part of Afrique adioyning to Aegypt was full of Greeke Citties These were the places where the Greeke tongue was natiuely and vulgarly spoken Hieroniâ— Loco supra citato either originally or by reason of Colonies But yet for other causes it became much more large and generall One was the loue of Philosophie and the liberall arts written in a manner onely in Greeke Another the exceeding great trade and traffique of Grecians in which aboue all nations except perhaps the old Phenicians to whom yet they seeme not to haue beene inferior they imployed themselues A third beyond all these because those great Princes among whom al that Alexander the Great had conquered was diuided were Grecians which for manie reasons could not but exceedingly spreade the Greeke tongue in all those parts where they were Gouernors among whom euen one alone Seleucus by name is registred by Appian to haue founded in the East parts vnder his gouernement Appian L. de Belâ—s Syriac at least 60 Citties al of them carrying Greeke names or else named after his father his wiues or himselfe And yet was there a fourth cause that in the after time greatly furthered this inlargement of the Greeke tongue namely the imployment of Grecians in the gouerment of the prouinces after the translation of the Imperiall seate to Constantinople For these causes I say together with the mixture of Greeke Colonies dispersed in many places in which fruitfulnesse of Colonies the Grecians far passed the Romanes the Greeke tongue spred very farre especially towards the East In so much that all the Orient which yet must be vnderstoode with limitation namely the Orientall part of the Romane Empire or to speake in the phrase of those times the dioces of the Orient which contained Syria Palestine Cilicia and part of Mesopotaneia and of Arabia is said by Hierome Hieror bisuper to haue spoken Greeke which also Isidore specially obserueth in Aegypt and Syria to haue beene the Dorique dialect Iâ—â—dor Origin L. 9 C. 1. And this great glory the Greeke tongue held in the Apostles time and long after in the Easterne parts till by the inundation of the Saracens of Arabia it came to ruine in those prouinces about 640 yeares after the birth of our Sauiour namely in the time of the Emperour Heraclius the Arabians bringing in their language together with their victories into all the regions they subdued euen as the Latine tongue is supposed to haue perished by the inundation and mixture of the Gothes and other barbarous nations in the West Of the Decaying of the ancient Greeke tongue and of the present vulgar Greeke CHAP. 2. BVt at this day the Greeke tongue is very much decayed not onely as touching the largenesse and vulgarnesse of it but also in the purenesse and elegancy of the language For as touching the former First in Italie Fraunce and other places to the West the naturall languages of the countries haue vsurped vpon it Secondly in the skirts of Greece it selfe namely in Epirus and that part of Macedon that lieth towards the Adriatique sea the Sclauonique tongue hath extinguished it Thirdly in Anatolia the Turkish tongue hath for a great part suppressed it And Lastly in the more Eastward and South parts as in that part of Cilicia that is beyond the riuer Piramus in Siria Palestine Aegypt and Libia the Arabian tongue hath abolished it Abolished it I say namely as touching any vulgar vse for as touching Ecclesiasticall vse many Christians of those parts still retaine it in their Leiturgies So that the parts in which the Greeke tongue is spoken at this day are in few words but these First Greece it selfe excepting Epirus and the West part of Macedon Secondly the Isles of the Aegaean sea Thirdly Candie the Isles Eastward of Candie along the coast of Asia to Cyprus although in Cyprus diuers other languages are spoken beside the Greeke and likewise the Isles Westward of Candia along the Coastes of Greece and Epirus to Corfu And Lastly a good part of Anatolia But as I said the Greeke tongue is not onely thus restrained in comparison of the ancient extention that it had but it is also much degenerated and impaired as touching the purenesse of speech being ouergrowne with barbarousnesse But yet not without some rellish of the ancient elegancie Neither is it altogether so much declined from the antient Greeke Bellon Obseruat L. 1. c. 3 Turcogroec L. 3. 5. as the Italian is departed from the Latine as Bellonius hath also obserued and by conferring of diuers Epistles of the present language which you may finde in Crusius his Turcograecia with the ancient tongue may be put out of question which corruption yet certainely hath not befallen that language through any inundation of barbarous people as is supposed to haue altered the Latine tongue for although I know Greece to haue beene ouerrunne wasted by the Gothes yet I finde not in histories any remembrance of their habitation or long continuance in Greece of their coalition into one people with the Grecians without which I conceaue not how the tongue could be greatly altered by them And yet certaine it is that long before the Turkes came among them their language was growne to the corruption wherein now it is for that in the writings of Cedrenus Nicetas and some other late Greekes although long before the Turkes inuasion there is found notwithstanding they were learned men a strong rellish of this barbarousnesse Insomuch that the learned Grecians themselues Geâ—â—ach in epist ad Crusiâ—m TurcoGraeâ— L. 7. pag. 489. acknowledge it to bee very ancient and are vtterly ignorant when it began in their language which is to me a certaine argument that it had no violent nor sodaine beginning by the mixture of other forrain nations among theÌ„ but hath gotten into their language by the ordinarie change which time and many common occasions that attend on time are wont to bring to all languages in the world for which reason the corruption of speech growing vpon them by little and little the change hath beene vnsensible Yet it cannot be denied and * â— Zygomalos in Epist. ad Cius Turcog pag. some of the Grecians themselues confesse so much that beside many Romane words which from the translation of the imperiall seate to Constantinople began to creepe into their language as we may obserue in diuers Greeke writers of good antiquitie some Italian words also and Slauonian and Arabique and Turkish and of other nations are gotten into their language by reason of the great traffique and commerce which those people exercise with the Grecians For which cause as Bellonius hath obserued Belloâ— Obseruat L. 1. C 3. it is more altered in the maritime parts and such other places of foraigne concourse then in the inner region But yet the greatest part of the corruption of that language hath beene bred at home and proceeded from no other cause then their owne
and perfect coalition into one with the Italian people yet certainly the Italian tongue was more ancient then so for besides that there remains yet to be seen as mē * Lips de Pronuntiat Ling. lat cap. 3. Merul. par 2. Cosmogr l. 4. c. 18. worthie of credit report in the K. of Fraunce his Librarie at Paris an Instrument written in the Italian tongue in the time of Iustinian the first which was before the comming of the Langbards into Italie another euidence more vulgar to this effect is to be found in Paulus Diaconus his miscellane history Paul Diacon hist. Miscel. l. 17. longe ante med where we read that in the Emperour Mauritius his time about the yeare 590 when the Langbards had indeed entred and wasted Gallia Cisalpina but had not inuaded the Roman dition in Italie that by the acclamation of the word Torna Torna plaine Italian which a Roman souldier spake to one of his fellowes afore whose beast had ouerturned his burthen the whole armie marching in the darke began to crie out torna torna and so fell to flying away But the French tongue if that afore mentioned were the cause of it began a little before in the time of Valentinian the 3 when in a maner all the West part of the Empire fell away and among the rest our Country of England being first forsaken of the Romans themselues by reason of grieuous warres at their owne doores and not long after conquered and possessed by the Saxons whose posteritie for the most part we are namely about the yeare 450 Fraunce being then subdued and peaceably possessed by the Franks and Burgundions nations of Germanie the Burgundions occupying the Eastward and outward parts of it toward the riuer of Rhene and the Franks all the inner region For although Fraunce before that had beene inuaded by the Wandali Sueui and Alani and after by the Gothes who hauing obtained Aquitayn for their seate and habitation by the grant of the Emperor Honorius expelled the former into Spaine about An. 410 yet notwithstanding till the Conquest made by the Franks and Burgundions it was not generally nor for any long time mingled with strangers which after that Conquest beganne to spread ouer Fraunce and to become natiue Inhabitants of the Country But of all the Spanish tongue for this cause must necessarilie be most ancient for the Wandali Alani being expelled Fraunce about the yeare 410 began then to inuade and to inhabite Spaine which they held possessed many yeares till the Gothes being expelled by the Franks and Burgundians out of France into Spaine expelled them out of Spaine into Afrique the Barbarous nations thus like nailes driuing out one another and not onely them but with them all the remnants of the Roman garrisons and gouernment and so becomming the entier Lords and quiet possessours of all the Country from whom also the Kings of Spaine that now are be descended Notwithstanding euen they also within lesse then 300 yeares after were driuen by the Saracens of Afrique into the northerne and mountainous parts of Spaine namely Asturia Biscay and Guipuscoa till after a long course of time by little and little they recouered it out of their hands againe which was at last fully accomplished by Ferdinand not past 120 yeares ago there hauing passed in the meane time from the Mores first entrance of Spaine at Gibraltar till their laft possession in Granada about 770 yeares Whereby you may see also when the Romane tongue began to degenerate in Afrique if that also as is supposed spake vulgarly the Latine tongue and if the mixture of barbarous people were cause of the decay corruption of it namely about the yeare 430 for about that time the Wandali and Alani partly wearied with the Gottish warre in Spaine and partly inuited by the Gouernour Bonifacius entred Afrique vnder the leading of Gensericus a part whereof for a time they held quietly for the Emperour Valentinianus guift But shortly after in the same Emperours time when all the West Prouinces in a maner fell vtterly away from the Empire they also tooke Carthage and all the Pronince about it from the Romanes And although the dominion of Afrique was regained by Bellisarius to the Empire almost 100 yeares after in Iustinians time yet in the time of the Emperour Leontius almost 700 yeares after our Sauiours birth it was lost againe being anew conquered and possessed by the Sarracens of Arabia and to this day remaineth in their hands bringing together with their victories the language also and religion Mahumetanisme into all that coast of Afrique euen from Aegypt to the Strait of Gibraltar aboue 2000 miles in length About which time also namely during the gouernment of Valentinian the 3. Bulgaria Seruia Boscina Hungarie Austria Stiria Carinthia Bauaria and Sueuia that is all the North-border of the Empire along the riuer Danubius and some part of Thrace was spoiled and possessed by the Hunnes who yet principally planted themselues in the Lower Pannonia whence it obtained the name of Hungarie Out of which discourse you may obserue these two points First what the Countries were in which those wandring and warring nations after many transmigrations from place to place fixed at last their finall residence and habitation Namely the Hunnes in Pannonia the Wandales in Afrique the East Gothes and Langbards in Italie the West Gothes in Aquitaine and Spaine which being both originally but one Nation gained these names of East and West Gothes from the position of these Countries which they conquered and inhabited the other barbarous nations of obscurer names being partly consumed with the warre and partly passing into the more famous appellations And Secondly you may obserue that the maine dissolution of the Empire especially in Europe and Afrique fell in the time of Valentinian the third about the yeare 450. being caused by the barbarous nations of the North as after did the like dissolution of the same Empire in Asia by the Arabians in the time of Heraclius about the yeare 640 and together with the ruine of the Empire in the West by the inundation of the foresaid barbarous Natitions the Latine tongue in all the Countries where it was vulgarly spoken if it were rightly spoken any where in the West became corrupted Wherefore if the Spanish French and Italian tongues proceeded from this cause as a great number of learned men suppose they did you see what the antiquity of them is But to deliuer plainly my opinion hauing searched as farre as I could into the originals of those languages and hauing pondered what in my reading and in my reason I found touching them I am of another minde as some learned men also are namely that all those tongues are more auncient and haue not sprung from the corruption of the Latine tongue by the inundation and mixture of barbarous people in these prouinces but from the first vnperfect impression and receauing of it in those forraine
had beginning in the time of the Captiuitie of the Iewes in Babilon while they were mingled among the Chaldeans In which long reuolution of seuenty yeares the vulgar sort of the Iewes forgot their owne language and began to speake the Caldee But yet pronouncing it a misse and framing it somewhat to their owne Country fashion in notation of poincts affixes Coniugarions and some other properties of their antient speech it became a mixt language of Hebrew and Chaldee a great part Chaldee for the substance of the words but more Hebrew for the fashion and so degenerating much from both The old and right Hebrew remaining after that time onely among the learned men and being taught in schooles as among vs the learned tongues are accustomed to be And yet after the time of our Sauiour this language began much more to alter and to depart further both from the Chaldee and Hebrew as receauing much mixture of Greeke some also of Romane and Arabique words as in the Talmud named of Ierusalem gathered by R. Iochanan about 300 yeares after Christ is apparent being farre fuller of them then those parts of the Chaldee paraphrase on the holy Scriptures which were made by R. Ionathan a little before Christ and by R. Aquila whom they call Onkelos not long after But yet certaine it is both for the great difference of the words themselues which are in the Syriaque tongue for the most part Chaldee and for the diuersitie of those adherents of words which they call praefixa and suffixa as also for the differing sound of some vowels and sundrie other considerations Certaine it is I say that the vnlearned Iewes whose vulgar speech the Syriaque then was could not vnderstaÌ„d their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that their lectures of Moses and the Prophets vsed in their synagogues in the Hebrew tongue And that seemeth to haue beene the originall reason both of the publique speeches and declarations of learned men to the people vsual in their synagogues on the Sabboaths after the readings of the Law and of the Prophets whereof in the * Act. 13.15 new Testament we finde some mention and also of the translations of Ionathan and Onkelos and others made into their vulgar language for that the difference betwixt the Hebrew and the Chaldee was so great that the tongue of the one nation could not be vnderstood by the other First the tongues themselues which yet remaine with vs may bee euident demonstrations of which wee see that one may bee skilfull in the Hebrew and yet not vnderstand the Chaldee and therefore neither could they whose speech the Chaldee then was although much degenerated vnderstand the Hebrew Secondly wee finde that wheÌ„ * Nehem. ca 8 v. 7.8.9 Ezra at the returne from the Captiuitie read the booke of the law before the people others were faine to interprete that which was read vnto them And Thirdly the answer made to Rabshakeh by the officers of K. Hezekiah may put it out of question willing him * Reg. l. 2. ca. 18. v. 26. to speake vnto them in the Chaldee tongue that the common people of Ierusalem in whose hearing it was might not vnderstand what was spoken But yet it might be that as at this day the Iewes vse to doe so also in Christs time of conuersing on the Earth they might also reade the Chaldee Targâ—min and certainely some * Iunius in Bellarm. Cont. 1. l. 2. c. 15. §. 11 learned men affirme they did so together with the Hebrew lectures of Moses and the Prophets for certaine it is that Ionathan Ben Vziel had before the birth of our Sauiour translated not the Prophets onely into Chaldee for it is his Paraphrase that wee haue at this day on the Prophets and the language which wee now call the Syriaque was but the Iewish Chaldee although in the after times by the mixture of Greeke and manie other forraine words it beecame somewhat changed from what in the times afore and about our Sauiours incarnation it had beene but the Pentateuch also at least if that bee true which Sixtus Senensis hath recorded Sixt. Senens Biblioth Sanct. l. 4. indiction Syrâ— editio Galatin de Arcan Catholicae Veâ—â— l. 1. c. 3. namely that such is the tradition among the Iewes and which Galatine writeth that himselfe hath seene that translation of Ionathans beside that of Onkelos for of that part of the Chaldee Paraphrase which wee haue in the Complutense and K. Philips Bibles on the Bookes of Moses Onkelos is the Author of that on Iosuah the Iudges the booke of the Kings and of the Prophets Ionathan Of that on Ruth Hester Iob the Psalmes and the bookes of Salomon R. Ioseph Caecus the beginning of both which hee setteth downe differing one from another in the first wordes Which namely touching the publique reading of the Chaldee Targamin either together with the Hebrew text or instead of it I may as well conceiue to bee true as that the forraine * Vid. Salmeron De Canonica scriptura Prolegom 3. in Tomo 1. de interpretat Septuagint Prol. 5. Iewes Tertull. in Apologetico ca. 19. dwelling in Alexandria and other parts of Aegypt in Asia also and other Greeke prouinces abroad vsed publiquely in stead of the Hebrew which now they vnderstood not the Septuagints Greek translation as is euident in Tertullian And of some others of them in the Constitutions of * Nouell 146. Iustinian Which Iewes for that very cause are sundry times in the * Act. 6.1 9.29 11.20 Scalig. in Chron. Euseb. ad Anâ—um MDCCXXXIV Iuâ— contra Bellarm Controu 1. l. 2. c. 15. §. â—1 Drus. Praetoritor l. 5. Annot. ad Act. Ap. 6.1 Acts of the Apostles termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For by that name in the iudgement of learned men the naturall Grecians are not meant which are alwaies named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the Iewes dispersed among the Gentiles that vsed to read the Greeke Scriptures in their Synagogues And heere shall bee the period of my first Enquiry touching Languages and beginning of the second concerning the sorts of Religions abroad in the World In discoursing whereof you must be content to accept of moderne Authors because I am to intreate of moderne matters And if I happe to steppe awry where I see no path and can discerne but few steppes afore mee you must pardon it And yet this one thing I will promise you that if either they that should direct mee mislead me not or where my reason suspects that my guides wander and I am mislead if my circumspect obseruing or diligent inquiring may preserue me from errour I will not depart a haire from the way of Truth Of the sundry parts of the World inhabited by Christians CHAP. X. ALL Europe is possessed by Christians except the vtmost corners of it toward the East and the North for
Indus also the great kingdomes of Cambaia and Bengala for a great part of them and about one fourth part of the inhabitants of Malabar are obserued to be Mahumetans And secondly to consider the inland parts all from the westerly bounds of Asia namely the riuer Tanais with the Euxine Aegaean and Mediterane seas as farre Eastward as the mountaine Imaus which is more then halfe the length of Asia is possessed by them Except first the * Guaguin Descr. Tartar in Kyrgesâ—orum Horda Kirgessi neere Imaus who are Idolaters and secondly the mixture of Christians among them who yet haue very small proportion for their multitude to Mahumetans in any prouince of all the mentioned vast circuit for howsoeuer Burchardus about 320. yeares agoe hath left recorded of those parts of Asia that there were to be found in them 30. Christians for one Mahumetan Descr. ter sanct pa. 2. c. 2. § 9. yet certainely that in these present times the excesse of multitude is growne great on the Mahumetans side in respect of Christians the experience of many putteth out of question And if wee shall proceed yet farther eastward in the inland parts of Asia and passe in our speculation beyond the mountaine Imaus euen there also sundry prouinces are obserued as * Paul Venet. l. 1. c. 41.42.43 Peim Cotam Lop where Mahumetans are the maine and sole inhabitants and many more as * Id. l. 1. ca. 38.40.47.62.63.64 c. Cassar Carcham Chinchintilus Tanguth Ergimul Cerguth Tenduc c. where they are mingled among idolaters which may for a great part counteruaile those regions of Asia which Christians and Idolaters take vp on this side that mountaine So that in my estimation hauing about these points coÌ„ferred history with Geography in the most circumspect considerate manner that I was able about nine parts of 20. of Asia are possessed by Mahumetans Thus then is Mahumetanisme spread ouer the one halfe almost of the firme land of Asia And yet moreouer in the Ilands also that are about Asia that religion hath found large intertainment For not onely a good part of the small * Nicol. de coÌ„â—i Viag nelle Indie Baâ—bos â—p Ramus Vol. 1. de Viaggi p 313 318.319 Boter Relat p. 3. l. 2 de Mahometani Isles of Maldiuia namely those of them that are inhabited for they are aboue 7000. in all and most without habitation are possessed with Mahumetans but moreouer all the ports of the Isle of Ceilan except Colombo which the Portugalls haue the Sea coasts of Sumatra the ports of Iaua with the Isle of Sunda the ports of Banda of Bornéo and of Gilolo with some of the ilands Malucos are in the hands of Mahumetans Of the great spreading inlargement of which religion if the causes were demanded of mee I should make answere that beside the iustice of almighty God punishing by that violent and wicked sect the sinnes of Christians for we see that by the conquests of the Arabians and Turks it hath cheefly seased on those regions where Christianity in ancient time most flourished both in Afrique and Asia and partly in Europe one cause J say of the large spreading of their Religion is the large spreading of their victories For it hath euer beene the condition of the conquered to follow for the most part the religion of the conquerors A secoÌ„d their peremptory restraint euen on the paine of death of all disputation touching their religion and calling any point of it into question A third their suppression of the studie of Philosophy by the light whereof the grosnesse and vanity of many parts of their religion might bee discouered which is inhibited to bee taught in their vniuersities and so hath beene about these 400. yeares whereas till then it greatly flourished among theÌ„ in Cordoua in Fess in Maroccho in Bagded and other cities And yet as Bellonius and * Bellon Obser l. 3. c. 30. Georgeuitz l. 2. de Ritib Turcar. cap. de Scholis others write the Turkes fall now againe to those studies afresh A fourth cause may well bee assigned the sensuall liberty allowed by it namely to haue many wiues and the like promise of sensual pleasures to succeed after this life to the Religious obseruers of it in Paradise wherewith men for the greatest part as being of things wherewith their sense is affected whereof they haue had certaine experience are more allured and perswaded then with promises of spiritual delights presented only to their hopes and for which present and sensible pleasures must in the meane time be forsaken Of the sundrie regions of the world inhabited by Idolaters CHAP. XII NOW touching Idolaters they possesse in Europe a region as I before obserued about 900. miles in circuit although the ordinary Geographical charts represent it but falslie more then twise so large containing Lappia Corelia Biarmia Scricfinia and the north part of Finmarch All which together may by estimation make about one sixtieth part of Europe or a little more more I meane in magnitude rather then in multitude for it is indeed a little greater then so Beside which prouinces there are also to bee found in diuers places of * Beem de Morib gent. l. 3. c. 7. Boter Relat. p. â— l. 1. c. Litunia Lituania and Samagotia some scattered remnants of Idolaters But in Afrique their multitude is very great for from C. Blanco on the coast of Libya the most westerly point of all Afrique being about the north latitude of twenty degrees euen al the coast of Afrique southward to the cape of Buena Esperanza And thence turning by the backe of Afrique as farre as the cape of Mozambique beeing ouer against the middest of Madagascar in the south latitude of fifteene degrees all this coast I say beeing not much lesse then halfe the circumference of Afrique is inhabited by Idolaters Onely on the East side from Mozambique to Cape de Corrientes which is the south latitude of 24 degrees they are mingled with Mahumetans And on the west side in the kingdome of Congo and the north part of Angola with Christians But yet in both these places of their mixture idolaters are the greater multitude But now if wee consider the inland Region of Afrique all betweene the riuer Nilus and the West sea of Aethiopia from about the north parallel of tenne degrees to the south parallel of 6. or 7. degrees but from that parallel of 6. or 7. degrees euen all Aethiopia southward on both the sides of Nilus from the east sea of Aethiopia to the West euen to the most southerly point of all Afrique the cape of Buona Speranza is possessed by idolaters excepting onely some part of Congo and Angola afore mentioned toward the west sea inhabited by Christians and the vtmost shore of the East sea froÌ„ Mozambique northward which is replenished with Mahumetans And yet beside all the regions before mentioned euen all the kingdome of * Leo African l. 7.