as it were thorow christall gates for then be dreames and visions cléerest and best distinguished whereas before our meate be fully digested our braine ouerloden with vapors receiueth but troublesome impressions waued so to and fro and so enterlaced one with another that in the twinkling of an eie it frameth a thousand shapes that presently vanisheth away and are no more remembred Now the Poet saith he was guided as he thought into a place most delightfull which he describeth in few verses and it is verie fit for the matter following 22. Iust in the middle point First he describeth the dwelling of Eloquence to wit on a great Rocke wrought and fashioned in manner of a footestall or base for an Image to stande on to shew how stedfast and certaine a thing this excellent gift of God is Secondly the resemblance or Image of Eloquence he calleth a Colosse that is of stature surpassing all others which betokeneth thus much that eloquent and faire spoken men go many degrées beyonde others whom they vse at their pleasure and draw whither they list as the examples of Pericles and Cicero declare and many proofes thereof are founde in the holie Scripture He maketh this Image of Brasse which implieth the faire glosse the swéete sounde and strong force of Eloquence he placeth in the left hand a fire-brand to signifie that learned true and faire vttrance maketh men sée touch as it were the right nature of things in the right hand an Ewer bicause the spéech 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 already are growen too long The little chaines that come foorth from the Images golden toong draw such a number of hearers by the eares hart signifie the great power of a wel framed spéech the truth wherof appéereth chiefely in preaching the word in counsels of graue common wealths-men and orations of good Magistrates and valiant Captaines In this maner did the ancient Frenchmen paint 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 al 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 féete of this Image it signifieth that a pleasant and learned spéech appeaseth all angrie cruell and sauage men and euen the maddest and most brutish people in the worlde it maketh the woods and hils to daunce and leape that is to saie it mooueth bendeth instructeth very block-heads and such as are most hard of vnderstanding this may be the meaning of those fained tales of Amphion Orpheus Arion and other like Lastly this Image is enuironed with a double ranke of pillers well and strongly grounded and vnder-pinned that beare vp in due proportion the nine languages following each by hir owne chiefe authors maintainers For euery pillar was wrought in fashion of a man framed to the countenance of one of their best writers in a long gowne or stole And that is the meaning of the French a la Cariatide After the Carian right as Vitruuius writeth at large in this first Chapter of his first booke of Architecture This I note bicause the French Commentar 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 toong which he placeth in the fore front of Eloquence as in euery regard it was méete whether we consider the swéete grauitie the naturall impliance the shortnes hautines liuelyhood of it or the sinceritie holines light and heauenly maiestie he nameth first Moses bicause he is the most ancient of those whose writings in this toong are extant As for the booke of the Prophesie of Henoch it was lost a long time ago He describeth this holy Law-writer after an excellent manner as was requisite in a discourse of Eloquence His face shineth like a blasing Starre alluding to that in the Scripture that Moses comming downe from the mount where he had talked with God his face so shined that none was able to behold his countenance insomuch as he was faine to weare a vaile ouer it the rest is verie easie to be vnderstood especially of such as haue neuer so lightlie turned ouer the Historie Now for the bookes of Moses they were written many hundred yéeres before the Gréekes were knowne who were not heard of in the world but a little before the raigne of Saul and had but few works in writing or none at all till after the time of Salomon as their owne Histories witnes whosoeuer will take paines to turne them ouer Naie further all their knowledge came from the Egyptians Phenicians and others who had learned somewhat by conuersing with the Hebrues And to come againe to Moses he hath béene in maruellous account with infinite Heathen writers If any haue lightly regarded or found fault with him it was either bicause they vnderstood him not at all or maliced him excéedingly which a man may easily finde in their writings The second author of the Hebrue he counteth Dauid whose Psalmes he speaketh much of in few lines but little it is in comparison of their excellencie wherof 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 Booke of Dauids Psalmes is as Saint Basill saith the Storehouse and treasurie of all good learning for all men to come at and will confesse with Saint Ierome and S. Chrysostome that nothing better becommeth a man be he Peasant or Craftes-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 beléeuing 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 Christendom that haue suffred allowed maintained commanded and commended vnto the people these shamefull and wanton Poesies these bookes of vanitie error leasings which with their authors deserue the fire and not the quiet and peaceable persons that call vpon Iesus Christ and beléeue stedfastly the life euerlasting The soule that feareth God will not take this my digression ill nor thinke it néedlesse As for the vngodly let them spit at it if they will I regarde them not The thirde authour and ornament of the Hebrue is reckoned Salomon in his Prouerbes 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 necessarie instructions The fourth
and alter-placing the letters of Hebrue words and that which the Gréekes others haue after their example inuented is nothing in comparison For there is scarce any word in the Hebrue but being inuerted as may easily be done and somtimes two thrée or fower waies as the number of the letters are offereth to our consideration another word either of like sense or contrarie or making relation to the first giueth thereto such light beautie and liuelihood that it is woonderfull 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 Hebrue letters and words yet nothing in comparison of them This matter would require a whole volume to be written according to Art by the hand of some one that were wel seene in the toongs and I could name thrée paire yet liuing that are well able to do 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 Mirandula the Hieroglyphickes of I. Goropius from the beginning of the seuenth booke to the end of the sixtéenth thrée bookes of I. Reuclinus De arte Cabaiistica and other thrée bookes of his De Verbo mirabili 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 and after augmented by many other learned professors of this toong Sée further the Syriac Institut c. of Caninius the Mithridates of C. Gesnerus the Alphabet in 12. toongs of Postella and his booke De antiquitate linguae Hebraica there are many such Treatises set foorth by diuers learned men whereout and of the bookes aforenamed may be gathered infinite proofes of that which the Poet hath touched in this second reason The thirde is that there liues no nation vnder the cope of heauen but kéepeth still some words of Hebrue in their spéech First the Caldean Syrian Arabian Egyptian Persian Ethiopian and many other as the Gotthicke Troglodytick Punick are so deriued thence that they come as néere it as Italian to Latine some more some lesse Secondly the Gréeke Latine and those others that are farther off haue yet here and there some words that we must néedes grant are sprong from the same fountaine a man may set downe a many of them but it were too long here to coate the examples Thirdly the rootes of many words that are taken to be Gréeke or some other toong are founde to be Hebrue as Franciscus Iunius hath plainly shewed in his learned oration De linguae Hebraeae antiquitate praestantia The fourth reason is that the doctrine of the old Testament which is the doctrine of the first and most ancient people of the world was not written but in Hebrue No man denieth that the people that came of Sem the sonne of Noe is the most ancient among these remained the Church of God and the Hebrue toong God spake not but in the Hebrue toong by the high priest that wore the sacred Ephod and the breast-plate of iudgement whereon was set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vrim Thummim words signifying lights perfectiōs which some thinke was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or four-letered name Iehoua contained within the brest-plate others say it was the ranks of those twelue precious stones there enchased that on them had ingrauen the names of the twelue tribes of Israel as if it were a repetition of that which Moses saith in the 17.18.19 and 20. verses of the 28. chapter of Exodus where he speaketh of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vrim Thummim in the 30. verse others hold they were certaine names others are of diuers other opinions Some late writers thinke those words were ingrauen in the breast-plate This is a secret the search whereof whether one dispute of the words or what they meant or what 's become of them c. is very painfull and néedlesse for that now sithence the comming of Christ we ought to follow the truth it selfe and not stay vpon shadowes These words doubtles gaue to vnderstand that all light and perfection commeth of our Sauiour in whom all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily dwelleth in whom are hid all the treasures of vnderstanding and knowledge who is the light of his Church that is made vnto vs of God his father wisedome iustice redemption and holines In all iudgements demaunds oracles and reuelations that were made by Vrim and Thummim as may be gathered out of the 27. chapter of Numbers the first booke of Samuel the 13. and 30. chapters and other places where aduise and counsell was asked of God and answere was made by the mouth of the high priest there appéered a cléere light a sure truth and perfection all which in Christ is accomplished Now these demaunds answers were propounded rendred in the Hebrue toong long time before any other language was vsed in the world For so soone after their scattering at Babel they could not well be incorporated into a common-wealth and as for religion that was not kept but in the race of Sem as Moses plainly declareth all through the historie of Abrahā Concerning the Prophets their dreames visions God spake not they vnderstood not neither answered or taught they the Church but in the Hebrue that significant vnmingled holy chaste heauenly toong wheras others lispe and stammer out vncertaine sounds and are infinite waies defiled through the dishonest foolish erronious and vngodly discourses of their inuentours I except the bookes of the new Testament and all writings drawen from the cléere fountaines of holy Scripture besides the which there is nothing but vanitie filth wickednes and vngodlines in the world Moreouer the Lord himselfe setting downe his law to his people and writing it twise with his owne finger and speaking with his owne mouth to Moses and his other seruants in the Mount vsed the Hebrue toong So did the Angels and Prophets and Iesus Christ spake the Syriacke a toong so deriued of the Hebrue that they are very like as their Grammars declare The Apostles spake diuers toongs and wrote also according to the people and persons with whom they had to doe yet for all that in their bookes may be noted an infinite many of phrases borrowed of the Hebrue as the learned interpreters of the new Testament haue exactly shewed The fift and last reason set downe by the Poet is that the Hebrue words especially the proper names some are alledged for example and many other may be added are of great waight and importance for somtimes they lay open vnto vs the chiefe things that doe befall the person so named Nay further if a man would take the paines to change the order of letters he may finde in them many goodly mysteries
of in the Reuelation hath made so many confusions that it is vnpossible to name them all There remaineth the third point touching Birds foure-footed beasts and fishes whereof and euery of them I will name two onely for a patterne least I séeme too long in the annotations The Storke so commended for hir loue towarde those by whom she receiued life is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chasida that is to say dutifull louing and religious The Eagle is called Nescher that commeth néere to Shor and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iashar the one signifieth to looke the other to be rightfull and this bird of all other hath the sharpest sight and looketh against the sunne There is further a liuely description of this bird in the 39. chapter of Iob as also of the Austrich and many other in diuers places of Scripture The horse called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sus is thought to come of the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nasas if rather this Verbe be not thence deriued which signifieth to aduaunce himselfe for it is the brauest and fiercest of all other foure-footed beasts as Iob finely describeth him in the 39. chapter The Hebrues haue thrée names for a Lion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arieh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labi and Laijsch the first commeth of a Verbe that signifieth to snatch and teare in sunder the second of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leb that signifieth the Hart and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laab to be in solitarie and desert places the third is commonly interpreted a great and roring Lion not vnlike the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Losh that signifieth to surprise or deuoure for thaâ—â—his beast rampeth-vpon and swalloweth vp his pray The â—…hales and great fishes are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thannim Snakes Serâ—…nts or Dragons bicause they are of a great length and turne and fould themselues euery way and are no lesse dangerous in the sea than serpents and dragons on the land In the 40. chapter of Iob that great fish is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leuiathan which some deâ—… of the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lauah which signifieth to borrow or take 〈◊〉 â—or his recreation bicause the Whale séemeth to play vp 〈◊〉 downe the sea as in a place borrowed for recreation The Câ—â—codile that liueth both on land and water is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hatsaâ— and séemeth to come of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsab which signifieth the couering of a Chariot bicause this mightie creature hath so long and so thicke a skin Moreouer th'Hebrues of the whole kinde of fishes speake commonly as if they were of another world bicause they are so farre parted and seuered from the sight and conuersation of men they make thrée sorts of them which they expresse by the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dagh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thannim and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leuiathan This haue I added the more to shew the liuelihood and naturall importance of this toong and héerewith I will content my selfe at this time desiring that some other stirred vp by my example would take this matter in hand and discourse of it better and more at large 14 For when Adam Moses saith plainly in the 19. and 20. verses of the second Chapter of Genesis That God made all the beasts of the fielde and foules of the heauen come before Adam to sée how he would name them and that howsoeuer he named euery thing liuing so was the name thereof The Man therefore gaue names vnto all Cattaile and to the Foules of heauen and to euery Beast of the field The wisedome wherewith our first father was endued before his fall importeth thus much that he should giue méete and couenable names vnto all creatures vnder his dominion although the knowledge and search of birds and beasts names be hard bicause of the weaknes of mans iudgement now since his fall yet is it not vnpossible as men wel séene in the Hebrue toong haue alreadie shewed 15 15 And for each Bodie Adam a man parfitly wise before he sinned gaue not onely méete names to all creatures that were in a maner the moouables and instruments of his house and of this great shop of the world whereof the Lord had made him master but further enriched his language with all maner of ornaments that might be required to make it parfit So that before his fall he spake more eloquently than any mortall man since After he had sinned entred ignorance into his vnderstanding and frowardnes into his affections which haue made the spéech of him and his posteritie vnfitting vnparfit deceiuable and often false euen in humane and indifferent things yea such sometime as we most curiouslie studie vpon But the grace of God the long life of this Patriarch and his fresh remembrance of the woondrous things that he had séene in the Garden of Eden haue brought to passe doubtlesse that the conuersation instruction reports and authoritie of so great a personage had a maruellous force to perswade and teach all those that were in his schoole For from him had we first our Arts Sciences deriued especially the knowledge of the true God And although since his time the things haue béene more and more illightened and parfited yet must we néedes confesse that Adam was the first teacher of them Who so desireth to know the depth of his wisedome let him at his leysure meditate vpon the foure first Chapters of Genesis and he will confesse there is contained the summe of all that all men haue knowne or shall vnto the worlds end Now out of all doubt it is that Adam taught his children and their posteritie all these things exactly But Moses by the direction of the spirit of God thought it sufficient to represent onely the grounde of things otherwise the world neither had nor would euer be able to containe the bookes that might be made vpon these foure first Chapters 16 This toong that Adam spoke The first world continued 1656. yéeres Adam liued 930. yéeres his posteritie kept his language and although they possessed with their tents and dwellings a large péece of ground yet is there no place of Scripture to be found whereout may be gathered any proofe of the diuersitie of toongs before the flood There being then but one it must néedes be the same that Adam taught his children as may also appéere by this that all proper names vntill the flood are Hebrue Noe the true sonne of Adam retained and spoke this toong and taught it his children And although thrée or foure score yéeres before the flood they began to spread abroade themselues and corruption grew more and more among them as by that may be gathered that is written of Nimrod and Asshur and the children of Cham Genesis the 10. yet in the beginning of the eleuenth Chapter Moses witnesseth that at what time they that came to dwell in the plaine of Sennaar spake of building the
so luckie hand begun he determineth by the grace of God to follow foorth so excellent a worke and in a second wéeke to set out the state of the world from Adam to the latter day adioyning thereunto euen a liuely descriptiō of th' euerlasting Saboth so now he giueth vs the two first daies to each of them allotting foure bookes The first day may be called Adam and representeth the state of the first man before and after the fall euen to his death and of his posteritie to the flood The second day may be called Noe and containeth the state of the world after the flood to the time of Abraham so that here we haue a learned and holy paraphrase vpon a part of the first booke of Moses to wit from the middle of the second chapter of Genesis vnto th' end of th' eleuenth his stile is enriched with all maner of beauties and graces méete for a poeme perfect and worthie to be honored of all men of good iudgement so much of the worke in generall Foure books of the first day Now let vs sée what the bookes of these two first daies containe in particular After his méete prefaces and entrance proper to his matter he placeth the first man in the garden of Eden painteth out the garden 1. Eden answereth diuers questions commonly thereabout arising as of the trée of life and th'excellencie therof likewise of the trée of knowledge of good and euill and here he sheweth what was the knowledge of man before sinne wherefore he was placed in Paradise what was his exercise there what was his happines before the fall as namely that he had familiar communication with God whereunto is properly adioyned the discourse of Visions traunces and Reuelations this done he toucheth the commandement of GOD to Adam concerning the forbidden fruit the promise of our first father the great pleasures he enioied so long as he continued obedient vpon this occasion he describeth poynt deuise the beauties of this garden yet with such a stay of himselfe that he cutteth off many curious demaunds and hauing answered certaine obiections endeth his first booke In the beginning of the second he setteth downe th' enuie and drift of the diuel against man 2. L'imposture why he tempted outwardly what moued him to take a body rather than present himselfe the bodie of a serpent rather than to change himselfe into an Angell of light Hereout are handled opinions diuers the conclusion of all is this that the serpent was the diuels instrument to misleade our first mother This draweth the Poet to speake of the power of Satan So he returning to his former intent discouereth all the wiles and assaults of th' enimie how he brought Eue to destruction and Adam by meanes of hir whence haue ensued effects most gréeuous to behold These miserable sinners examined charged with sinne and condemned therefore as well by remorse of their owne conscience as by the fearful voice of their creator who pronounceth doome against the serpent and them Wherunto is added a sound and full answere to all such wicked and profane spirits as murmur against the fall of Man as it is set downe in holy scripture to shut vp the booke Adam and Eue are chased out of Paradise and an Angell with a firie sword there placed to kéepe them out Now the better to set forth the miserie of man 3. Furies and the confusions which sinne hath brought in among vs the Poet hauing in the beginning of his third booke mentioned againe and set before our eies the blessed estate of the whole world and the perfect vnion that was among all creatures before the backsliding of Adam the cause as he sheweth by diuers examples of all their disunion he mustereth and leadeth forth an armie of all other creatures to war against man then comming to the euils that afflict this poore guiltie creature both within and without he bringeth in the furies called out of hell to come and torment mankind These then are the plagues wherewith they chastise the bodie to wit famine war infinite sort of diseases whereof the chiefe are named and ranged into foure squadrons The first laieth siege to the head the second encountreth the chiefe instruments of life the third assaulteth the naturall powers the fourth setteth on the outward parts of Man They are distinguished againe into maladies particularly belonging vnto certaine peoples and climats proper to the seuerall ages of man speciall to diuers seasons of the yéere contagious hereditarie new obstinate and vncurable To increase the more this heape of miserie he proueth that beasts are in this regard in better case than man Then entreth into consideration of the most dangerous diseases of all which are those of the mind and namely foure principall kindes which vnder them containe all other sadnes ioy feare and fond desire these with their traine and effects are without comparison more to be feared than all the most cruell diseases of the body as by fit examples is proued and so the Poet concludeth with an holy wish and profitable exhortation to the Frenchmen 4. Artifices Hereupon hauing in the entrie of the fourth booke saluted peace and shewed the commodities thereof he falleth fitly to his purpose and decifereth vnto vs the miserable estate of Adam and Eue being now foorth of the garden what hard shift they made to liue whereon they fed how they were clothed and what paines Eue tooke to weaue a garment for hir husband their furniture against the cold their place of abode and first buildings the inuention of fire the beginning of housholds and how the land was peopled the exercise of Caine and Abel their sacrifices the wicked mind of Caine who slue his brother and after thinking somewhat to ease his soule of the gnawing torments of conscience built a towne and began to ride horses which the Poet handleth in kinde and from thence falleth into discourse of th' inuention and vse of Iron and instruments of Musick But as Caine and his followers busie themselues with affaires of the worlde meane-while Adam and his true children take after godlines and iustice and search out the sacrets of nature Among other Seth is supposed to aske his father concerning th' estate of the worlde from the beginning vnto th' end which Adam excusing himself at first refuseth to do but suddenly mooued with the holie spirit héere distinguished from the furies of men possessed of the diuell he speaketh of all the worlds ages and sheweth what shall befall euen to the flood the discourse and consideration whereof ouercommeth his hart with griefe depriueth him of spéech and endeth the fourth booke and so by consequent the first daies historie Foure bookes of the second day 1. L' Arche Beginning the first booke of the second day with a new inuocation he entreth into th' Arch recounteth the holie exercises of Noe which Cham gainsaieth and diuers waies striueth against the prouidence of
any good counsell for the commonwealth they care not which end thereof go forward but all their care and counsell is for their priuate gaine which serues to no better vse than to intice and draw them on daily to carelesse and wicked liuing Further yet so far is he from regarding or placing néere about him men of worth and good qualities that on the contrary to the imitation of Tarquinius surnamed the proud whose storie Liuie writeth in the first booke of his second Decade concerning the Poppie heads that he broke downe with his staffe to teach his sonne by a domb shew that he should rid out of the way al the péeres of the citie and forsake as another saith fifty frogs to catch one Sammon he breaketh downe the highest eares of corne that is he causeth al those to be put to death that might any wayes hinder his wicked intents What should I say more Such a cursed creature without God without conscience woorse than any wilde beast spareth neither kiffe nor kin but either by sword or poison maketh away the very néerest of all his blood that he may raigne alone if it were possible But notwithstanding the many bands of his guard he standeth in feare of euery man and is despised mocked and detested of all For why Besides that is aforesaid he glorieth and taketh delight to deuise new subsidies imposts and tributes whereby the comminaltie may be impouerished and held in bondage and so in stéede of Homers people-féeder he becommeth a people-eater Of this image of a Tyrant there are examples aboue number found both in ancient late writers of Church histories and others So I returne to the Poet. Nimrods first studie and exercise to get the soueraigntie of the people furthered by nature 3. Nimrod scarce yet in age to twelue yeeres did arise But ouer all his peeres he sets to tyrannise He ouergrowes them all and of his might future The ground-worke planteth he vpon so good Augure And bearing in his hand in steed of scepters reedes Among the shepheard-swaines begins his prentise-deedes Then knowing that the man whose courage doth aspire Vnto the deemed blisse of an awfull empire Must passe in braue exploits the doltish vulgar sort Or else by seeming good obtaine a good report He passed not the night drown'd in a feather bed Nor yet the day in shade but yoong accustomed Himselfe to good and ill making ambitiously His boulster of a rocke his curtaines of the skie Sweate is his sweet delight his games are bow and arrowes His Ganimeads the lists his haukes the little sparrowes His most delicious meat the flesh of tender kid Which trembleth yet and scarce is from the skin vnhid Somtime he sports himselfe to conquer with one breth The continuance of his labours to obtaine the peoples fauour Some craggie rocks asscent that ouer-peeres the heath Or else some raging flood against the streame diuide That swolne with raine hath drou'n a hundred brigs aside And with a bounding course vnbrid'led gallops fast All ouerthwart the stones in some strait vallie cast Or else after his cast to catch againe his dart Or in plaine field on foote to take the Hinde or Hart. But now once ouerpast twenty fiue yeeres of age And feeling with high minde his sinewes and courage Worthie a fiercer Mars if he know any where A Lion a Leopard a Tigre or a Beare He fearlesse sets thereon kils conquereth and foiles And plants in highest place of those the bloodie spoiles The people then that see by his hands martiall frayes From those boot-hailers wilde each-where set free the wayes The fearfull cattels heardes and all the waste forests Rid of their hideous cries loues this tamer of beasts This chase-ill Hercules and shewes him speciall fauour And cals him euermore their father and their sauiour Nimrod now by the haire hand-fasting this good fortune He leaueth his former chase for a better pray And striking th' iron hot doth flatter presse importune Somtime some somtime others and hasting to his blisse Before that hunted beasts now of men hunter is For as he did imploy in his hunting before The grins hare-pipes and traps and all the limie store And further at his need against the most haggarts The heauie clubs the shafts the sharpe swords and the darts So some mens harts he gaines by faire hopes closely stealing Others he wins by gifts and others by hard dealing And breaking furiously the bonds of equitie Of that respringing world vsurpes the Royaltie Whereas in time before the chiefe of each houshold The same did rule apart nor did the yoong-man bold Boyst'rous ambitious vpon a wanton braue His sickle thrust as now in haruest of the graue 3. Nimrod scarce yet The posteritie of Noe being much increased as Moses reckoneth in the 10. chapter of Genesis they began to spread abroad and take seuerall habitations but not farre one from another so soone after the flood Among other the sonnes of Cham is numbred Cus the father of Nimrod of whom the historie maketh mention that he began to be great on the earth and was a mightie hunter before the almightie and that the beginning of his raigne was Babel Erech Archad and Calneh in the land of Sennaar Vpon this place are giuen two diuers expositions The first is of some that hold that Nimrod was the first after the flood that gaue any méete fourme of publike gouernment and by the consent of many families considering his wisedome and valour was accepted for maister and gouernour to rule and order many housholds togither by reason whereof say they he is called a strong hunter before the Lord and namely for that he repressed by maine force the wicked and vnruly who like sauage beasts praied vpon the life of man But the greater part of Expositors take this otherwise and hold that Nimrod by force and diuers subtilties here finely set downe by the Poet got the supremacie and that this power ascribed vnto him was not truely Royall and lawfull but a power vsurped by force a hunters power wherewith he surprised men and raigning ouer them cruelly handled them as if they were beasts yea and that before the Lord which is as much to say as in despite of God who had established a gentle rule and gouernment among the families This second exposition is the more certaine whether we consider the race of Nimrod or the proper meaning and sequele of the words of the text or the buildings of Nimrod or what successe his proud attempt had The Poet relying on this opinion hath further followed in the description of the youth and exercises of this first Tyrant that was in the second world such things as were likely to be and that with such a grace as in a discourse is requisite that out of the holie Scripture hath so narrow foundation and in other bookes is with many fables and names vncertaine darkened 4 Now he enthroned is The tyrannous gouerment of
and after vntill the building of Babel The Poet answereth it was the language of God himselfe Héereupon ariseth two opinions The first is of those that to honour their countrey after the example of some ancient Heathens would make vs beléeue they are sprung of the earth or fallen from the Moone and thinke their spéech the most excellent of all other The Egyptians and Phrygians haue long sithence debated this matter as shall be said more at large in the next Section A fewe yéeres ago a Phisition of Brabant named I. Goropius set foorth a great booke entituled Origines Antuerpianae wherin he aymeth especially at this marke to prooue the Cymbrike toong which in his opinion is the base Almaine to be the first spéech of the world Since his death a certaine writer of Liege hath set out many other bookes of his about the same matter and in one of them that is called Hermathena this Cymbrike toong or lowe Dutch is preferred farre aboue the Romaine Gréeke and Hebrue It asketh a long discourse to answere his reasons for this time I will answere but in a worde Namely that all that which he alledgeth for the preheminence of his owne toong is a méere cauill that is called in the Schooles Petitio principij when a Sophyster taketh for granted that which is expresly denied him and he knowes not how to proue Goropius groundeth al his discourse on this that the Cymbrike toong hath borrowed nothing of any other and that the Hebrue is comen of it and euen borroweth of the Cymbrike This a man will denie Goropius and his disciples and whereas they shewe some Hebrue words or Phrases that resemble the words and termes of the base Almaine and so conclude that Adam spake low Dutch and that the language of Moses and the Prophets is hard ambiguous poore and borrowed of the Cymbrike which they were not well able to follow I answere that they are deceiued and that on the contrarie they ought to saie the Hebrue was afore all other toongs who were begun in Babel and haue sithence brought foorth infinite others as the high and low Dutch and other like now vsed in the world I woulde the learned professours of principall toongs woulde finde some time to refute th'allegations of Goropius Especially those that make against the Hebrue which he hath too saucily 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 toong inclosed chiefly in the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament which haue béene woonderfully preserued vntill our time is the first spéech 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 thereof are touched in a worde by the Poet who doth hereafter treat of them more at large as we haue also noted in the margent meane to speake somewhat thereof in the 12. Annotation Now whereas this first language hath at this day no letter nor worde but is full of maimes and myseries it may be saide of euery toong since the confusion that it is nothing but corrupt iangling weake vncertaine and changing euer from time to time as many haue already shewed heretofore The Gréeke and Latine toongs haue changed fiue or sixe times and the learned know what wrangling there hath béene about the writing pronouncing and disposing of their termes phrases Then what is to be said of the Gréekish and Latinish toongs those that are but apes of the other What of the barbarous strange and new toongs or of those whose foolish pronunciation onely no man can abide or of others that by vse time and force of people are waxen currant but this I leaue to such as list to comment héereupon at large 10. Long since the Phrygians The Egyptians being euer great braggers vaunted long ago 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 méete 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 noursed commanding they should be brought vp in a secret staule there to sucke the milke of goates 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 two yéeres olde 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 therof who caused the children to be brought secretly vnto him and heard them speake So when the meaning of the word was asked and th' Egyptians vnderstood it signified bread in the Phrygian toong they graunted 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 dombe nourses 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 goate must néedes crie somthing like a goate and such was the sound of the word Bec a méete reward for his wisedome that made such a triall The Grecians in old time were woont to call an old dotard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word composed of Bec and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the moone the same is turned into a prouerbe which Erasmus expoundeth But Goropius in the 5. and 9. booke of his Origines plaieth the subtill Sophister as his maner 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 ago they spoke lowe Dutch whereupon it followeth that his toong is the most ancient of the world He calleth also his discourses vpon the same Becceselanea 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 11. O fooles that little thought The first answere is that this word Bec that the children spoke was a cōfused sound comming néere the crie of goates And how could they aske bread séeing that they vnderstood it not neuer heard it spoken by any bodie neuer heard the meaning of it The second is that words are not borne with vs but that we learne them by haunt long vsage If they were borne with vs doubtles these infants would haue spoken as well other words for the vnderstanding being mooued the belly pinched with hunger would not content it selfe to expresse his passion in one syllable The third is
that men are onely the right and proper speakers yet if they be not taught it and thereto fashioned but are brought vp among beasts in stead of a right framed spéech they shall make but a sound and crie confused like vnto beasts In a word I take this discourse of Herodotus touching the two infants and their Bec to be but a tale made vpon pleasure and a very heard-say and there against I oppose the antiquitie of the Hebrue toong Yet if I were bound to beléeue Herodotus I would say the Phrygians Bec was drawen from the Hebrues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lechem The disciples of Goropius will confesse that the Phrygians are come from the successours of Noe so can it not séeme strange vnto them that I say the Phrygians retaining some tokens of their grandfathers language haue like infinite others lengthened and shortened the most part of the words some whereof yet remaine whole to witnes the antiquitie and principalitie of the Hebrue toong After this the Poet answereth those that build vpon the vnframed noise of beasts the chirping and chattering of birdes and the babling of Parrets to prooue the birth of spéech with vs and cast a cloud ouer that perfection he graunted onely to the first language and so he saith that man onely endued with reason is the onely creature on earth capable of distinct ordered important and proper spéech and further speaketh many seuerall toongs whereof he bringeth in for example the learned Scaliger Hence it ensueth that a man cannot learne to speake if he be brought vp among beasts that haue no reason whereby to deserue the name of a spéech or to vse the same aright or if he be brought vp with such as are dombe of whom he can learne nothing but signes confused sounds he will neuer speake treatably nor vnderstande any thing except another do speake first vnto him and make him vnderstande the spéech with often repeating As appéereth not onely in yoong children but in the oldest men also who learne as long as they liue the words and names of those very things which they haue oftentimes séene before It followeth then that all the discourse of the Phrygians Bec is a deuised tale therefore vnwoorthy for them to buyld vpon that go about to prooue the Phrygian toong or theirs that would draw their pedegrée from the Phrygians to be the first language of the world Another man may finde in his owne toong a many like words and drawe thence as good conclusions as Goropius doth But a strange thing it is that the heathen authors haue said nothing nor made any mention in their bookes of the beginnings and occasions of diuersitie of toongs 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 onely hath set vs downe this notable historie opened vnto the Heathen the spring of their toongs And this further is to be woondered at in the historie of Babel that the Hebrue toong 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 toongs and ministerie of the Apostles ouerspread al the parts of the world Thus Moses handling the beginning of toongs prooueth his historie to haue long fore-gone all others and therewithall engraueth vpon the gates and wals of the citie and Tower of Babel a godly warning to all men to flie and auoide Atheisme and all vain-glorious follie which buildeth Towers against heauen and rebelleth against God who suffereth the wicked to aduaunce and hoyse vp themselues the space of some fewe monthes or yéeres to the end he may giue them a fearfull ouerthrow at length What woulde the presumption of man haue done saith Saint Augustine when algate the top of this Tower had raught vnto the cloudes It is humilitie that lifteth vp the hart on high to the Lorde not against the Lord shée it is that leadeth vs the true right and sure way to heauen These fewe words I thought good to adde vnto the rest bicause the proud aspiring mind of man can not be sufficiently discouered nor to much cried out on Wheras these builders busily forecast in their minde and laboured to make themselues renowmed among their posteritie thought men of some woorth let vs remember that the true praise consisteth not in works of goodly outward shew but in such as are good indéede and approoued of God So let vs returne to the text of the Poet who hauing touched in a worde the beginning of toongs and refuted some contrarie obiections sheweth now which of all the toongs that haue béene are or shall be in the world ought to be accounted the chiefe and most auncient and whereof a man may truly say it is the most excellent of all other Now when I duly way how 12 th' Ebrue toong doth shew The Hebrue toong most ancient And readily expresse in words a very few Most combersome conceits and through each secret plight Of reasons laberynth affoords the Reader light Much better than the Greeke with hir Synonymons The first reason Hit lofty Metaphors hir bould Epithetons Hir compounding of words hir tenses and hir cases And of so great request a thousand other graces When I consider well how that the schoole Rabine The second reason Findes in the letter-row of that language diuine All we beleeue with hart all that with eie we see And that within the law all Arts comprised be Be it that with much ado one curiously assaies The letters of each word to turne a hundred waies For in Arithmetike as cyphers changing roome Doth either much enhaunse or much abate the somme So th' Anagramme straight knits or else vndoth the grace Of words whose letters take right enterchange of place Or beit to put togither thou rightly do deuise The numbers mysticall that from the letters rise Of some one Hebrue word and vnder that one name Another findest hid in number like the same Or that some word is know'n by some one element Or by some onely word a parfit speech is ment As in an Embleme short th' Egyptian silence Was mystically woont to presse a long sentnce When I consider well that from th' East-Indian sand Vnto the flaming mount that borders Ireland the third reason From cold Tartarian seas to schorched Tambuts shore Thou Sunne no people see'st so voide of gentle lore No men so ignorant of Gods most holy law But they retaine as yet some words of Hebrue Saw And but their letters do though out of order set Come neere the holy names of Moses Alphabet The fourth reason When with my selfe I way the sacred counterpawn Of Gods old Testament was in those letters draw'n That VRIM that the DREAME and
the Hebrue Latine and Gréeke had all these maintaining meanes whereby they haue continued so long and spred so far abroad So beginneth he cunningly to make his passage from words and phrases vnto entire languages the better to come at length to that excellent discourse that followeth in the next Section vpon all the principall toongs now spoken or knowen in the world As for the Hebrue besides the perfections aboue mentioned he saith in it God hath reuealed his will and that it is the originall of the diuine Law both of great force to make the toong farre knowne and continue long it had further the Art and knowledge of high Priests and Prophets the wisedome and state of Salomon was a long time vsed and accustomed to be spoke in the famous cōmonwelth of the Iewes But these bicause they belong not vnto that toong onely but as well to the other two the Poet here leaueth out The Gréeke he saith in hir bookes containeth at large all the liberall Sciences a great cause and most proper to the Gréeke the rest as common to the others are let passe The Latine more graue forcible than the Gréeke that was a more neat and wanton toong was aduanced and continued in request by the Romanes force of armes whose Empire was the greatest and most warlike of all the rest and therfore is this cause héere onely mentioned as most proper to the Latine toong and the rest omitted These thrée toongs do at this day farre surpasse all others but vngodlinesse and contempt of the true Diuinitie is cause why the Hebrue is not estéemed as it deserueth the more is it regarded of thē that know it As for the Gréeke that which is now commonly spoken is very grosse The pure and good Gréeke is contained within the bookes of Plato Aristotle Zenophon Demosthenes Isocrates Homer Euripides Sophocles Plutarch Basil Nasianzen Chrysostome and many others The Latine after some ignorant and vnlearned men had greatly embased it was restned and set on foote againe within these foure-score yéeres at what time there flourished many great and learned personages in Europe as Melancthon Erasmus Picus Myrand and others but they come short of that grace and liuelihood that the ancient Latine writers haue Cicero Caesar Liuie Virgill Horace and a number of others wel enough knowne of whom as also of the most excellent authors in other toongs the Poet here goes about to entreat The Poets takes breath to enter afresh into the next discourse where by way of a Vision he cunningly describeth the principall toongs with their best authors 20 Tracing these latter lines halfe tyred as I were With this entising paine of heau'nly Pallas Lere Still now and then I strike my chin vpon my brest And softly both mine eies begin to close to rest Moist with Ambrosian dew knit is my senses band And fairely slides my pen foorth of my fainting hand Vpon my flattring couch I spread my selfe againe And plunge in Lethe-streame all troubles of my braine There drowne I all my cares saue one that with no traunce Is discontinued to please and profit Fraunce The sacred Forge of Loue that me enflamed keepes Will not let sleepe my soule although my body sleepes 21 And golden-winged Dreame rising in th'Easterne shore Foorth at his Christ all gate a little while before The Day-gate opened into a Valley faire Me led fantasticall where day and nights fresh aire The north windes the south the drought th'Ises mother The faire daies and the foule came not one after other There May did alway raigne and Zephirus bedight With Rosie coronets blew nicely day and night A woods soft-rustling boughes that blossoms sweet did yeeld A description of the seat image of eloquence And Oualwise bewall'd the flowr-embroidred field 22 Iust in the midst of all this Ammel-blooming glade Raisd was a mightie Rocke in footstall maner made Vpon the top thereof a brasfe Colosse did stand That in the left hand held a flaming fierbrand An Ewer in the right out from hir golden toong A thousand little chaines all ore the medow sprong That worlds of hearers drew fine wrought by subtill art Some linked by the eares and some fast by the Hart. The Boare lay at hir feete nor foming nor enraged There slept the Tigre charm'd Beares their fume asswaged The neighbour Hillocks leapt the Woods reioiced round Eu'n daunsing as it were at hir sweete voices sound A double circled row of pillers high and dight By cunning workmans hand after the Carian right With bases vnderpinn'd for their more sure foundation Beset this rauishing Image of sweete Oration And foure by foure bore vp amid them one language Of those that flourish most in this our learned age 23 Among the blessed wits 6. The Hebrue to whom heau'n gaue the grace That they should vnderprop the Hebrue in this place The man whose face did shine like to a blasing starre Heau'n-decking fraying-men that for a Scepter barre A scare yet budding rod and in his fingers hent The ten-fold register of Gods Commandement He guideth Israel he left authoritie First both of prose and verse to his posteritie Such holy writings as not onely long fore-run The writings of the Greekes but all that they haue done The second Dauid is whose touch right cunningly Combined with his voice drawes downe sweete harmony From th'organized heau'ns on Harpe that still shall sound As long as daies great star shall ore our heads go round Nay farther who can tell after these heau'nly Lights Their Measures ended haue but that the blessed Sprights Christs holy champions at sound of his accords Shall daunce in honor of th' Almightie Lord of Lords When many legions of Angels winged ghosts Shall sing holy holy holy Lord God of hosts The third is Salomon whose goodly monuments Are wisely powdred with more store of documents And golden sentences than doth his diademe With Diamondes and Pearles and firy Rubies beame The fourth is Amos sonne that hath the Graces all Deuout and full of threats graue and Rhetoricall 2. The Greeke 24 The Greeke Homer vpholds that sweetely versifies Whose learned Schoole brought foorth a many companies Of old Philosophers that made his cunning plea The world to ouerflow like some great Ocean sea And Plato all Diuine who like the Bird we call The Bird of Paradise soyles not himselfe at all With earth or waters touch but more than Hels descent Surmounted is by Heau'n surmounts the firmament And smooth Herodotus and he of pleaders Arts The Law Demosthenes gold-mouthed king of harts 3. The Latine 25 Then he of Anthony and Catiline great foe That lightneth and thundreth from whose brest doth flow A thousand streaming floods wherin the rarest wits Daily torment themselues surpris'd with maruaile-fits And Caesar that can do aswell as he can plead And Salust full of force and he that Troy doth lead Againe to Tybers banks a writer sent from heau'n That