1

What twilighty cloud. The Poet being to make in & out so manie wayes, and crosse so manie seas and countries, huge and vnknowne, good cause he had to demand (as hee doth) a greater help then mans wit can affoord, such as the children [Page 2] of Israell had, a cloud by day, and a piller of fire by night, to guide them through the wildernesse; and surely God gaue him a verie extraordinarie gift, otherwise he had neuer bene able so well and brieflie to haue comprised so many, hard, and worthie matters, as hee hath done, in lesse then sixe hundred verses. He saith here further, that each peoples place of abode was ordained of God before the paire of man (that is Adam and Eue) had receiued in paradise their twifold-one beginning: that is, before Adam was created of earth, and Eue of one of his ribbes: noting thereby, how of one they were made two in creation, and after of two one by marriage. And so before the world was made, the Lord had in his eternall decree marked and skored out the dwelling places of all people: it remained therefore that the same decree should be accomplished, as ap­peared afterward.

2

Thou holy-holy Flame. The Pole-starre is the marriners guide: but here the Poet asketh another maner helpe to shew him the right way in his trauell: and glancing at the maruel­lous new starre that appeared to the wisemen that came out of the East, to see and worship our Sauiour Iesus Christ then borne in Bethlem, he calleth on the holy Ghost the true light of our vnderstanding, auerring that although the matter which hee hath taken in hande, constraines him to dis­course somtime of one thing, and sometime of another, yet is Iesus Christ the chiefe marke he aymeth at, vnto whom his desire is to lead his readers, as also whatsoeuer is set vs downe in the doctrine of Moses, the Prophets and Apostles, tendeth to the selfe same end. This the Poets holie desire makes much to the shame of those that hauing themselues an vnclean heart, by setting their filthy workes in print, defile also the eyes and eares of many, whom (as much as in them lies) they lead vnto the diuell.

3

The men who built. That which the Poet saith con­cerning th'affright of these builders, is implied by the words of Moses Gen. 11.8. they ceassed to build: by the one is the other vnderstood: for vpon the sudden chance of so strange a confusion, they were scarred, as with a thunderclap, and after by necessity constrained to sunder themselues. Yet I am of their opinion, who thinke the diuersitie of tongues is to bee consi­dered, not in euerie particular builder, but only in families. As that the goodnesse of God was such in his iudgement, that the builders departing thence, each led his wife and children with him, who vnderstood and spake as hee did, otherwise mans life could hardly haue bin sustained. They also that par­ted furthest at the first from those of Noes successors that were not leagued in this presumptuous enterprise, soonest forgat all their former language. And true it is, that at the first they sun­dered not all verie farre one from another: but, as it pleased [Page 4] God more and more to encrease them, they sought further & further for new countries to dwell in, and all by the secrete di­rection of the wonderfull prouidence of God.

4

That great king of heau'n. Hee reacheth euen to the first cause of the Colonies and diuers-way-partings of Noes poste­ritie. Straight after the flood God blessed Noe and his children and said, Encrease and multiply, and fill the earth: and the feare of you, and the dread of you shall be vpon euery beast of the earth, and vpon euery f [...]e of the heauen, vpon al that moueth vpon the earth, and vpon all the fishes of the sea, into your hands are they deliuered. Gen. 9.1.2. Therfore if the builders had continued and fast set­led themselues in the plaine of Sennaar, they had (as much as was in them) made voide the Lords blessing, and bereft them­selues and their posteritie of those great priuiledges which he had granted them. But the decree of God must needs be fulfil­led, and therefore according to his ordinance he chaseth farre away these donataries, to th'end that yeare by yeare some in one place, & some in another, they may take possession of that which was giuen them, the whole compasse of the world. Wheras the Poet saith further, that y ^e Lord diuided the whole earth into thre lots, that may be gathered out of the 10 chap. of Genesis, and 32. chap. of Deuteronom. verse the 8. Noe a wise & learned man, and one of great experience, was the instrument of Gods blessing in this behalfe: and though the boundes of these habitations be not all and throughlie specified, as were the diuisions of the land of Canaan among the Tribes of Isra­ell, yet out of the tenth chapter of Genesis a man may gather that in those daies Noe and his sonnes and their posteritie, knewe more a great deale hereof then men can now perceiue: as may appeare by so many diuerse Colonies, so manie strange languages, so manie names changed and rechaunged. A good commentarie vpon this chapter would assoile manie questi­ons hereabouts arising.

5

To Sem was giuen. Because the sonnes of Noe were but three, therefore here are named but three quarters of the world the East, West, and South: Some of the successonrs of Iaphet peopled the North also, as shall be shewed hereafter. Concer­ning [Page 5] the names of these fower cardinal points, somwhat hath bene said vpon discourse of the windes in the 2 day of the first weeke, verse 571. The order of the sonnes of Noe is this. Iaphet is the elder, Sem the second, Cham the last. Gen. 9.24 & 10.21. But Sem is named first, because of the fauour of God shewed to his posteritie, by thence raising the Messias, & there main­taining his Church. Iaphet the second, for that in the vocatiō of the Gentiles he is receiued into the tents of Sem, that is, v­nited to the familie of the faithfull Abraham, according to the prophecy & blessing of Noe Gen. 9.27. Now in the 10 of Gen. v. 25. Moses further affirmeth, that Heber Sems vnder-nephew had two sonnes, the one named Peleg, which signifieth Diui­sion or parting asunder (for in his time the earth was diuided) and the other Ioktan. Whereout some gather, that in the time of Peleg, that is (as I take it) before the confusion of tongues, Noe and his sonnes remēbred the graunt that God had made them of all the earth: and that Noe then made a kind of parti­tion thereof among his sonnes. If wee recken the confusion of the builders, together with the partition of the world, though about the fiftieth yeare of Peleg, who was borne but an hun­dred yeares after the sloud, and liued 239, this confusion must happen within 150 yeares after the flood: which were verie soone: yet some take it sooner, as from the time that Peleg re­ceiued his name, for remembrance (as they say) of both things so note-worthie to all posteritie, and especially to the Church of God: which well might be aduertised thereof; for Peleg li­ued 46 yeares after the birth of Abraham, as appeareth by the 11. chapter of Genesis. Two things then are here to be conside­red: the one, that the partition of the earth which Noe made, was to his posteritie a token of Gods great blessing, which ne­uerthelesse the Babel-builders for their part haue turned into a curse: the other, that this partition (as manie diuines and Chroniclers thinke) was made before Nymrod and his traine came out of the East, and sate downe in the plaine of Sennaar, what time they were scattered thence againe by the confusion. Whereunto this I will adioyne, that as then the builders lan­guage was confounded: so by continuance of time, the speech [Page 6] of others also was corrupted, especially when they began to forget the true religion, which euen in Sems familie was de­cayed, as appeareth plainly out of the 24 chap. of Iosua, where it is said that Terah father to Abraham and Nachor had ser­ued strange gods. It was no reason that the holy tong should remaine entire and vncorrupt with such as had corrupted the seruice of God. But the Lord being mercifull vnto Abraham, restored to him againe, and kept for his faithfull children the first language, which had not bene so much corrupted in the familie of Sem, who parted not so farre from his father.

6

This countrey. He setteth downe the lots of Sem, Cham, and Iaphet, first in generall: after meaning to shew the parti­cular Colonies of each. So then to Sem he allotteth Asia. The proofe of these seuerall shares may be gathered out of the 10. Chapter of Genesis. It is not meant that Sem in his owne life­time [Page 7] tooke possession of this huge plot of ground, although he liued 600 yeares: but the posteritie of his fiue sonnes ouer-spred it by succession of time, as the Poet declares at large here­after; and a man may perceiue some token thereof, in that Mo­ses reckeneth in the foresaid Chapter the sonnes of Ioktan the sonne of Heber peti-sonne of Arphaxad, sonne of Sem. Now before I shew the bounds here noted by the Poet in this lot of Sem, I will set downe the description and deuision of Asia, as now it is. The map-drawers of our time differ in their order: some consider it by the whole masse; others by the sea-borders and parts best knowne, which they recken to be nine, & those particularly deciphered in the first chapter of the 20 booke of the Portugall historie. But this kind of deuision, because it is more obscure and farther from my purpose, I leaue and rest on the other, which deuides the masse of Asia into f [...]ue principall riuer Ob or Oby, the lake of Kittay, and the land-straight that is betwixt the Caspian and Euxine sea. The second is Tartary subiect to the great Cham, which abutteth Southward on the Caspian sea, the hill Imaus and the riuer Iuxartes; Northward and Eastward on the Ocean, and Westward vpon Moscouie. The third part is possessed by the Turke, and containeth all that lyes betweene the Euxine, Aegean and Midland seas, and so further betwixt Egypt the Arabian and Persian Gulfes, the riuer Tygris, the Caspian sea, and the land-straight there. The fourth is the kingdome of Persia, abutting Westward on the Turke, Northward on the great Cham, Eastward on the riuer Indus, and Southward on the Indian sea. As for the fift part, it is the same which we call the East-Indies, so named of the riuer Indus, and distinguished the higher from the lower by the famous riuer Ganges. These Indies are verie large coun­treys, as the maps declare, and front out Southward as f [...]re as Malaca, hauing besides, an infinite sort of Ilands great and smal, which the Card-men haue well set downe both in [...]ps and writing. Now see we the maner how the Poet considereth Asia. He takes it first by right line frō North to South, to [...], [Page 8] from the peake, foreland or cape of Perosites as farre as Mala­ca, where he taketh in the Moluckes and Taprobana, and from thence riseth againe to Zeilan and Bisnagar. Then draweth an­other line from the Maior or Euxine sea on the West, to the straights of Amen Northeast, and toucheth by the way some few countreys most note worthy, reseruing the rest vntill his particular description of the Colonies: which followeth from the 297 verse vnto the 319.

To make plaine some words in the text, the Peake of Pero­sites is a promontory about the farthest part of Moscouy, neare the Scythian sea, where liueth (as Cellarius reports of Asia in his great booke entituled Speculum orbis terrarum, and Mer­cator in his world-map) a certaine people which haue so small a vent for their mouth, that they are nourished onely by the sauour and steeme of sodden flesh. And about this promōtory the riuer Ob, rising from the lake of Kythay, groweth to an huge breadth, and so emptieth into the Scythian or frozen sea. The Baron of Herbestoin noteth it in his map of Moscouie, and in his Historie saith as much as here followeth touching this riuer, fol. 82. They that haue bene thereon say they haue laboured a whole day without ceasse, their vessell going verie fast, to passe the Riuer, and that it is fourescore Italian miles brode. Which agreeth well with that the Poet here saith, and with report of Mercator and Cellarius: so that by good right it may be called, rather then any other streame, the king of all fresh waters, because in all the world besides there is none so large and this also is of a wonderfull great length: for as the foresaid Baron affirmeth, from the one end to the other, to wit, from the lake of Kythay to the frozen sea, it asketh more then three moneths sayling.

The realme and citie of Malaca are described in the sixth booke of the Portugall historie, chap. 18. It is neare the Equi­noctiall aboue Taprobana: so therefore Asia reacheth from the North pole beyond the Equator.

Th' isles frō whēce are brought huge masses of Cloues & Cassia, are the Moluckes, fiue in number, Tidor, Terenat, Motir, Ma­ [...]hian, and Bachian, beset with diuerse other Isles & Islets vnder [Page 9] and neere the Equator in the East, which with their properties and manners of their inhabitants are well set downe in the 13 booke of the hystorie of Portugall, Chap. 8.

Samotra, whereon passes the night-equalling line, or the Equa­tor, is the Isle Taprobana Southward ouer against Malaca: it is aboue 450 leagues long, and 120 broad, I haue described it in the fift day of the first weeke: see further the history of Por­tugall in the sixt booke, the 18 chap.

Zeilan is an Isle right against the Cape of Calecut, aboue Taprobana toward the East, it lies North and South, in length about 125 leagues, and in the broadest place is 75 ouer. There are taken out of the sea great store of pearles very faire and bright: for the further description thereof, see the 4 booke and 20 chapter of the hystory of Portugal.

Bisnagar is a kingdome lying betweene Decan and Narsin­gua, the mountaines of Calecut, and the sea called the great gulfe of Bengala. It is rich in gold which is there found in ri­uers. Look the situation thereof in the Map of the East Indies, and in the Asia of Ortelius and Cellarius.

The Pint-Eusine, is now called the Maior or the blacke Sea: at the one end thereof toward the Midland sea is Con­stantinople, the Card-men call it by diuers names, which Orte­lius hath set downe in his Synonym.

By the Brother waues of those Chaldean streames, is meant (as I suppose) the Persian sea, whereinto Euphrates and Tygris both together empty, being before ioined about Babylon, now called Bagadet, and so the Poet takes as much of the breadth of Asia at the West end as he doth at the East: the one from Quinsay to Chiorze, the other from the sea of Constantinople to the Persian Gulfe.

Concerning the straight of Anien, the Cardmen are not all of one opinion: Mercator, Ortelius, Cellarius, Theuet, and others, set down plainly a good broad arm of Sea betwixt the North­east point of Asia and America. But Vopelius ioines Asia and this fourth part of the world together, greatly enlarging Asia [Page 10] and curtolling the other, contrary to the opinion of the Au­thors aforesaid, and many Spaniards that haue written of the new-found world, the reasons that may bee alledged in fauour of either side, require a large Commentary. Vopelius his opini­on indeed cutteth off many doubts that arise about the enpeo­pling of America: but Mercator and th'others, who are most commonly followed, seeme to ground more vpon Geography and better to agree with the seas naturall sway and easie com­passing the earth. Arias Montanus in his booke intituled Pha­leg, where he treateth of the habitations of Noes posterity, set­teth downe a Mappe according to Vopelius, this booke of his bound in the volume called Apparatus, is ioined with the great Bibles of Antwerp. But the Poet followeth Mercator, Ortelius, and the common opinion of the Cardmen of our time: for Pto­lome, Strabo & Mela in their daies had not discouered so much.

Quinsay, which the Poet cals Quinzit, is a famous citty in the Northeast point of Asia about tenne leagues from the sea, built vpon peeres and arches in a marrish ground; it is twenty leagues or 100 miles about, and by reason as well of the great Lake-waters there, as also of th'ebbe and flow of the sea, it hath (as M. P. Venet. reports in the 64. chapter of his 2. booke) 12000 bridges of stone: the most renoumed bound-marke of all Asia, and the greatest city in the world, if that bee true. But Theuet gainsaith it in the 27 chapter of the 12 booke of his Cosmography, where he describes the city and Lake with the riuer that causes the lake to swell, hee sayeth it is not aboue foure leagues in compasse: yet M. Paule affirmes he hath been there.

Chiorze is another worthy part of Asia set downe here for a bound-marke, because of the strange Buls there, as great as Elephants, with haire as smooth and soft as silke. Howsoeuer now adaies that country is nothing so ciuill as others inhabi­ted by the posterity of Cham and Iaphet, yet the fruitfulnesse of the ground, and great commodities there growing, for main­tainance of mans life, declare it hath beene in times past one [Page 11] of the best portions of the children of Noe.

7

Ashurt Assyriland. Moses sayth the sonnes of Sem were Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram: The Poet here in six verses hath noted out the first habitations of these fiue: reser­uing afterward, about the 300 verse and so forth, to shew their first, second, third, and fourth out-going ouer the rest of Asia. Concerning Ashur it may be gathered out of the 10 of Ge­nesis, verse the 11, that hauing sorted himselfe with the peo­ple that now began to feare Nimrod, and liking not to liue vn­der that yoke went on further, and in the countrey after his name called Assyria built Niniuy (which a long time remai­ned one of the greatest citties in the world, as appeares by the prophesie of Ionas and other places of Scripture) and Caleh and Resen not farre asunder, which haue been long-agoe de­stroyed. Elam, that was the eldest, seated himselfe by the riuer Euphrates neere the Persian Gulfe, which now is called the Sea of Mesendin. The Poet giueth him a Princely title, be­cause the Monarchie began betime and long continued ther-abouts, where also raigneth still the Sophi, a great Emperor and deadly enemie of the Turks. The Riuer Araxes is descri­bed by Ptolome in his third Mappe of Asia, where hee makes it spring from the foote of Pariard which some men take for the hill Taurus, and so passing Scapene, Soducene, & Col­thene to emptie into the Caspian sea. These countries are ve­ry rich, and therefore the Poet cals them fat lands. Lud ha­uing passed the Riuer composed of Tygris and Euphrates, which straight after void into the Gulfe, had Elam on the North, the two Riuers ioyned and the Gulfe on the East, and on the West the Marches of Seba, which is the vpper part of Arabia. The Poet here alloueth him the Lydian fields, if by Lydia bee vnderstood that part of the lesser Asia called Me­ [...]nia by Ptolome, Herodote and Plinie, Lud should haue wan­dered further then the other foure brothers. Moses reports not any thing of his Colonies, and his farre going may bee the [Page 12] cause, for according to the Poet hee should haue coasted vp as farre as Aeolia and the Midland sea. The seat of Aram is Mesopotamia, to wit, the countries about Babylon, and the mountaines of Armenia, which were after called by the name of Taurus. This also containeth Syria and the great Armenia, betwixt the which runneth Euphrates. Arphaxad passing Eu­phrates staied in Chaldea: and for that Astronomy and other excellent arts there chiefly flourished, the Poet surnameth him the Learned, which appertaineth also vnto him in re­gard of the true doctrine maintayned by his posteritie, and after some corruption reformed in the house of Abra­ham, whom the Lord remooued from Vr of the Chaldeans into Syria.

8

Cham. The share of Cham was Affrick, which the Poet [Page 13] boundeth out as followeth. It hath on the Southside the Ae­thiopicke Ocean, or the sea of Guinea, the land of Negres, the realmes of Cefala (which commeth neere the South Tro­picke, and [...] right ouer against Madagascar, or as the Spanish call it the Isle of S. Laurence.) Botongas (lower and hard by the Cape of good hope) Guagamet, about the lake of Zembre, from whence the riuer Nile springeth, as Daniell Cellarius no­teth in his Mappe of Affricke; and Benin, that lies aboue the Equator neere the great bay betwixt Meleget and Manicon­go. As for Concritan, that is a great wildernesse betweene Ce­fala and Botongas, which by reason of extreame heate brings forth great store of poisonous things. Now the Northbound of Affricke is the Midland sea, and on the West it shooteth out three capes or promontories named in the text, all toward the Atlanticke Ocean, but the greene cape, which is more south­ward and pointeth more toward the Sea, called (in respect of the Antarticke pole) the North Sea, though it lie very neere the Equator: on the east of Affricke plaies the Arabian Gulfe, and the great red sea now called the Indicke Ocean: and be­yond these bounds the Poet saieth Cham also possest Arabia, which is distinguished into three parts, the Happy, the Desert, and the Stony, all enclosed by the Mount Libanus, and the Red and Persian Gulfes.

9

Canan. He setteth downe breefly and in foure verses the seuerall abodes of Chams foure sonnes, according as they are named of Moses in the tenth chapter of Genesis. Chus the eldest brother had Aethiopia, which some take for that vnder Aegypt, others for the land of Chus which is a part of Arabia the Happy, as may bee gathered by many places of the old Testament, well noted of M. Beroald in the sixt chap­ter of his fourth booke of Chronicles. Mizraim peopled A [...] ­gypt, that of the Hebrewes was commonly called Mitzraym, and long after Aegypt of the name of King Aegyptus, who succeeded Belus in that kingdome, and was brother to Danaue [Page 14] who came into Greece and was Author of that name gene­rall to the Grecians, which, as Saint Augustine thinkes De Cus, Dei, the eighteenth booke and the tenth chapter, happened about the time of Iosua. Phut the third sonne of Cham, gaue name (sayeth Iosephus) to the Phutaeans after called Lybi­ans of one of the sonnes of Mesren or Mizrain named Lybis. Hee addeth also that in Mauritania there is a certaine riuer and countrey called Phute. Ezechiel, 30.5. numbreth Phut among those that were in league with Chus and Lud, which the Latine interpreter translateth Ethiopia, Lydia, and the Lydians: so also did the 70. Interp. This I say to mooue the Reader, that is so delighted, vnto a further and more diligent search. I thinke Phut was seated neere Arabia and Aegypt: although Arias Montanus and others place him in the coast of Affricke now called Barbary, about Tunis, [...]ugie, Al­geri and the Mountaines of Maroco. Now of Canan or Cha­naan, the fourth sonne of Cham, was called that Land of Pro­mise, which the twelue Tribes of Israell vnder the conduct of Iosua in due time entered and possessed. The bounds thereof are plainly set down in the book of Exodus, chap. 23, verse 31, and elsewhere: I need not here discourse of them, except I were to write a longer Commentary.

10

Now Iaphet. Moses reciting Genesis, 9.27, how Noe blessed his two children, sets downe two notable points, the one concerning the great and many countries which Iaphet and his posterity should possesse: the other of the fauour that God should shew them, by lodging them in the tents of Sem, that is, by receiuing them at length into his church; which hath beene fulfilled in the calling of the Gentiles. For the first poynt, whereas hee sayth, God enlarge Iaphet (For so the He­brew word signifieth, although some translate it Persuade) it is as much as if hee had said, Let Iaphet and his race possesse the countries round about him farre and neere. And this hath also beene accomplished in that so infinite a multitude of people hath issued out of the stocke of Iaphet, and peopled Europe; which, though it appeare lesser then the other parts, hath al­waies had more inhabitants and fewer void countries. The Poet hath set downe so parfite a description thereof, as it needs no further to bee opened, if the Reader haue neuer so little beheld the Mappes. On the East it is parted from the greater Asia by the Maior Sea, the Meotis Lake, called by Or­telius the Zabach sea, the Riuer Tane or Don, which voids into the Lake, and the Spring-heads of Rha, Edel, or Volga, running by Tartarie into the Caspian Sea: and from Asia the lesse, sometime the honour of the world and exceeding rich, as still it hath sufficient, it is deuided by the Straight of Gallipoli, sometime called Hellespent. On the West it hath the [Page 16] Straight of Gibraltar, the Spanish and Brittish Oceans: on the North the Frozen sea, and on the South the Midland sea, which is diuersly called, to wit, the Sea of Marseil by the coast of Genes, the Adriaticke about Athens and Morea, and otherwise according to the places adioyning. This goodly part of the world, beside the Romaine Empyre, hath many great kingdomes full of people, well set foorth by the Card-men. Daniell Cellarius accounts it in length, from Lis­bon to Constantinople, about sixe hundred leagues Almaine, and very neere as much in breadth from Scrifinie to Sicily.

11

Gomer. Moses reckeneth seuen sonnes of Iaphet, Ge­nesis, 10.2. So doth here the Poet, notstanding much vpon the order of them, to follow the verse; of Gomer are come the Gomerites, whom the Greekes called Galates & Gaules: of them came the people that spoiled Delphos, and then sate downe about Troas in Asia, and were called Gaule-Greekes, or Asian Galates, who afterward seized a good part of Phry­gia. The Lord threatning by Exechiel, 38. chapter; Gog cheife of the Princes of Mesech and Tubal, sayth he, will de­stroy him with this Gomer and all his bandes, and the house of Togarmah of the North-quarters. They that expound the prophesie gather out of this place that the Gomerites were people bordering on the North of Asia, and brought by the Kings of Syria and Asia to destroy the Iewes af­ter their returne from Babylon. They preased foorth of Asia and enlarged their dominions greatly (as hath been saied) for they were a very warlike Nation. Of them the Poet sayth are come the Germanes, so Melancthon affir­meth vpon Carion, so doe others also, and chiefly Go­ropius in his fift booke. But there is great diuersitie in these outworne matters, betweene the late and auncient writers. A diligent conference of places in the old Testament, and the ancient Latine, Greeke, and Chaldean translations serue best for the purpose: next a carefull examining of the best [Page 17] Greeke & Latine histories: but this requires a whole volume, whereunto the searches of Goropius, being so well handled, might affoord a man great helpe. Concerning Tubal the Poet followes the opiniō of Iosephus, that he was author of the Spa­nish: which must be rightly vnderstood, that is, after a long tract of time. For by the 38 and 39 of Ezechiel, it seemes that the people issued from Tubal and Mosoch, that were neigh­bours, dwelt neare Arabia, and were gouerned or led to war by the king of Asia and Syria. And in the 32 chapter▪ where is mention made of the mourning that should be among the na­tions for the king of Egypt, there are named among others, Ashur, Elam, Mosoch and Tubal: wherby it may be gathered they were of Asia. As for their Colonies and outcreases into Spaine, they are verie darke and hardly proued. Vasaeus indeed in his Chronicle of Spaine, and Taraphe in his historie, and o­thers that haue written of Spaine in diuerse languages, follow­ing Ioseph and Berose, make Tubal first king of Spaine, but si­thence they declare not what time he came thither, I leaue the reader to consider-of & search further into the matter. Looke the historicall Librarie of N. Ʋignier, the first part, page 15. where he treateth of the people of Europe.

Magog as the Poet saith, is father of the Scythians: his first habitation and Colonie was in Coelesyria, as may be gathered out of the fift booke and 23 chapter of Plinie, and the 37.38 and 39 chapters of Ezechiel. At this time the right Scythians are the Sclauonians, Mosceuites and Tartarians, who vaunt of their descent from Iaphet. This might haue bene by tract of time, but not so soone, as the Poet in the sequele. Melancthon in his first vpon Carion takes the prophecies against Gog and Magog to be meant especially of the Turkes, whom he calleth by the name of Scythians, and applieth also vnto them that which is written in the Reuelation. And in the end of his secōd booke he giues the name to all people that professe Mahomet. I thinke my selfe, that, some while after Noes partition of the lands, Magog and his people dwelt in Coelesyria or therabouts, and thence by succession of time thrust vp into the higher coū ­treys. Now as the ancient people of God were much vexed & [Page 18] outraged by the kings of Syria and Asia, successors of Seleucus Nicanor, and signified by the name of Gog, who aiding the people of Magog, Mosoch and Tubal their subiects, greatly an­noyed the Iewes then returned from Babylon: so hath Satan in these later dayes against the holy Citie, the Church of God, stirred vp againe Gog and Magog, many kings and Princes e­nemies to the faith, who haue conspired together, and made a League to ouerthrow it vtterly: but th' Almightie in due time and season shall confound them. Reade the 20 Chapter of the Reuelation, and the 89 Sermon of Bullinger thereupon.

As for Mosoch, Ioseph saith, of him are come the Cappado­cians, and for proofe thereof alleageth a certaine towne of their countrey called Mazaca. It may be gathered out of the 120. Psalme, that Mesech or Mosoch was a neighbour people to Sy­ria and Arabia, which place the Chaldee Paraphrast expound­ding, vseth words of this import: O wretch that I am! for I haue bene a stranger among the Asians, and dwelt in th' Arabiantents. The Poet considereth what might haue bene in continuance of time, & how farre the mans posteritie might haue stretched.

Madai sure was author of the name of Medes, whose Em­pire was verie great in the higher Asia; they destroyed the Chaldean Monarchie, as may be noted out of Ieremy 51.11. & Dan. 5.18.

The Thracians ( Ioseph saith, and the Poet) are descended of Thyras. Melancthon thinks that of him are come the Russians, but the Scripture speaketh not of his posteritie. Plinie makes mention of a riuer Tyra in the Russian or European Sarmatia: Melancthon, Goropius and others call it Noster. Coropius in his seuenth booke puts the Gotes, Daces and Bastarnes among the Thracians, as all of one stocke, and speaking almost the selfe same tongue, which also (as hee saith) comes verie neare the C [...]mbricks and Brabantish.

Iauan the fourth sonne of Iaphet gaue names to the Ionians, who after with their neighbours were called Greekes: and ther­fore the Latine interpreter, translating the place of Ezech. 27.19. for the Hebrue Iauan hath put Grecia: so haue the 70 put [...], which is the name of Greece, for the same word. As also [Page 19] in the thirteenth verse of the sayd Chapter, and in the 19 of the 66 of Esay they both haue translated the Bebrue Ieuanim [...] & Graci. The coūtry of Athens hath in old time bene called Ionie, as Plutarke saith in the life of Theseus, and Strabo in his 9 booke recites out of Hecataeus, that the Ionians came out of Asia into Greece. Now the Greekes as they were great di­scoursers, they haue deuised a thousand tales of their first be­ginning: but I let them passe, because my notes are alreadie waxen ouer long.

12

Now. The like is seene in many bookes of late times and auncient, that treate of the kingdomes, countreys, and people of the world: for many labor more to come nere Noes Arke, and to finde there the foundation of their townes, and names of their first Princes, then about other more certaine and sure grounds. And they had rather forge names, and deuise matter of their owne head, then leaue to packe huge volumes full of tales, witnessing the strange vanitie of mans braine. The Poet [Page 20] condemnes this foolish ambition, and by good right: all the matter, when it is at the best, being verie doubtfull and vnpro­fitable: for man was placed on the earth to thinke rather on the seruice of God, then so to trouble his head with curious out-search of his auncestors names.

13

Of that suppos'd Berose. Who so desires to know that the Berose late printed is false, supposed, and plaine contrary to the right Chaldean cited often by Ioseph in his Antiquities against Apton, let him reade the fourth booke of Goropious his Origi­nes Antuerpiaenae. And so let him thinke also of Manetho, Me­tasthenes, Fabius Pictor, Sempronius, Myrsilus Lesbius & others packt, as they are, into one volume, by some one that thought to do great matters by abusing so the readers, & holding them in a muse by fals deuises from further search of the truth. I will not here set downe the wordes of Goropius, who at large discouers the forgednesse of this new Beros and his followers: let it suffise to haue pointed at the place. The true Berose was one of the Priests, of Bel, and at the commandement of An­tiachus the third, who succeeded Seleucus, wrote three bookes of the Chaldean historie: so saith Tatianus, Ioseph, and Clemēs Alexandrinus. Some fragments of his we reade in Ioseph against Apion, and they make flat against that other Berose published in our time.

14

Th' Allusion. They that in our time haue entreated of the Nations pedegrees, haue much stood vpon the resemblance that one word or proper name hath to another, and haue apt­ly framed coniectures of good import & likelyhood, as a man may note in Carion, Melact. Peucer, Althamer, Lazius, Coropius, and others. But the Poet holdes that a simple resemblaunce of words is no good ground for a story. His reasons are, first, that hils, riuers and seas change their names, as by Ortelius his trea­sure of Geography doth appeare, comparing the bookes and ta­bles of Ptolomie, Strabo, Mela, & other ancients, with the maps of Gemma Frisius, Vopelius, Mercator, Postel, Theuet, Cellarius and other late writers. Secondly, that cities and countreys are not alwayes called by the names of their founders and first in­habitants. Thirdly, that no stocke or nation hath sure hold of any place in the world, because of the many chaunges that be­fall this life. Fourthly, that as in the sea one waue thrusteth on another, so the people, and chiefly those of old time, haue dri­uen each other out of place, and in a maner played, In docke out nettle. All stories proue these reasons to be true, & for the last, the Author shewes three notable examples to confirme it.

15

Th' old Bretton. It is aboue 1200 yeares ago since Vor­tiger king of England, then called great Brettaine, or Albion, (that is, a white-sand Isle) hauing warre with his neighbors the Scots, sent for ayd to the Saxon-English, a people of Germany, who, after they had done him good seruice, playd as the Turks did in Greece: for they seated the selues in a part of the Island, on the East, where few yeares after they kept such a coyle, that the old Bretton, the naturall Inbred of the countrey, was con­strained to forsake it. So with a great multitude passed the sea, [Page 24] and landed in Armoricke, now called litle Brittaine: where they gathered more and more together, and increased much by succession of tune. See more hereof in the Chronicles of Eng­land & Brittaine. The riuer Loyre fals into the trench of Nan­tes, and so voids into the Ocean.

16

The Lombard. About the yeare of Christ 568 Alboin king of Lombardes hauing heard of the fruitfulnesse of Italie, left Pannonia or Hungarie (where he dwelt) in gard of certaine Huns, vpon conditions, and in few weekes after made a rode into Italy with a mightie armie: and got many townes, chiefly in Insubria, now called Lombardy, of those Lombards, who raigned there aboue 200 yeares, till they were ouercome and brought to thrall by the Emperour Charlemaine about the yeare 774. Looke the histories of France, and the second part of the Librarie of N. Ʋignier. I shall speake anon of their be­ginning more particularly.

17

Th' Alaine. About the yeare 412 when Ataulphe king of Gothes had driuen away the Alaines and Vandals frō Cordway and Seuill which they possessed, as also most of the prouinces of Spaine, the Vandals sate downe in Betica, which after was of their name called first Vandolosie, and then shorter Andalosie: The Alaines in Lusitania and the prouince of Carthage, or (as some say) betwixt the riuers Iberus and Rubricatus, wherea­bouts in time past dwelt a people called Iacetani, not vnlikely to be the men of Arragon: afterward they ioyned and went both together into Affricke, where they raigned a long time. But in the yeare 534. the Emperour Iustinian, who caused the Romane lawes to be gathered together into one bodie, sent an armie against them vnder the command of Belissarius: he re­gained Affricke, tooke Carthage, and led Gilimer king of Goths prisoner vnto Rome. After all this the Romanes & the Mores also were constrained to giue place in Affricke to the Arabians, who preassed in there, and encamped them selues in sundrie places.

18

This hunger n'ere suffiz'd. The Poet saith, that desire of rule, reuenge, and vainglorie, ambition and couetousnesse, haue chiefly caused so many people to remoue & change their [Page 25] dwellings. As also manie stories of Scripture and others plain­lie shew. Seneca rekened diuerse other causes in his booke de Cōsolatione ad Elbiam, where he saith, The Carthaginians made a road into Spaine, the Greekes into Fraunce, and the Frenchmen into Greece: neither could the Pyrene mountaines hinder the Ger­manes passage; ouer wayes vnknowen and vntroad the light-headed people haue caried their wiues and childrē and ouer-aged parents: some after long wādering vp & down seated themselues not accor­ding to their free choise, but where they first might, when they wa­xed wearie of trauell: some on other mens possessions seized by force of armes: some as they sought vnknowen places were drowned in the sea: some there sat downe, where they first began to want prouision. And all forsooke not their coūtreys or sought other for the same cau­ses. Many, after their cities were destroyed by warre, fled from their enemies, and so bereft of their owne possessions, were faine to preasse vpon other mens: manie left their dwellings to auoide the disquiet of ciuill warres: and manie to emptie Cities of their ouercreasing mul­titude: some by pestilence, or the earthes often gulfing, or like vnsuf­ferable faultes of a bad soile, were cast forth; and some were entised from home by report of a larger and more fruitfull ground: some for one cause and some for another, &c.

19

I doe not speake-of here. The Poet hath Scoenites, which I translate Arabes, because they were a people of A­rabia, great robbers & harriers of Aegypt and the coast of Af­frike: the shepheardes Nomades are (as I take them) the Numidi­ans & Moores: or (as some think) a kind of Scythians. The Hor­dies are the Tartariās, who liue in the field in chariots & tents. Now the Poet leauing the vncertaine course of these roguing nations, who haue had no more staie in them then swallowes and other wandring birds, intendeth to speake of a more war­like people: whereof he alledgeth some notable examples.

20

Right such that Lombard was. He setteth downe much matter in few wordes, concerning the Lombardes. There are diuerse opinions of their pedegree: Melancthon and Peucer in the third & fourth booke of Carions Chron. hold they dwelt in Saxonie by the riuer Albis, about where now are the Bysho­prickes of Meidburg and Halberstad, and a part of the Mar­quessie [Page 26] of Brandburg; & from thence vnder the conduct of Al­boin entred Italie, and in the time of the Emperour Iustin the 2. seated themselues betweene the Appenine hilles and the Alpes: where they begā a kingdome. They were called Lombards, ei­ther because of their long Iauelines (for thence it seemes are come the names of Halbards and Iauelines de barde) or because they dwelt in a countrey slat and fruitfull, as the Dutch word Bord may signine. Som other Authors coūt thē far-northerne people, yet shew not their anciēt aboad. Ptolomee in the 4. table of Lurope deriues them from the coūtrey of Swaube, as also he noteth in the 2. booke and 11. chap of his Geogr. with whom a­greeth C. T acitu [...] in his Histories. But Lazius in the 12. booke of his [...]grationes of the Northern people, Ʋignier in the first part of his Labratie pag. 905. and our Poet here followes the opinion of Paulus Diaconus: they differ not much but onelie about the time of their staie, and place of their first aboad. Me­lancthon and Peucer set them first in Sa [...]on [...]e, Paulus Diaconus, the Poet and others, in Scandinanie, or Schonland, a great near-Isle of the Sound or Baltike Sea, from whēce they might come in by the banks of Albis, all or some of them, and some by the coast of Mekelberg, &c. For Paulus Diaconus in his first booke 2. chap saith of this people, they encreased so fast in their fore­said country, that they were faine to part themselues into three companies, and cost lots, which of them should go seeke ano­ther seate. This I say, to shew the Poets cūning drift, that in so few lines hath set down matter enough, for any man to write­on whole volumes of bookes. Thus then to follow the Poet, the first notable and fast aboad of the Lowbardes, who came from the Gothes and Vandalles, was Schonland, whence a part of them, dislodging vnder the conduct of Ibor and Agio set­led in Scoring, which is about the marches of Liuonia and Prus­sia: and after they had there dwelt certaine yeares, were con­strained by a dearth to seeke further, so as they came to Mau­ringia, and at length to Rugiland, and the countreis neare ad­ioyning, which Paulus Diaconus setteth down by name. There after the death of their leaders, they chose Agilmond for their king. He had raigned 33. yeares, whē the Bulgares, a neighbour [Page 27] people, assailing thē vnawares, stue king Agilmond. After him was chosen Lamisson for king, who to reuenge the death of his predecessour, made warre with the Bulgares, got and held a part of Polongne: then waxing wearie of that countrey he led his people toward the Rhine, to the coast of the Countie Pala­tine, as Tacitus notes in his second booke of Histories, & Ʋel­leius Paterc. in the life of Tiberius. About Heidelberg there is a towne called Lamberten, which seemes to make somewhat for the Lombardes aboad there: so saith Lazius. But manie yeares after, they coasted backe againe, and dwelt in Morauie, where they warred against the Herules, Sucues & Gepides. Then went they vp into Hungarie vnder the safe-conduit of the Empe­rour Iustinian, to whom they payd tribut (as Procopius & Pau­lus Diaconus declare at large.) There had they cruell war with the Gepides, but at length agreed and ioyned with them; and vnderstanding by the practise of Narses, that Italie was a coū ­trey much fitting their nature, their king Alboin made a roade thereinto, and got Lombardie before called Insubria; there they rested & raigned two hundred yeares, vntill Charles the great vanquisht them, as is before said.

21

Such was the Goth. Lazius in the tenth booke of his My­grations, hath handled well and largely the Historie of Gothes gathered out of Procopius, lornandes, Tacitus, Claudianus, Olaus Magnus, Eutropius and many others. I wil shut vp all in short, and by way of Paraphrase vpon the Poets verse. The Gothes, and Almaine people, had for their first assured seat the Isles of the Sound, or Baltike Sea, & Gothland yet retaines the name of thē. In Syllaes time they left these Isles, & came to dwell in Al­maine beside the riuer Vistula, now called Wixel. After they had warred there against the Frēchmē, they bent toward Trās­siluania, Hungaria and Valachia, where they remained vntill the time of Valintinian, maintaining themselues by force of armes against the Greekes & Romanes. Then for many causes alledged by Lazius, they went forward into Thrace, and there dwelt and became tributaries vnto Valentinian and [...]alens. Eu­tropius saith, all went not thither, but a good pa [...]t of them kept their former place, and the cause of their sundring was a ciuill [Page 28] disagreement about religion: the one side retaining Heathe­nisme vnder Athalaricke their king: the other vnder Fridigerne mingling with Christenisme the abhominable heresie of Ar­rius, which taketh quite away the true religion of Christ. The Arrians drew toward the West, & were after called Visigothes or Westgothes, the other to the contrary, and were called O­strogothes or Eastgothes, who out of Thrace moued into Hungarie and the countreys adioyning, where they had much adoe with the Romaine Emperours, as Lazius well recordeth: at last they got Sclauonia, and all forward vnto the Adriaticke Sea, there growing to a mightie number they determined to set on Italie vnder the commaund of Radaguise their king in the time of Theodosius the first, sonne of Arcadius. Their armie was in number aboue CC. thousand strong, but by the speciall grace of God they were ouerthrowen, captiued and sold most for ducats a peece, their king slaine, and all scattered into di­uerse countreis, but, in the time of Honorius, Alaricke the king of Westgothes made another volage, and, entring into Italie, as­ked the Emperour a place to dwell on: hauing obtained the coast that marcheth vpon Fraunce, as hee was going thither­ward with his companie vpon Easter day, one of the captaines of Stilico set vpon him, and taking him so at disaduantage, by treason slue a great number of the Goths. They, stirred vp with anger and disdaine of such vnfaithfull dealing of Romaines, make backe to Rome, wast Italie, and in the moneth of Sep­tember. 1164. beleaguer and take the Citie, and three dayes af­ter depart thence loaden with the spoile. As Alaricke was marching toward Rome, there appeared a reuerend perso­nage vnto him, and aduised him, since hee would be coun­ted a Christian, that hee should not make such hauock as hee did: whereunto the king answered; it is not my desire to goe to Rome, but euerie day am I forced by some one (I know not who) that still cryeth vnto me, Go on, go on, and destroy Rome. As the Gothes retired Alaricke dyed, and Athaulph suc­ceeded him, who led them backe to Rome again. So they went through with their saccage, and led away captiue Galla Placi­dia the sister of Honorius, whom Athaulph married. He was af­ter [Page 29] slaine of his own people at Barcelona in Spaine, for seeking peace for his wiues sake with Honorius. The third road they made into Italie was vnder the commaund of Vidimer: but they were encountred and beaten backe by Glycerius, as Ior­nandes writeth: and so they preassed againe vpon the French, and Spanish nations. Afterward the Gothes of Sclauonia wearie of easie liuing, got leaue of the Emperour Zeno and entred I­talie, and ouercame Odoacer the Exarch of Rauenna, and there held estate for many yeares. At lēgth about the yeare of Christ 411. in the time of Honorius, they seated themselues in Spaine vnder Alaricke and his successours. Now during the time of their aboad neare the Meoticke marshes they had nine kings: while they remained in Gothland (which is now deuided into the East and West Gothie, betwixt Swethland and Norway) they had 28. kings: and 10. about the bankes of Wixel, and in Transsiluania and Sclauonia 26. After that being sundred into Eastgothes and Westgothes, the Eastgothes had in Italy 11. kings from Alaricke to Teias, who with the greater part of his peo­ple was ouerthrowen by Narses. The Westgoths in Liō Gaule, in Languedoc and Guien, had 6. kings, and the kings of West­gothes in Spaine, from Alaricke in the yeare 411. to Philip that now raigneth, are eight and twentie in number, according to the account of Lazius, who reckoneth also two and thirtie kings of Arragon, and two and twentie of Nauarre, vnto the kings father that now is. Of these matters it may suffice to haue touched thus much in a word.

22

Such was the French. To enter into the whole historie of the Frēchmen, or Gaules, it was not the Poets meaning, but onely to note briefly the chiefe Outroads of this braue nation, and that within the compasse of 2000 yeares. I will go no fur­ther, but follow the text. The first beginning of the French is diuersly recorded, and all the opinions thereof are well gathe­red and examined by the Author of the French Antiquities: who in the end sheweth his owne iudgement, and auoucheth it to be verie likely, that the land of Gaule (which in old time, besides the realme of Fraunce, did containe also the Low coun­treys, Germany within Rhine, & Lorraine) was first inhabited [Page 30] by the line of Gomer, thither comming vpon diuerse occasions and inereasing more and more with the time: as also by the Germanes a neighbour people: for litle could the Rhine hin­der the G [...]ules and Germanes from coming together, but that either, as they preuailed in strength, might come into others countrey for their better liking. And as the men of Marseil are counted an outcrease of Asia, it is like the rest of the towns and quarters of Fraunce were peopled after the same sort. A­m [...]anus Marcollinus liuely painteth out the Gaules in his 15. booke. So doth Polybius, Caesar, Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, and others. All agree they were a very warlike people; and their multitude gaue them to thinke vpon such remedie as others had vsed before. Their first outroade, that was of any account, was in the raigne of Tarquinius Prisons, and about the time of the Iewes thraldome in Babylon, some 600 yeares before the birth of Christ. The Cel [...]ae (which were the auncient Gaules) possessed the countreys now called Suisse, Sauoy, Daulphine, Languedoc, Vellay, Viuaretz, Lionnois, Forest, Auuergne, Berri, Limosin, Quercy, Perigort, Xanctoigne, Angulmois, Poictou, Brettaigne, Anjou, Tourraine, Maine, Perche, Normandie within Scine, the Chartrain, Hurepois, Beaul [...]e, Gastinois, Brie, Champagne, the Duchie and Counte of Bourgongne: their king Ambigat sent forth Sidoveze and Belloveze to seeke other dwel­ling. Sidoveze taking towards Germanie, left people in Baua­ria, Bohemia and Carinthia, and seated him selfe in the point of Europe toward and beyond the Riphean mountaines. Belloveze a while staying at the foote of the Alpes, was after by the per­swasions of a certaine Tuscane called Arron drawne into Ita­lie, and possessed Insubria. Some of his company seating first among the Pyrene hils, at length entred a part of Arra­gon, and gaue the name to Portugal. But these were nothing so renowmed as the other: who preassing further into Italie, marched vnder Bren [...]us as farre as Clusium, and so to Rome. Of his exploits there, Liuie writeth, and Plutarke in the life of Camillus, which was [...]86 yeares before the coming of Christ. A third companie that followed Bellevoze, because they wold haue roome inough, ouer-ran Slauonia, and maugre all stay [Page 19]entred Hungary, and after many skirmishes departed thence in two bands: the one coasting into Macedonie, the other into Greece, where they made the whole world afraid of thē: after they had slaine Ptolomeus Keraunus brother to Philadelphus king of Egypt. Pranses was their king, whō others call Brēnus, but was not he that sackt Rome. This man not content to haue obtained a great victorie of the Macedonians and harried their countrey, presumed so farre as to spoile the Temple at Delphos, whereby himselfe and all his were brought to a mise­rable end. Neuerthelesse the French that stayed behynde, to guard the frontiers of the countrey, fainted not at the report of these newes, but went to field with 1500 foote and 3000 horse, ouercame the Getes and Triballes, and wasted all Mace­donie: onely through negligence, as they retired loaden with spoile, they were brought to their end. Yet they that remained in Gaule sent forth other companies into Asia: who passed on as far as Bossen & Dardanie, where, by reason of a quarell that fell betweene them▪ they sundred themselues. One part of thē cast into Thrace, & raigned there a long time: the other setled about where Sanus and Danubius meete, not far frō Belgrade. These that remained in Dardanie, when they heard tell of the fruitfull soile of the lesser Asia, went on so farre as Hellespont, and there because they were three cōpanies, they parted Na­tolia betweene them into three partes. The Trocynes had the coast of H [...]ll [...]p [...]nt; the Tolystoboges, Eolide and Ionie (which the Turkes call Quiscon.) The Tectosages, the countrey fur­ther into the maine land. All that part of Asia which lyeth on this side Taurus they made their tributarie plāting thē selues all along the riuer Halys that parteth Paphlagoria from Syria. That prouince where the Gaules dwelt in Asia, frō their first arriual to the height of the Romane Empire, retained the name of Gaul-Greece, together with that same language which S. Ierome (sixe or seuen hundred yeares after) saith was like that he heard spoken in Gaule about the quarter of Treues. Thus concerning the auncient Gaules: now to cleare some few dark words of the text. The worke of Romulus, &c. He meaneth Rome builded by Romulus, the most warlike Citie of all the [Page 42] world; and therefore Mars, whom the Painims counted the God of warre, may be thought the founder of it. Cold Strymon. A riuer parting Macedome from Thrace, as Plinie saith: and because Thrace is no very warme countrey, he giueth Strymon the adioint of Cold. Th' Emathicke fields: to wit, Macedonie, so called of king Emathion. Plinie speakes thereof in his 4 booke and 10 chapter thus, Macedonie a countrey containing a hundred and fiftie nations, sometime renowmed for two kings (he meaneth Philip and Alexander) and for the Empire of the whole world: it was aforetime called Emathia: which word the Poets as Virgil and Lucan, do somtimes vse for Thessaly, a country neare Ma­cedonie. Lucan in his very first verse, Bella per Emathios plus­quam ciuilia Campos. And Virgil in the end of his 2 Georgic.

The Pharsalian fields are in Thessaly, as Plinie recordeth in his 4 booke and 8 chapter.

Dindyma. A hill in Phrygia. The Poet calleth it Dindyme cha­stré, guelt Dindym: because the Priests of Cybele called Cure­tes, kept and sacrificed there, and were Eunuches attired like women. The Poets meaning is, that these Gaules harried also Phrygia, and called the countrey where they dwelt in Asia, Gaul-Greece, after the name of that from whence they first came, and so planted as it were another Gaule in the middest of Asia. What became of their successors in the Romanes time, because the Poet makes no mention thereof, I passe it also.

23

Of people most renown'd. He sheweth in few words wher­fore he thrusteth no 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 shewe [...]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. The Poet hath heretofore compared An­tiquitie (chiefly concerning the Nations Out-roads) vnto a great forest, wherein the cunningest guides haue often lost thē selues. Now therefore he saith it is the safer way to follow and keepe neare the verge of the forest, rather then venter too far into it. He shewes thereby, that his meaning is to giue vs a generall view of these matters, not curiously to minse the par­ticulars, as they haue done, who vndertake to gather out of Authors, and teach others the course of Noes posteritie euerie mile as they haue runne vntill this present; and pore still into the Arke, to finde there the names of their countrymen and auncestours. Therefore he voweth to relye wholly vpon the golden mouth of Moses, which was the sonne of Amram, as the Scripture witnesseth, Nomb. 26.59. Now Moses saith Genes. 10. in the ende of the Chapter, That of the children of Noe were the Nations deuided on the earth after the flood. And before in 5.20. and 30. verses, he sheweth plainly from whence they began to people the world, and (as it were) to leade a­gaine the Arke ouer the face of the earth: in filling most coun­tryes of the world with their great posteritie, encreased, as it was, by vertue of Gods wonderful blessing. Gen 9.1. Encrease and multiply, and fill the earth.

25

Yet not as if Sems house. He saith Sem peopled not the East all at once, but by succession of time; that Iaphet when he came out of the Arke, did not forthwith runne to Spaine, nor Cham to hide himselfe in the furthest part of Affrick: but that by litle and litle, and in processe of time their issues raunged so farre forth either way. He speaketh of diuerse countreys far vp in the East, and farre downe Southward, the site whereof appeareth plaine in the Mappes: and to enrich this true storie, [Page 38] he vseth two prettie comparisons, of the rockes of bees in Hy­bla, and Elmes in an Island: & as by their surcrease both places are by peecemeale at length quite ouergrowen, so (he saith) the world by yearely encrease of Noes posterities was part after part o [...]er peopled as it is. First after the confusiō of toūgs they lodged one behind another, about the coast of Mesopotamia. af­terward as they encreased in stocke, their new families passed the riuers, hilles and straights looking-out other dwelling pla­ces to their liking: the prouidence of God directing all (as ap­peares) for the better grace and trimming of the earth, and the commoditie of all mankind.

26

And hēce it comes to passe. This ensueth necessarily of that goes before. Where the posteritie of Noe were most together in the beginning, there we must confesse was the chiefe sway and greatnesse of mankind, and that was in Assyria and Chal­daea, as Moses witnesseth Gen. 11. whereout the Poet cōcludeth as afore: see further. Gen. 14. Concerning the kings warres that are there named, with their countreys marching vpon Tigris or there abouts; and of Nymrod it is namely said that the be­ginning of his raigne was Babell, &c. in the countrey of Sen­naar, marching vpon the riuer Tigris.

27

For Babilon betimes. Hauing spoken in generall of the first people their greatnesse, he specifieth now the first Monar­chie; whereof it seemes Moses hath enough written in the 10. chap. aforesaid. Now the best Authors many, of these and the former times, declare and proue by the account of yeares that the first Monarchie was in Babilon, and Babilon was in Chal­daea: wherupon some dispute for Niniuie and Assyrians, & some because these two great Cities began about one time, had se­uerall Princes, and raigned both many hundred yeares, they make a double Monarchie of the first, vntill such time as the Chaldean had swallowed the Assyrian. I take not the word Monarchy too precisely, as if in the time of the Babyloniā there were none other in the world. Egypt began in good time to be of power, and great kings there were in the land of Can [...]an, and the countreys adioyning. But I vnderstand with our Poet that the first rule plainlie appeared at Babylon, euen in [Page 39] the time of Noe. Hee that would vpon this point compare profane Histories with the Scripture, might finde matter for a long discourse, the summe whereof may bee seene in Funecius, Carion, Ʋignier and other Chroniclers. To be short, I say the raigne of Nymrod mentioned Gene. 10.10. many yeares forewent all other we reade of, and especiallie those of the Greekes, Romaines, Gaules, &c. as is proued plainlie by the account of time. Thebes, a towne of Boeotia in Greece: it hath a spring by it called Dirce, whereof the towne selfe among the Poetes is often surnamed. Amphion, a wise Politician, who by his eloquence and sleight perswaded the people of those times, rude as they were and vnciuill, to ioyne toge­ther in building the walles of Thebes; whereupon the Poetes, to shew the force of eloquence, faine that Amphion by the cun­ning stroakes of his Lute made the stones come downe from the rockes and lay themselues together in order of a wall. And thus saith Horace in his Epistle of Poetrie ad Pisones: Dictus & Amphion Thebanae conditor vrbis Saxa moucre sono testudmis, & prece blāda. Read more of him in Appollonius his Argonauticks.

28

The sonnes of Heber. This proues again that the neare suc­cessours of Noe filled not the world all at once, but by successiō of time. So the true religion remained in the familie of Sem; The Chaldeans were excellent Astronomers & Philosophers; the Egyptian Priestes knew the secretes of Nature; before there was any knowledge of letters in Greece: which was not peo­pled so soone as the other by many yeares, as the histories euen of the Greekes themselues declare. See the latter Chronicles.

29

All Egypt ouershone. Another proofe. If the world had bene peopled all straight after the flood, riches and dainties would haue bene found vsed in all countreys at the same time. But they were in Egypt and Tyre long before the Greekes and Gaules knew the world. So it followes that Greece and Gaule were not so soone peopled as Egypt and Phoenicia. By the lim­ping Smith, he meanes Vulcan, that first found out the vse and forging of Iron in Sicilie. Prometheus was the first that found the vse of fire among the Argolians or Greekes. Of him saith Hor. 1. booke 2. Ode. Audax Iapeti genus ignēfraude malâ gent [...] ­bus [Page 40] intulet. That is, the bold son of Iaphet brought fire by craft among the nations. Of this matter the Poets haue set forth many fables, the true drift whereof our Authour sheweth in a word. Looke what I haue noted vpō the yoy verse of the 6. day of the 1 weeke. The rest of this place is easie to be vnderstood.

30

As if a pebble stone. A fine similitude concerning the a­foresaid matter: to shew how all the Arts began frō the plaine of Scunnar to spread by litle and litle ouer all the world.

31

For from Assyria. He beginneth here to treat of the more particular peoplings. And first he sheweth how the posteritie of Sem began to fil Asia. Their first out crease leauing the coast of Assyria, bent toward the East. Of this riuer Hytan, Plinie faith 6.23. Carmamae flumen Hytanis portuosum & auro fertile. Look Solinus cha. 67. They hauing peopled this quarter, hrust on further toward Oroatis a riuer of Persia: whereof Plinie saith in his 6. booke the 23. Flumen Oroatis ostio difficili nisi peri­tis; Insulae 2. paruae [...]nde vadosa nauigatio palustri similis, per eu­ripos tamen quosdam peragitur, & in the 25 chap. Persidis initium ad Flumen Oroatin, quo diuiditur ab Elimaide. Read also the 24. chap. of the said booke of Plinie, for the better vnderstanding of their dwelling here. Then they drew further forth into Per­sia towardes the Citie Susa, close by the which Coasp [...]s runneth: such is the sweetnesse of that water, that (as Plinie, Soline, Plu­tarch, & others record) the kings of Persia drink of none other. So they came into the valleys of the famous hill Caucasus, where dwelt the Parthians, whose kings were cōmonly called Arsaces. From hēce into Medie & lastly vp higher toward the Mesendin, Hyrcaman, or Caspian lake. Looke Ptolo in his 1.2. & 3. table of Asia, Mercator, [...]rtelius, Cellarius & Thouet. All these remoues are cōtained within the compasse of 5. or 600. leagues.

32

These mens posteritie. He setteth downe in fower verses the chiefe countries peopled by the second ouercrease of Sems Issue. The land fronting Che [...]el is a part of Tartarie, not farre from the Caspian sea, whereinto that riuer falleth, and riseth neare the wildernesse of Lop, aboue Tachalistan; which is a great countrey neighbour to the mountaine [...]maus. Charasse, Charassan, or Chorasan, it is a coūtrey that hes between Istigias, [Page 41] Bedane, and Tacalistan, which I note more particularly then I finde in the French Commentarie, because there is so little diffe­rence of letters betweene that and the name of Carazan, where­of the Poet speaketh in the fourth verse following. This Charasse, Gadel, Cabul, Bedane and Balistan, are prouinces enclosed by the riuer Indus, the mountaine Imaus, the Mesendin or Caspian Sea, and the realme of Persia, a circuit of land somewhat more then 600. leagues.

33

Their of spring afterward. He commeth to the third o­uercrease of the Semites, who went foorth Southward as well as North and Eastward. The inhabitants of Cabul thrust forward their Issue toward Bisnagar, a rich countrie of South. Asia, ly­ing betweene the Persian sea and the Gulfe of Bengala. Nar­singa (for so I haue translated the French Nayarde) is a king­dome lying yet lower, and very rich. That plenteous land that Ganges thorow-flowes, it containes the higher India, where are many wealthie kingdomes set forth well at large in the Mappes, as Cambaie, Decan, Bengala, Pedir, &c. Toloman, is further vp toward the North. Aua, is beyond the Gulfe of Bengala, to­ward the East, about Pegu and Siam, countries of infinit wealth. Mein, on the West hath Ganges, on the East Macin, on the South Bengala, and on the North Carazan, which the Poet sur­nameth Muskey, because there is great store of the best Muske. Lop, a Desert thirtie daies iourney ouer, lying yet higher North­ward. It seemes the Poet followes the opinion of M. P. Venet, who in the first booke of his Tartarian Historie, chap. 35. makes very strange report of the fearefull sights that the poore passen­gers there meete with, often to the losse of their liues. Not vnlike it is that certaine legions of euill Spirits there abiding, haue had some speciall power giuen them so to punish the Idolotrous Ma­hometists, who still inhabit those quarters. The Poet saith all the countries marching this Wildernesse were peopled by this third out crease of the Semits. It is an opinion somewhat likely, and thereon I rest, vntill I heare some other (if it bee possible) giue more certaine intelligence of the matter.

34

Long after sundrie times. He speaketh of the fourth and last ouercrease of Sem. Tipura, a countrie breeding many Rhi­nocerots, [Page 42] which, according as the Greeke name signifieth, I haue translated horny-snouted beasts: reade the description of them in the exposition of the 40. verse of the 6. day of the first weeke: this Tipura lieth East ward aboue Toloman betwixt Carazan an Caichin, or Gaucinchine, for so I haue translated: it hath on the West Tipura and Toloman, on the South Campaa, on the North China & Mein, and on the East y ^e East-Ocean: a land ve­ry large and bearing great store of Aloës. Mangit is far vp in the North: so is also Quinsai, Ania, and Tabin, one aboue another euen vnto the Amen Straight and Scythike Ocean. By this de­scription, plaine to be seene in the Maps of Asia, the Poet meant to shew vs all the seuerall remoues of Sems posteritie; who not passing beyond the Anian Straight, might long content them­selues with so large a portion as Asia, containing aboue foure thousand leagues of ground. As for the particular description of these countries, their length, bredth and commodities, I neither dare, nor wil euer charge therewith my notes entended for short. Besides, it was not the Poets minde to hold the reader long with view and studie of such matter and questions, as may be had and plainly resoiled of the Card-men.

35

Now from the center-point. Out of Assyria and Mesopo­tamia, Iaphet, or the next race from him, drew toward the West, into those places that the Poet names, set downe (as they are) in the ancient and later Mappes of Asia and Europe. I neede not mince euery word of the text. Armenie is distinguished into the Great and Lesse, it lieth neere the Caspian sea, and coasteth to­ward Europe. The sweete Corician cave, it is in Cilicia, and is de­scribed of Plinie in the 27. chapter of his 5. booke, and Strabo in his 4. book, and Solinus in his 51. chap. Concerning the strange matters which the Poet reports of it, reade Pomponius Mela his description of Cilicia, the first booke. Besides many notable pro­perties of the place, he sayth moreouer that when a man hath gone there a troublesome narrow way a mile and more, he shall come through pleasant shades into certaine thick woods, which make a sound (no man can tell how) of certaine country-songs: and after he is passed thorow to the end thereof, he shall enter another deeper shadowe, which amazeth much all that come [Page 43] there, by reason of a noise is heard, loud and passing mans power to make, as it were the sound of many Cimballes. These are his words: Terret ingredientes sonitis Cimbalorū diuinitùs & magno fragore crepitantium. He sets downe also at large al other the pleasant delights of the place. Concerning this musicke, some thinke it a fable: Others ascribe it to a naturall cause: as that the ayre entring by a narrow mouth into a vault of stone, wide and very deepe, soone growes thereby exceeding raw, and so turnes into water, then dropping still downe in many places and quan­tities somewhat proportionable vpon the sounding stone, makes in those hollow rockie places a noyse as it were musicall. Taure his loftie downes, this great mountaine reacheth hence well to­ward Pisidia Westward, and on the other side a great way into Asia, as Ptolomee sheweth in his first table. Meander a riuer ari­sing out of the mountaines of Pelta and Totradium in Asia the lesse, it runneth thorow Hierapolis, Pisidia, Licaonia, Caria, and other countries thereabouts, into the Midland sea. Illios or Troas, Bithynia and the rest, are higher toward Hellespont and the Maior sea.

36

Then boldly passing ore. He spake before of Illios, which lies in low Phrigia vpon the shore of the Midland sea, about the Sigean Peake and the riuer Simöis, hard by the Straight of Galli­polie, where Abydos on Asia-side stādeth, and Sestos on the side of Europe: now he saith the second ouercrease of Semites past the Straight, it being in breadth but the fourth part of a league, as Bellon auoucheth in the 2. booke and 3. chapter of his Singula­rities. In times past there stood two towers, one in Sest, the o­ther in Abyde, in the toppes whereof wont to bee set great lights to waine the marriners by night. Looke what we haue no­ted vpon the word Phare in the first day of the first weeke, verse 448. and what vpon the word Leander 1. weeke, fift day, 912. verse. At this time Sest and Abyde are two Castles, where the Turke hath Garrisons, and are the very keyes of Turkie in that quarter: so neere is Constantinople vnto them. Strimon, Hebre and Nest, are three great riuers passing thorow Thrace (which is now called Remania) and falling into the Aegean sea, called now by some Archipelago, and by the Turks the White sea. Look [Page 44] the 9. table of Europe in Ptolomee. The Rhodopeā dales. Rhodope is a mountaine bounding Thrace: in the dales thereof, beside o­ther townes, are Philippoli and Hadrianopoli. Danubie or Do­naw is the greatest riuer of all Europe, springing out of Arnobe hill, which Ptolomee and Mercator puts for a bound betweene the Sweues and Grisons: this Riuer running thorow Almaine, Austria, Hungaria, Sclauonia, and other countries with them interlaced, receiueth into it aboue 50. great Riuers, and little ones an infinite sort, so emptieth by sixe great mouthes into the Ma­ior sea. Moldauia, Valachia, and Bulgaria are the countries neere about the fall of Danubie.

37

Thrace. These countries neere the Maior and Aegean Seas, and the Thracian Bosphore, thrust on the third ouercrease of people further West and Northward, as the Poet very likely fayth: the Mappes of Europe shew plainly the coasts he nameth for their chiefe seates. But to shew how and when they changed and rechanged places and names of places, driuing out one the other, and remouing by diuers enterspaces, it were the matter of a large booke.

38

Now turning to the South. He commeth now to handle the Colonies or ouercreases of Chams posteritie: first into Ara­bia, Phaenicia, and Chananaea, which was after called Indaea: the site of these countries wee know well: they are easie to bee found in the generall Mappes, and those of Europe, beside the particulars in Ptolomee and other late writers, as namely in the Theater of Ortelius. When the Chamites had ouerbred Arabia and the countrie south from Chaldaea, which lies betwixt th'A­rabian and Persian Gulfes, they went at the second remoue down into Aegypt betwixt the red & Midland seas: thirdly they entred Affrick, and by little and little filled it. The Poet points-out many countries, for better vnderstanding whereof, wee must cōsider that Affrick (the fourth part of the world knowne) is diuided into foure parts, Barbaria, Numidia, Lybia, and the land of Negroes. Barbaria conteineth al the North coast, from Alexandria in Aegypt to the Straight of Gibraltar along by the Midland sea, and is diuided into foure kingdomes, Maroco, Fes­sa, Tremisen, and Tunis, conteining vnder them 21. Prouinces. [Page 45] Vnder the same Southward lieth Numidia, called of the Arabiās Biledulgerid, and hauing but few places habitable. Next below that is Lybia, called Sarra, as much to say as Desert, a countrie exceeding hot, and marching athonside vpon the land of Ne­groes: that, the last and greatest part of Affrick, reacheth South and Eastward very farre. In the further coast thereof is the coun­trie of Zanzibar, certaine kingdomes and deserts neere the Cape of good hope, which is the vtmost and Southerest peake of all Affrick. Corene is neer Aegypt. The Punick Sea, the Sea of Car­thage, put for the Midland that parteth Europe and Affricke a­sunder. Fesse, is the name of the chiefe Citie of that Realme in Barbarie. Gogden, a Prouince of the Negroes, as are also Termi­nan, Gago and Melli, neere the same. Argin, lieth neere the White Cape. Gusola, is one of the seuen Prouinces of Maroco in Barbarie. Dara, a countrie in the Northwest of Numidia, not farre from Gusola. Tombuto, a great countrie in the West part of the Negroes, neere aboue the riuer Niger. So is Gualata, but somewhat higher and right against the Greene Cape. Man­sara (which I haue put in for the verse sake, as I left out Aden) it lies neere Melli vpon the lowest mouth of Niger. By Aden, that the French hath, I take to bee meant Hoden, which is betwixt Argin and Gualata, or somewhat lower. The Wildernes of Ly­bie is surnamed Sparkling, because the sands there ouerchafed with a burning heate of the Sunne, flye vp and dazle mens eyes. Cane, Guber, Amasen, Born, Zegzeg, Nubie, Benim: all are ea­sie to be found in the Mappe neere about the riuer Niger, sauing Benim which is lower by the Gulfe Royal, and Nubie higher to­ward Nilus. Amasen (which I haue added) is a great countrie, neere the place where Niger diueth vnder the Earth. From these quarters South and Eastward lies the great Ethiopia, a countrie exceeding hot, sandie, and in many places vnhabitable, because of the sands, which by the wind are so moued and remoued of­tentimes, that they ouerheate and choke-vp diuers great coun­tries, that might otherwise bee dwelt in. There the great Negus, called Prester-Ian, raigneth farre and neere. His Realmes, Pro­uinces, customes, lawes, Religion, and the manner of his peoples liuing, are set foorth at large by Franciscus Aluares, in his histo­rie [Page 46] of Ethiopia, that is ioyned with Iohannes Leo his description of Affrick.

39

If thou desire to know. Hitherto the Poet hath told vs how Asia, Europe, and Affricke, were peopled by the successors of Noe. But he hath not shewed how the Japhethites from Chaldaea got vp to the furthest Northerne parts: and that he now goeth about, and doth in 16. verses: supposing them from Euphrates to coast vp toward the mountaines of Armenia, and so to enter Albania and the neighbour places, from thence to people Tar­taria, Moscouia, and all the North countries, they are plainly set downe by Mercator, Ortelius, Theuet and others in their Maps of Europe: and I thought good, for causes often aforetold, not here to entreate of them particularly. There is left vs yet to con­sider two notable questions concerning these out-roades and Colonies of Noes posteritie. The one, how they came vnto the West India, which hath so lately, within these 100. yeares, been discouered. The other, how it came to passe that so few of them, in the short space of some hundreds of yeares, were able to en­crease to such a number, as might empeople and fill so many huge and diuers countries of the world. The Poet straight makes answere hereunto. Let vs marke his discourse vpon either the demaunds.

40

But all this other world. This is the first of the foresayde questions: how it came to passe that the new world, discouered in these latter times, could be so replenished with people, as the Spaniards (who haue thereof written very much) did finde it. He speaketh of the West Jndia, which is called another world, or the new world, for the hugenes thereof; being more then 9300. leagues about, as Gomara saith in his Indian Historie 1. book. 12. chap. it is longer then all the other three parts of the world: and two or three waies as broad as Asia and Europe laide together. This quarter, so great and full of kingdomes and people, if it haue been long agone inhabited, how hap (saith our Poet) the Persi­ans, Greekes, and Romans, who vndertooke so many farre voya­ges, came neuer there, nor once heard thereof? For Ptolomee, Strabo, Mela and other auncient writers make no mention of it: and if it were peopled but of late yeares, he asketh, how came so many people there, so many great cities and stately monu­ments, as Gomara, Benzo, Cieque, Ouiede, Cortes, and others write of. Benzo and Barthelemi de las Casas doe report, that, in that little the Spaniards haue there gotten within these 30. or 40. yeres, they haue slaine aboue twentie millions of people, vndone and brought to great distresse as many or more, and wasted and vnpeopled twise as much ground as is contained in Europe and a part of Asia to that. Neuerthelesse in many places, and euen in Mexico, New Spaine and Peru, where they haue vsed all the crueltie, wickednes and villanie that mans heart or the diuels rage could imagine, there are yet liuing many thousand Indians. Concerning the auncient Monuments of this new world, I will reckon at this time but one of thē, taken out of the fourth booke and 194. chapter of Gomara: there are (saith hee) in Peru two great high-waies reaching, the one through the hilles, the other ouer the plaines, frō Quito to Cusco, which is aboue 500. leagues out right, a worke so great and chargeable, that it is well worthie [Page 50] noting: that ouer the plaines, is 25. foote broad, and walled on either side, and hath little brookes running along in it, with store of the trees called Molli planted on the bankes. The other is of like breadth, cutting thorough the rocks, and filling vp the lower grounds with stone worke: for they are both of them leuell without mounting or descending any hill, & straight without stopping at any lake or poole. In a word, whosoeuer hath seene either of them, will say it is a work farre surpassing all the great buildings and paued causies of the Romanes, or the walles of Babylon built by Queene Semyramis, or those most wonderfull Pyramides of Aegypt. Guaynacapa, a certaine king of the In­dians (who liued about 100. yeares agoe) caused these wayes to be repayred and enlarged; but he was not the first beginner of them, as some would make vs beleeue: for he could not haue fi­nished them in all his life time, and the stone-worke seemes to be much more ancient. There are built vpon them, a dayes iour­ney asunder, many goodly pallaces, called Tambos, wherein the Court and armies of the Princes wont to lodge. But, Gomara sayth, our Spanyards haue by their ciuil warres vtterly destroyed these causies, and cut them asunder in many places, that they might not come one to the other: yea the Indians themselues haue broke-off and seuered their parts in time of warre. Now let vs heare the Poets answere.

41

VVhat then alas? belike. His first answere is, that the people of the West Indies fell not out of the ayre, as many little frogges doe in a warme shower, framed, by the vertue of the Sunne, of the dust or vapours arising out of the earth: nor that they grew not out of the ground like rootes or plants: nor by any straunge and vaine inchantment, as of the Serpents teeth sowne by Cadmus, the Poets faine, grew souldiers in complet harnesse. But these they are men well-featured, stout, and long­liuing, chiefly in the North and South-parts of the countrie, where both men and women in stature, strength, and conti­nuance, farre excell the people of Europe, Asia, and Affrick. The cōmodities they haue for health, their meat, drink and dwelling, their ceremonies, ciuil gouernment & other properties, duly no­ted by the Historians, make very good proofe of y ^e Poets saying.

42

Indeed this mightie ground. This new-found world is called America, of the name of Americus Vespusius, a certaine famous Pilot of Florence, one of the first discouerers of the coun­trie, not much more then a hundred yeares agoe. His second an­swere is, that this part of the world could not bee so soone enha­bited as the other three: because it is discoasted further from the plaine of Sennaar, for in Asia the plaine it selfe was. And Arabia being peopled, Affrick was very neere at hand, and Europe from the lesser Asia is parted but with a narrow Phare: whereas A­merica is farre beyond all these which way soeuer we coast. He calleth Europe a learned Soyle, tow'r-bearing, louing-right, for the number of learned men and cunning Artisans, of kingdoms and states well gouerned, and Fortresses that are there. That af­ter Iupiter his deer-beloued hight, to weet Europa, that was the daughter of Agenor king of Phaenicia. For the prophane Poets faine their great god, being in loue with her, to haue taken the shape of a Bull, and on his backe to haue carried her ouer Helle­spont, and therefore the place where he first landed her was called by her name. From this fable seemes to be drawne the name of Bosphore: which is as much to say as Bull-ferrie. Perhaps this Iupiter was some notable pyrate or tyrant thereabout raigning, who in a Ship called the Bull, stole away some yong Lady & fled for safetie into Europe. These words (which from cold Bosphors head Doth reach the pearly dew of Tithons saffran bed) set down the length of Asia, that is, from the Bosphore of Thrace vnto the East-Ocean. The Castile armes and lore: that is, the Spanish Religion and forces, which Christopher Columbus brought first into America, and there planted in the name of the Spanish king.

43

But there the buildings. The third answere is, that the stately buildings, infinite treasures, & diuers gouernements that are there, will witnes that the countrie hath been long enhabi­ted, although hard it is to learne how. I haue alreadie spoke of the great Causeyes of Peru. Now the sumptuousnes of The­mixtetan, the great citie of the kingdome of Mexico, and the kings Pallaces of Peru (such they are described by the Spani­ards) make further proofe of the Poets saying. As forth vncoun­table [Page 52] wealth of the Indies it plainely appeares, that aboue ten thousand Myllions of golde haue been brought thence into Eu­rope, beside heapes of Rubies, Emeraudes and Pearle, much wracked in the sea, and much brought for a yearly tribute into Spaine. Whereunto I will adde what Franciscus Lopes de Go­mara saith concerning the vnualuable riches of Guainacapa, (the name signifieth young and rich) the father of Antibalippa, last king of Peru, whom the Spaniards put to death. All the furniture of his house, table and kitchin (saith hee in the 120. chapter of his fourth booke) were of golde aend siluer, and the meanest of siluer somewhat embased with copper for the more strength. He had in his wardrop giant-like images of golde liuely featured; as also all kinde of beasts, foules, trees, herbes, and flow­ers that the land there beareth; and all kinde of fishes, that either the Sea there, or any fresh water of his kingdome breedeth, in the said mettals well and proportionably resembled, not so much as cordes, paniers, troughes, billets, and other such implements, but were so; to conclude, there was nothing in his kingdome, whereof he had not the counterfet in golde or siluer. Jt is also said that the kings of Peru, called Ingaes, haue a garden in a certaine Isle neere Puna, where they delight themselues when they list take the Sea, that hath in golde and siluer all hearbes, flowers and trees, and o­ther things whatsoeuer meet for a pleasant garden: such a sumptu­ous deuise, as neuer was heard-of or seene elsewhere. Besides all this, that king, last but one, had gathered into Cusco huge masses of golde and siluer vnfined: which the Indians hid so secretly, as the Spaniards could neuer come-by it, there was also in and a­bout Cusco great store of picture-tables and tombes all of fine sil­uer, worth some thirtie, some fifty, some threescore thousand du­cats a peece: also dining-tables, vessels, and images a great num­ber, all of fine golde. The Spaniards at the taking of Antiba­lippa found as good as 252000. poundes of siluer, and of golde 1300265. pezoes, euery pezo valued at a ducat and a halfe. Be­sides the great golden table of Antibalippa, worth nye 40000. Crownes. Now for all this great spoyle that the Spaniards got, and hauock that they made, as well in Peru, as other the Prouin­ces thereabout, yet the Indians (as Benzo reports, who stayde [Page 53] there with the Spaniards foureteene yeares, and wrote in three bookes worthy-reading that whole storie) they sticke not to say, they haue yet more remaining then all that the Spaniards euer had. And to make their meaning plainer, they will take out of a great vessell full of wheate one graine betwixt their fingers, and say: See you this? the Viracochie (so they call the Spaniards) haue taken as it were this one graine away: but thus much (say they, poynting to the rest in the vessel) thus much and more haue they left behinde them. Now the word Ʋiracochie because it comes thus in my way, Benzo himselfe in his third booke saith, it signifies the frother scumme of the Sea: and that the Peruvi­ans so call the Spaniards for deepe hatred and abomination of them; saying also sometimes one to another in their language: The winde bears downe houses and trees, and the fire burnes them, but these Viracochie they doe worse then winde and fire. They waste all, they eate all, they turne the earth and all vpse­downe: they turne the course of riuers: they are neuer at quiet: they neuer cease ranging vp and downe to seeke golde and siluer: and all they finde is too little for them. When they haue it, what doe they? They take their pleasure, they warre one with ano­ther, rob one another, kill one another: they are euer giuen to lying, blaspheming, and denying the same God whom they pro­fesse: and these men haue cruelly slaine without cause our fathers, our children and kinsfolkes, taken from vs, contrarie to all right, our goods, our libertie and countrie. Hauing thus commen­ded the Spaniards, they curse the Sea for vomiting on the Earth so cruell and wicked a people, and often haue vpbrayded the Spaniards themselues with this notorious reproach: that golde was the Christians God. O how shall this people in the latter day condemne that euer-greedy couetousnes, for which Europe nowadayes heareth so ill, and is by the selfe-people thereof so wasted and vnpeopled! But concerning the diuers gouerne­ments of the West Indies, seeing they are set downe so well at large by Lopes, Ouiede, Benzo and others, it is too great a mat­ter for mee to handle in this discourse, which is (I feare mee) growne to long alreadie: therefore will I draw to an ende. The Poet at the 413. verse begins to shew some likely opinions how [Page 54] this new-founde worlde was peopled: and first in generall, that the people of countries enhabited, exercising their ordina­ry trafficke one with another, might sometimes be cast by force of tempest vpon the West-Indian shore, and so be constrained (their shippes being broken) to remaine still there. Others by plague, warre or famine were driuen to leaue their countries, & seeke some quieter dwelling farther off, and so haue lighted on these new Countries. Or perhaps some great man of autho­ritie, or cunning Pilot, by ventring made a discouerie thereof, and ledde the ouer-creases of some people thither. As the Poet sheweth more particularly in the verses following.

44

Nay could not long agoe. He guesseth inspeciall (and most likely) that the inhabitants of the furthest Northeast shore of Asia, to witte, the men of Quinsay and other places there, might haue emptied their ouer-peopled Citties, by passing the Anien Straight (a part of sea no broader (as he saith) then the Phare of Gallipoli, Gibraltare, or Messine) and so frō the East Indies might they haue stoared first the lande of Tol­guage (which Theuet, in his mappe of the new world, placeth betwixt the Realmes of Anian, Tolm, and Quiuir, within 15. degrees of the North-pole:) then the rest as followeth.

45

So from the Wastes of Tolm & Quiuir. In all this huge Northen part of America, few people there are, especially to­ward the coast ouer-against Quinsay and th'other East-coun­tries. There are therefore great Waste-landes (as the later Card­men haue noted) about the kingdomes or countries of Anian. Tolguage, Quiuir and Tolm, aboue 12000. leagues compasse.

So then the Poet holds opinion that some of Sems posteritie, hauing once passed from the farthest East-point of Asia ouer to the West-Indian Coast, thrust their of spring farther into the land. The Countries here named by the Poet, are to be found in the Sea-cards and Land-mappes betwixte New-Spaine and Estotilant: as if he meant that the North-part of America was first inhabited: concerning the properties & particular descrip­tions of these places, reade the thirde volume of the Spanish Nauigations, the second Booke of the generall history of Lo­pez de Gomara Chap. 37. &c. the History of Florida, Benzo, the [Page 55] Reportes of Iohann:s Verazzanus, laques Cartier, and other French Captaines, concerning their discouering of the Land of Labour (where the sea is frozen) Baccalos, New-France, Cana­da, Hochilega and other landes thereabouts. Reade Theuet also & the latter Card-men. For the French Calicuza I haue transla­ted Caliquas, according as I finde it written both in others and in Ortellius; who also hath for Mechi Terlichi-mechi; and therefore I translate it Terlichi.

46

They sow'd at'hother side. Xalisco, nowe called Noua Gallicia, is described by Gomara in the 21. Chapter of his 5. booke. It is a land very fruitfull, and rich in honny, waxe and siluer: and the people there are Idolaters and Men-eaters. Nun­nius Gusmannus, who seized the countrie for the king of Spain in the yeare 1530. hath written a discourse thereof, and it is to be read in the third volume of the Spanish Nauigations. The Prouince of Mechuacan (from whence not farre lyeth Cusule) is about 40. leagues lower southward then Xalisco: that also the said Gusmannus conquered, after he had most cruelly and trai­terously put to death the Prince and Peeres of the countrie, as Gomara sheweth in his booke & chapter aboue quoted. Mexi­co, (which some count all one with Themixtetan) is the mo­ther Cittie of that kingdome, now called Hispania Noua: won­derfull rich it is and strong, and of high renoume: built, farre more curiously then Venice, vpon a lake salt on the northside, because it is there of a Sea-like breadth, and on the southside fresh, because of a Riuer that empties there into it. Greater is the Cittie thought to be, then Seuille in Spaine, the streetes are passing well set, and their channels in such manner cast, as can not be mended. Diuers places there are to buy and sell-in the needefull and ordinary wares, but one there is greater then the rest, with many walkes and galleries round about it, where eue­ry day may bee seene aboue threescore thousande Chapmen. There is the Iudgement hall for common Pleas: and were also many temples & shrines of Idols before the comming of Fer­dinando Cortez, who made thereof the first conquest for the K. of Spaine, exercising most horrible cruelties vpon all both yong and old in the Citie, as Barthelemi de las Casas, a Monke & Bi­shoppe [Page 56] of Spaine, reports in his historie of the Indies, where he stayed a long time. Looke the description of Mexico in the thirde volume of the Spanish Nauigations fol. 300. See also Benzo of Millaine his historie of the newe worlde the 2. booke and 13. Chapter. Now from these partes aboue named (after report of some wonders of many there seene, and worthie a lar­ger discourse by themselues) the Poet drawes his Colonies down further towardes Peru, by the Land-straight of Panama, which parts the South-sea from the Ocean, and thereabout is hardly 20. leagues in breadth. The fiery mountaine of Nica­ragua is by Gomara described in his 5. booke, Chap. 203. so are the other wonders, which the Poet here notes, in his 4. booke, chap. 194.

47

Then Chili they possest. Gomara, in his fourth booke, chap. 131. holds opinion that the men of Chili are the right An­tipodes or Counter-walkers vnto Spaine, and that the countrie there is of the same temper with Andaluzie. This Chili lyeth on the shore of el Mar Pacifico, so also doth Quintete (which I haue put for Chinca) both neere the Patagones or Giants, whose countrie is full of people, and hath certaine riuers that runne by day and stand by night, some think because of the snowes which in the day time are melted by the Sun, and frozen by the Moone in the night: but I take it rather to be some great secret and mi­racle of nature. The cause, why here I made exchange of Chinca, was first for that the Poet had spoke before of the springs of Chink, which I take for the same; then because it is so diuersly placed of the Card-men: for Ortelius, in his Mappe of the new world, sets it aboue, and Theuet beside Chili, in either place it stands well to be taken for the Chink afore-named: but Merca­tor placeth it a great deale lower, and on the contrary coast, neer the riuer of Plata, where indeede is a countrie called Chica, that perhaps hath bred this error. Lastly, Quintete stands so right in way, which the Poet followes, from Chili to the Patagones, that I thought it not amisse to take the same rather then the doubtfull Chinca. By the fomy Brack of Magellanus, he meanes the sea and Straight of Magellan close by terra Australis. Gomara describeth it well in the beginning of the third booke of his Por­tugall [Page 57] Historie. The Poet hath alreadie shewed how people came first on the North- America from the kingdome of Anian ouer the maine land to th' Atlantick sea shore, then on all the fur­ther coasts from Quiuir to the Magellan Straight, along th' Ar­chipelago de San Lazaro, Mar del Zur, & Pacifico: and now he takes the higher side on the left hand from the Land-Straight of Panama to the riuer of Plata, which is not farre from the Ma­gellan: noting by the way the most note-worthie places of all this huge reach of ground, represented, as it is, by our late writers in their generall and particular Mappes of the New-found world. Huo is a great sweet-water streame rising at Quillacin­gas, (that lieth vnder the Equatour) and running athwart the countrie now called Carthage into the sea at Garia. Ʋraba is the countrie that lieth betwixt that riuer and Carthagene. Con­cerning Zenu, marke what Gomara sayth thereof in his second booke and 69. chapter. It is the name of a riuer and citie both, and of a Hauen very large and sure. The Citie is some 8. leagues from the sea. There is a great Mart for Salt and Fish. Gould the inhabitants gather all about; and when they set themselues to get much, they lay fine-wrought nets in the riuer of Zenu and others and oftentimes they draw-vp graines of pure gold as big as egges. This countrie is not farre from the Straight of Darien. In the sayd second booke, chap. 72. he describes also Noua Gre­nada, and the Mount of Emeraudes: which is very high, bare, and peeld, without any herbe or tree thereon growing, and lieth some fiue degrees on this side the Equatour. The Indians, when they goe-about to get the stones, first vse many enchauntments to know where the best vaine is. The first time the Spanyards came there, they drew thence great and little 1800. very fayre and of great price: but for this commoditie, the countrie is so barren that the people were faine to feede on Pismers: till of late the Spanish couetousnesse hath made them know the value of their Mountaine. Cumana is described in the foresaid booke, chap. 79. in the ende whereof Gomara sayth the vapours of the Riuer of Cumana engender a certaine little mist or slime vpon mens eyes, so as the people there are very pore-blind. Parie is described in the 84 chapter of the said second book. Maragnon, [Page 58] a Riuer which (as Gomara sayth, 2. booke, 87. chapter) is three-score miles ouer. It emptieth at the Cape of A [...]inde, three degrees beiond th' Aequator: but springeth a great way further South, by Tarama in Peru; thence running Eastward, it casteth onely an Arme into th' Amazon about Picora. Which hath caused many the first writers of America to count from that place both but one riuer. So also doth our Poet here: otherwise he would haue mentioned first how the people passed th' Amazon, that other great streame now knowne by the name of Orenoque; which riseth about Carangui, and emptieth (as Theuet sayth) 104. leagues aboue the mouth of Maragnon. Bresile, which the Spa­niard discouered in the yeare 1504. is surnamed fierce, because of the Canibales, Caribes, and other man-eating people there. l [...]de Leri hath written very fully all the historie of his aduenture in part of the countrie, where dwel the people called Toupinam­boes. The riuer of Plata the Indians call Paranagacuc, which word importeth as much as a great water. Gomara speaking thereof in the 89. chapter of his second booke sayth, In this ri­uer is found siluer, pearles, and other things of great price. It containes in bredth 25. leagues, makes many Islands, and swels like Nilus, and about the selfe-same time. It springeth first out of the mountaines of Peru, and is after encreased by the in fall of many riuers: for the countrie thereabout is leuell, or flat, where­of it seemes to haue receiued the name of Plate.

Thus the Poet gesseth at the maner of this new-found worlds empeopling by the coast of Asia. Whereunto I will adde what Arias Mont. that learned Spaniard hath written thereof in his book entituled Phaleg. He saith Ioktan the double pety-son of Sem, (that is, whose double grandfather Sem was) had thirteene sonnes, which are named by Moses in the 10. of Gen. and some of them peopled the West Indies from the East. That which Moses saith, Gen. 10.30. concerning Sephar a mountaine of the East, Arias applies to the great hils of Peru, which the Spa­niards call Andes: they reach out further in length then any o­ther in the world, and neere them stands an ancient towne cal­led Iuktan. Moreouer, there lies higher a Neer-isle, betwixt Cuba and Mexico, called Inkatan: which may be thought to resemble [Page 59] still the name of him that first brought people into the country. To Ophir, one of the sonnes of Ioktan, Arias allots the land of Peru: for as much as in the 3. chap. and 6. verse of the 2. booke of Chron. there is mention made of the gold of Paruaim. To Io­bab the countrie of Paria, which is neere the Straight of Pana­ma, very rich also in gold and pearle. I haue said elsewhere that Arias Montanus tooke Asia to be all one main-land with A­merica, and knew no Anian Straight. If that bee true, sure the race of Sem peopled those quarters. But others considering the horrible ignorance and brutishnes of the West-Indians so lately discouered, and the rather to excuse their outragious cru­eltie exercised vpon the poore people, cannot thinke but that they are some relikes of the race of Cham. This opinion hath but a weake ground, as he may well perceiue that will dulie ex­amine the circumstances. For strange it is not that the race of Sem, after so many generations, and in so farre-discoasted coun­tries, should at length bee thus corrupted. Besides, the West-Indians in diuers places liue still after the manner of the East. But for better answering sundrie obiections, that make to proue them Chamites, reade the Preface to the New-found world of Benzo, Frenched by M. Vrbain Chauueton.

48

Moreouer one may say. This is another guesse of the Poet; as that the West-India was peopled from the North by some Iaphethites, who vētured ouer the Straight of Gro [...]land. Indeed these Northerne countries haue euer swarmed with people: and well it may be, that some thence by others driuen, or by necessi­tie, or of their owne heads, haue sought that way other places more to their liking. As also that the coasts of Bresile and Pla­ta (which I thinke the Poet meanes by the Shore of Corican) were peopled by some Chamites from Temian, Tombut, and Melli, countries lying in the West of Africk, about the fall of Niger. For vnlikely it were, seeing Almightie God gaue the whole earth to Noe and his three sonnes, ( Gen. 9.) that the race of any one of them should engrosse all this New-found world, beside his part in the other. Thus rather doubtlesse, as the Poet guesseth, and I am further bold to gather, by little & little at sun­drie times and places did all the three families of Noe possesse [Page 60] those quarters as the rest: that the wil of God might be fulfilled, and the light of his glorie appeare, in so equall-parting & ouer-peopling the whole earth: howsoeuer all that huge reach of ground that lieth vnder the South-pole, and is thought the fift and greatest part (if it all be habitable) is as yet vnknowne, or very little discouered.

49

Well may I graunt. This is the second obiection against that hath been said concerning the Colonies drawne from Noes three sonnes: to wit, y ^t it is vnpossible so few households should in so short time fill so many countries as are in the worlde, so thicke as now they swarme.

50

If little thou regarde. The Poet answers at large and very exactly to the said obiection. First, out of the words of Mo­ses Gen. 9. And God blessed Noe and his children, and said vn­to them: Encrease and fill the Earth. This answer is right to the poynt, & very sufficient to stop the mouthes of all curious que­stioners, that at least beleeue the word and power of God. Such is also the answer following.

51

If thou profane deny. He that beleeues the holy Scrip­ture knowes well that in the space of 400 yeares the family of Iacob no more then 70. persons encreased in Aegypt vnto the number of fiue hundred thousand, besides women and children. This is an argument from the lesse to the greater: if in one little countrey a few so much encreased, and that in the short space of 400. yeares, how much more might all the people else in the world encrease in 4000. yeares? But the profane man will not beleeue the storie, he will say it is vnpossible. I will make no mi­racle of it, although the Scripture noteth how the people encrea­sed meruailouslie; and therefore vseth a word which signifieth to multiplie or spawne like fishes. But let him cast account as neere as hee can, not of excesse, but the ordinarie encrease that might arise of 70. persons in the space they were in Aegypt, and before he come to 250. of the 400. he shall haue the num­ber, as Mornaeus noteth in his booke De veritate, Chap. 26.

52

At least consider how. This the third answer is also of [Page 63] great importance, especially for Atheists: because it relyeth vp­on naturall reason: as namely that a purer food, & better health, with peace, strength, rest, long life, and Polygamie (which is the vse of many wiues) made greatly for the encrease of man­kinde in those former times. Each poynte of this answere is of great waight, and may perswade easily all that is written of the matter.

53

Right so a graine of wheate. For confirmation of the foresaid arguments, he bringeth-in two fine comparisons and fit for the purpose. The one drawne from a corne of wheate, the other from the spawne of two fishes. Both so much the bet­ter in this case, because they are of common things, and such as we dayly see before our eyes.

54

Haue we not in our daies. He confirmes his reasons fur­ther by a notable example of a certaine man, who liued to see a whole towne, of no lesse then 100. houses, peopled onely with persons issued of himself and his: so that there were no names in law for their degrees of blood: Ludouicus Viues affirmeth he saw the man in Spaine. There dyed also lately an honorable La­die in Germanie, who saw of her selfe and hers borne a hundred and threescore children; notwithstanding many dyed vnma­ried, and those that were married are yet like to haue more.

55

Who knowes not that within. Loe another notable exāple of a few Arabian families, set downe at large by John Lyon in his Historie of Affrick, and cited also by Philip Morney in his 26. chapter de Veritate. And wee see (sayth he) how the three­score Familes, that for the Sect of Califa moued out of Arabia, in lesse then 3. hundred yeres haue peopled all Affrick: so as at this day the countries there are surnamed after them Beni Meg­her, Beni Guariten, Beni Fensecar, &c. that is: The sonnes of Mogher, the sonnes of Guariten, the sonnes of Fensecar, &c: as each of them grew-vp to a people. In like sort the East-Indies, that were discouered now a hundred yeares agoe, and straight almost vnpeopled, within another hundred will be stored again and repeopled by the Spaniards.

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Now if they so encrease. A strong conclusion from the Lesse to the More, gathered out of the example next aforegoing: [Page 64] thus, If the people of Affrick, that are not very fit to engender, were able in few yeares to store so huge countries; how much more might the Northerne and Asiaticke people encrease? and if a small number of weaklings; how much rather an infinit sort of Iustie and fruitfull men? This is grounded vpon naturall rea­son, regarding the climats and site of each countries, together with daily experience of the matter. Hipocrates in his booke de Aere, aquis & locis, and his enterpreters discourse at large thereon. It were long to follow their steps, and I haue been too long in this matter alreadie.

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And thence the Cimbrians. For a further proofe of the last conclusion, he alleadgeth, and no man can deny, that the North hath alway brought foorth most and most warlike peo­ple: (and diuers he reckons-vp, of whom we haue spoken here­tofore) whereas from the South haue hardly euer come aboue two Armies worth naming. The one vnder command of Hani­bal, whom the Poet noteth by the name of Borgne, (which is as much to say as Blind, or bad-eyed) because he lost an eye by o­uer-watching himselfe in the passage of certaine great marrish-grounds into Hetruria, Liuie. 22. He it was that enlarged the Empire of Carthage, by meanes of the great ouerthrowes hee gaue the Romanes, but was after driuen out of Italie, and in Af­frick quite vanquished at Zama field, where the Carthagi­neans were forced to yeeld themselues wholy to the Romanes mercie, so had their Citie rased and their State vtterly destroyed. The other Armie of the South was of Sarasens, no lesse then foure hundred thousand strong, led by their king and Captaine Abde­rame: they set out of Affrick into Spaine, from thence marched forward into Aquitaine, and came wasting all the way as farre as the Citie of Tours; there three hundred thousand of them, with the king himselfe, were slaine by the French, who had for Gene­rall the Duke or Prince Charles, that for this great and happie victorie was after surnamed Martel the Maul: because he broke and battered the force of that Southerne people, as a great maul or hammer doth Iron. Looke the Histories and Chronicles of France in the life of Charles Martel.

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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 [Page 71] 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 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 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 [Page 72] 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.

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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.

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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.

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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 [Page 73] 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.

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But eu'n among our selues. The more to magnifie the vnsoundable wisedome of God, appearing in the creation of [Page 74] 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 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.

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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.

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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 [Page 75] 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.

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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 'twere, 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 [Page 76] 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 'twere) 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.

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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 reckon­vp 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 [Page 77] 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.