the Egiptian Assyrian Median Persian and Parthian in their situations beginnings largenes reuenewes riches mightines of such famous Monarchs as founded them and vnder whom they perished Of the Egiptian Priests or Prophets of the Chaldees Mages Brachmanes Druydes and others of Religion and Learning amongst the Auncients Nobilitie amongst the Egiptians Persians Assyriansi Indians Scythians Thracians and other auncient and modern Nations The exquisite Artisans and workmanship of the Auncients THE V. BOOKE OF the Learning Poesie Eloquence Power and other Excellencie of the Greekes A Comparison of them with the Egiptians Assyrians Persians Indians The Empire of Greece A Comparison of Alexander the great with Cyrus Agesilaus Themistocles Pericles Achilles Vlysses Diomedes Bacchus Hercules and others A Comparison of the Grecian Philosophers with the Chaldees of Babylon and the Priestes of Egipt The Nobilitie of auncient Greece The Artisans and workes of the Grecians THE VI. BOOKE OF the Power Warfare Learning Eloquence Poesie and other Excellencie of the Romaines The fall of their Power Learning and Eloquence THE VII BOOKE A Comparison of the Romains with the Egiptians Assyrians Persians Greeks and Parthians in Power Warfare Learning Language Eloquence Poesie and in the workmanships of other Arts of the Romain Empire with the Assyrian Median Persian Macedonian and Parthian The birth of Rome and continuance thereof and conferred with the 4. Ages of mans life A comparison of Rome with Babylon and Constantinople of the Romain common wealth with the Lacedemonian and Carthaginian of the power of Alexander the great with that which the Romains had in his time and if when he had conquered Asia he had turned his forces against Europe what might haue hapned by the iudgement of Liuie Of Pompey the great with Alexander Hercules Bacchus according to Plinie Of Iulius Caesar with Alexander according to Appianus Alexandrinus of Iulius Caesar and Augustus with Romulus and Numa of Romulus with Cyrus Theseus Arsaces and Semiramis who founded Cities or Kingdomes or Monarchies A Comparison of the Romain warfare with the Parthian Carthaginian Assyrian Of the Romain Learning and other excellencie with the Grecian Egiptian and Chaldean Of the Latin Authours with the Greek namely of Cicero with Demosthenes The Ciuil Law of the Romains A Comparison of the Latin tongue with the Greek THE VIII BOOKE OF the Religion Power knowledge and other excellency of the Arabians or Sarasens and other Mahometists A Comparison of Mahomet with Licurgus Minos Numa Zoroaster Charondas Zaleucus Trismegistus and other heathen Lawmakers or Founders of Cities and Empires The Power of the Arabians or Sarasens compared to the Romain Macedonian Persian Parthian Assyrian Egiptian A Comparison of the Arabian learning with the Greek Egiptian Chaldean Persian Romain or Latin Of the Arabian tongue with the Greek Latin and Hebrew THE IX BOOKE COntaineth the sequence of the Power and Religion of the Mahometists as of the first Turks Corasmians Tartarians of the Souldan of the Ottoman of the Sophi where there is mention made of the estates of the great Cham of Cathay of the king of Narsingue of the Moscouite and of Presbiter Iohn because they began or grew vp at that time notwithstanding they haue other Religions THE X. BOOKE HOw that in this age haue bin restored the tongues and knowledges after they had surceased about almost twelue hundred yeres hauing newly receaued great light and increase where are considered the meruailes of this present age thorough Europe Asia Africke The new-found lands in the East West North and South beginning at the great inuincible Tamberlan whose power valiancy and felicity is briefly represented During whose raign began the restitution of Learning of Arts By what persons means it hath bin continued in diuers nations The Princes that most haue fauoured it Moreouer how that many goodly things vnknowen to antiquity haue bin newly found out especially Printing The direction to sayle by the needle of steele rubbed on the Lode-stone carying alwaies the point answerable to the place where we imagine the pole Artique by means whereof the whole Sea hath bin sayled ouer and the whole world knowne thorough out Then the skill of Ordinance and Artillery which hath made all other auncient military instruments to cease which by this one are all surpassed in impetuosity swiftnes and violence Also how amongst the meruailes of this age haue risen new and strange Diseases vnknowen heretofore and diuers Sects haue sprong vp in all countries which haue much altered the common quiet and weakned the mutual charitie of men THE XI BOOKE THis Age is compared vnto the former ages most famous in deedes of Armes conduct of States excellencie of Learning perfection of Workmanship noueltie of Inuentions Nauigations neuer attempted heretofore discouering of New lands vnknowen to Antiquitie to know wherin we are inferiour or equall to the Auncients and wherin we ought to be preferred First of all is conferred our modern Warfare with the auncient Greek and Romain Tamberlan is compared with Ninus Sesostris Cyrus Darius Alexander Arsaces Hannibal Iulius Caesar Constantine Attila and Charles the great Then followeth the Comparison of our modern Kingdomes Empires Monarchies and Common weales with the Auncient Of Militarie Nations Armies Battailes by sea and by land Sieges Assaults of Fortresses Of Nauigations and discoueries of Countries Peregrinations and Voiages by land Of the Wealth of the present time with that of the time past Of the Maners of this Age with the former Finally of the Learning of this age with the Auncient in Philosophie Eloquence Law Policie Physick Poesie Astrologie Cosmographie and the other Mathematicks Then commeth the Conclusion of the work by the which there is a vicissitude resolued on in all matters And how it is to be feared that Power Wisdom Learning Sciences Bookes Industrie Workmanships and the Knowledge of the world being now come to so great Excellencie should fall againe as they haue done in times past THE XII BOOKE COnsidering then that the variable disposition of humane things is to be readie to fall when they are at the highest and that vertue vice are come to their top and perfection doubting least among so many Partialities and Heresies wherof the world is full and the Warres which threaten vs on euery side that Learning might come to be dispised and be as loosely left off and neglected as heretofore it hath bin diligently followed and regarded To the end to preuent such a mischiefe and to aduize the studious to remedie it as much as they may I haue added an Inquisition on the common speach of men by which they haue alwaies maintained and do yet maintaine That nothing can be now said which hath not bin said heretofore Wherein I endeuour to show that there remaineth yet much to be said and that the trueth hath not bin thoroughly discouered neither all knowledge forestalled by our forerunners Admonishing the Learned to adde that by their owne Inuentions which is wanting in
cyment and rubbed ouer with fine plaister which when it is drie they write what they will on them There bookes are not made by leaues but they stretch them forth many cubits in length and bring them into square peeces ioined in such sort with cyment or soder that they are easie to turne and seeme to be made of bordes or tables of wood and wheresoeuer they are opened there appeare twosides written in maner of two pages as much there is vnderneath if they be not stretched out in length because that vnder one leafe are many leaues written The letters and characters are like vnto hookes ginnes files starres and other such formes where with they write in lines after our fashion representing in some sort the auncient maner of the Egiptians and Ethiopians and they paint between the lines figures of liuing creatures namely of men as is aforesaid as of Kings and princes reciting their acts They write also their Lawes sacrifices ceremonies obseruations of the starres and of husbandrie Both the vpper and vnder side is of fine workmanship and such as when they are foulded vp they seeme nothing different from ours They make little table-table-bookes also of bordes of figtree to write common things on which they can easilie deface againe The said Martyr saith also that there haue bin found in Darienna bookes made of the leaues of trees sowed together and that at Mesira they vse figures by which they signifie their affaires aswell as by writing Moreouer that in Hispaniola there is found a tree called Coppeia whose leafe is as fit to write on as paper with a needle or pin or a pointed sticke and that it is to be thought that this is the tree in the leaues of which the Chaldees the first inuentors of Letters did write their conceits before the vse of letters was inuented The leafe will abide writing on both sides aswell as our paper it is about twelue fingers broad and almost round thicker then double parchmine and verie tough When it is wet the letters appeare white in the greene leafe but when it is dried it becoms white and hard as a woodden borde but then the letters are yellow it is neuer marred nor defaced for wetting if it be not burnt Paulus Venetus writeth that in the prouince of Arcadan which is subject to the great Cham there are neither letters nor characters but that men there make their contracts and obligations by little bordes or tablets which they diuide in the midst and compare afterwardes together and confer their markes and signes one with the other and so doe acknowledge the cause of such contracts The simple people of the new found land not knowing the vse of Letters did maruaile much to see that Christians by meanes of them vnderstood one an other and thought that the written leaues did speake by their commandement and reported their secrets in such sort that they touched and caried them with feare as if there had bin some spirite in them and that they had spoken by some diuinitie and not by industrie of man THE most cōmon kind of writing which we vse at this day in these parts is with black Inke which heretofore was made of the sweat of bathes and furnaces but now of gaules gum Arabick and ryndes of pomgranats being all steeped in water of victriol or copperis beaten into pouder There is vsed also red ynke made either of Vermilion or of the shauings or fylings of Brasell steeped in strong Lye being yet warme and putting a little Alum to it and Azure made of some blew stone or earth yelow of goldsand or pouder Also one may write with the iuyce of Mulberies Cheries and other such fruicts And that with pennes made of reedes or canes such as Erasmus vsed or of brasse gold or siluer or of goose-feathers swans peacockes or ostriches Without speaking of the subtilities of writing with Cyphers which Princes vse and notes which Cicero inuented or with Alum where the letters do not appeare nor can not be read except they be dipt in water or with salt Armoniack iuyce of an orenge limon citron or onyon to be discouered onelie when they are held neere the fire or with grease cinders and coales But the maner to write by imprinting hath excelled all the rest in readynes and diligence dispatching more worke in a day then many speedie or swift writers are able to doe in a yeare And since it commeth in so fitlie to our purpose we will intermeddle here a little and say briefly as much as we shall think fit for this present discourse of that which we haue heard and learned of the most expert touching this so rare so profitable and admirable Art to the end that if by warres or other humaine mischiefes and casualties the vse thereof should at any time be left off yet it should not bee altogether lost but be faithfully kept and preserued by bookes as it hath saued and preserued manie bookes TO MAKE Characters for imprinting it is requisite first to haue ponchions of steel softned by the fire on the which they graue with coūter-ponchions hardned or grauing yrons steeled the white which is within the letters perfecting and smoothing the bodies of them with fyles where they are eminent or vneuen not at the right ends but at the contrarie after they wet these ponchions in water to harden them and then polish them and do strike them into little peeces of fine copper that haue bin in the fire which being so engrauen do naturally represent the forme of the letters which the artisans do call striking of the matrices Then do they iustify their matrices on moulds of yron and in the white therof make their castings with lead tinglasse antimony and other mixed maters to the end to harden them and that they may endure the longer The Letters being thus cast made are put in a great case or box of wood ful of little boxes in to which they are distributed according to their seuerall sorts From whence the Compositors hauing layd before them the writing which they are to imprint do take thē one by one dispose them by pages and formes which they put again into other chasies or frames of yron with one or two crosses locked or shut fast with furnitures of wood Then the gouernour of the Presse taketh these last chasies or fourmes and laieth them on the marble of his Presse then beateth them with balles of wood filled with woll couered with white leather and soaked or rubbed with ynke well mixed and distributed placing the leafe that is to be printed on a double tympan or parchmin hauing a wollen cloth betwixt them and a moyst linnen cloth to keepe the leafe from mackling and putting downe the frisquet of parchmin which couereth the white or margent of the leafe he maketh the traine of the presse to roule which resteth on the cariage till it come vnder the vice or spindle vnto which the plattin is fastned and
taking the barre in his hand he pulleth as hard as he can vntill the leafe be imprinted on one side on which they bestow halfe the day and the other halfe on the other side yelding in a day twelue hundred and fiftie sheetes or thirteen hundred imprinted But before they do this they make two or three proofes which are reulewed and on this correction continew the rest Two men are requisite about the presse one to take to gather and order the sheetes o◠leaues thother to beate on the fourme which is on the presse and to distribute or bray the ynke on the stone or blocke which could not serue the turne by reason of the great trauaile required therein if they did not drawe the presse one after the other and by turnes Two presses also are needfull th one for the ordinary worke and thother to make the proofes and reiterations More or lesse Compositours that is to say Collectors of letters togither according as they are great or small or in a meane betweene both and sometimes a Founder or melter is requisite to renew the letters The ynke is made of the smoke or sweat of oyle and dissolued in oyle which must be beaten and distributed because of the thicknes and it would not sticke on the paper if it were not wett Others haue thought it better to make letters of copper saying that they are of lesse cost and yet will endure longer But experience hath founde that they are not so commodious and that they pierce the paper This is that which wee haue vnderstoode of this Art vnknowen heretofore amongst the auncient Greekes and Romains wherof the Almains attribute the inuention to themselues Notwithstanding the Portugals traficking on the farthest parts of the East and the North into China and Cathay haue brought therehence books printed in the languag and writing of that Countrey saying that they haue vsed it there a long time which hath moued some to thinke that the inuention hath bin brought out of that countrey through Tartaria and Moscouia into Germany and so after communicated to the rest of Christiandome and yet not receiued of the Mahometistes who superstitiously account it a great sinne to write their Alcoran by any other meane but by the hand of man Almost all nations haue remained a long time without letters which hath bin a cause of making the antiquities and originals vncertain Touching those bookes which we haue there are none of them written aboue 3000. yeres agone except the Hebrew neither is there found amongst the Gentils any authour more auncient then Homer Therefore the Egiptian Priest in Platoes Timeus reprocheth vnto Solon that the Greekes were all yong of vnderstanding hauing no olde opinion deriued from antiquitie nor any aged sciēce And Herodotus in his Terpsichore writeth that the Phenicians arriuing with Cadmus at Berce brought in the letters with them which the Greekes had not before and as Liuy writeth they came but lately into Italy The German toong was not written in auncient time and the Hongarian began not long since to be written The Nomedes of the great Tartaria and some Sauages of the new-found Lands do vse no letters at all But they haue amongst them some matters touching their antiquities not written nor represented by notes which they giue by worde of mouth successiuely the one to thother As the Iewes kept a long time the memory of the antiquities which Moises afterward set downe in writing continued by the successors of Adam and of Noe euen to his time And the verses of Homer before they were gathered in the forme which we see by Aristarchus were learned and song onely by hart And so vsed at the first the Egiptians Chaldees Babylonians Greekes Latins and other nations WE haue said enough of the imposition of names the inuention diuersitie and antiquitie of Letters the maners of writing and matters which are written on and with what instruments and of the Arte of Imprinting now comming againe to our speach of tongues I say that they get reputation by their property elegancy and sweetenes by the sciences which are written in them by power and greatnes of Empire and by the religions by which meanes they are inlarged in many Countries and endure long as also they are soone lost and decaied by their contraries THE GREEKE tongue came in estimation by the elegancie sweetenes and richnes thereof by Philosophy which hath bin handled therein and al Arts and Sciences It hath bin propagated by the nauigations and Colonies of the Athenians and by the armes of the Macedonians which ruling far in Asia and namely in Syria and Egipt made their language to be vnderstood in many Countries In so much as by the saying of Cicero it was in his time red almost in all nations Also the new Testament first written in Greeke hath made it knowen in many places THE ROMAINS no lesse ambitious in amplifying their tongue then their Empire constrained the people which they had ouercome to speak Latin and did not negociate with straungers in any tongue but their owne to th end to spread it ouer all with more veneration as Valerius saith in his second booke of auncient Institutions They made their Prouincials to change not onely their language but also their maners and customes to make them more tractable Afterward the Christian religion passing into the West and vsing Latin in the Churches and Schooles and consequently in publicke instruments and sentences of soueraigne Iudges hath preserued it thoroughout Italy France Spaine England Scotland Germany Poland Prussia Sweden Hungarie Bohemia and part of Slauonia The Christians in the East and South Countries as the Nestorians Iacobites and Maronites vse the Syrian tongue as we do the Latin The Abyssins or Ethiopians vse the Chaldaick in the which they haue al the holy Scripture not giuing credite to any other language whatsoeuer The Iewes wheresoeuer they are thoroughout the world would neuer consent that the old Testament which they vse should be translated but do read and singe it in Hebrew practizing in their contracts the tongues of those Countreys where they dwell Likewise the Mahometists haue not suffred their Alcoran to be red or vnderstood in any tongue but the Arabian in which it was written which resembling the Hebrew Chaldaicke and Syriack is at this day largely spred abroad For although the Tartarians Corasmians Persians and Turkes haue a diuers language from the Arabian the Syrians modern Arabians and Mores a tongue somwhat like it yet so is it that the Arabian-grammer tongue in religion and sciences amongst the learned the Iudges and Priests is common to all the inhabitants almost of Asia Africke and the third part of Europe Amongst all the languages of Europe there is not any more ample and large then the Slauonian vnderstood and spoken by the Seruians Mysians Bosnians Dalmatians Croatians Slauons Carnians Bohemians Morauians Slesites Polaques Mazouites Pomerans Cassubites Sarbians Ruthenians and Moscouites Moreouer the Lythuanians Nugardians
OF THE INTERCHANGEABLE COVRSE OR VARIETY OF THINGS IN THE WHOLE WORLD AND THE CONCVRRENCE OF ARMES AND Learning thorough the first and famousest Nations from the beginning of Ciuility and Memory of man to this Present MOREOVER WHETHER IT BE true or no that there can be nothing sayd which hath not bin said heretofore And that we ought by our owne Inuentions to augment the doctrine of the Auncients not contenting our selues with Translations Expositions Corrections and Abridgments of their writings Written in French by Loysle Roy called Regiusâ— and Translated into English by R. A. Inest rebus omnibus quidam velut orbis vt quemadmodum Temporum vices ita Morum vertantur nec omnia apud priores meliora sed nostra etiam aetas multa Laudis Artium laudanda Posteris tulit Tacitus AT LONDON Printed by Charles Yetsweirt Esq. at his house in Fleetestreete neere the Middle Temple gate 1594. CVM PRIVILEGIO Regiae Maiestatis TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE MY SINGVLAR GOOD LORD Sir Iohn Puckering Knight Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England HAuing heretofore for the great liking which I saw generally conceiued of this worke perused allowed and at my better leisure translated it into English for the benefit of such as were not sufficiently acquainted with the French I was bold ere the Translation were fully finished to acquaint your L. with the Argument who concurring with the rest in good liking and Iudgment my intent to publish it vnder your L s. Patronage was thereby fully confirmed SO that the Picture which it pleased your L. to like of heretofore being in his first lineaments but rudely shadowed is now presented with all his principal colours perfected and accomplished I haue bin carefull to perfect it by the Paterne and to limme it according to life yet when I haue all don it is but a Counterfait which wanteth much of the perfection of the Principal THE substance is none of mine I challenge nought but the shadowe wherein if the substance be truely represented I hope it may be allowed of though it be not curiously beautified I CONFES it were better to put forth his owne Inuentions for him that hath means to do it and that which this Author affirmeth namely that Translations are more painful then praise-worthy is by me also acknowledged For diligence assisted with iudgement is herein chiefely requisite and not any excellent knowledge thereunto required which appeareth more in inuenting of it selfe then in translating out of others Which though it be done neuer so faithfully and elegantly yet cometh alwaies short of the good grace of the Original as this Author acknowledgeth notwithstanding Theodore Gaza an excellent Translator affirme the contrary BVT mine owne wit and Inuention being vnable to write or inuent any thing worth the reading yet my wil being a welwisher to all good Inuentions I thought it more commendable to commend and communicate to others that which other men haue excellently inuented being not able myselfe to attaine to so much excellency then in publishing any fabulous fancy of mine owne or matter of meane account as many do now adaies to shew some arrogancy ioyned with my insufficiency THIS worke is a Comparison of this later age with all antiquity in Armes in Learning and all other Excellency There was neuer any mighty Empire or Monarchie Kingdom or Common-wealth but is here represented no famous Founder or Gouernor of State no learned Law-maker or worthy Warriour but is here mencioned and ech of them to the other in all conueniences and contrarieties compared which being don by a man of great learning and iudgment to men of much businesse and employment as to your L. especially who haue no time to fetch euery thing from the Fountaine search all Antiquitie and read the Histories of all nations must needs be much auaileable and the pleasure thereof to all sorts of men accordingly answerable MY duety to your L. to whom this hath bin long intended hath at length commanded an Intermission of mine ordinary studies and exercises for the reuiewing and publishing hereof vnder whose fauourable protection it is now communicated vnto all who continually partaking of your L. equity goodnes and benignitie are bound with me to pray for the continuance of your honour health and happines euerlastingly From the Middle-Temple the 6. of October 1594. Your L s. in seruice humbly deuoted Robert Ashley THE SVMMARIE OF THIS WORKE BECAVSE the Discourse following is long and somewhat difficult to comprehend by reason of the diuersitie of matters contained therein I haue gathered and set downe first The Summarie of the whole worke Then of euery Booke in order to giue more light vnto the Readers for the vnderstanding therof In the whole worke therfore are represented the successiue or rather alternatiue changes of the whole world aswell in the higher or superiour as lower and inferiour part thereof and how by the concurrence of Armes and Letters thorough the most renowmed Nations of the world all liberall Sciences and Mechanical Arts haue flourished together fallen and bin restored diuers times in proces of Age With a comparison of such Nations as haue excelled both in power and knowledge of the great Empires and renowmed Monarkes vnder whom these notable mutations of mankind haue hapned and conferring of this our present with the famousest former Ages to know wherein it is either inferiour superiour or equall to any of them THE FIRST BOOKE THE Enterchangeable course or Variety obserued in the motions of Heauen and the Heauenly Spheares whereon are depending the Changes which happen in this inferiour World are declared in the first Booke The Vicissitude which the fower Elements haue one with an other and euery one by himselfe How all things in the World are tempered and conserued by others that are contrarie and dislike The Intercourse of Shadowes Daies and Seasons of the yeare and the Diuersitie of habitations of the Earth and other thinges according to the difference of places The Variety and Vicissitude of Men of Nations Cities Common weales Kingdomes and Empires THE II. BOOKE THE Variety of Tongues vsed thorough out the world both Learned and Vulgar The Beginning of them Continuance Perfection Corruption Chaunge and Losse of the old Introduction of new Translation out of one into an other Imposition of Names to things Inuention and profit of Letters Diuersitie of Characters and Writings Instruments and Matters to write with Of Printing Orthographic and Pronunciation THE III. BOOKE THE Vicissitude and Inuention of Arts And how Men from their first simplicitie and rudenesse haue attained to the Commoditie Magnificence and Excellencie of this time THE IIII. BOOKE THe Intercourse of Armes and of Letters concurring in the coniunction of Power and Wisdome amongst the most renowmed Nations of the world And who haue bin the first and Auncientest of all that haue excelled in both The Power Knowledge and other Excellencie of the Egiptians Assyrians and Persians A Comparison of the great Monarchies
the citie notwithstanding that an vnlearned Athenian excelled the most learned of Asia not in words but in sound of the voice and not so much in speaking wel as in pronoūcing sweetly Likewise saith he there is a certain voice or accent peculiar and proper to the Romain kind to the City in the which there is nothing offending or displeasing the eare or sauouring in any sort of peregrinity strangnes in so much that the Romains with lesse study then the Latins did excell the most learned amongst thē by sweetnes of voice THE GREEKES dwelling in true Greece in Italy Asia in Sicile and other Islandes had fower tongues or speeches The Atticke Dorike Eolike and Ionian and in choosing out of euery of them throughout the Poets words and figures as came fittest to their purpose they made another tongue which they called the Common and after vnder one name onely called them all fiue the Greeketongue And although the Athenian were finer and more fruitfull then the rest yet the learned which were not Athenians by nation did write only after their natural maner fearing peraduenture that they should not attaine to the Attike purity vnto which but seldome and by leasure attained those which were borne elswhere For Theophrastus who had long abode in Athens being reputed most eloquent was knowen by an old woman of Athens to be a straunger by his speach Pollio obiected Paduanisme vnto Liuie and vnto Virgill who was a Mantuan it was reproached that he spake not Romain so euery tongue by how much the farther it is from his natural spring is the lesse pure As in old time the Syrians and Egyptians speaking Greeke did not speake it so purely as the Athenians nor the Gaules Spaniards or Africans Latin as the Romains for although their words were Greeke or Latin yet they retained the phrase of their owne Countrey Insomuch that speaking Greeke or Latin they were alwaies knowen for straungers as it hapneth to the English Scots Flemings Almains Italians and Spaniards when they speake French if they haue not learned it very young But the tongues as all other humaine things haue their beginning progresse perfection corruption and end and being rude at first do afterwards polish themselues with ciuilitie of maners and knowledge And when they haue endured a time in puritie and elegancy they are corrupted and do finally perish and by proces of time no appearance of their writing remaineth The Greekes at the first were but rude and grosse as Thucydides Plato and Aristotle affirme and the first which became ciuill amongst them were the Athenians who polished their language which they also brought vnto perfection where it remained not long but was corrupted and lost togither with the libertie of the Countrey being supplanted by the Macedonians Romains and other straungers which haue ruled there In such sort that neuer sithence could be restored the true propriety and natural elegancy of the Greeke which was spoken by Plato Aristotle Isocrates Demosthenes and Eschines but in steed of that tongue which may be said to haue bin the best in the world there is at length come an other vsed at this present in Greece and in the Isles adioyning mingled of many other languages which is euery day falling to decay vnder the Turkish Empire wherewith the Countrey hath bin already more then a hundred yeres most miserably oppressed If the first Romain writings had endured till this present we should see that Euander and Turnus and the other Latins of that time spake otherwise then did afterwards the last Romaine Kings and the first Consuls The verses which were song by the Salian priests were scarcely vnderstood but because they were so ordained by the first founders they were not chaunged for reuerence of the religion Polybius writeth that the language was so much changed from the first Punick warr to the second that with great difficulty were vnderstood the treaties made before betweene the Romains and Carthaginians And it remained rude about fiue hundred yeres hauing no writer in it worthy of memory From that time forward the people gaue themselues to learning and some became learned yet hard in their speech commended onely for hauing bin the inuentours and first teachers of the Latin tongue which was after made most pure and perfect by Cicero Caesar and other eloquent men which florished then in great number in whom indeed the purity there of is to be acknowledged For afterward the common wealth being changed into a monarchy and the maners corrupted the speach was also changed and corrupted losing his natural grace goodnes vnder the Emperours Then the Empire being translated from Rome to Constantinople many strange nations comming into Italy altered the tongue so that men left speaking it it remained in books only which were not red nor vnderstood by the space of eight hūdred yeres some of them lost others eaten by worms and deuoured by age til such time as some Greekes and Italians did by study make these two auncient tongues to reuiue when they were almost dead by copying out publishing and correcting the bookes that remained in some libraries such as had bin preserued from the rage of those barbarous nations which hath so happely succeeded that the said tongues haue recouered great light with the arts written in them which we see restored with them and many inuentions added to antiquitie as shal be declared hereafter Then the Romain Empire declining to the West as the Ostrogoths and Lombards had possessed Italy the Visigoths and Sarazens the Countrey of Prouence Languedoc Aquitayne and Spayne The Burguignons and Frenchmen the Gaules Belgick and Celtick the Vandals Bethick Africk by their conuersation the Latin was corrupted Of which corruption came the Italian French and Spanish The Italian remained long time vnpolished because there was none that tooke care thereof or endeuoured to giue it any polishment vntill Dante Petrarch and Boccace who haue much embelished it by their conceipts ingeniously expressed and elegantly couched in prose and verse Where in they haue bin seconded by others no lesse learned and eloquent who haue likewise enriched this language with many faire works and translations As much is there happened to the Spanish French which haue bin made within these fiftie yeres more elegant then they were before by the diligence of some excellent men which haue translated a great number of bookes not onely Greeke and Latin but Italian also into them showing that all sciences may conueniently be handled in them CERTAINLY it is a great Comfort and ease found out in this variety of languages which cannot be vnderstood nor learned of all to translate out of one into another By this meanes the old Testament hath bin translated out of Hebrew into Greek and into Latin the new Testament out of Greek into Latin and consequently both Testaments into Syriack Chaldaick Egyptian Persian Indian Armenian Scythian Sclauonian German English French Italian and into all languages vsed by
world and haue maliciously inuented many lies of his pretended excellencie heretofore rehearsed to th end to make him more admirable and to draw the more people to his beleefe THE POWER OF THE ARABIANS or Saracens compared to the Romain Macedonian Persian Parthian Assyrtan and Egiptian PLinie speaking of the Arabians saith that they were not inferiour to any people of the world They receiuing the law of Mahomet who was of their nation were called Saracens who in little time after they had receiued this Religion atchieued great conquests subdued many Regions tooke and ruinated Townes wasted countries ouerthrew kingdoms and namely the Romain Empire in the East But as they increased sodainly in dominions so they entred into partialities and diuided themselues vnder two Caliphes whereof the one was established at Bagdet in Assyria commaunding ouer all the East thother in Egipt who conquered all the rest of Barbarie with Spaine Being come to such and so great power albeit they were all of one religion or little different because they called one another Schismaticks yet had they not one Empire aunswering to one soueraigne Monarch and resident in the capitall Citie of the state as had the Assyrians Persians Parthians and Romains but being diuided into many Lords and euil agreeing they fought the one against thother which was the cause that made them diminish as soone as they were growen vp For the first Turks comming out of the North East parts of Asia on the differents of the two Caliphes they took Persia from them and possessed the Caliphat of Bagdet with the better part of the lesser Asia becomming Mahometists But the Latin Christians vnder Godfrey of Bouillon and the Corasmians ouercame these Turks then the Latins Corasmians being ouercome the Tartarians issued from the same quarter wherehence the Turks came before who in an instant ouerran a great part of the North of the East and of the South then drawing toward the West they ouercame the Ruthenians Lithuanians Polaques and pierced euen into Hungary Austrich and Germanie which if they had bin or were vnited would make an incomparable power But they are diuided by hordes of the Procopians Zauoglans Nogacians and Corasmians the one being gouerned by kings and the other by common weales A COMPARISON OF THE ARABIAN or Sarasen Learning with the Greeke Egiptian Chaldaick Persian and Romain or Latin AS the learning of the Greekes and Romaines augmented with their power so did that of the Arabians or Saracens And when they were the most mightie of the world then they became most learned especially in the demonstratiue sciences Amongst whom Auicenna Albumasar Gebber and Auerrois got the first praise Auicen hath bin the most vniuersall of them all being eminent in philosophie in the Mathematics in their Theologie in the Arabian poesie who writing also in Physick hath verie well handled according to the iudgement of the most learned in this art the signes and causes of diseases accomodating vnto them many remedies not vnderstood nor practised by the Greeks and Italians Auerrois hath learnedly expounded all Aristotle Abumasar vnderstood perfectly al the celestial motions and their effects hauing inuented the great coniunctions and many other goodly things which remained vnknowen vntill his time Gebber a verie expert Mathematician hath found faults in the demonstrations of Prolomey his Almagests And others in diuers sciences haue inuented many new things or reformed those that were inuented before both Persians Syrians Egiptians Africans and Spaniards writing in Arabian which possessed the schooles of the West before the restitution of the Greek and Latin Which I thought good to speak of by the way that it might be knowen that all learning is not comprised in these two languages that the Arabian ought not to be dispised which comprehendeth a good part They got such reputation in the Mathematicks that Alphonsus king of Castile going about to make his Astronomical tables had his principal recourse to them because that only they at that season could teach and restore such sciences to whom he made great presents to the value of fower hundred thousand Crownes Imitating therein the liberalitie of Alexander who disbursed the like summe to haue the natures of liuing creatures truely represented by Aristotle But the Caliphes seeing that the people too much giuen to Philosophie to the Mathematicks cared but little for their Law they founded Colleges for the intertainment of teachers and learners of their Alcoran and in some vniuersities they changed the Lectures of philosophie into those of their Law ordaining that whosoeuer from thence forward would studie the Alcoran should in no sort giue himselfe to Philosophie which hath made the exercises of the sciences to waxe cold in some places but not thorough out because that at this day there are found in Persia most learned Philosophers Astrologers A COMPARISON OF THE ARABIAN tongue with the Greek Latin and Hebrew WHen the Greeks and Romains were in their greatest prosperitie and rulers ouer many Countries they spred these two tongues with their dominions much people learned to speak thē either to please them therwith or to negociate with them then the Christian religion seruing it self with them hath preserued dispersed thē into diuers coūtries yet were they neuer vnderstood in so many places as the Arabian is now the which is common to almost all the inhabitants of Asia Africk a third part of Europe the affairs of the Alcoran being treated therin which is followed by th one half of the world or more and all sciences Euen as we vse Latin in these parts separated from the vulgar tongues and not vnderstood but by such as haue learned it in schooles It resembleth the Hebrew Chaldaick and Syriack in this that it is written as they are from the right hand to the left with points in steed of vowels and hath many words common with them and the phrase somewhat neere them but peculiar letters to it selfe wherin it is much different from the Greek and Latin which are written from the left hand to the right The end of the eigth Booke THE SEQVELE OF THE RELIGION and power of the Mahometists as of the first Turkes Corasmians Tartarians of the Souldan of the Ottoman and of the Sophy Where there is mention made of the great Cham of Catay of the King of Narsingue of the Moscouite and of Presbiter Iohn as hauing all begun or growen vp about that time albeit they haue other Religions The ninth Booke ON the different which was between the Caliphes The TVRKS comming out of the Northeast of Scythia went into Asia about the hundreth yeare of the Algier of Mahomet and after they had a long time wandered they staied in Persia whither they came being called by the Persians against the Arabians and others of the new Religion which oppressed them But finding at their comming the kingdom of Persia vanquished aswell by armes as by religion and seeing it was not possible for them
They held in most straight subiection all the people of Egypt and of Suria forbidding them to haue any weapons or to ryde on horsebacke They were not aboue sixteene thousand but they intertained many seruants vnder them and being men of great force and hardynesse they had not only tamed many bordering nations and beaten the Arabians but also made many warres against the Turkes enuying their prosperitie of whome they remained often victorious and were seldome or neuer vanquished by them But when as they were deuided and bandded in partalities Selim the Turke defeated them in two battailes killing in the first the SOVLDAN SAMPSON who was gone into Suria with an armie to helpe the Sophi then prosecuting his victory he went into Egypt against him that was chosen SOVLDAN in steed of him that was dead whom hee tooke and made him ignominiously to bee caryed on a poore Camell with his face backwardes all alonge the great streete of Cair and to bee hanged at the gate of that Citie doubling his power by the Conquest of such a state much reuerenced by those of the religion of Mahomet and redoubted because of the valyance of the MAMMELVCS whoe were massacred in suche sorte that there name is almost extinguished There remayne yet other great kingdomes of this time as of NARSINGVE in the Indies and of PRESBITER IOHN in Africke called Lacâ—gue Negus of the ABYSINS being baptized and circumcised Christians and of the MOSCOVITE in the north a Christian also but after the Greeke maner The king of Narsingue which is of the auncient religion of the Bramines yeldeth to no king of the world in riches power and magnificence intertaining forty thousand horsemen of ordinary and foure hundred elephants fitt for war with infinite dromedaries Touching PRESBITER IOHN he commaundeth ouer innumerable nations different in colours and hath vnder him forty kings tributary His landes and seigniories extende toward the West more then twenty daies iourney and he hath gold shut vp in a caue enough to buy the moitie of the world and the quantity is euery day increased and multiplied without taking any thing from it In the spacious kingdome of Ethiopia being so large neuer did the kings sonnes or brothers moue any sedition for the state nor defiled their hands in one anothers bloud but the line of the bloud royall is alwaies conserued by rare hap and neuer yet communicated to any other kingdome whatsoeuer Christian Hebrew Sarazen or Pagan They say it was once reuealed to one of their kings in a dreame that if he desired to haue his kingdome long maintained in peace and vnity he must locke vp all his children which were a great number on a mountaine and that he must keep onely him that he would haue to succeed in his kingdome and this custome remained eternally to his posterity as a thing ordained of the heauens Otherwise that one part of Ethiopia which is so large would come to reuolt against the heire and put him in danger of his life and of his state The king being awaked was meruailously astonished with this nouelty not knowing where he might finde this mountaine Wherefore he had another vision reuealing vnto him that he shoulde marke thorough out al his countrey where he should see goates on the top of rockes so high that they seemed readie to fâ—ll and this should bee the place where he should shut in his children Which the king hauing put in execution the mountaine was found to be of a meruailous height and greatnesse wherein the children of Presbiter Iohn were locked vp and carefully kept for there is no lesse paine to them that come out therehence or which drawe therehence any of those that are shut vp then death hee onely remaining free that ought to raigne by his birth-right or which seemeth the most capable to succeed in that dignity Those which are shut vp doo neuer come forth except it so fall out that Presbiter Iohn depart without heires of his body to inherite the crowne For then they take out him that is next it whome they know to be the worthiest Also the great KNES or king of Moscouie is a great landed man in the North whose dominion is about three monethes iourney in compasse of ground and he possesseth innumerable people nations prouinces duchies principalities and seigniories which the Emperours of Moscouia haue gotten one after another by armes or by other meanes offered them from time to time as Wolodimeria Nouingorod Plescouia Smolenk Tuner Iugaria Permia Viakia Belgaria the lower Nouogorodia Ceruigenia Rozar Volokde Rezomia Rostomi Cazan Ostrakan and others which it woulde be tedious to recite because of the rudenes of their names They say that of all his Lordships there are seuen principall wherehence he can bring forth for a need seuen hundred thousand men of warr all on horsebacke namely out of Plescouia a hundred thousand Nouingorode a hundred thousand Tuner a hundred thousand which are the greatest seigniories that he hath out of Smolenk a duchie vsurped on the king of Poland an other hundred thousand and a hundred thousand out of the Duchy of Moscoâ—ia where is situated the great city of Mosko the seate of the prince The bounds of his empire goe a great way into Asia as far as the Caspian sea neer the lands of the Sophi And hauing won a battaile against the King of Sueuia he is entred into the countrey of Liuonia where Germany beginneth on this side and hath there conquered Riga and Riuallia two great cities pertaining to the maister Duke and Knights of the Teutonian or Dutch order He exceedeth in seuerity and rigour of commanding all the Monarches of the worlde hauing gotten such authority ouer his subiects as well ecclesiasticall as secular that he may dispose at his pleasure of their liues and goods no man daring to gainsay him in any thing They confesse publickly that the will of their prince is the will of God and that all whatsoeuer he doth is done by the diuine prouidence Therfore they name him the Porter of Paradice the Chamberlaine of God and Executor of his will By this meanes is he become so mightie within a little time that all his neighbours which are the Tartarians Sueuians Polonians Liuonians yea and the Turkes themselues doe redoubt him It would be an infinite labour to propose here all the kingdomes and Empires that haue bin or are in reputation But it shall suffice to haue touched such as are best knowen namely those that haue ioyned wisedome with power whereunto this present discourse tendeth The end of the Ninth Booke OF THE POWER LEARNING and other Excellence of this age The Tenth Booke AS the Tartarians Turkes Mammelucs and Sophians haue gotten into the East by their valiancy the glorie of Armes So haue we in these partes towards the West recouered within these two hundred yeares the excellency of Learning and set vp the studies of the scienences after they had long time remained in a manner extinguished
wherin the later haue not agreed with the former namely in those which are not yet sought out and will neuer be found if we content our selues with that which is alreadie inuented without adding any thing therunto By occasion whereof I will aunswere them henceforward which obiect that there are too many bookes Certainly if all that hath bin written by the auncient Philosophers Historiographers Oratours Poets Physitians Diuines and Lawiers had come to our hands all had bin full of bookes and we should haue had no other moueables in our house but bookes we should be constrained to go sit and lie vpon bookes And yet there remaine so many and are made from day to day that the age of man could not suffice to read not onely the writings in many disciplines but in one particuler and seldome are the Inuentories found perfect The great number serueth rather for charge then for instruction and it is much better to read some few that be good then to wander thorough many which are euill Lucian blameth an ignorant person which boasted that he had many bookes and Martial mocketh an other who thought thereby to be accounted learned Seauen hundred Volumes were found in the Librarie of Alexandria which were all burned together by a mischance of fire The learned caried their books thither from all parts as to the Theater of learning and they read them in the Museum which was there at the plaies ordained for the honour of Apollo and of the Muses the vanquishers receiuing great gifts in the sight and knowledge of all the world In somuch that none were reckoned learned which had not won some prize there Liuie calleth that great Librarie a worthy work of kingly care and magnificence But Seneca saith that it was neither care nor magnificēce but a studious pompe or superfluity yet not studious because the K s. Ptolomeyes had not erected it to serue for study but for a shew and spectacle As we see many priuate men also which haue gathered many togither wel printed boūd gilded to serue onely for ornaments which they neuer looke in themselues nor suffer others for feare of fouling them Also king ATTALVS assembled at Pergamus in emulation of the Ptolomeyes two hundred thousand volumes which were giuen by Antonius to Cleopatra so vanished There were in the Library of the GORDIANS xl thousand and a great number of exquisite ones in that of LVCVLLVS and AVGVSTVS There are some at this present very wel furnished both amongst the Christians and the Mahometists But going by the professions I haue read that DIDYMVS a Grammarian composed foure thousand books APPIAN sixe thousand who was so arrogant as to say that he made them immortall to whom hee dedicated his workes CICERO said that if his age were doubled yet would it not suffice to read all the Lyrick Poets Seneca thinketh as much of those that haue written of Logick There is no people nation citie common-wealth seigniorie coūtrey kingdom or empire but hath his Cronicles and Histories In Greece one only war of Marathon found three hundred Historiographers Plutarch in his liues alleageth more then two hundred of them SALVST and LIVIE are come to vs vnperfect and faulty as are also many others of lesse reckoning both Greekes and Romaines It is not possible to recken the books that are made of Phisicke which hath many times bin changed and diuided into diuers sects ARISTOTLE the Philosopher composed iiij hundred volumes and VARRO the most learned amongst the Romains as many The Emperour IVSTINIAN by the excessiue multitude of books which were of the ciuil Law was constrained to cause the Pandects to be made on which contrary to his edict haue bin heaped innumerable cōmentaries S. Iohn the euangelist saith that the world is not able to receiue all the books which should bee written of IESVS CHRIST as appeared in the time following wherein were infinite written in many languages concerning the Christian religion and the exposition of the old and new Testament ORIGEN alone hath written sixe thousand bookes The Gothes Vandales Alanes Hunnes Lombards Sarazens Turkes and Tartarians brought an inestimable losse to the libraries and corruption to the languages Bookes are different also according to the disposition of the times and inclination of the countries wherein they are made euen as wines are diuers according to the territorie qualitie of the aire and disposition of the yere the nature of the vine industry of the keeper Euery age hath his peculiar kind of speech Euery nation and age his phrase the Greekes and Latins writing after one sort the Hebrewes Chaldees and Arabians after an other All are not of continuance and as many are lightly and easily made so they are estsoones and incontinently lost Some are left off for the obscurity and to affected subtilty and barbarousnes which is in them Others despised or neglected as vnprofitable or consumed by length of time or destroied by warres changes of tonges and of religions or by being euil written and copied out or corrupted depraued In others there is nothing but tedious repetitions by changing the order and the words Plinie a man of great reading saith that in conferring and comparing of authours he hath found the old written out word for word by those that were next after them concealing their names and choosing rather to be taken in their theft then to acknowledge the debt Those which are respected here as holy are burned elswhere as abhomination The affected to some certaine sect religion or profession are red onely by people of the same sect religion and profession The poemes orations epistles chronicles histories comedies and tragedies are not loked on but by such as vnderstand the tongue wherin they are written out of it they commonly lose their grace There are not any which please and satisfy al people or which are receiued in al places except they be aduisedly made with great iudgment profound learning by a singular grace of God and a rare goodnes of nature resisting against enuious old age warranting themselues from the silence of obliuion Such as seeme to be those of Plato Aristotle Hippocrates Ptolomey who not content with the images of things and shadows of opiniōs haue sought the truth directly haue therfore escaped the iniury of time of fire of water of wars among so many nations contrary sects translated into diuers languages yet keeping stil the same grace as when they were newly made For as time abolisheth the opinions that are not wel groūded so it also cōfirmeth the infallible iudgemēts of a wise vnderstanding nature augmēting alwaies the reputatiō of those writers which haue best obserued vnderstood it The iudgment of time discouereth in the end the secret faults of al things who being the father of truth and a iudge void of passion hath alwaies accustomed to giue a iust sentēce of the life or death of writings But seeing that the arts