in the company shewing his priuy members made this aunswere wheresoeuer quoth he these be there will I finde both wyfe and children After they were come into Aethiopia and had offered themselues vnto the King of the soyle they were by him rewarded on this manner Certayne of the Aethiopians that were scarsely sound harted to the King were depriued by him of all their lands and possessions which he franckly gaue and bestowed on the Aegyptians By meanes of these the people of Aethiopia were brought from a rude and barbarous kind of demeanour to farre more ciuill and manlike behauiour being instructed and taught in the maners and customes of the Aegyptians Thus the riuer Nilus is founde still to continue the space of foure monethes iourney by lande and water lesse then in which time it is not possible for a man to come from Elephantina to the Automolians taking hys course and streame from the West part of the world and falling of the sunne Howbeit in this place I purpose to recite a story told me by certayne of the Cyraeneans who fortuning to take a voyage to y e oracle of Ammon came in talke with Etearchus King of the Ammonians where by course of speache they fell at length to discourse and common of Nilus the head whereof was vnsearchable and not to be knowne In which place Etearchus made mention of a certaine people called Namaâ—ones of the countrey of Afrike inhabiting the quicksands and all the coast that lyeth to the east Certayne of these men comming to the court of Etearchus and reporting dyuers strange and wonderfull things of the deserts and wild chases of Africa they chaunced at length to tell of certayne yong Gentlemen of theyr countrey issued of the chiefe and most noble families of all their nation who beeing at a reasonable age very youthfull and valtant determined in a brauery to go seeke straunge aduentures as well other as also this Fiue of them being assigned thereto by lot put themselues in voyage to go search and discry the wildernesse and desert places of Africa to the ende they might see more and make further report thereof then euer any that had attempted the same For the sea coast of Africa poynting to the North pole many nations do inhabite beginning from Aegypt and continuing to the promontory named Soloes wherein Africa hath his end and bound All the places aboue the sea are haunted with wilde and sauage beastes beeing altogether voyde and desolate pestered with sand and exceeding drye These gentlementrauellers hauing made sufficient prouision of water and other vyands necessary for theyr iourney first of all passed the countreys that were inhabited and next after that came into the wylde and waste regions amongst the caues and dennes of fierce and vntamed beastes through which they helde on theyr way to the west parte of the earth In which manner after they had continued many dayes iourney and trauelled ouer a great part of the sandy countreys they came at length to espy certayne fayre and goodly trees growing in a fresh and pleasaunt medowe wherevnto incontinently making repayre and tasting the fruite that grewe thereon they were suddenly surprised and taken short by a company of little dwarfes farre vnder the common pitch and stature of men whose tongue the gentlemen knew not neither was their speache vnderstoode of them Being apprehended they were lead away ouer sundry pooles and meares into a city where all the inhabitauntes were of the same stature and degree with those that had taken them and of colour swart and blacke Fast by the side of thys city ranne a swift and violent riuer flowing from the Weast to the East wherein were to be seene very hydeous and terrible serpents called Crocodyles To this ende drew the talke of Etearchus King of the Ammonians saue that he added besides how the Namasonian gentlemen returned home to theyr owne countrey as the Cyraeneans made recount and how the people also of the city whether they were broughte were all coniurers and geuen to the study of the blacke arte The floud that had his passage by the city Etearchus supposed to be the riuer Nilus euen as also reason it selfe giueth it to be For it floweth from Africa and hath a iust and direct cut through the middest of the same following as it should seeme a very like and semblable course vnto the riuer â—ster Ister beginning at the people of the Celts and the city Pyrene the Celts keepe without the pillers of Hercules being neere neighbours to the Cynesians and the last and vtmost nation of the westerne people of Europe deuideth Europe in the middest and scouring through the coast it is helde by the Istryans people so named and comming of the Milesians it lastly floweth into the sea Notwithstanding Ister is well knowne of many for that it hath a perpetuall course through countreys that are inhabited but where or in what parte of the earth Nilus hath his spring no man can tell forsomuch as Africa from whence it commeth is voyde desert and vnfurnished of people the streame and course whereof as farre as lyeth in the knowledge of men we haue set downe declared y t end of the riuer being in Aegypt where it breaketh into y e sea Aegypt is welny opposite directly set against y e mountaines of Cilicia froÌ„ whence to Synopis standing in y e Euxine sea is fiue daies iourney for a good footemaÌ„ by straight euen way The Ile Synopis lyeth iust against the riuer Ister where it beareth into the sea so that Nilus running through all the coast of Africa may in some manner be coÌ„pared to y e riuer Ister howbeit as touching y e floud Nilus be it hither to spokeÌ„ Let vs yet proceede to speake further of Aegypt both for that the countrey it selfe hath more strange wonders then any nation in the world and also because the people themselues haue wrought sundry things more worthy memory then any other nation vnder the sunne for which causes we thought meete to discourse more at large of y e region people The Aegyptians therefore as in the temperature of the ayre and nature of the riuer they dissent from all other euen so in theyr lawes and customes they are vnlike and disagreeing from all men In this countrey the women followe the trade of merchandize in buying and selling also victualing and all kinde of sale and chapmandry whereas contrarywyse the men remayne at home and play the good huswiues in spinning and weauing and such like duties In like manner the men carry their burthens on their heads the women on their shoulders Women make water standing and men crouching downe and cowring to the ground They discharge and vnburthen theyr bellies of that which nature voydeth at home and eate their meate openly in the streetes and high wayes yeelding this reason why they do it for that say they such things as be vnseemely and yet
glad ioyous of theyr arryuall and gentle entreaty hauing also intelligence of the oracle entered bands with them of perpetual hospitality and frendship Beyng also not vnmyndful of the bounty of kyng Craesus shewed before tyme towards their nation For hauing sent to Sardis for prouision of golde to make the ymage of Apollo which is situated in Thornax a part of the Lacons countrey Craesus without counterchaunge freely bestowed the gold vppon them For which cause the Lacedaemonians in that also principally aboue the rest of y t Craecians he had made choyse of their amity willingly assented and declared themselues to be readye at all assayes Lykewyse to auoyd ingratitude in lue of his presentes they returned vnto hym a brasen Vessell wroughte about the brymmes wich the pictures of diuerse wylde beastes containing the measure of 30 Amphorae which for one of these causes that we shal alleage was neuer brought to Sardis The Lacedaemonians testify that the vessel beyng in voyage to Sardis was intercepted by y t people of Samos wher they lay at rode The Samians assayling them by a fleete of gallies Contrariwise they of Samos affyrme that the Lacedaemonians beynge in the waye to Sardis and hearyng newes that Craesus was takeÌ„ and the whole city sacked by the Persians sold the vessel to certayne priuate men of Samos who made dedicatioÌ„ therof in the temple of Iuno But immediatly returning to Sparta they fayned themselues to be robbed by the Samyans and the vessel to bee taken away by force To make briefe Craesus deluded by the oracle prepared an armye agaynst Cappadocia in hope to subdue Cyrus and the whole power of Persia Whilest he was busied in these affayres a certaine Lydian named Sandanis a manne of singular regarde for hys wysedome and for this sentence and aduise much more estemed then before couÌ„sayled the king on this manner Thou determinest a voyage agaynst those O king which are wrapped clothed in beastes skynnes not farynge as they would but as they can abyding in a region vnfruitful and barreyne Their drink is water not wyne their chiefe foode is figges besides the which they haue nothiÌ„g good From whom as thou canst take nothing if thou conquer so consider I beseech thee how much thou shalt leese if thou be conquered if once they tast of our sweete then they wil dayly swarme about vs and wil neuer be driuen from vs. Truly I thanke the Gods that they neuer put into the heads of y t Persians to inuade the Lydians By which wordes notwithstanding he litle preuayled with Craesus True it is y t the Persians before they vanquished Lydia were far from all elegancy and sumptuous dayntines Furthermore the Capadocians were called by the Greekes Syrians Who before the empyre came to the Persians did homage to the Medes but at that present acknowledged Cyrus for theyr Kinge The dominion of the Medes and Lydyans is deuyded and sundered by the ryuer Halis which taking his beginning from the hill Armenus first washeth the Cilicians and secoÌ„dly the Maciens lying on the ryght hand lastly the Phrygians declyninge towarde the least after this wynding to the North pole that floweth betweene the Cyrians Cappadocians and Paphlagonians waterynge the coast of Cappadocia on the right hande and the borders of Paphlagonia on the lefte In this sort the floud Halis doth part and distermine all theÌ„ hygh places of Asia from the sea Cyprian vnto the waters of the Euxine sea the backe and hinder part of this region is in length fyue dayes iourney for a light and spedy footeman Craesus therefore speeding himselfe towarde Cappadocia was greatlye desyrous both to ioyne vnto his owne kyngdome a land so battle and plentifull and then also to reuenge Cyrus in the behalfe of Astyages sonne of Cyaxares king of the Medes his nere kynsman whom Cyrus yssued of Cambyses had taken captiue in y e field The meanes wherby kynred and alliance grew betwene the two kinges Craesus and Astyages were these The grasiers of Scithia and such as were conuersant in reysing and breeding cattel falling to debate and sedition betweene themselues a certayne company of them fledde into the lande of the Medes at what tyme the Scepter was held by Cyaxares sonne of Phraeortas nephew of Deioses To whom the Scythians humbling themselues were at the begynninge much made of and grewe in credite and fauoure with the kinge in so much that he committed to their charge certayne younge ympes to instruct in the Scithian language and to trayne vp in the art and facultye of shootinge In tract of tyme the Scythians being accustomed daily to hunt and for the most part wont to bryng home some thing with them for a pray notwithstanding otherwhyles returned empty which the king perceyuing who in his rage was very fierce ceuell sharply rebuked them and in reprochfull and tauntynge wordes toke them vp very short wherat the Scythians stomackes beyng moued supposing themselues to be hardlye dealt withall by the kyng toke couâ—sayle togeather that hauing stayne some one of the children whom they taught they might serue him vp to the kyng in lieu of 〈◊〉 or some other wylde and sauage pray which done they would put themselues to flight to Sardis and become supplyaunts to Halyattes sonne of Sadyattes for theyr defence safetye which fell out accordingly For aswel Cyaxares as others that were present at the Table tasted of the flesh and the Scythians hauing committed the villanye iucontinentlye fledde to Haliattes whom Cyaxares rechalinging Haliattes refusing to surrender and yeelde them vp ther arose warre betweene the Medes and Lydians which indured y t space of v. yeares In the which their broyle and discord the Medes sometime atchieuynge the conquest it happened them to encounter in a night battell For in the sixt yeares the armyes comming to the close and the fight being equal sodeinly the day became nighte which chaunge and alteration of the day Thales Milesius foretold to the people of Ionia presining the selfe same yeare wherein it should happeÌ„ The Medes and Lydians perceauing the day to be ouercast with darkenesse abandoned the field and by meanes of Syennesis of Cilicia and Labynetus of BabiloÌ„ were brought to accord and composition of peace who hastening to haue them sworne and to establish their agreement by the bands of affinitye they decreed that Astyages sonne of Cyaxares should espouse and take to wyfe Ariena daughter of Halyattes supposing the condition would not long remayn souÌ„d and inuiolate were it not confirmed by the sure and infolluble knot of alyaunce In stricking league and concluding peace aswell other thinges vsuall to the Greekes are obserued by these nations as also cutting their armes tyll y t bloud issue out which ech of them lycke vp and sucke together This Astyages grauÌ„dfather to Cyrus by the Mothers side was by him held prysoner and went vnder custody for such cause as in the sequele
miraculous they blazed abroad y ◠Cyrus was brought vp cherished of a bitch wherof consequently sprang and arose a fayned tale Cyrus growing in yeares and approaching nere to mās estate waxed of all equals the most valiant and hardye in passinge fauour goodwill with al men whō Harpagus oft tymes vrged by sundry gyftes and presentes to take reuenge of his graundfather Astyages For seynge that by himselfe beynge a priuate man ther was no waye to repay the iniury done him by the king Cyrus beyng now at ripe and mature age he thought good to make him who had all one cause to haue all one quarell Furthermore hee wrought this at what tyme Astyages through the peuishnes of age dealt very cruelly and lyke a tyraunte with the Medes Harpagus clawing fauour and insinuatynge himselfe with the Peeres of the realme perswaded thē to depryue Astyages of the supreme dignity and make choyse of Cyrus for their high and soueraigne Prince And seing his pretended treason pretily well to fadge goe forward willyng to make Cyrus of counsayle which thing for that all the wayes into Persia were intercluded garded by watch and warde was hard to be done he came in mynd of thys conceipt hauing finely and cunningly drawen out the garbedge of an hare he conueied into her belly a letter wherin was set forth and declared hys whole mynd which togeather with the hare and nets deliuerynge to an huntsman one of hys owne housholdseruauntes whom he especiallye trusted he sent into Persia geuīg him in charge to deliuer it into Cyrus hys owne handes and to request hym to cutt vp the hare secretely by hymselfe and without company The fellow faythfully executing his maysters will toke y e hare to Cyrus who opening her belly found the letter enclosed which he vnfolded and read in these termes Thou sonne of Cambyses whom no doubte the Gods tender and regard for otherwyse thou haddest neuer moūted to so great estate take vengeance now of Astyages the seeker of thy vtter spoyle and destruction For by his desire thou haddest dyed the death but by y e fauour of the Gods by means of me thou remaynest alyue All the course of which thy bagicall and vnhappye fortune I doubt not but thon knowest of olde as also the villanye and execrable wickednes done to mee by Astyages in that my selfe refusinge to kil the gaue the ouerinto the handes of his neathearde Now therfore if thou wilt listē to me the whole kingdome of the Medes shall be subiect to thy power Seke first of al to allure the myndes of the Persians to slippe choller and rebell which done put thy selfe in voyage agaynst the Medes in full hope and assurance to enioy the crowne For be it my selfe or any other of the nobles of Media whom y e king shall assygne to come forth agaynst thee and geue the battell wee haue all geuen handes with one consent to rebate the power of the Medes and ioyninge auncientes to march vnder one banner to the vtter ouerthrowe and depriuation of that cruell and malicious tyraunt The account is cast the reckning made and nothinge wantinge but that which we earnestly with for and shortlye for thy quicke and speedy arriuall The letter read and perused Cyrus cast with him self what sleight or art he might now vse to induce and moue the Persians to sedition and fynding one not altogeather vnfyt for his purpose hee determined to make tryall therof indytinge a letter in such wordes as hee thought best after this he summoned a generall concourse and meeting of the Persians wher opening the letter he signifyed to them that Astyages had apoynted him lieuetenaunt or principall of Persia For which cause you Persians sayd he I will and commaunde you to resort hether euery man furnished and prouided of his hooke or bill which charge geuen he brakevp the assembly Now it is meete wee knowe that many sorts of people are contayned vnder the generall name of Persians Certayne wherof Cyrus callyng togeather intysed them to rebell which were such that of them all the rest depended The names of the people be these The Arteatians Persians Pasargadians Meraphians Masians of which number the Pasargadians are the most noble and renowmed amonges whom is the stocke and familye of the Achaemenides out of the which the kinges of Persia are alwayes chosen and elected There be also other Persians besydes these as the Parthelians Derusians Germanians addicted to the trade of tillage and manurynge the ground Other also that haue principall regard of grasinge and feedyng cattel to wit the Dayans Mardians Drophicians Sagartians All which ready prest with their sicles hedging billes Cyrus toke and lead into a field of 18. or 20 furlonges exceedyngly ouergrowen and pestered with bushes which in one dayes space they cleane cut vp and caried away Wherfore the next day following hee commaunded them to be present agayne euery man handsomly and well arayed Himselfe in the meane season gatheryng togeather whole heards of goats sheepe and oxen all that his father had hee slew them to make prouision of a sumptuous and magnificent banquet wherwith to feast and entertayne the whole host and company of the Persians The next day insuing when as Cyrus had commaunded the Persians were assembled and comen togeather he caused them to sit downe in a great and large field where as mery as crickets they fell freshly to those chats which in great plenty and aboundance were set before them At after dynner Cyrus demaūded of them whether of the two they rather wished the labour past or the pleasure present To whom they replyed that there was no comparison or equality betweene them for as no payne and misery was absent from the one so no pleasure and felicity was wanting to y e other Which their answeare Cyrus takyng hold of presentlye went forwarde saying My frendes and countriemen of Persia euen so it fareth with you and at such choyse and electiō you now stand For geuing your consent to obay and follow me both these and many other infinite cōmodityes shal redound vnto you without the toylsome yoke of seruitude and slauerye but refusing my coūsayle a whole sea of miseryes do dayly threaten you not vnlyke the toyle and wretchednesse that yester day you abode Be ruled then by me and attaine your freedome for both I my selfe am prouyded by deuyne lotte and appoyntment of the Gods by whose meanes you should enter into this paradise of blessednesse and you in nothinge especially in martial courage were euer accompted inferiour to the Medes What resteth thē but that in defyaūce to Astyages and the tytle of the Medes you cast of the yoke of seruitude and become free The Persians long since moued with disdayne to see thēselues ouertopped and kept vnder by the Medes hauing y e oportunity of a captayne with handes and feete as they say vowed themselues to obay Cyrus and recouer their
about these matters The people of the two cities Maerea and Apia that inhabite the borders of Aegypt next vnto Africa esteeming theÌ„selues to be of the linage and nation of the Africans not of the Aegyptians became weary of their ceremonies and religion and would no longer absteyne from the fleshe of kyne and feamale cattell as the rest of the Aegyptians did they sent therefore to the prophecy of Hammon denying themselues to be of Aegypt because they dwelt not within the compasse of Delta neither agreed with them in any thing wherefore they desired y e god that it might be lawful for them without restraint to taste of all meates indiffereÌ„tly but the oracle forbade theÌ„ so to do shewing how all that region was iustly accounted Aegypt which the waters of Nilus ouerranne and couered adding heereto all those people that dwelling beneath the city Elephantina dranke of the water of the same floud This aunswere was giuen them by the oracle Nowe it is meete wee know that Nilus at what time it riseth aboue the banckes ouerfloweth not Delta alone but all the countrey next vnto Africa and likewise the other side adioyning to Arabia couering the earth on both partes the space of two dayes iourney or thereabout As touching the nature of the riuer Nilus I could not bee satisfyed either by the priests or by any other being alwayes very willing and desirous to heare something thereof first what the cause might be that growing to so great increase it shoulde drowne and ouergo the whole countrey beginning to swell the eyght day before the kalends of Iuly and continuing aflote an hundred daies after which time in the like number of dayes it falleth agayne flowyng within the compasse of hys owne banckes tyll the nexte approch of Iuly Of the causes of these thynges the people of Aegypt were ignoraunte themselues not able to tell mee anye thyng whether Nilus had any proper and peculiar vertue different from the nature of other flouds About which matters being very inquisitiue mooued with desire of knowledge I demaunded inoreouer the reason and occasion why this streame of all others neuer sent foorth any miste or vapour such as are commonly seene to ascend and rise from the waters but heerein also I was faynt to nestle in mine owne ignorance desiring to be lead of those that were as blind as my selfe Howbeit certayne Graecian wryters thinking to purchase the price and prayse of wit haue gone about to discourse of Nilus and set downe their iudgement of the nature thereof who are found to varry and dissent in three sundry opinions two of the which I suppose not worthy the naming but onely to giue the reader intelligence how ridiculous they are The first is that the ouer flow of Nilus commeth of none other cause then that the windes Etesiae so named blowing directly vpon the streame thereof hinder and beate backe the waters from flowing into the sea which windes are commonly wont to arise and haue their season a long time after the increase and rising of Nilus but imagine it were otherwise yet this of necessitie must follow that all riuers whatsoeuer hauing a full and direct course against the windes Etesiae shall in like maner swell and grow ouer their bankes and so much the rather by how much the lesse and weake the flouds themselues are whose streames are opposed against the same But there be many riuers as well in Syria as in Africa that suffer no such motion and change as hath bin sayd of the floud Nilus There is another opinion of lesse credite and learning albeit of greater woonder and admiration then the first alleadging the cause of the rising to be for that the riuer say they proceedeth from the Oeean sea which enuironeth the whole globe and circle of the earth The third opinion being more caulme and modest then the rest is also more false and unlikely then them both affirming that the increase and augmentation of Nilus commes of the snowe waters molten and thawed in those regions carying with it so much the lesse credit and authority by how much the more it is euident that the riuer comming from Africa through the middest of Aethiopia runnes continually from the hotter countreys to the colder beeing in no wise probable or any thing likely that the waxing of the waters should proceede of snowe Many sound proofes may be brought to the weakening of this cause whereby we may gesse how grossely they erre whiche thinke so greate a streame to be increased by snowe What greater reason may be found to the contrary then that the windes blowing from those countreys are very warme by nature Moreouer the lande it selfe is continually voyde of rayne and yee being most necessary that within fiue dayes after the fall of snowe there should â—ome rayne where by it commeth to passe that if it snowe in Aegypt it must also of necessity rayne The same is confirmed and established by the blacknesse and swartnesse of the people couloured by the vehement heate and scorching of the sume likewise by the swalowes and kytes which continually keepe in those coastes lastly by the flight of the cranes toward the comming of winter which are alwayes wont to flye out of Scythia and the cold regions to these places where all the winter season they make theyr abode Were it then that neuer so little snow could fall in those countreys by the which Nilus hath his course and from which he stretcheth his head and beginning it were not possible for any of these things to happen which experience prooueth to be true They which talke of Oceanus grounding their iudgement vppon a meere fable want reason to prooue it For I thinke there is no such sea as the Ocean but rather that Homer or some one of the auncient Poets deuised the name and made vse thereof afterwardes in their tales and poetry Now if it be expedient for me hauing refuted and disalowed other mens iudgements to set downe mine owne The reason why Nilus is so great in sommer I take to be this In the winter-time the sunne declining from his former race vnder the colde winter starre keepeth hys course ouer the high countreys of Africa and in these fewe wordes is conteyned the whole cause For the sunne the neerer he maketh his approch to any region the more he drinketh vp the moysture thereof and causeth the riuers and brookes of the same countrey to runne very lowe But to speake at large and lay open the cause in more ample wyse thus the case standeth The bringer to passe and worker heereof is the sunne beeing caryed ouer the hygh countreys of Africa For the spring time with them beeyng very fayre and cleare the land hote and the wyndes colde the sunne passing ouer them workes the same effecte as when it runneth in the middest of heauen in sommer forsomuch as by vertue of his beames gathering water vnto him he