wil behold the wonders of his vnsearchable wisedome and they are here some of them by the Poet well pointed-out And a wonderfull thing indeed it is that among so many men as haue beene since the beginning are or shall be to the worldes end there neuer was nor is nor can be any one but differing much from all the rest both in body and minde and in many thinges else that ensue thereon This I am content to note but in a world leauing all the particulars of this miracle for the reader priuatly to consider that he may wonder the more thereat and praise there according th' almightie Creator the Soueraigne Good neither will I now take in hand to dispute against those that in searching the causes of this diuersitie ascribe all to Fortune or Nature as they call it meaning a secret propertie and power of the creatures or to the starres and other heauenly bodies to mans lawes custome or nourishment in stead of God who is indeed the first and onely working cause of all things in whome wee liue moue and are This matter woulde require a long discourse and though the Poet here beside the chiefe and onely true cause reckoneth certaine under-vnder-causes as custome growing to Nature Th' example of Elders prouinciall Lawes and the influence of Starres it is not his meaning to take from the Lord of Nature this honor due vnto him for the diuersitie of his wonderfull works but onely to lay open vnto vs a few such instruments as his incomprehensible wisedome vseth to make vs the better conceiue the manner of his heauenly working The Philosophers Astronomers Physicians and Politickes discourse at large vpon these differences he that would see them well handled let him reade the 5. chapter of Bodines methode entituled de recto historiarum iudicio and the first chapter of his fift booke de Republica which is the summe of all that hee writes thereof in his Methode Peucer also in the 13. and 14. bookes of his discourse vpon the principall sorts of diuinations and Hippocrates in his booke de Aere aquis locis but especially Bodin may serue to expound our Poet who in very fewe lines hath penned matter of so long discourse 59 The Northen man He entreth consideration of many pointes wherein the North and Southerne people differ Bodin in the places aforequoted shewes the causes thereof according to philosophie and physicke because his bookes are common specially his politickes I will not here set downe what he saith nor examine his opinions but leaue that wholy to the diligent reader Concerning that the Poet noteth the best histories auerre the same and namely for the Southerne people Iohannes Leo and Franciscus Aluares for the Northen Olaus Magnus the Baron of Herbestan in his Moscouie Buchanan in the historie of Scotland and diuers others 60 The Middle Man Bodin in the 5. booke of his Politickes the first chap. deuideth all people dwelling on this side the Aequator into 3. kindes to witte the hotte and Southerne people from the Aequator 30. degrees vpward the Meane and temperate in the next 30. and th' Extreame cold and Northen people from the 60. degree to the Pole And so of the nations and countries beyond the Aequator The reason hereof he setteth downe in his Method chap. 5. 61 For in the sacred close The poet goes on according to the said deuision and in few wordes emplies all that discourse of Bodin who saith among other matters there that the people dwelling in the middle Regions haue more strength lesse wit then the Southerne better partes of minde lesse bodily force then the Northen are moreouer the fittest for gouernement of Common-wealthes and iustest in their actions And if a man doe marke well the histories of the world he shall find that the greatest most valiant Armies came euer out of the North the deepest and subtilest knowledge of Philosophie Mathematickes and all other contemplatiue Artes from the south and the best gouernement the best lawes lawyers and Orators from the Middle countries and that the greatest Empyres were founded and established there c. What reason there is for this he sheweth also in his fift chap. of his Meth. Looke more thereof in L. Regius de vicissitudine et varietate rerum For my parte I am of opinion that Almightie God as he hath knit and bound together the Elementes and Creatures made of them with a marueilous compasse in number waight and measure best for continuance of the whole worke and mutuall agreement of the partes so he hath also placed the chiefe subtiltie and liuelyhood of spirit farthest from the greatest bodily force either in beast or man for the better maintenance of humaine societie in a iust counterpoys and gaue the middle kinde of people a nature of eyther tempered though if a man enter into particular discourse hee may easily finde the northerne southerne and middle Nature in euery Nation What say I euery Nation nay I dare say in euery one of vs so fitly is Man called a little world But the southerne men for the most part hauing so quick and liuely partes of minde in a body lesse charged with fieshe they represent the contemplatiue and studious kinde of life the northerne that haue their wit in their fingers endes that is that are so cunning craftesmen inuenters of warlike engins artillerie and all sortes of needefull instrumentes they may well bee likened vnto the actiue and trading life and the middle sort vnto the ciuill gouernement and politicke life which is a meane betwixt the other two Yet this the Poet well restraineth saying that the northerne people also in these latter dayes haue bin renoumed for the Tongues the Lawes the Mathematickes Poesie Oratorie all good learning as well as in times past they were and are still for warlike valour and cunning hand-works Not without cause for in England Scotland Polonie Denmarke and other such countries are and haue bene diuers very learned men flourishing and Germany especially which is as it were Vulcans forge and the Campe of Mars hath brought forth many men excellent well seene in all kinde of learning it were needelesse to name them they are so wellknowne 62 But eu'n among our selues The more to magnifie the vnsoundable wisedome of God appearing in the creation of so diuers-disposed people he noteth out many pointes of great difference eu'n among those nations that liue neere together and are seuered onely by certaine hilles riuers and forrests as the French Dutch Italian and Spanish He paintes them out all in their kinde for such properties as are dayly seene in them and may be easily gathered out of their owne histories for there are not the like-differing neighbour-nations in all Europe no not in the world Let me consider and all my Countrymen with me what he saith of the French the other three may doe the like by themselues if they list The French he saith is in warre impatient in
farther into discourse of the out-roades the people made in old time For though Carion Melancthon Peucer Lazius Rhenanus Goropius and others of our time haue that way farre ventured and somewhile with very good successe He groundeth all his discourse vpon holy writ and sheweâ—h more particularly how the 3. sons of Noe peopled all the World yet it cannot bee denied but that they leaue manie doubts and do not alwhere cleare the matter See then how fitly the Poet addes that followeth 24 It shall suffise me then to keepe me ne are th'encloses And carefull hanging on the golden mouth of Moses Amram his learned sonne in verses to record Sem Cham and Iaphet fill'd this round worke of the Lord And that of mighty Noe the far out-roming boat Did thus the second time all countries ouer flout 25 Yet not as if Sems house from Babilon did run Together all at once vnto the rising Sun To drinkâ— of Zâ—iton the water siluer-fine To peopl'all rich Catay with Cambalu Chine Nor Iaphet vnto Spaine nor that vngodly Cham Vnto the droughty soyle of Meder and Bigam The fields of Cefala the mount of Zanzibar The Cape of hoped good in Affrick most afarre Very meece coÌ„parisons For as th' lblean hilâ—s or those Hymettick trees Were not in one yeares space all ouer-buzz'd with bees But that some litle rocke that swarmed ev'ry prime Two surcreases or three made on their tops to clime Their sydes and all about those nurslings of the Sun At length all ore the Clyffes their hony-combes to run Or as two springing Elmes that grow amids a field With water compassed about their stocks do yeeld A many yonger trees and they againe shoot-out As many like themselues encroaching all about And gaining peece by peece so thriue that aft'r a while They for a shared mead a forest make that Isle Accordingly the Wrights that built proude Babels towre All scattering abroad though not all in an howre At first enhous'd themselues in Mesopotamie By proces then of time encreasing happily Past riuer after riuer and seiz'd land after land And had not God forboad the world should euer stand No countrey might be found so sauage and vnknowne But by the stocke of Man had bin ere this ore-growne 26 And hence it comes to passe the Tig'r-abutting coast In all the former Age of all did slonish most That first began to war that only got a name The cause why the first monarchie was in Assiria And little knew the rest but learned of the same 27 For Babilon betimes draw'n vnd'r a kingly throne Th'emperiall scepter swayd before the Greekes were knowne To haue a Policie before by charming tones Amphion walled Thebes of selfe-empyling stones Or Latins had their townes or Frenchmen houshold-rents Or Almains Cottages or Englishmen their tents The Hebrues their neighbors were learned religious before the Greekes knew any thing 28 The sonnes of Heber had with Angels often spoke And of all stranger Gods detested th'altar-smoke They knew the great vnknowne and ô most happy thing With faithfull eyes beheld their vnbeholden king The learned Chaldee knew of stars the numb'r and lawes Had measured the skie and vnderstood the cause That muffleth vp the light of Cinthia's siluer lips And how her thwarting doth her brothers beames eclips The priest of Memphis knew the nature of the soule And straightly marked how the heau'nly flames do roule Who that their faces might more flaming seeme and gay In Amphitrites poole once wash them eu'ry day He Phisick also wrote and taught Geometree Before that any Greek had learnd his A Be Cee Th' Egiptians Tyrians had all riches and delights before the Greeks and Gaules knew the world 29 All Egypt ouershone with golden vtensilis Before the limping Smith by Aetna's burning kill 's Had hammerd Iern barres before Prometheus found The fire and vse therof vpon th' Argolian ground Alas we were not then or if we were at least We led an vnkouth life and like the sauage beast Our garments feathers were that birds in moulting cast We feasted vnder trees and gaped after mast When as the men of Tyre already durst assay To rase the salty Blew twixt them and Africa Were set on Marchandize with purpl'en-gâ—â—â—rt their flankes And all the pleasures rain'd about Euphrates bankes 30 As if a pebblestone thou on the the water fling Of any sleepy poole it frames a litle ring About whereas it fell and far about doth rase The waâ—â—ng marbl ' or eu'n the trembling Chrystal face With gâ—â—tâ—l moouing of a number circles mo That reaching further out together waxing flow Vntil the round at length most outward and most large Strikes of the standing poole both one and other marge So from the cent'r of All which here I meane to pitch Vpon the the waters brinke where discord sprong of speech Man dressing day by day his knowledge more and more Makes Arts and wisdome flow vnto the Circle-shore As doth himselfe encrease and as in diuerse bands His fruitfull seede in time hath ouer growne the lands 31 The first Colonies of 〈…〉 the East For from Assyria the Semites gan to trauell Vnto the land beguilt with Hytans glestring grauell And peopling Persiland drooke Oroates lâ—yse And cleere Coaspes eke that lickes the walles of Suse So to the fruitfull dale and fowerbearing plaine Betwixt high Caucase tops whereas th' Arsaces raigne And some in Medie dwelt and some began to make The second The fields abutting on the great Mesendin lake 32 These mens prosteritie did like a flood surround And ouer flow in time the Cheisel-fronting ground They came in diuerse troopes vpon Tachalistan Carz Gadel Chabula Bedane and Balestan 33 The third Their of spring afterward broke vp with toiling hands Narzinga Bisnagar and all the plenteous lands That Gauges thorow-flowes and peopled Toloman The Realme of Mein and Aue and muskie Carazan And saw the fearfull sprights in wildernesse of Lop The fourth That maske in hundred shapes wayfaring men to stop 34 Long after sundry times this Race still coasting East Tipura seizd that breedes the horny-snowted beast Mangit and Gaucinchine that Aloes hath store The first Colonies of Iaphet in the west And stopt at Anie Straights and Cassagalie shore 35 Now from the center-point enclining to the Set Far spread abroade themselues the Children of Iaphet To Armenie the lesse and after to Cilice So got the hau'ns at length of Tarsis and of Ise The sweete Corician Caue that neare Pernassus Hill Delights the commers-in with Cimbal-sounding skill Huge Taure his lofty downes Ionie Cappadoce Moeanders winding bankes Bithyne and Illios The second 36 Then boldly passing ore the narrow Cut of Sest They dronke the waters cold of Strimon Heb'r and Nest The Rhodopean dales they graz'd and laid in swathes The leas that running by Danubies water bathes The third parted into many branches 37 Thrace did athonside fill the
Chaines And that her stomachers her plate this that her traines Man may the like professe what Desert so vntrad What Hill so wild and waste what Region so bad Or what so wrackefull Sea or what so barren Shore From North to South appeers but payes him euermore Some kinde of yearly rent and grudging not his glory Vnto his happy life becomes contributorie A particular declaration of the great vse of some vnlikely creatures against the Atheist who saith they are to 〈◊〉 vse or â—â—ade by chance 65 These moores enameled where many rooshing brookes Enchase their winding wayes with glassie wauing crookes They stand for Garden-plots their herbage ere it fades Twise yearely sets on worke our two-hand mowing blades The plaine feilde Ceres heales the stony Bacchus filles These ladders of the skie these rough-aspiring Hilles The stoarehouses of stormes the forging-shops of thunders Which thou vntruly cal'st th'earthes faults shameful wonders And think'st the liuing God to say 't I am aferd Created them of spight or in creating err'd They bound the kingdomes out with euer-standing markes And for our shipping beare of timber goodly parks The same affoord thee stuffe to build thy roofed holde The same in winter-time defend thee from the colde They powre-out day and night the deep-enchanel'd Riuers That breed and beare on them to feede the neighbour liuers They remanure the lands with fruitfull cloudes and showers They helpe the Milles to turne and stand instead of towers And bulwarkes to defend Bellonaes angry wound And morter to the sea the Center of the ground The Wasternes of land that men so much amazeth Is like a common feild where store of cattell grazeth And whence by thousand heads they come our tylth to rood To furnish vs with furre with leather wood and food The sea it selfe that seemes for nothing else to sarue But eu'n to drowne the world although it neuer swarue That rumbling ouer-heales so many a mighty land Wherein the waters stead much wauing might corne stand A great store-place it is and vnd'r a watry plaine Flocks numberles it feedes to feed mankind againe And of the cates thereof are thousand cities saru'd That could not otherwise but languish hunger staru'd As doth a Dolphin whom vpon the shore halfe-dead The tyde vntrusty left when back-againe it fled It shorter makes the wayes encreases marchandise And causes day and night the reaking mists arise That still refresh our ayre and downe in water flowing Set eu'n before our eyes the grainy pipe a growing The Poet as after a long voyage landeth in France 66 But shall I still be tost with Boreas boystrous puffes Still subiect to the rage of Neptunes counterbuffes And shall I neuer see my country-chimnies reake Alas my rowing failes my boate begins to leake I am vndone I am except some gentle banke Receaue and that right soone my wrack-reserued planke Ha France I ken thy shore thou reachest me thine arme Thou opnest wide thy lap to shend thy sonne from harme Nor wilt in stranger landes I roaming step in age Nor ore my bones triumphe Bresile anthropophage Nor Catay ore my fame nor Peru ere my verse As thou my cradle wert so wilt thou be my herse The prayse of France O thousand thousand times most happy land of price O Europes only pearle O earthly Paradise All-hayle renowned France from thee sprong many a Knight That hath in former times his triumph-laurels pight Vpon Euphrates bankes and blood with Bilbo shed Both at the sunnes vprist and where he goes to bed Thou breedest many men that bolde and happie dare In works of handy-craft with Nature selfe compare Thou breedest many wits that with a skill diuine Teach Aegypt Greece and Roome and ore the learned shine As ore the paler hewes doe glister golden yellowes The sunne aboue the starres his floure aboue the fellowes Thy streames are little seas thy Cyties Prouinces In building full of state and gentle in vsages Thy soyle yeeldes good encrease thine ayre is full of ease Thou hast for strong defence two mountaines and two Seas Th' Aegyptian Crocodile disquiets not thy bankes The plaguie Lybian snakes with poyson-spotted flankes Crawle not in broken pleights vpon thy slowry plaines Nor meats an aker out by length of dragling traines No Hyrcan Tigers slight boot-hails thy vaulted hilles Nor on thy skorched wastes th' Arcadian Lion killes Thy wandring habitants nor Cairik Water-horses Drag vnd'r arowling tombe thy childrens tender corses And though like Indy streames thy fairest riuers driue not Among their pebbles golde although thy mountaines riue not With vaines of siluer vre nor yet among thy greet Carbuncles Granats Pearles are scattred at our feet Thy Cloth thy Wooll thy Woade thy Salte thy Corne thy Wines More necessary fruits are well-sufficient mines T' entitle thee the Queene of all this earthly scope Peace the onely want of France prayed-for inconclusion Peace is our only want O God that holdest ope Alwaies thine eyes on vs we humbly thee desire Quench with thy mercy-drops this Fraunce-consuming fire O make our Aïer calme deere Father vs deliuer And put thine angry shaftes againe into thy quiuer 58 O world of sundry kindes Without this discourse all that went before concerning the worldes enpeopling were to little purpose or none at all saue onely to breede many doubts in the readers vnderstanding For a man may aske How falles it out that the nations of the world comming all of one father Noe doe varie so much one from another both in body and minde The Poet therefore making this obiection most worthie to be considered giueth also answere thereunto first in generall by way of exclamation and maruaile then in particular manner setting downe some speciall reasons of this wonderfull diuersitie that appeareth in the stature complexion strength colour and custome of people wheresoeuer dispersed ouer the face of the earth The first and principall cause is Nature it selfe that is the wise prouidence of God marueilous in all his workes If God had made the earth in all places alike all flowers of one colour and sauour all beastes fowles fishes and creeping things of one kind had he made the heauen without starres or the starres all of one bignesse men all of the same hew beautie feature strength and disposition as well of body as minde the diuers colours of his infinite wisedome had not so shined in them But as he is aboue all yea onely wise good and beautifull so would he in his workes keepe a certaine resemblance of his owne perfection prouoking vs thereby daily to aduaunce and rayse our thoughtes vnto the high consideration parfite loue due reuerence of himselfe Now if we consider all his workes the light of his wonderfull glory no where appeareth more then in the diligent view of Man who is very fitly called of the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the little world For in this little table hath he lymbed-out in orient colours for all that
coūsaile wauering in dyet sumptuous gentle in speech diuers in apparell outfacing his enemie a sweete singer a swift paser a merry louer If any man can draw a righter counterfait of our Nation let him take the pensill 63 Yet would th' Immortall God He showes for what cause it pleased God the earth should be enhabited by men of so diuers natures as 1. to the end he might shew forth his mercy and louing kindnes in raysing his chosen out of the sincks of sinne wherewith each of their birth-soyles were bestayned 2. That it might appeare how neither the soyles nor yet the heauenly Signes though they haue great power ouer earthly bodies can force the mindes of men especially such as God himselfe hath blessed 3. That there might be some in all places of the world to acknowledge his manifold goodnesse and glorifie his Name And 4. that whatsoeuer needfull things the earth any where by his gratious blessing bringeth forth proper and seuerally they might be enterchanged and carried from place to place for the vse of man 64 For as a Citie The last consideration giues the Author occasion to compare the world vnto a great Citie such as Paris Roan Tolouse Lyons or any other like where there are marchants and craftesmen for all kind of wares each in their seuerall wardes buying selling changing and trading one with other And euen so one countrie affoordeth sugar another spice another gummes and gold alabaster Iuorie hebenwood horses amber furres tynne and silke they are brought from diuers coastes all the more to furnish with thinges necessary this great Citie of the worlde VVhereby wee may note that no countrie bee it neuer so well appointed can say that it needes not the commodities of another And againe that there is no land so barren but hath some good thing or other which the rest want For euen in men wee see the like there is none so poore but hath some speciall gift none so rich but hath neede of the poorest Our Poet therefore hauing so fitly resembled the world by a great Citie he brings-in thereupon a fine example of the Persian Queene who as Herodotus Xenophon and Plutarch report called one Prouince her Iuelhouse another her Wardrope c for euen so may euery man say that hath the true knowledge and feare of God such a man may saye Peru bringes foorth Gold for me the Moluckes or Chaldaea Spice Damaske Alabaster and Italie Silke Germany sends me great Horses Moscouie rich Furres Arabia sweet Parfumes Spaine Saffern Prusse Amber England Cloath and Tinne France Corne and Wine Yea more the child of God may say the Earth the Sea the Aire and all that is therein the Sunne the Moone the Heauens are mine for he that needeth nothing made all things of nothing to serue me and me to worship him But of this let the Deuines discourse more at large He goe on with the Poet who sayth further against the carping Atheist that nothing was created in vaine but euen the most vnlikely places bring foorth many good fruits and very necessarie for the life of Man And hee proues it plainly by some notable particulars that follow 65 The Moores enameled First The Fennie Valleis though too moyst they are and ouer-low for men to build and dwell vpon yet are they so beset with diuers herbes and flowers so iagg'd garded and enter-trailed with riuers that they are as 't were the common gardens of the world as also the plaine fields are our seed-plots and the stony grounds our Vineyards 2. The huge Mountains about whose tops are engendred thunders lightnings and tempests for which cause the Atheists count them hurtfull or at least superfluous or made by chaunce and errour they are in trueth cleane contrarie as Theodoret hath long agoe shewed in his Sermons of Gods Prouidence euen the sure-standing Bounds and Land-marks of euery kingdome and countrie they beare great store of timber-trees for ships and houses and fuell to burne from them spring the great riuers that breede much fish and helpe the conueyance of prouision and other marchandise vnto many people dwelling far-of by them are stayd and gathered the clowdes and thicke musts that manure and fatten the lower grounds the Wind-milles are much helped by them as if they were the store-houses of winde like rampiers and bulwarks they keepe-of the sudden force of warlike neighbours and to conclude they are as 't were the very morter that ioynes Land and Sea together 3. The great Deserts and wast-grounds that are for men by reason of some wants scarse habitable yet like huge Commons they feede an infinit sort of beasts great small whereof we haue good vse and commoditie 4. The Sea it breeds fish maintaines many Cities encreases Traffick and makes the wayes for trauaile easier and shorter and lastly thereout the Sunne draweth vapours which after turned into raine doe refresh the Aire and make the ground fruitfull The like good vses may bee found in all other the Creatures of God how vnlikely soeuer they seeme to wicked Atheists Looke more in S. Basil Chrysostome Ambrose and others who write of the Creation and at large haue declared what excellent commodities man may reap of euery creature 66 But shall I still be toss'd Fitly and in very good time the Poet hauing ouerslipt nothing worthie note in this discourse of Colonies now strikes sayle and after his long voyage thorow all Climats of the world ariues happily at the hauen he most desired to weet in France and well he takes occasion to reckon-vp the great commodities of his countrie as commending the same aboue all the kingdomes of the world After he hath saluted the land with diuers honourable termes and titles he sayth very truly that it hath brought-foorth many worthie warriors cunning workmen and learned Schollers more is the meruaile because it is but a small kingdome in comparison of Polonia Persia Tartaria China and others But indeede the commodities thereof are most wonderfull Besides the seas that bound it as on the North and West the Ocean and the Midland on the South it hath many riuers of great name and euen little seas as the Rosue Saone Dordogne Loire Marne Seine Oise and yet a great number of other lesser streames and brookes Cities it hath as Paris Tolouse Roüan Lyon Bourdeaux and others of more value then diuers whole Duchies Earldomes or Prouinces elsewhere There are Forts and Castles now stronger and goodlier then euer were As for the ciuill behauiour of the people I report me to the iudgement of other nations The Land for the most part is very fruitfull and the aire there temperate almost euery where Against the sudden inuasion of enemies all is well defended by the two Seas aforesayd and the Alpes toward Italie and the Pyrenes toward Spaine More then all this the countrie is no where troubled with Crocodiles as Aegypt is nor with monstrous long Serpents or any wilde rauening beasts as the inner countries of Affricke are And in stead of Gold and Siluer Pearles and precious stones which diuers lands barren of necessarie fruites abound with it hath of Cloath Woade Wooll Salt Corne and Wine euer-growing Mines and euen vnwastable Woade and Salt in Languedoc and Salt againe in Guyenne Wine in most places Wooll and Corne in Prouence and Beausse and in euery Prouince but foure or fiue good store of diuers the sayd commodities More there are but the Poet notes the chiefe onely and such as the neighbour countries and many far-of doe most of al trade-for Hereby we are taught and should be moued with heartie thanks to acknowledge the great benefits that God hath bestowed on vs for the Poet rightly concludes that wee lacke nothing but peace and peace he craueth of the Lord with whom and all my good countrimen I ioyne humble suite from the bottome of my heart that once again this Realme sometime so florishing may enioy a sure that is a iust and right Christian peace Amen FINIS