l'innocent Labourage Et preferant mignards le delicat ombrage Les oisiues citez aux champs rocher bois Embrasserent les arts les sceptres les loix Mais les enfans de Seth scachant que la Nature Se contente de peu prindrent l'Agriculture Pour leur sainct exercice où guiderent soigneux Et les velus troupeaux les troupeaux laineux Comme vsure louable prosit sans enuie Art nourrice des arts vie de la vie Noé est labouteur plante la vigne Aussi le cher honneur des celestes flambeaux Nâ—a si tost ventousé la terre si gros d'eaux Que celuy qui sauua dans vne Nef le Monde Suant raye le dos de sa mere feconde Et quelque temps apres plante soigneusement Du sep porte-Nectar le fragile sarment Lieu commode pour la vigne les façons d'icelle Car parmi les caillous d'vne coline aisée Aux yeux du clair Soleil tiedement exposée La crossette il â—â—â—â—erre ou le tendrescion Maintenant en godean tantost en rayon Houë la vigne en Mars la bisne tierce émonde Taille amende eschalasse la rende si feconde Que dans le tiers Septembre il treuue en cent façons Son riche espoir vaicu de vineuses moissons Noé est surprins de vin Or Noé desireux de tromper la tristesse Qui cruelle assligeoit sa tremblante vieillesse Pour voir tant de Palais de mol limon couuerts Et rester presque seul bourgeois de l'Vniuers Vniour relache vn peu de sa façon de viure La seuere roideur s'esgaye boit s'enyure Et forcené pensant dans si douce poison Noyer son vifennuy il noye sa raison Ia la teste luy pese Description de l'homme yure le pied luy chancelle Vne forte vapeur luy blesse la ceruelle Ses propos hors propos de sa bouche eschapez Sont consus sont mal-sains
light They vtter not a word of that first language right 10 Once when th' Inhabitants of plenty-flowing Nile The Phrygians and Egyptians contend for antiquitie of tongue With men of Ida stroue for eldership of stile The right of Eloquence they tri'd by stammering And such as iudgement lackt they set to iudge the thing To wit two sucking babes whom their two Mothers dumbe In hermitages kept where no man else did come No charmy voyce of man was heard sound neere the place 8. O proud rebellion A fine description of euils ensuing this confusion of speech First the acquaintance of all mankinde together the knot and loue-bond of Nations is so loosened and broke that scarse is there found any remedy for it some of them not thinking on or not at all caâ—â—ng for others Secondly that onely one language which decked and imbellished the acquaintance and fellowship of men that kept them in peace and temper such as it was that made them all well appaid that moued each one to his dutie and was much regarded of all hath lost all this by this change and in a word hath neither shew nor grace of a language insomuch as euen at this day the fall of the Tower of Babel is heard from North to South from East to West That is to say in the diuerse languages of so many Nations we may obserue almost nothing else but a kinde of chattering and confused sound neither fit nor comely nor expressing at all the nature of things At least one people so iudgeth of anothers tongue For I pray you what pleasure taketh a Frenchman to heare a Moscouite or a Mexican speake And euen the tongues that we vnderstand and speake as we thinke reasonable well what are they vnto vs in respect of our mother tongue or the principall tongues Thirdly whereas the Nations dwelling farthest asunder might easily haue come together beene acquainted and trafficked one with another Now a man is no sooner gone out of his owne doores but hee hath much â—dooe to vnderstand those that he meeteth withall and if he set foot in any farre countrey hee needeth interpretouts or must haue spent a long time before to learne the tongue or else must speake by signes or alwayes hold his peace and liue like a dumbe creature Fourthly to amplifie further this miserie the Poet sheweth that if this disorder had not happened a man might haue learned in short time all the Liberall sciences and gained the top of that hill where Encyclopaedia that is the full compasse of all Arts crowneth all such lawfull aspiring mindes and in a word obtained the perfect knowledge of all things whereas now we spend our whole life in the learning words of the Hebrew Greeke and Latine tongues and that is nothing else but babling and in stead of being well seene in the heauenly Philosophie and that of this lower world wee must take paines in syllables and words circuits of speech and other like exercises vntill we be gray-headed and white-bearded and so end our liues scarse hauing yet attained any sufficient knowledge of Law Physicke or Diuinitie that are the chiefe professions The learned know how hard a matter it is to haue a good stile which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the measure of learning and that Aristotle who hath so excellently well set it downe in that wonderfull worke of his commonly called the Organ is vnderstood but of a few What may a man say then of the most part of the discourses and speech of men now adayes liuing It is nothing but babble it is Babel it selfe I speake not here of the substance of things but of the fashion order and manner that is vsed to make them bee conceiued of those to whom wee speake be they neuer so cunning in the tongue themselues Then of Barbarisme and ignorance what shall a man thinke 9. What shall I tell you more Moses saith in the beginning of the eleuenth Chapter that then that is many yeares after the Floud and about the same time when Chams posteritie left the East parts to come and dwell in the plaine of Sennaar the whole earth was one language and one speech to wit Noe and his children and all the families from them issued though they dwelt not together yet spake they all the same language All of them parted not from the East to the foresaid plaine of Sennaar but likely enough is their opinion that hold that Noe and Sem parted not so soone so farre a sunder and especially that they accompanied not these builders of Babel who sought renowne and set vp their rest in this world A man may aske now what was that only language they spoke in the world before the Floud and after vntill the building of Babel The Poet answereth it was the language of God himselfe Hereupon ariseth two opinions The first is of those that to honour their countrey after the example of some ancient Heathens would make vs beleeue they are sprung of the earth or fallen from the Moone and thinke their speech the most excellent of all other The Aegyptians and Phrygians haue long sithence debated this matter as shall be said more at large in the next Section A few yeares agoe a Physitian of Brabant named I. Goropius set forth a great booke entituled Origines Antuerpiana wherein he aimeth especially at this marke to proue the Cymbrike tongue which in his opinion is the base Almaine to be the first speech of the world Since his death a certain writer of Liege hath set forth many other books of his about the same matter and in one of them that is called Hermathena this Cymbrike tongue or low Dutch is preferred far aboue the Roman Greek Hebrue It asketh a long discourse to answer his Reasons for this time I will answer but in a word Namely that all that which he alledgeth for the preheminence of his owne tongue is a meere cauill that is called in the Schooles Petitio principij when a Sophister taketh for granted that which is expresly denied him and hee knowes not how to proue Goropius groundeth all his discourse on this that the Cymbrike tongue hath borrowed nothing of any other and that the Hebrue is comen of it and euen borroweth of the Cymbricke This a man will denie Goropius and his disciples and whereas they shew some Hebrue words or Phrases that resemble the words and termes of the base Almaine and so conclude that Adam spake low Dutch and that the language of Moses and the Prophets is hard ambiguous poore and borrowed of the Cymbricke which they were not well able to follow I answer that they are deceiued and that on the contrary they ought to say the Hebrue was before all other tongues who were begun in Babel and haue sithence brought forth infinite others as the high and low Dutch and other like now vsed in the world I would the learned professors of principall tongues would find some time to
his booke De ant quitate linguae Hebraicae there are many such Treatises set forth by diuers learned men whereout and of the bookes aforenamed may be gathered infinite proofes of that which the Poet hath touched in this second reason The third is that there liues no Nation vnder the cope of heauen but keepeth still some words of Hebrew in their speech First the Caldean Syrian Arabian Egyptian Persian Ethiopian and many other as the Gotthicke Troglodyticke Punicke are so deriued thence that they come as neere it as Italian to Latine some more some lesse Secondly the Greeke Latine and those others that are farthest off haue yet here and there some words that we must needes grant are sprong from the same fountaine a man may set downe a many of them but it were too long here to coate the examples Thirdly the roots of many words that are taken to be Greeke or some other tongue are found to be Hebrew as Franciscus Iunius hath plainly shewed in his learned oration Deliuguae Hebraea antiquitate praeslantia The fourth reason is that the doctrine of the old Testament which is the doctrine of the first and most ancient people of the world was not written but in Hebrew No man denieth that the people that came of Sem the sonne of Noe is the most ancient among these remained the Church of God and the Hebrew tongue God spake not but in the Hebrew tongue by the high Priest that wore the sacred Ephod and the breast-plate of iudgement whereon was set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vrim Thummim words signifying lights and perfections which some thinke was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or foure-letered name Iehoua contained within the brest-plate others say it was the rankes of those twelue precious stones there enchased that on them had ingrauen the names of the twelue tribes of Israel as if it were a repetition of that which Moses saith in the 17 18 19 and 20. verses of the 28. chapter of Exodus where he speaketh of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vrim Thummim in the 30. verse others hold they were certaine names others are of diuers other opinions Some late writers thinke those words were ingrauen in the breast-plate This is a secret the search whereof whether one dispute of the words or what they meant or what 's become of them c. is very painfull and needlesse for that now sithence the comming of Christ we ought to follow the truth it selfe and not stay vpon shadowes These words doubtlesse gaue to vnderstand that all light and perfection commeth of our Sauiour in whom all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily dwelleth in whom are hid all the treasures of vnderstanding knowledge who is the light of his Church that is made vnto vs of God his father wisedome iustice redemption and holinesse In all iudgements demands oracles and reuelations that were made by Vrim and Thummim as may be gathered out of the 27. chapter of Numbers the first booke of Samuel the 13. and 30. chapters and other places where aduise and counsell was asked of God and answere was made by the mouth of the high Priest there appeared a cleere light a sure truth and perfection all which in Christ is accomplished Now these demands and answers were propounded and rendred in the Hebrew tongue long time before any other language was vsed in the world For so soone after their scattering at Babel they could not well be incorporated into a common wealth and as for religion that was not kept but in the race of Sem as Moses plainly declareth all through the historie of Abraham Concerning the Prophets their dreames and visions God spake not they vnderstood not neither answered or taught they the Church but in the Hebrew that significant vnmingled holy chaste and heauenly tongue whereas others lispe and stammer-out vncertaine sounds and are infinite wayes defiled through the dishonest foolish erronious and vngodly discourses of their inuentours I except the bookes of the new Testament and all writings drawne from the cleere fountaines of holy Scripture besides the which there is nothing but vanitie filth wickednesse and vngodlinesse in the world Moreouer the Lord himselfe setteth downe his law to his people and writing it twise with his owne finger and speaking with his owne mouth to Moses and his other seruants in the Mount vsed the Hebrew tongue So did the Angels and Prophets and Iesus Christ spake the Syriacke a tongue so deriued of the Hebrew that they are very like as their Grammars declare The Apostles spake diuers tongues and wrote also according to the people and persons with whom they had to doe yet for all that in their bookes may be noted an infinite many of phrases borrowed of the Hebrew as the learned interpreters of the new Testament haue exactly shewed The fift and last reason set downe by the Poet is that the Hebrew words especially the proper names some are alledged for example and many other may be added are of great waight and importance for sometimes they lay open vnto vs the chiefe things that doe befall the person so named Nay further if a man would take the paines to change the order of letters hee may sinde in them many goodly mysteries The Greekes haue found the way and followed it in the interpretation of their proper names but they come farre short of the liuelihood and maiestie of the Hebrewes who begun the thing before them many hundred yeeres As for other tongues the most part of their proper names haue no meaning they are deuised at-all-auentures so are they right tokens of barbarisme Some tongues there are more happy and plentious than others in this behalfe but their interpretations are for the most part vncertaine especially if the Root thereof come not from or neere the Hebrew Herehence againe the curious reader may take occasion of a large commentarie I leaue it vnto him 13. Then doe I theesalute It is not without cause that the Poet straight vpon the former discourse vseth these words considering the excellency of the Hebrew tongue and that he setteth out in so few verses her wonderfull perfections each one of them requiring a large treatise and himselfe being vnable to shut vp so great matters in so few words For example sake let vs consider but very briefly those three points that the Poet here toucheth to wit that the two and twenty Hebrew letters are full of hidden sense that the proper names of persons Countries and Cities in this tongue are as much as abridgements of their life and deedes that the names of birds beasts and fishes containe the history of their natures howbeit since the fall of Adam the knowledge thereof is greatly darkened To make the Reader somewhat more desirous to enter mediation hereon I will set him downe some examples Concerning the mysteries of the Hebrew Letter-row Eusebius and S. Ierom in his Epistle ad Paul vrbic which is the 155. expoundeth them as I
more then three moneths sayling The realme and citie of Malaca are described in the sixth booke of the Portugall historie chap. 18. It is neare the Equinoctiall aboue Taprobana so therefore Asia reacheth from the North-pole beyond the Equator The Isles from whence are brought buge masses of Cloues and Cassia are the Moluckes siue in number Tidor Terenat Motir Machian and Bachian beset with diuers other Isles and Islets vn ler and neere the Equator in the East which with their properties and manners of their inhabitants are well set downe in the 13. booke of the history of Portugall Chap. 8. Samotra whereon passes the night-equalling line or the Equator is the Isle Taprobana Southward ouer against Malaca it is aboue 450. leagues long and 120. broad I haue described it in the fist day of the first weeke see further the history of Portugall in the sixt booke the 18. chap. Zeilan is an Isle right against the Cape of Calecut aboue Taprebana toward the East it lies North and South in length about 125. leagues and in the broadest place is 75. ouer There are taken out of the sea great store of pearles very faire and brighte for the further description thereof see the 4. booke and 20 chapter of the history of Portugall Bisnagar is a kingdome lying betweene Decan and Narsingua the mountaines of Calecut and the sea called the great gulfe of Bengala It is rich in gold which is there found in riuers Looke the situation thereof in the Map of the East Indies and in the Asia of Ortelius and Cellarius The Pont-Eusine is now called the Maior or the Hacke Sea at the one end thereof toward the Midland-sea is Constantinople the Card-men call it by diuers names which Orteliu hath set downe in his Synonym By the Brother waues of those Chaldean streames is meant as I suppose the Persian sea whereinto Euphrates and Tygris both together empty being before ioined about Babylon now called Bagadet and so the Poet takes as much of the breadth of Asia at the West end as he doth at the East the one from Quinsay to Chiorze the other from the sea of Constantinople to the Persian Gulse Concerning the straight of Anion the Cardmen are not all of one opinion Mercator Ortelius Cellarius Theuet and others set downe plainly a good broad arme of Sea betwixt the North-east point of Asia and America But Vopelius ioynes Asia and this fourth part of the world together greatly enlarging Asia and cut tolling the other contrary to the opinion of the Authors aforesaid and many Spaniards that haue written of the new-found world the reasons that may be alledged in fauour of either side require a large Commentary Vopelius his opinion indeede cutteth off many doubts that arise about the enpeopling of America but Mercator and the others who are most commonly followed seeme to ground more vpon Geography and better to agree with the seas naturall sway and easie compassing the earth Arias Montanus in his booke intituled Phaleg where he treateth of the habitations of Noes posteritie setteth downe a Map according to Vopelius this booke of his bound in the volume called Apparatus is ioyned with the great Bibles of Antwerp But the Poet followeth Mercator Ortelius and the common opinion of the Cardmen of our time for Ptolome Strabo and Mela in their daies had not discouered so much Quinsay which the Poet cals Quinzit is a famous citie in the Northeast point of Asia about ten leagues from the sea built vpon peeres and arches in a marrish ground it is twenty leagues or one hundred miles about and by reason as well of the great Lake-waters there as also of the ebbe and slow of the sea it bath as M. P. Venet reports in the 64. chapter of his second booke 12000. bridges of stone the most renoumed bound-marke of all Asia and the greatest citie in the world if that be true But Theuet gainsaith it in the 27. chapter of the 12. booke of his Cosmography where he describes the Citie and Lake with the Riuer that causes the Lake to swell he saith it is not aboue foure leagues in compasse yet M. Paule affirmes he hath beene there Chiorze is another worthy part of Asia set downe here for a bound-marke because of the strange Buls there as great as Elephants with haire as smooth and soft as silke Howsoeuer now adaies that country is nothing so ciuill as others inhabited by the posterity of Cham and Iaphet yet the fruitfulnesse of the ground and great commodities there growing for maintainance of mans life declare it hath beene in times past one of the best portions of the children of Noe. 7. Ashur t' Assyriland Moses saith the sonnes of Sem were Elam Ashur Arphaxad Lud and Aram The Poet here in six verses hath noted out the first habitations of these fiue reseruing afterward about the 300. verse and so forth to shew their first second third and fourth out-going ouer the rest of Asia Concerning Ashur it may be gathered out of the 10. of Genesis verse the 11. that hauing sorted himselfe with the people that now began to feare Nimred and liking not to liue vnder that yoke went on further and in the Countrey after his name called Assyria built Niniuy which a long time remained one of the greatest Cities in the world as appeares by the prophesie of Ionas and other places of Scripture and Caleh and Resen not farre asunder which haue beene long agoe destroyed Elam that was the eldest seated himselfe by the riuer Euphrates neere the Persian Gulfe which now is called the Sea of Mesendin The Poet giues him a Princely title because the Monarchie began betime and long continued thereabouts where also reigneth still the Sophi a great Emperour and deadly enemy of the Turkes The Riuer Araxes is described by Ptolome in his third Map of Asia where he makes it spring from the soot of Pariard which some men take for the hill Taurus and so passing Scapene Soducene and Colthene to emptie into the Caspian sea These Countries are very rich and therefore the Poet cals them sat lands Lud hauing passed the Riuer composed of Tygris and Euphrates which straight after voids into the Golfe had Elam on the North the two Riuers ioyned and the Gulfe on the East and on the West the Marches of Seba which is the vpper part of Arabia The poet here allotteth him the Lydian fields if by Lydia be vnderstood that part of the lesser Asia called Meonia by Ptolome Herodote and Plinie Lud should haue wandered further then the other foure brothers Moses reports not any thing of his Colonies and his farre going may be the cause for according to the Poet he should haue coasted vp as farre as Aeolia and the Midland sea The seat of Aram is Mesopotamia to wit the Countries about Babylon and the mountaines of Armenia which were after called by the name of Taurus This also containeth Syria and the great Armenia
Bullinger thereupon As for Mosoch Ioseph saith of him are come the Cappadocians and for proofe thereof alledgeth a certaine Towne of their Country called Mazaca It may be gathered out of the 120. Psalme that Mesech or Mosoch was a neighbour people to Syria and Arabia which place the Chalde Paraphrast expounding vseth words of this import O wretch that I am for I haue beene a stranger among the Asians and dwelt in the Arabian tents The Poet considereth what might haue beene in continuance of time and how farre the mans posterity might haue stretched Madai sure was Author of the name of Medes whose Empire was very great in the higher Asia they destroyed the Chaldean Monarchie as may be noted out of Ierem. 51.11 Dan. 5.18 The Thracians Ioseph saith and the Poet are descended of Thyras Melancthou thinkes that of him are come the Russians but the Scripture speaketh not of his posteritie Plinie makes mention of a Riuer Tyra in the Russian or European Sarmatia Melancthon Goropius and others call it Nester Goropius in his seuenth Booke puts the Getes Daces and Bastarnes among the Thracians as all of one stocke and speaking almost the selfe-same tongue which also as he saith comes very neare the Cimbricke and Brabantish Iauan the fourth sonne of Iaphet gaue names to the Ionians who after with their neighbours were called Greekes and therefore the Latine Interpreter translating the place of Ezech. 27.19 for the Hebrue Iauan hath put Graecia so haue the seuenty put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the name of Greece for the same word As also in the 13. verse of the same Chapter and in the 19. of the 66. of Esay they both haue translated the Hebrue Jeuanim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graeci The Country of Athens hath in old time beene called Ionie as Plutarch saith in the life of Theseus and Strabo in his ninth Booke recites out of Hecataeus that the Ionians came out of Asia into Greece Now the Greekes as they were great discoursers they haue deuised a thousand tales of their first beginning but I let them passe because my notes are already waxen ouer long Ioy si-ie voulois ie ferois vne liste Discrete modestie du Poëte qui ayme mieux se taire que traiter de choses obscures cachees sous le voile de l'Antiquité De tous nos deuanciers marchannt sur la piste D'vn supposé Berose d'antres qui menteurs Abusent du loisir bonté des lecteurs Hardi i'entreprendrois de toutes les prouinces Nommer de pere en sils les plus antiques Princes Chanter de l'Vniuers les diuers peuplemens Et des moindres citez fouiller les fondemens Mais quoy ie ne veux pas abandonner ma voile Au premier vent qui souffle sans la clair estoile Qui luit sur touâ— les cieux temeraire ramer Sur les flos inconus de si lontaine mer Toute pleine d'escueils de Scilles profondes Où ne roulle pas moins de naufrages que d'ondes N'ayant autres Patrons que certains escriuains Forgeurs denoms de Roys autheurs decontes vains Qui sont tout à leur poste conuoiteux de gloire Sur vn pied de Ciron bastissent vne histoire He will not enter into matter farre out of knowledge Here if I were dispos'd vpon the ground to treade Of that suppos'd Berose abusing all that reade As he and others doe well might I let you see Of all our Ancestors a fained pedegree I boldly might assay of all the worlds Prouinces From father vnto sonne to name the former Princes To sing of all the world each peoples diuers lot And of the meanest to wâ—â—es to lay the grunsill-plot But what I meane not I as eu'ry wind shall blow To leaue the former course and rashly assay to row The bright Load-starre vnseene vpon the waues vnknow'n Of such an Ocean sea so full of rockes bestrow'n And Scyllaes glutton gulfes where tumbleth equall store Of shipwracks on the sands and billowes to the shore Not hauing other guide then writers such as faine The names of ancient Kings and romants tell vs vaine Who make all for themselues and gaping after glory On footing of a flie can frame a perfect story 12 Now. The like is seene in many bookes of late times and ancient that treat of the Kingdomes Countries and people of the world for many labour more to come neare Noes Arke and to finde there the foundation of their Townes and names of their first Princes then about other more certaine and sure grounds And they had rather forge names and deuise matter of their owne head than leaue to packe huge volumes full of tales witnessing the strange vanity of mans braine The Poet condemnes this foolish ambition and by good â—â—ght all the matter when it is at the best being very doubtfull and vnprofitâ—ble for man was placed on the earth to thinke rather on the seruice of God than so to trouble his head with curious out-search of his ancestors names 13 Of that suppos'ed Berose Who so desires to know that the Berose late printed is false supposed and cleane contrary to the right Chaldean cited often by Ioseph in his Antiquities against Apion let him reade the fourth booke of Goropius his Origines Antuerpianae And so let him thinke also of Manetho Metasthenes Fabius Pictor Sempronius Myrsilus Lesbius and others packt as they are into one volume by some one that thought to doe great matters by abusing so the Readers and holding them in amuse by false deuises from further search of the truth I will not here set downe the words of Goropius who at large discouers the forgednesse of this new Berose and his followers let it suffice to haue pointed at the place The true Berose was one of the Priests of Bel and at the commandement of Antiochus the third who succeeded Seleucus wrote three bookes of the Chaldean Historie so saith Tatianus Ioseph and Clemens Alexandrinus Some fragments of his we reade in Ioseph against Apion and they make flat against that other Berose published in our time Pourquoy la recerche de l'Antiquité est obscure coÌ„bien sont mal apuyez ceux qui sondent sur les etymologies allusions des mots L'allusion des mots n'est vn seur fondement Poury sur-maçonner vn ferme bastiment Veu que les monts plus hauts les riuieres plus belles Et les plus grandes mers changent bien qu'eternelles De nom à chaque coup que la posterité De celuy quibastit les murs d'vne cité N'en est point heritiere qu'ici nullerace En fief perpetuel ne possede vne place Ains qu'a ferme à louage ou par forme de prest Elle possede vn champ vn mont vne forest Et comme quand l'orage esmeut la mer profonde Migrations diuerses habitations des peuples Le flot chasse
of late from out the tombe of Leath And giu'n it as it were a liuing by a death How was 't inhabited if long agone The first obiection how is' t Nor Persians nor Greeks nor Romans euer wist Or inkling heard thereof whose euer conquering hosts Haue spred abroad so farre and troad so many coasts Or if it were of late The second obiection how could it swarme so thicke In euery towne and haue such workes of stone and bricke As passe the tow'rs of Rome th'antike Egyptian Pyramis The King Mausolus tombe the wals of Queene Semiramis How thinke you then Answer negatiue by an Ironie belike these men fell from the skie All ready-shap'd as doe the srogges rebounding frie That ast'r a sulty day about the sun-set houre Are powred on the meads by some warme Aprill-showre And entertouch themselues and swarme amid the dust All or'e the gaping clists that former drought had brust Or grew of tender slips and were in earthly lap Instead of cradle nurst and had for milke the sap Or as the Musherome the Sowbread and the Blite Among the fatter clods they start vp in a night Or as the Dragons teeth sow'n by the Duke of Thebes They brauely sprong all-arm'd from-out the fertill glebes Indeede this mighty ground The first earnest answer ycleaped Americke Was not enhabited so soone as Affericke Nor as that learned soyle tow'r-bearing louing-right Which after Iupiter his deare-beloued hight Nor as that other part which from cold Bosphers head Doth reach the pearly morne at Titons saffran bed For they much more approach the diaprized ridges And faire-endented bankes of Tegil bursting-bridges From whence our ancestors discamp'd astonished And like to Partridges were all-to-scattered Then doth that newfound world whereto Columbus bore First vnder Ferdinand the Castill armes and lore Generall But there the baildings are so huge and brauely dight So differing the states the wealth so infinite That long agone it seemes some people thither came Although not all atonce nor all by way the same For some by cloudy drift of tempest raging-sore Percase with broken barks were cast vpon the shore Some others much auoid with famine plague and warre Particular Their ancient seats forsooke and sought them new so farre Some by some Captaine led who bare a searching minde With weary ships arriu'd vpon the Westerne Inde Or could not long ere this The second the Quinsay vessels finde A way by th'Anien straight from th' one to th' other Inde As short a cut it is Colonies according to the cond Answer noting by the way certaine meruailes of the countrie as that of Hellespont From Asia to Greece or that where-ore they wont Saile from the Spanish hill vnto the Realme of Fesse Or into Sicilie from out the hau'n of Resse So from the Wastes of Tolme and Quiuer where the kine Bring calues with weathers fleece with Camels bunchie chine And haire as Genets slicke they peopled Azasie Cosse Toua Caliquas Topira Terlichie And Florida the faire Auacal Hochilega The frosen Labour-lands Canada Norumbega They sow'd ath'other side the land of Xalisco Mechuacan Cusule and founded Mexico Like Venice o're a Lake and saw astonished The greenest budding trees become all withered As soone as euer touch'd and eke a mountaine found Vesevus-like enflam'd about Nicargua ground So passing forth along the straight of Panama Vpon the better hand they first Oucanama Then Quito then Cusco then Caxamalca built And in Peruuiland a country thorow-guilt They wondred at the Lake that waters Colochim All vnder-paued salt and fresh about the brim And at the springs of Chinke whose water strongly-good Makes pebble-stones of chalke and sandy stones of mood Then Chili they possest whose riuers cold and bright Run all the day apace and rest them all the night Quinteat Patagonie and all those lower seats Whereon the foamy bracke of Magellanus beats Vpon the left they spread along by Darien side Where Huo them refresh'd then in Vraba spide How Zenu's wealthie waves adowne to Neptune rould As bid as pullets egges the massie graines of gould A mount of Emeralds in Grenad saw they shine But on Cumana banks hoodwinked weare their eyne With shady night of mist so quickly from Cumane They on to Pary went Omagu and Caribane Then by Maragnon dwelt then entred fierce Bresile Then Plata's leauell fields where flowes another Nile Moreouer The third answer one may say that Picne by Grotland The land of Labour was by Brittish Iserland Replenished with men as eke by Terminan By Tombut and Melli the shore of Corican 40 But all this other world This is the first of the foresaid questions how it came to passe that the new world discouered in these latter times could be so replenished with people as the Spaniards who haue thereof written very much did finde it He speaketh of the West India which is called another world or the new world for the hugenesse thereof being more then 9300. leagues about as Gomara saith in his Indian Historie 1. book 12. chap. it is longer then all the other three parts of the world and two or three waies as broad as Asia and Europe laid together This quarter so great and full of kingdomes and people if it haue been long agone inhabited how hap saith our Poet the Perstans Greeks and Remans who vndertooke so many far voyages came neuer there nor once heard thereof For Ptolomee Strabo Mela and other ancient writers make no mention of it and if it were peopled but of late yeares he asketh how came so many people there so many great Cities and stately monuments as Gomara Benzo Cieque Ouiede Cortes and others write of Benzo and Barthelemi de las Casas doe report that in that little the Spaniards haue there gotten within these thirtie or fortie yeares they haue slaine aboue twentie millions of people vndone and brought to great distresse as many or more and wasted and vnpeopled twice as much ground as is contained in Europe and a part of Asia to that Neuerthelesse in many places and euen in Mexico New Spaine and Peru where they haue vsed all the crueltie wickednesse and villanie that mans heart or the deuils rage could imagine there are yet liuing many thousand Indians Concerning the ancient Monuments of this new world I will reckon at this time but one of them taken out of the fourth booke and 194. chapter of Gomara There are saith he in Peru two great high-wayes â—eaching the one thorow the hilles the other ouer the plaines from Quito to Cusco which is aboue fiue hundred leagues out-right a worke so great and chargeable that it is well worthy noting that ouer the plaines is 25. foot broad and walled on either side and hath little brookes running along in it with store of the trees called Molli planted on the bankes The other is of like breadth cutting thorow the rockes and filling vp the lower grounds with stone worke for they
tongue should remaine entire and vncorrupt with such as had corrupted the seruice of God But the Lord being mercifull vnto Abraham restored to him againe and kept for his faithfull children the first Language which had not beene so much corrupted in the family of Sem who parted not so farre from his father La terre partagee entre les enfans de Noé Sem tire vers l'Orient Ce pays qui s'estend non moins riche que large Iusqu'au bord Perosite où reide se descharge L'Ob Roy des douces caux l'Ob au superbe cours Fleuue qu'a peine on peut trauerser en six iours Iusques à Malaca les Isles où s'amasse La Canelle le Clou Sumatre sur qui passe Le Cercle egale-nuicts iusqu'au slot encor De Zeilan porte-perle Binasgar porte-or Depuis la mer Euxine l'onde fraternelle Des fleuues Chaldeans iusqu ' à l'onde cruelle Du destroit Anien les paresseuses eaux Habitation des successeurs de Cham. Ou Quinzit est hasty Chiorze ou les Taureaux Aussi grands qu'Elephans son habillez de soye Est la part du grand Sem. Car le destin enuoye Assur en l'Assyrie à sin qu'en peu de iours Chalé Resen Niniue au ciel haussent leurs tours Le porte-scepre Elam saisit les monts de Perse Et les fertils guerets que l'Araxe trauerse Lut le champ Lydien Aram l'Aramean Et le docte Arphaxat le terroir Chaldean This countrry reaching forth as rich as it is large From Peake of Perosites Sem went toward the West where doth himselfe discharge The stately running Ob great Ob fresh waters King A riuer hardly crost in six daies trauelling To Malaca to th'Isles from whence are brought huge masses Of Calamus and Cloues Samotra whereon passes Heau'ns Equinoctiall line and to the waters far Of Pearly Zeilan Isle and goldie Bisnagar And from the Pont-Eusine and from the brother waues Of those two Chaldee streames vnto the Sea that raues With hideous noise about the Straight of Aniens To Quinsies moorie poole and to Chiorza whence Come Elephantick buls with silken-haired hides This hight the share of Sem for Gods decree it guides Ashur t'Assyriland that after some few daies How and what Nations came of Sem. Chal Rezen Niniué their tow'rs to heau'n may raise The Persian hilles possest great Elams kingly race And those fat lands where-through Araxes bont his pace Lud held the Lydian fields Aram th'Armenia And learned Arphaxad the quarter Chaldean 6. This Countrey He setteth downe the lots of Sem Cham and Iaphet first in generall after meaning to shew the particular Colonies of each So then to Sem he allotteth Asia The proofe of these seuerall shares may be gathered out of the tenth Chapter of Genesis It is not meant that Sem in his owne life-time tooke possession of this huge plot of groūd although he liued 600 yeers but the posteritie of his fiue sonnes ouer-spred it by succession of time as the Poet declares at large hereafter and a man may perceiue some token hereof in that Moses reckoneth in the foresaid Chapter the sonnes of Joktan the sonne of Heber peti-sonne of Arphaxad sonne of Sem. Now before I shew the bounds here noted by the Poet in this lot of Sem I will set downe the description and deuision of Asia as now it is The map-drawers of our time differ in their order some consider it by the whole masse others by the sea-borders and parts best knowne which they reckon to be nine and those particularly deciphered in the first chapter of the twentieth booke of the Portugall historie But this kinde of deuision because it is more obscure and farther from my purpose I leaue and rest on the other which deuides the masse of Asia into siue principall parts the first which is ouer-against Europe and vnder the Emperour of Moscouie is bounded with the frozen sea the riuer Ob or Oby the lake of Kittay and the land-straight that is betwixt the Caspian and Euxine sea The second is Tartary subiect to the great Cham which abutteth Southward on the Caspian sea the hill Imaus and the riuer Juxartes Northward and Eastward on the Ocean and Westward vpon Moscouie The third part is possessed by the Turke and containeth all that lyes betweene the Euxine Aegean and Midland seas and so further betwixt Egypt the Arabian and Persian Gulfes the riuer Tygris the Caspian sea and the land-straight there The fourth is the Kingdome of Persia abutting Westward on the Turke Northward on the great Cham Eastward on the riuer Indus and Southward on the Indian sea As for the fist part it is the same which we call the East-Indies so named of the riuer Indus and distinguished the higher from the lower by the famous riuer Ganges These Indies are very large Countries as the Maps declare and front out Southward as farre as Malaca hauing besides an infinite sort of Ilands great and small which the Card-men haue well set downe both in Maps and writing Now see we the manner how the Poet considereth Asia He takes it first by right line from North to South to wit from the Peake foreland or cape of Perosites as farre as Malaca where he taketh in the Moluckes and Taprobana and from thence riseth againe to Zeilan and Bisnagar Then draweth another line from the Maior or Euxine sea on the West to the straights of Anien Northeast and toucheth by the way some few Countries most note-worthy reseruing the rest vntill his particular description of the Colonies which followeth from the 297. verse vnto the 319. To make plaine some words in the text the Peake of Perosites is a promontory about the farthest part of Moscouy neare the Scythian sea where liueth as Cellarius reports of Asia in his great booke entituled Speculum orbis terrarum and Mercator in his world-map a certaine people which haue so small a vent for their mouth that they are nourished onely by the sauour and steeme of sodden flesh And about this promontory the Riuer Ob rising from the lake of Kythay groweth to an huge breadth and so emptieth into the Scythian or frozen sea The Baron of Herbestoin noteth it in his map of Moscouie and in his Historie saith as much as here followeth touching this riuer fol 82. They that haue beene thereon say they haue laboured a whole day without ceasse their vessell going very fast to passe the Riuer and that it is fourescore Italian miles broad Which ageeth well with that the Poet here saith and with report of Merator and Cellarius so that by good right it may be called rather then any other streame the king of all fiesh waters because in all the world besides there is none so large and this also is of a wonderfull great length for as the foresaid Baron affirmeth from the one end to the other to wit from the lake of Kythay to the frozen-sea it asketh