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
shew his wisdome or rather to signifie that he saw both the world that was before the Flood and that which came after All this in processe of time hath beene dawbed vp with strange fables as appeares by the writings of the Gentiles That which the Poet here saith this one fit of Noes drunkennesse is touched and couched in a word by Moses Gen. 9.21 but our Author hath amplified it very artificially describing in right kind a man no man when he is ouercharged with wine of purpose to make vs abhorre and detest that vice which ouerthrew the ancient Greeks Romans though since their time it is growne a custome as may seeme by the strange debauchment and outrage of our dayes now taken for a vertue Among the works of S. Basil that ancient Greeke Bishop there is an Homilie against drunkennesse and the strange behauiour of a drunkard right so set downe in all points as liere by the Poet. That which is reported of Caesar that dying he couered himselfe with his garment when Brutus with the rest of that conspiracie killed him in open Senate is written by Plutarch in his liues The drunken man neuer thinks of his shame as Caesar did for during the fit his reason is gone which proues that a fit of drunkennesse is much more dangerous then death it selfe what 's then the habit and continuall custome thereof besides the daily and great offence giuen by these men no men to God and his Church The comparisons here vsed to shew the nature of a slanderer taken from Plutarchs flatterer c. are so fitly applied by the Poet to his purpose that they need no further exposition 21. Come brothers come Moses saith Gen. 9.22 that C ham the father of Chanaan saw the nakednesse of his father lying drunke in the tent as ver 21. and told his two brethren without and Sem and Iaphet tooke a garment and laid it vpon their shoulders and went backward and couered the nakednesse of their father and their faces were fromward and they saw not their fathers nakednesse And this is the point which the Poet handles in this section 22. Slept out the surfet was It is recorded in the foresaid chapter also that Noe awoke from his wine end knew what his younger sonne had done vnto him he knew it either by some part of his memory confusedly retained in drunkennesse or by renelation from God except we should thinke rather that Sem and Iaphet told him that he might reproue the foule impietie of their brother and he is noted the younger for aggrauation of the crime Whereupon the Father said Cursed be Canaan a seruant of seruants shall he be to his brethren and againe Blessed be the Lord God of Sem and Canaan shall be his seruant God shall enlarge Iaphet and he shall dwell in the tents of Sem and Canaan shall be his seruant The Diuines propound here many questions to be considered whereof these two are the chiefe 1. Why Noe went here so far as to denounce that curse against his grandchild Canaan and that race 2. What is the meaning of these blessings vpon Sem and Iaphet The Poet answers in a word that Noe pronounced these curses and blessings by spirit of prophecie Forasmuch as God in his infinite wisdome when he had before humbled his poore seruant Noe was pleased now to arme him againe with fatherly authoritie wherewith hee might pronounce the iust and alway venerable sentences of his eternall decree For in few words here haue we the state of the world and Gods Church set downe by this great Patriarke who could not haue spoken those things so after verified in destruction of the Canaanites and Gods extraordinarie fauour to the Israelites and faithfull Gentiles but by the Holy Ghost to whom is alway present euen that which is to come For the rest Moses compriseth all after his manner briefely but with words so liuely and significant as are easie to be vnderstood of all that weigh and reade them with reuerence and humilitie and take helpe of the good Commentaries of Fathers both old and new 23. O soule vice He detesteth in most proper termes and grauely inueigheth against drunkennesse saying that though it did no more hurt in the world then impeach the reputation of this Patriarke otherwise an example of vertue it were to be hated aboue death And further in very few lines he presseth together what the ancient Authors both holy and profane haue said against drunkennesse There are certaine eminent places of holy Scripture which I need but quote vnto the Reader See Prou. 20.1 21.17 23.20.29.30 c. 31.4 Esay 5.11 22. 28.1 Hosea 4.11 Luk. 21.34 Rom. 13.13 1 Cor. 6.10 Gal. 5.21 Ephes 5.18 Among the ancient Fathers S. Chrysostome and S. Basil haue in diuers their Homilies very graue and expresly condemned this vice And there is a whole Homilie against it in the first Tome of S. Basil and the 80. of the fourth Tome of S. Chrysostome vpon those words of S. Paul to Timothie Modico vino vtere See also what S. Austen writeth hereof to the holy Virgins and in his fift booke vpon Gen. where he speaks of Lot And what S. Ierome hath to Oceanus and Eustochium vpon the first to Tim. the third chap. and to Titus Among the works of the Heathen the 84. Epistle of Seneca is worthy to be read The Greeke and Latine Poets haue also infinite inuectiues against this vice so beastly nay condemned euen by nature it selfe in beasts As for the examples here alledged by the Poet of Clytus and Pentheus see Plutarch in the life of Alexander the Great and Ouid in his third booke of Metamorphosis toward the end and apparent examples hath the holy Scripture of mischiefe ensuing vpon this wine-bibbing Not Lot Nabal Ammon Ela Balthasar and others But the Histories of our time haue a thousand times worse and more tragicall which our after-beers will detest and wonder at BABILONE The second Booke of Noe called BABILON Preface representant la felicité des estats puplics gouuernez par bōs sages Princes le malheur des peuples assuicttis à vn tyran Ce que le Poëte propose proprement afin de ce donner entree en lavie esfaitz de Nembrot O QVE c'est vn grand heur de viure sous vn Prince Qui prefere â son bien le bien de sa pronince Qui fleau des vicieux des bons protectuer Ounre l'aureil au sage la ferme au flateur Qui de soy-mesme Roy chasse plustost le vices Par ses honnestes moeurs que par loix supplices Qui est humble en son ame graue par dehors Qui a l'amour de siens pour garde de son corps Qui le lustre emperlé d'vn Scepre n'idolatre Et qui se cognoissant monté sur vn Theatre Ou pour Contrerolleur tout vn Monde le voit
haue faid nothing nor made any mention in their bookes of the beginnings and occasions of diuersitie of tongues especially that the Grecians and other such learned people that haue professed the knowledge of all things knew not the beginning of their owne language Moses only hath set vs downe this notable history and opened to the Heathen the spring of their tongues And this further is to be wondered at in the Historie of Babel that the Hebrue tongue alone as being the first of the world hath remained among that people that were the Church of God where the Messias was borne and from whence arose the preaching of the Gospell touching the appearance of the promised Sauiour which Gospell hath sithence by the gift of tongues and ministerie of the Apostles ouerspread all the parts of the world Thus Moses handling the beginning of tongues proueth his historie to haue long fore-gone all others and therewithall engraueth vpon the gates and walls of the Citie and Tower of Babel a goodly warning to all men to flie and auoid Atheisme and all vaine-glorious folly which buildeth Towers against Heauen and rebelleth against God who suffereth the wicked to aduance and hoyse vp themselues the space of some few moneths or yeeres to the end he may giue them a fearefull ouerthrow at length What would the presumption of a man haue done saith Saint Augustine when algate the top of this Tower had raught vnto the clouds It is humilitie that lifteth vp the heart on high to the Lord not against the Lord she it is that leadeth vs the true right and sure way to heauen These few words I thought good to adde vnto the rest because the proud aspiring minde of man cannot be sufficiently discouered nor too much cried out on Whereas these builders busily forecast in their minde and laboured to make themselues renowned among their posteritie and thought men of some worth let vs remember that the true praise consisteth not in workes of goodly outward shew but in such as are good indeed and approued of God So let vs returne to the text of the Poet who hauing touched in a word the beginning of tongues and refuted some contrary objections sheweth now which of all the tongues that haue beene are or shall be in the world ought to be accounted the chiefe and most ancient and whereof a man may truely say it is the most excellent of all other 12. The Hebrew tongue He propoundeth fiue reasons whereby he is induced to beleeue that the Hebrew is the first tongue of all whatsoeuer the. Greeke and others doc alledge for themselues The first is that this tongue compriseth much matter in few words is very significant briefly and plainly expresseth whatsoeuer a man can thinke and when it is requisite to discouer the most secret and hidden plights of the heart she slippeth none but for all things hath words liuely pleasant waightie and of great import and for her circuits of speech and long discourses they are more wonderfull then the best and sweetest the Greeke hath which notwithstanding her store of selfe-meaning words her bould and far-fetcht Epithites her cunning Metaphores her words compounded her tenses and other fine deuises is no more comparable to the other then the chirping of a Goldsinch is to the song of the Nightingall Proofe hereof may bee made by the earnest and diligent consideration and waying the words sentences and discourses of the Hebrew with those of the Greeke and all others not onely in Grammers and Dictionaries but euen in whole bookes and volumes It shall suffice me to wage and lay the booke of Psalmes onely or the workes of Salomon or Iob or of Esay against all other Authours and I dare bouldly auouch that in one of these a man shall finde almost in euery chapter more elegance state and maiestie more figures and more of all kinde of ornaments for a discourse than in all the tedious workes of those that mans wisedome setteth-by so much I speake not now of the matter and substance of things which neuerthelesse is in this tongue as happily expressed as in any other let them straine themselues neuer so much they are not able but very grosly and a-farre-off to make a shew of that which this other painteth out in orient colours what matter soeuer it hath occasion to vtter The second reason is that the Rabbines or Hebrew Doctors men wondrous carefull to preseiue the whole body of the old Testament so as the least letter point and accent they haue counted ouer and againe often times haue noted in the 22. letters of the Hebrew Alphabet either apart or together considered all the secrets of diuinitie and of Philosophie both naturall and morall This is a notable thing in the Hebrew tongue that all the letters haue their proper signification and that the letters of most of the principall tongues in the world haue taken their beginning from them as also that the primitiue words and those of whom infinite others are deriued in diuers principall tongues are drawne from the letters syllables and words of the Hebrew To say nothing of the excellency of her accents and the propertie of her vowels the Rabbines haue further found out many secrets by diuers-way-turning and alter-placing the letters of Hebrew words and that which the Greekes and others haue after their example inuented is nothing in comparison For there is scarce any word in the Hebrew but being inuerted as may easily be done and sometimes two three or foure wayes as the number of the letters are offereth to our consideration another word either of like sense or contrary or making relation to the first giueth thereto such light beautie liuelihood that it is wonderfull to behold Againe oftentimes a Nowne or other word yea a letter importeth a whole sentence like vnto the Egyptians Hieroglyphikes inuented of them to the imitation of the Hebrew letters and words yet nothing in comparison of them This matter would require a whole volumne to be writting according to Art by the hand of some one that were well seene in the tongues and I could name three paire yet liuing that are well able to doe it In the meane season whosoeuer is desirous to search further herein let him read the Harmonie of the World written by Franciscus Georgius and Guido Faber the Heptap of Ioannes Picus Earle of Mirandola the Hieroglyphickes of I. Goropius from the beginning of the seuenth booke to the end of the sixteenth three bookes of I. Reuclinus De arte Cabalistica and other three bookes of his De Verbo mirabilâ— the Cabala of Picus with the interpretations of Angelus Burgoneuensis thereupon Further much good matter to this purpose a man may finde in Thesauro linguae sanctae set out by S. Pagninus after augmented by many other learned professours of this tongue See further the Syriac Institut c. of Camnius the Mithridates of C. Gâ—snerus the Alphabet in 12. tongues of Postella and
right nature of things in the right hand an Ewer because the speech of the wise dampeth and putteth out the flame of passions I might note hereof many examples but I leaue them for the diligent Reader to search meaning here to offer him but Annotations which I feare alreadie are growen too long The little chaines that come forth from the Images golden tongue and draw such a number of hearers by the eares and heart signifie the great power of a well framed speech the truth whereof appeareth chiefely in preaching the word in counsels of graue common-wealths-men and orations of good Magistrates and valiant Captaines In this manner did the ancient Frenchmen paint and set out their Hercules surnamed Ognius whereupon Alciat hath made a pretie Embleme it is the 180. expounded at large by Cl. Minos The summe of all is that Eloquence is to be preferred before force Our Poet aimeth at that description Further concerning the Bore the Tygre and the Beare lying tame at the feet of this Image it signifieth that a pleasant and learned speech appeaseth all angrie cruell and sauage men and cuen the maddest and most brutish people in the world it maketh the woods and hills to daunce and leape that is to say it moueth bendeth and instructeth very block-heads and such as are most hard of vnderstanding and this may be the meaning of those fained tales of Amphion Orpheus Arion and other like Lastly this Image is inuironed with a double ranke of pillers well and strongly grounded and vnder-pinned that beare vp in due proportion the nino languages following each by her owne chiefe authors and maintainers For euery pillar was wrought in fashion of a man and framed to the countenance of one of their best writers in a long gowne or stole And that is the meaning of the French à la Cariatide After the Carian right as Vitruuius writeth at large in the first Chapter of his first booke of Architecture This I note because the French Commenter lets it passe and it troubled my selfe to vnderstand it at the first 23. Among the blessed wits For chiefe props of the Hebrue tongue which he placeth in the fore-front of Eloquence as in euery regard it was meet whether we cofider the sweet grauitie the natural impliance the shortnes hautines liuelines of it or the sincerity holines light heauenly Maiestic he nameth first Moses because he is the most anciēt of those whose writings in this tongue are extant As for the book of the Prophesie of Henoch it was lost a long time agoe He describeth this holy Law-writer after an excellent manner as was requisite in a discourse of eloquence His face shineth like a blasing Star alluding to that in the Scripture that Moses comming downe frō the Mount where he had talked with God his face so shined that none was able to behold his countenance in so much as he was faine to weare a vaile ouer it the rest is very easie to be vnderstood especially of such as haue neuer so lightly turned ouer the history Now for the bookes of Moses they were written many hundred yeares before the Greekes were knowne who were not heard of in the world but a little before the reigne of Saul had but few workes in writing or none at all till after the time of Salomon as their owne Histories witnesse whosoeuer will take paines to turne them ouer Nay further all their knowledge came from the Aegyptians Phenicians and others who had leaned somewhat by conuersing with the Hebiues And to come againe to Moses he hath beene in maruellous account with insinite Heathen Writers If any haue lightly regarded or found fault with him it was either because they vnderstood him not at all or maliced him exceedingly which a man may easily finde in their writings The second Author of the Hebrue he counteth Dauid whose Psalmes he speaketh of much in few lines but little it is in comparison of their excellencie whereof many ancient and late Writers haue spoken notable things I will not heape them vp here assuring my selfe that all true Christians will grant me that the Book of Dauids Psalmes is as Saint Basil saith the Store-house and treasurie of all good learning for all men to come at and will confesse with Saint Ierome and Saint Chrysostome that nothing better becommeth a man be he Peasant or Crafts-man great or small than to sing vnto the Lord the praises and thankesgiuing in these excellent songs contained the very liuely and true Anatomies of a beleeuing soule O how cursed and abominable before God and his Church are those wicked ones that haue forbidden Christians the vnderstanding and vse of them and banished them out of Christendome that haue suffered allowed maintained commanded and commended vnto the people these shamefull and wanton Poesies these books of vanitie error and leasings which with their Authors deserue the fire not the quiet and peaceable persons that call vpon Iesus Christ and belecue stedfastly the life euerlasting The soule that feareth God will not take this my digression ill nor thinke it needlesse As for the vngodly let them spit at it if they will I regard them not The third Author and ornament of the Hebrue is reckoned Salomon in his Prouerbs the Booke of the Preacher and the Song of Songs bookes more besprinckled with golden words and notable sentences than his Crowne was with pretious stones and pearles embossed Happie is the man that taketh delight to marke and daily thinke vpon so profitable and necessary instructions The fourth is the Prophet Esay the sonne of Amos right such a one as the Poet hath described These foure hee thought sufficient to name because they haue most Writings extant and are withall exceeding cloquent as might easily be proued by particulars if I were to write a Commentary or a whole discourse thereof 24. The Greeke Homer his Illias and Odyssea containing 48. bookes is the most ancient Greeke Author we haue his inuentions are wonderfull his vaine naturall his verses smooth and full of Art and the more they are considered the greater grace they haue There is also in them a hidden sense and the very well-spring of all humane knowledge as may appeare by that infinite peeces of his poesies are cited in the bookes of ancient and late Phylosophers Geographers Historiographers and Orators as Plutarch and others witnesse The next to Homer is Plato not in time but in worthinesse he is called the diuine Phylosopher because he is so maruellous pure so high and lofty in all his disconrses the true scholler of him that professing himselfe to know but one thing namely that he knew nothing declared that he knew all things that might be learned in the world as touching the world For concerning the knowledge of saluation Plato and his maister both were ignorant and sith all other knowledge is nothing in comparison of that the more are we bound to God that haue it he said most truely
that he knew nothing The third is Herodotus who writeth in the Ionick Dialect that is a kinde of Greeke differing a little in phrases and pronuntiation from the common-spoken as some farre scituate shires doe from the Court or mother-Citie of their Countrie in diuers points it agreeth with the French Plutarch dealeth somewhat too roughly with this worthy Historiographer in whose defence I will oppose the authoritie of a learned man of our time who in a certaine Preface of his saith of Herodotus Narrationes eius sunt disertae iudicationes expressae speciosae explicationes accuratae euidentes collectiones certae atqueplenae in his rerum gestarum hominum temporum fides accurata compertorum relatio dubiorum coniccturasagâ—x sabulosorum verecunda commemoratio miravbique simplicitas eximius quidam candor See the great praises and perfections of a graue Historiographer The fourth is Demosthenes the prince of Greeke Orators the very rule and square of all that endeuour to speake eloquently a man that leadeth other mens mindes as he list excellent in all his discourses which are extant the most of them and read to the great vse and prosit of those that know how to apply them 25. Then he of Anthonie and Catiline great foe That is Cicero surnamed the father of Eloquence he is the first and chiefe of those that grace and maintaine the Latine tongue He was extreamely hated of Marke Anthonie and Catiline both whom he hath also bitterly pursued and touched to the quicke as his Catilinarie and Philippicke Orations declare the often printing of his workes and learned mens continuall reading of them and borrowing thence the best graces of their writings doe proue his learning eloquence and plentie of speech to be such as the Poet here describeth The second is Caesar the most valiant of eloquent men and most eloquent of valiant men as may well appeare by his life in Plutarch and his Commontaries de bello Gallico by which worke he hath wrung the pen out of learned mens hands and in a manner discouraged them all from writing Histories because they see such perfection therein as they are not able to come neere The third is the Historiographer Salust we haue of his workes besides diuers Orations two Histories remaining Coniuratio Catilinae bellum Iugurthinum short they are but full of sentence and sinewes witnessing the ancient force and vigor of the Roman tongue The Reader may hereto adde the commendations of these three Authors as they are in many learned bookes of late writers here and there scattered As for those that thinke Cicero bableth without learning and that Caesar the Dictatour and first Emperour wrote not these Commentaries that beare his name and that Salust writeth a hard and forced stile because their accusations are false and they so farre out of the way I thinke them worthy none other answer than our Poets few verses here Of the fourth which is the Poet Virgil too much cannot be spoken his bookes of Georgickes and Aeneidos being such maruellous workes and so farre exceeding all other bookes of humanitic I speake not onely for the excellence of his verse but sure in the depth of his inuentions his iudgement his decence his modestie his grauitie and his state how much he doth outstrip and goe beyond all others may be seene not onely in euery booke of his but euen in euery verse wherein is contained a thousand thousand secrets and as it were the abridgement of all kinde of Arts and knowledge besides his proper tearmes his Epythites alway fit his metaphors and figures sow'n and sprinkled in their right places and his speech quite throughout eloquent and pure without any bodging or dawberie whatsoeuer The learned Caesar Scaliger among many others hath plainly and at large declared in his Art of Poetrie the excellency of this Author 26. Th'Italian For ornament of the Italian a language risen of the Roman or Latine he nameth three Poets and one Orator slipping diuers writers of historie and Secretaries that haue left diuers excellent workes Orations and Epistles among vs. The reason is I thinke because these foure containe in them all the graces of the others He nameth also the Tuscan tongue because of all the diuers Dialects of Italie the Luquish Milanish Geneuish and Venetian none are so pure and fine as the Florentine or Tuscan Iohn Boccace hath written long time agoe but a very fine and pure stile as his Decameron his Fiametta the Philocope The Laberinth and his other bookes witnesse that with the world are in so great request Francis Petrach hath written since and inuented goodly words and partly by his owne pregnant wit partly by imitation of the best Authors hath enriched the tongue with many graces he hath ventured also farre and made Sonets Chapters and Cantoes wonderfull curious Then Ludouico Ariosto of Ferara hath set forth a legend of Loue entituled Orlando furioso in verses sweet and meet famous throughout all Italie he is full of affections in his discourse and as delightfull as is possible by reason of the varietie of that fabulous matter he writeth of which he shadoweth so cunningly that the Reader is therewith often affected and mouâ—d as if it were a true storie or at least not altogether false Torquato Tasso is last of the foure in time of writing but in account as the Poet saith the first and chiefe he was the sonne of Bernardo Tasso that eloquent man whose excellent Epistles are in print This his sonne hath written in twenty bookes or Cantoes of stately verse a poeme the best of all Italians entituled Gierusalemme liberata all the graces and riches of the Greekes and Latines are there gathered together all wrought into it after the best manner so graue so short so learned so comely so liuely so stately as if it were the worke of another Virgil. There are also printed at Ferrara three volumnes of his workes containing other kindes of verse and all sorts of fine inuentions a Comedie a Tragedie diuers Dialogues and discourses in prose all are worth reading and all make good the iudgement that our Poet hath giuen of the Authour 27. The language Arabicke This language is comen of the Hebrew among other learned mens bookes that haue made this tongue of account we haue the workes of Aben Rois that is the sonne of Kings for Ben signifieth a sonne in Hebrew and the Arabians adde to the beginning this preposition A and sometime Al. This Aben Rois is the same that we commonly call Auerroës the Commentar a very excellent Philosopher He hath commented vpon most of Aristotle and is translated into Latine printed at Venice the worke doth shew the deepe reach and subtill braine of the man Auicen was a great Rhilosopher and Physitian as his writings also declare Gesner saith Auerroës was of Cordway and Auicen of Seuill and so I thinke but it appeareth by their workes that they were both Arabians and professed the superstition
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
whereof Euclide and his Expositors haue spoken at large in their sixt booke as they haue also many propositions touching the same before 22. The Globe This is a kind of Geometricall Solide most excellent and perfect aboue all others as all men that haue written thereof doe plainly declare whom the Poet here also followeth Their chiefe reasons are 1. That it hath the same fashion and shape that the world hath 2. That it hath neither beginning mids nor end 3. That it is moueable in place and immoueable out of place That it is concaue and conuex which is as much to say as Inbent and Out-bent or crusye and bulked that it is made of straight lines meaning the diameters and yet crooked round about as is the surface thereof that it mooueth euery way at once vpward downward backward forward rightway leftway that it swayes and mooues with it according to proportion all round bodies next it This we may well perceiue by that heauen called Primum mobile which drawes with it the firmament of fixed starres together with the seauen spheres of Planets That although it stand still as when the sphere is laid on a plaine yet seemes it to be in continuall motion and euery way nods and threatens to fall because the base or foot it stands-on is but a point from whence on euery-side halfe hangs-ouer This may seeme strange then euen where there is a foundation to rest-on Much more in the Earth that hath no foundation to sense but hangs in the Ayre whereof the Poet giues a good reason because it selfe is the resting-place or middle point of all the bodies concentrike and round of it selfe is not by any promontorie or corner forced from abroad More ample reasons hereof shall yee finde in the Commentaries of Clauius Junctinus Schreckensuschius and others vpon the Spheare of Iohn of Hallifax commonly called Iohannes de sacro Bosco and in the Commentarie of Millichius vpon the second booke of Plinie 4. The Sphere is alwaies and euery where throughout like it selfe so are not other bodies Geometricall 5 As houses that are blunt-cornerd receiue more into them then do the straight or sharp-cornerd because these stride not so wide as the other so the Sphere being as it were euery way blunt containes more then any Geometricall bodie of other shape 6. Other Solides are broken oft-times by reason of their beginnings ends plights knobs and ioynts whereas the Sphere is voide of all those and therefore must needs be more perfect and sound as all Astronomers and Geometricians doe proue both by their owne experience and to the view of others 23. The doubling of a Cube and squaring of a Round About these two secrets of Geometrie diuers learned men of our Age haue taken great pains as well in their Commentaries vpon Euclide as in Bookes and Treatises printed apart But because these matters doe require demonstrations with distinct number and figure it was impossible for me to set them downe here and my ayme is at things of more vse and profit He that would be further satisfied herein let him repaire to the learned Mathematicians or to their Bookes set forth in Print Nicolas de Cusa Orontius Cardan in his worke de proportionibus Pelletier Clauius Candales in diuers demonstrations vpon Euclide haue largely discoursed vpon these Secrets and others drawing neere vnto them 24. Keepe faster The Theoremes Problemes and Propositions of Geometrie contained in the books of Euclide are most certaine and out of all controuersie among people endued with reason as the Expositors of this Author doe plainly shew Howbeit the Sceptikes and Pyrrhonians both old and new do oppose them But the Poet simply considers the truth of things reiecting all Sophistrie which deserues not to be disputed withall especially when it denies principles and such as these whereby Geometrie hath filled the whole world and that but a hundred yeares since with an infinite sort of rare and admirable inuentions 25. By her the gentle streame For proofe of that last point he brings in 1. The vse of Wind-mills and Water-mills 2. Artillerie 3. The Saile mast sterne and other furniture of a ship 4. Printing 5. The Crane or wheele deuised to draw or lift-vp great stones to a high building and other Engines to command and beat downe pyles planks and whole trees if need be into the earth vnder water 6. The Crosse-staffe or Iacobs-staffe as we call it to measure the Earth Ayre Heauen and Sea and vnder this may be comprised all other instruments which the Surveyours of Land Camp-masters Geometors Astronomers and other men vse to that purpose or the like 7. All kinde of howre-glasses of sand or water Dyals of all sorts and sounding clocks to marke how the time passes both by day and night 8. Certaine statues and deuises of wood which by meanes of sundry gynnes of motion within them haue beene made to pronounce some words of mans voice whereto may be added the woodden Pigeon of Archytas the Eagle and Flie of Iohn de Montroyall the brasen head of Albertus Magnus the clock-cock of Strausburg 9. The deuise of Daedalus to flie in the ayre which hath beene imitated since by others In the tenth and last place he glaunceth at the vaunt which Archimedes made that he would mooue the Earth out of place if he had but elsewhere to stand These all deserue throughly to be considered but for the present I will content my selfe thus only to haue pointed at them And so come to the third Image which is Astronomie 3. L'Astronomie ne peut estre bien veue que de ceux qui conoissent l'Arithmetique la Germetrie Or d'autant que ces deux nous donnent seure entree Dans le sainct Cabinet où l'Vranie astree Tient sa ceinture d'or ses lumineux pendans Ses Perles ses rubis ses saphirs ardans Qu'homme ne peut monter sur les croupes iumelles Du Parnasse estoillé que guindé sur leurs ailes Que quiconque est priué de l'vn de ces deux yeux Contemple vainement l'artifice des cieux Le sculpteur a dressé pres de l'Arithmetique Et l'Art mesure-champ l'image Astronomique Ornemens de l'Astronomie Elle a pour Diademe vn argentè Croissant Sous qui iusqa'aux talons à iaunes flots descend Vn Comet allumé pour yeux deux Escarboucles Pour robe vn bleu Rideau que deux luisantes boucles Attachent sur l'espaule vn damas azurè D'estoilles d'animaux richement figuré Et pour plumes encor elle porte les ailes De l'oiseau moucheté de brillantes rouëles Now these two Arts because they lead vs onward right Into that sacred tent where Vranie the bright Sits guirt in golden belt with spangles albedight Of carbuncl ' and of pearle of rubye and chrysolite And that a man withou the help of eithers quill May neuer mount the twyns of starrie Pernas hill But whosoeuer wants one of these Eagles eies In vaine
the eight of the Riphean hills and the ninth of Denmarke And Southward the same with note of opposition or relation as the first is Counter-Meâ—oe the second Counter-Sieâ—â— and so the rest 36 The Winter Tropicke Hauing spoken of the six great Circles in the Spâ—ere he comes now to handle the foure lesse whereof two are calâ—ed Tropicks or Turnes one of Winter the other of Summer The Winter-Tropicke circle is made or drawne by the Sunne first entring into Capricorne whereof it is called also the Tropicke of Capricorne and fals out nigh the 12. of September with the Winter Sunne-stay for then the Sunne â—ay goe no further from vs but turnes againe toward vs and thence hath this Circle the name as also that other Tropicke of Cancer which is the Summer Sun-stay or Turnagaine of the Sunne then entring into Cancer about the 12. of Iune and mounting no higher aboue our Horison 37 The two other small Circles are the Artick Antartick both equally distant from the Equator and easie to be obserued in the Maps both flat and round They are imagined for Astronomy-sake to be drawne by the Poles of the Zodiack mouing about the fixed Poles of the world one at North the other at South That of the North is called the Artick or Beare-circle of that Pole so neere ar markable Starre in taile of the little Beare I say so neere because although it be commonly called the Pole-starre yet is it some foure degrees from the Pole that of the South is called Antartick because it is opposite to the other Circle and Pole and hath not no more then the South-pole it selfe as yet got any other proper name though some that haue that way sayled haue obserued about the South-pole one great and faire Starre called Canâ—pus and others take notice of foure which â—â—ey call the Crosse 38 The Ball she bâ—ares After description of the Globe Terrestriall hee comes to the Celestiall the Globe of Heauen wherein are set downe from either side of the Equator to the Poles the suadry Constellations according to the diuers names and figures which the Astronomers haue giuen them to shew in what sort they worke vpon the lower bodies on earth and to make their postures and distances the better obserued 39 I neuer see them looke By a daintie comparison he toucheth in few verses vpon the chiefe point of Astronomie concerning the Aspects influences and wonderfull operations of the Setstars and Planets according to their sundry coniunctions and distances beside their proper motions caused by the heauens admirable whirlung-about To speake of these their aspects and glauncings one at another in Triangle Quadrangle and Sextile whereupon the Astrologers make their discourse and iudgement would require a long Comment Reade the third booke of the Diuinations of learned Peucer 40 Then Phaleg said how is' t Phaleg as the Poet makes him imagining all these strange vgly shapes which Astronomers haue deuised were by the Creators selfe so drawne-out and limbed on the ouerface of heauen asketh Heber the reasons thereof who nameth diuers here cunningly set forth by the Poet. The first is taken from the consideration of Gods infinite wisdome who in the diuers proportions of so many bodies hath engrauen most manifest arguments of his owne greatnesse and power The second is that the ancient Astronomers well weighing the powerfull effects of these heauenly Signes gaue them names most answerable to their properties As in the Zodiack to omit the rest there is 1. the Ram 2. the Bull 3. the Twynnes 4. the Crab 5 the Lyon 6. the Virgin 7. the Ballance 8. the Scorpion 9. the Archer 10. the Goat 11. the Water bearer 12. the Fishes Of those Marsilius Ficinus in his Comment vpon Ficinus Platonicus 3. lib. Ennead 2. hath in few words to this effect The old Heathen Philosophers did set the Ram first of all the Signes in the Zodiack in honour of Iupiter Ammon whom also they were wont to paint with two hornes on his head The Bull followes next because when the Sunne comes there the earth is fit for tillage In third place the Twynnes for increase and multiplication of all things then springing and engendring After these comes the Crab because the Sunne in that Signe begins to recoyle and go backward then the Lyon because there the Sunne is most hot and fiery coloured then the Virgin because the earth at that time scorched with heat of the Sunne is barren or like a Maide brings forth no encrease then the Skoales or Ballance because the Sunne therein weigheth as it were the day and night and makes them equall then the Scorpion so called because the Sunne is there gone so far of that the Ayre begins to stnoteng vs with cold and therefore the rather next followes the Archor so named for the piercing cold of his arrowes driuen with the wind The Goat hath the next place because the Sunne there begins againe to raise vp himselfe as a Goat doth to brouse The two last are allotted vnto the Waterman Fishes for the much raine and moist season of Ianuarie and February Some say otherwise that these Signes and the rest had their names from the posture of starres in their sundry constellations Let me ioyne hereto as it will be are the translating that which Macrobius hath in the first booke of his Saturnals chap. 21. The Aegyptians when they would consecrate an Image for the Sunne they made it with the head halfe-shauen and hairie on the right side This haire kept-on doth import that the Sunne is neuer quite hidden or hindred from his working vpon naturall things but the shauen haire whose roots yet are left sheweth that this glorious Planet euen when we see him not hath power like haire to rise and grow againe vpon vs. Hereby also they signified that time of yeare when the day close-powled as it were is at the shortest which men of old time called the Winter-Sun-stay in Latine Soâ—stitium brumale of Bruma drawne from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Short day Thence the Sunne thrusting vpward againe out of the secret places where he lay as it were hid enlargeth his course and preuailes euen to the Sun-stay of Summer which is counted his kingdome and therefore the Egyptians haue consecrated the beast that stands in Zodiack where the Sunne hath yearely greatest heat and call that Signe of the Lyon the house of the Sunne because the substance of that beast seems to be drawne from the nature of that Planet For first he surpasseth all other beasts in force and heat as the Sun doth other Starres then as the Sun in the forepart of the day and yeare hath his force still increasing till Noone or Summer and then growes weaker and weaker till Set which is the weakest part of the day and Winter which is the weakest of the yeare euen so is the Lyon made strong before small and weake behinde Moreouer it is obserued that the Lyon hath his eyes alwaies