variable and to vnderstand the causes therof cherishing principally amongst all their senses their sight and hearing which do helpe them to haue knowledge but the sight most of all where hence hath begun this knowledge by admiration for seeing the Heauen the Sunne the Moone the Starres and hauing knowen by their eyes the difference of daies and nights the reuolutions of the monethes and the yeares they applied themselues to contemplate the disposition of the world and to seeke out the secrets of nature First necessitie as hath bin said taught them the arts necessarie vnto life after followed those which serue for pleasure ornament and magnificence And after they had gotten opportunitie and leasure they began to consider all things contayned in the world being innumerable in multitude and admirable in beautie inquiring after their properties agreements and differences whereof they were made what they became when and how they perished what in them was mortall and corruptible and what diuine and perpetual They were so desirous to learne that dwelling and liuing here on earth so little while they durst vndertake to know not onely what is aboue vnder and in the earth as the nature of all sortes of liuing creatures and qualities of mettals but also the nature of the Ocean and of all waters and fishes that liue therein Then mounting into the aire they inquired of the winds of the raines haile snow thunder lightning and other accidents appearing in the middle Region thereof they ascended by vnderstanding and by art euen into Heauen which they haue indeuoured to compasse round imagining two Poles and one Axeltree to sustain it distinguishing the planets from the fixed starres inuenting the Zodiack obseruing the Solstices and Equinoxes the causes of the equalitie shortnes and length of daies and nights the reasons of shadowes the maner of discribing and measuring the world of sayling out of one Countrie into an other guiding the way by the windes and starres whose mouings coniunctions and oppositions they haue diligently obserued their greatnes quicknes or slownes colours shinings serenities heats colds and the power which they haue on theis inferiour things and the good or ill which they signifie And wholie and altogether the agreement and sympathie of heauen and earth from whence as from a perpetuall spring floweth this vniuersall aboundance by which this world is vncessantly restored and renewed Their industrie hath pierced thorough all neither the thicknesse of the earth nor the depth of the Sea nor the varietie of the aier neither the heat and brightnes of the fire nor the spacious largenesse of Heauen could amaze their vnderstanding Moreouer they which were most speculatiue considering the feeblenes of the senses the multitude of sensible things so small that they can not be perceiued or so moueable that they are without certaintie that our life is short all full of opinions and customes and all enuironed with darknes and hidden haue thought that by humane discourse nothing could be certainly knowen nothing vnderstood and comprehended but that separating our selues from sight and hearing and from the whole bodie we ought to take the thought of the mind and by the vnderstanding which is in the Soule as the sight is in the bodie to endeuour to know the reason of euery thing and that which is in it pure and cleane alwaies simple and vniforme without euer being changed by generation and corruption These haue passed the vault of heauen so far distant from the earth and came to the place aboue with-drawing themselues by contemplation from the world towards God from darknes to light from corruption to eternitie from ignorance to wisdom satisfied as they say of all their desire and inioying the knowledge of the trueth which is of things that are alwaies alike not receiuing any mutation wherefore they haue called this inferiour part of the world where there is almost nothing certain and few things certainly knowen the region of falshod and opinion and the other superiour knowen by reason and intelligence where are the formes and exemplaries of things the seat of trueth In this progresse of knowledge they haue knowen some things by natural instinct without learning others by obseruation vse and experience others by reasonable discourse and demonstrations and others by diuine inspiration But there is such pleasure in this contemplation that they which with a good will giue themselues to it do easily forgo all other delights and are so constant and perseuerant that they admit them not at any time neither fearing domage nor losse of goods nor the blame of the people and ignominie but are readie to endure all kind of crosses and calamities euen to the suffering of voluntarie pouertie which gaue occasion to people in times past to say that Atlas sustained heauen on his shoulders and that Endymion had long time slept with the Moone and that Prometheus was tied to the high mountain Caucasus with a Vulture feeding on his liuer Meaning by such tales to signifie vnto vs the great and maruailous studie which these excellent persons bestowed in contemplation of celestiall and naturall things Democritus hauing begun to withdraw his mind from his senses put out his owne eies Anaxagoras forsook his patrimonie What exceeding pleasure had Aristotle teaching not onely Athens and all Greece but also the vniuersal world discouering the secrets of nature before vnknowen and hidden in profound obscuritie magnifying and boasting himselfe with good reason that he had attayned thither whereno other Greeke nor Egiptian had euer come What contentment receiued Plato who did write at 90. yeares of age and euen the verie day that he deceased who was for his excellent knowledge honoured in Greece Sicile and Italie aboue the common estimation of men esteemed by Kings admired of people and hath alwaies bin reuerenced by all such as desired to haue knowledge of diuine and humaine things So men moued by nature with a desire of knowledge and of the pleasure which is found therein haue inuented Grammer Rhetoricke and Logicke for speach Oration and disputation Poesie for composition of verses and rimes Arithmeticke to number Geometrie for measure and weight And passing farther haue come to Musicke consisting in concord of voices and sounds and in obseruation of due proportions Astrologie which serues for consideration of celestiall things Physicke of naturall things and Metaphysicke of supernaturall Theologie of diuine things Ethicke for institution of priuate maners Economicke for houshold Politicke for gouernments and states and Nomotechnicke for knowledge exposition or interpretation of Lawes Such hath bin their dexteritie in the inuenting of liberall and mechanicall sciences But although there are euery where found people capable of knowledge so that they be duely instructed yet notwithstanding there are some more ingenious and inuentiue then the rest and more apt to certaine sciences either by naturall inclination and influence of the heauens or by the situation of the Countrie wherein they are borne or by exercise which they vse
had done who seeing the yong yeres of Remus and considering well the markes of his countenance togither with the time when his daughters children were cast out began to suspect that he was one of them by his age so well agreeing thereto And being in this doubt Romulus and Faustulus came vnto him by whom he was aduertised of the trueth of all Then being auenged of Amulius whom they slew they placed Numitor in the kingdom and afterwards founded the citie of Rome ROMVLVS then the first Prince authour and founder thereof hauing composed it of Countrey people and neaâ—heards had many trauailes in doing thereof and found himselfe intangled with many wars and many daungers being constrained to fight with those that opposed themselues to the rising and foundation of this City and to the increase of this people newly planted Then afterwards as his natiuity preseruation and nourishment had bin maruailous his end was no lesse For as he spake vnto the people sodainly the weather was ouer cast and the aire was horribly chaunged The sunne lost entierly his light and there were terrible thunders impetuous winds stormes and tempests on euery side which made the coÌ„mon people to hide themselues here and there in corners But the Senatours kept themselues togither Then when the storme was past the day cleared and the weather become faire the people assembled againe as before and went to seeke their king and to aske what was become of him But the Lords would not suffer them to enquire any farther but admonished them to honour and reuerence him as one that had bin taken vp into heauen and who thence forward insteed of a good king would be a propicious and fauourable God vnto them Moreouer Iulius Proculus one of the Patricians accounted a very honest man who also had bin a great familiar friende of Romulus affirmed that as he came from Alba he met him on his way greater and fairer then euer he had seen him armed all in white armour bright shyning as fire and that being afrighted to see him in such sort he asked him wherefore he had abandoned his orphane city in such infinite sorowe To whoÌ„ Romulus answered It pleased the Gods from whoÌ„ I came that I should remain among men as long as I haue remained that after I had built a city which in glory and greatnes of Empire shall one day be the chiefe in the world I shoulde returne to dwell in heauen as before Wherefore be of good cheere and say vnto the Romains that in exercising of prowes and temperance they shall attaine to the height of humaine power and as for me I will be henceforth a God Protector and Patron of them whom they shall call QVIRINVS The auncients recited many such meruailes in the which there is no apparance of trueth endeuouring to deifie the nature of man and to associate him with the Gods It is is very true saith Plutarch that it were euil and wickedly done to deny the diuinity of vertue but yet to mingle earth with heauen were great foolishnes being a thing most certaine that after death the soule which is the ymage of eternity remaineth only aliue and retourneth to heauen wherhence it came not with the body but rather when it is farthest remoued and seperated from the body and when it is cleane and holy and holdeth nothing any longer oft he flesh Therefore it is not necessary to go about to sende against nature the bodies of vertuous men with their soules vnto heauen but we ought to thinke and firmely beleeue that their vertues and soules according to nature and diuine Iustice become saincts of men and of saints demy-Gods and of demy-gods after they are perfectly as in sacrifices of purgation cleansed purified being deliuered of al passibility and mortality they become not by any ciuile ordinance but in trueth reason liklyhood entier perfect Gods receiuing a most happy glorious end But NVMA the second king succeeding vnto Romulus had time and leasure to establish Rome and to ensure the increase thereof by meanes of the long peace which hee had with all his enemies which was to Rome as a store-house of all munition for the wars which folowed after and the people of Rome hauing exercised themselues at leasure and in quiet and rest by the space of xliij yeres after the wars which they had vnder Romulus they made themselues strong enough sufficient to make head against those which afterwards opposed themselues against them Considering that in all that time there was neither plague nor famine nor barrennes of the earth nor intemperatenes of winter or sommer that offended them as if all these yeres had bin gouerned not by humane wisdome but by the diuine prouidence For he gaue out that the goddesse Egeria was in loue with him that lying with him she taught him how to rule and gouerne his common wealth Numa then taking the city of Rome as in a turbulent tempest and in a sea tormented troubled with the enmity enuy and euil wil of all the neighbor nations and bordering peoples and moreouer exercised in it selfe with infinite troubles and partialities he extinquished and asswaged all angers and all the enuies as euil and contrary windes giuing meanes to the people being but newly planted and scarcely yet established to take roote and to fasten their footing by augmenting leasurely in al safety without wars without sicknes without peril without feare or any other hinderance whatsoeuer For in all his raigne there was neither war nor ciuil sedition nor attempt of nouelty in gouernment of the common wealth yet lesse enmity or enuy perticularly against him or conspiracy against his person forgreedines of rule And not only at Rome was the people softned reformed after the example of the Iustice clemency goodnes of the king but in all the Citieâ— also round about began a meruailous change of maners no otherwise then if it had bin a sweete breath of some wholsome and gracious winde that had breathed on them from the side of Rome to refresh them and there stole sweetly into the harts of men a desire to liue in peace to labour the earth and to bring vp their children in rest and tranquility and to serue and honour the Gods After these two raigned fiue kings at Rome and in TARQVIN the last for hate of his pride and not of the royall authority was the gouernement chaunged Rome being from that time foorth gouerned by two annuall CONSVLS and by the SENATE vnder the authoritie of the people Then from the Consuls it came to the rule of TEN MEN from whom it retourned back againe to the CONSVLS And whereas there were opposed vnto them two military TRIBVNES of equall power they were within the yere deposed and gaue place to the CONSVLS And albeit they vsed in the great affaires of the common wealth to create a DICTATOVR with absolute authority for the time neuerthelesse the Consulary
other they haue so little preuailed that yet at this present they are not able there to till the land except the riuer Nilus be held in by Causwais and bankes And it is not possible that this countrey did first of all bring foorth men which notwithstanding the bankes and causies yet by meanes of the mudde and dreggs which the riuer Nilus bringeth in and leaueth there appeareth yet all waterie By these reasons both th one and thother nation maintained their antiquitie But as concerning Egypt it is certaine that a part thereof was somtimes couered with water All that which is aboue Memphis towardes the mountaines of Ethiopia hath bin Sea by the opinion of Herodotus And Strabo thinketh all the land which is from Siena vnto the Sea watered with the riuer Nilus to haue bin at the beginning called Egypt which was much increased as one may see by the verse of Homer sauing that the Isle of Pharos was a daies iourney distant from firme land which is now euen almost ioyning to Alexandria If these things be true they show sufficiently that this land is not auncient Neither can the Scythians proue their antiquity If it be true that Herodotus sayth that they began but a thousand yeeres before the raigne of king Darius ouer the Persians But as both regions by the reasons debated haue not bin very apt for habitation of men so is it better to beleeue that land to haue bin first inhabited which hath the aire most temperate by which meanes the Egyptians said that they were most auncient But as they by reason of the waters cannot alleage any auncient habitation so neither can the Scythians because they dwell in a quarter which is afflicted with continuall colde Wherefore it is more conformable vnto trueth to say that the middle region betweene them both where the territory of Damasco is situated hath borne the first men as the holy Scripture witnesseth which is exempted from the discommodities of Egypt and of Scythia and by reason of the situation is naturally more temperate then either of them both Otherwise it is hard by humaine knowledge to know in what place what people or what nation hath bin the first by how much space or how many yeres it was afore the rest Yet the opinion in times past touching the beginning of people was such that at the beginning of all things the heauen and earth had one onely essence and forme but that afterwarde the Elements being separated one from the other the world tooke that order in which we see it now Amongst which elements there befell into the aire that continuall motion which it hath and to the fire for his lightnes that place which it hath aboue the aire and for the same reason to the Sunne stars the course which they naturally keep That which was mixed with moisture by reason of his heauines remained in the same masse Wherhence was created of the moistest the sea of the hardest the earth being soft in it selfe and myrie Which when it was first dried and made thicker by the heate of the sunne after by force of the heate lifted vp made to swell vpwards there grew together in many diuers places therof certaine humours ingendring rottenes couered and hid with thinne and tender skinnes As generation then is made in moist thinges by adding heate vnto it and the aire blowen abroade by night feedeth it with moisture which is strengthened in the day time by the power of the sunne finally these rotten things being come as it were to their extremity brought forth as if the time of their childbirth had bin come the figures of all sorts of creatures and liuing things after those little skinnes were broken Of which liuing creatures such as had receiued most heate were made flying birds and mounted into the higher regions those which had most earth remained as serpents and such other beasts below they which retained the nature of water were put in the element of their complexion and called fishes Then the earth being made dryer from thence forward as well by the heate of the sunne as by the winds left bringing forth any more such creatures But those which were already made begot others by continual commixtion Men being thus formed sought their liuing in the fields leading a sauage life without any order vnto whō the hearbs trees brought forth of thēselues that which was necessarie for their life But the wild beastes became against them and their enemies in such sort that to resist them and for their common profit they began to assemble togither giuing aide one to the other and seeking here and there safe places for their habitation And these first assemblies were the true beginning of euery people and nation THE CHALDEES very skilfull in Astrologie held opinion that the world had alwaies bin that it had no beginning nor should haue no end Aristotle hath bin of the same opinion and that all liuing creatures were sempiternall Plato in his third and twelfth booke of lawes doubteth of the world and of mankind whether they were from the beginning or no saying that the generation of men either had no beginning or that it began an inestimable length of time before vs. The same authour in his Timaeus Critias Menexemus and his Politick is of opinion that by long tracte of time the vigour of mens minds and fertility of their bodies diminisheth by little and little in such sort that our vnderstandings find themselues as it were depriued of their diuinity the bodies void of their accustomed fertility Thē God meaning to restore mankind into his former dignity drowneth or burneth the earth tempering in such sort the celestiall motions by himselfe which is their mouer that the heauenly destiny giueth place and concurreth alwaies with his diuine prouidence And that the earth being abundantly watered with fresh humour and made fruitfull by the heat ensuing doth bring forth or els that the rayne falling more plentifully after excessiue heates drouths there are engendred or regenerated not only little creatures but great ones also being borne of the earth as of their mother Of which opinion also were many Egyptians Greekes and Arabians namely Algazel and Auicen with whom Aristotle agreeth in his Problemes when he sayth that in little mutations of times little creatures are brought foorth and so in the great greater and very great in the greatest mutations THE IEWES CHRISTIANS AND SAR AZENS following the diuine prophet and Lawgiuer Moyses beleeue that God hath made the world of nothing and created Adam the first man after his owne likenes of the dust of the earth and breathed in his face that spirit of life and that he was made with a liuing soule afterwards meaning to giue him helpe and company made a profound sleepe to fall on him and being a sleepe took one of his ribbes and made Eue there of the first woman That they were placed in an earthly paradise where was
the Sciences doing that for Posteritie which Antiquitie hath done for vs to the end that Learning be not lost but from day to day may receiue some increase OF THE VARIETY OF THINGS The first Booke INtending to represent according to my ability the interchangeable course and alteration of all things in the worlde together with the causes of the principall chaunges and varieties to be perceiued as well in the superiour as in the inferiour part thereof sithence the time that the first memory of man began euen to this present I most humbly acknowledge the diuine prouidēce of God to be aboue all beleeuing assuredly that God almighty maker and gouernour of this great worke so excellent in beauty so admirable in varietie and so singular in continuance to whome I pray to aydeme in this so high so long so difficult an enterprise hytherto neuer attempted of any is carefull of all affaires happening therein euen to the least contayning in himselfe the beginning the end and the meanes of them all and pursuing the order which he hath giuen to the world from the beginning in creating it will that it be tempered by alternatiue chaunges and maintayned by contraries his eternall essence remayning alwaies one and vnchangeable First of all then the heauen notwithstanding it hath receyued of God the maker thereof many excellencies amongst other creatures beyng round and hauing throughout his extremities or vtmost partes distant or remoued from the middle or inmost parte which is the most perfect figure and most like vnto it selfe on which he hath also bestowed conuenient circular motion exempted from the wandring and inconstancie of others turning it by the same and in the same and to him selfe wherein he doth perseuer yet neuerthelesse since it hath a body it can not wholy warrant or preserue it selfe from alteration chaunge The Auncients made eight spheres in it of the firmament and of the seauen Planets but since haue beene obserued the ninth and the tenth our later Astrologers affirming that the tenth doth turne round about the world in 24. houres goyng by the right side from East to West and by this so swift and impetous motion doth force and cary with it all the other inferiour spheres and doth make them make the same turne in the selfe same space of time although that their proper motions be contrary vnto it drawing on the left side from West to East namely the ninth being the slowest in 49. thousand yeares The eighth to haue two th one of 36. thousand yeres thother of seuen thousand The sphere of Saturne in 30. yeres of Iupiter in 12 of Mars in two of the Sunne Venus Mercury in one yere of the Moone in 28. daies Time also was made with heauen and with the starrs so that hauing had the selfe same beginning they shall also haue the same end when the world shall be dissolued returning into their auncient Chaos and former darknes For the daies moneths yeres and ages which were not before that the heauen and the starres were created incontinently began with them and number was distinguished and obserued by their course That is the entercourse of daies and nights by the daily motion of the firmament The moneth after that the Moone hath gone ouer her whole circle and attained to the sunne The ordinarie yere when the sunne hath accomplished his course The great yere when the seauen Planets and thother fixed starrs returne to their first places representing the same nature which was at the beginning The liues of all things and the prefixed time of their continuance being determined by lesser or greater numbers according to the disposition of the matter whereof they are made springing growing florishing diminishing perishing in certainetimes and by vnequall spaces being reduced to the selfe same end euery one seeling his corruption to be the cause of another generation Insomuch that it seemed vnto Plato that the world was nourished by the consumption and decay of it selfe producing alwaies new creatures vnto the old and raising vp of others like vnto them in the places of those that were perished without suffering the kinds to faile or surcease which by this meanes do alwaies remaine as it were immortall But howbeit the world is round and hath not in it either high or low considering that the place which is in the midst ought not to be termed high or low nor that which compasseth about be called the midst neither hath in it any part differing from the other if regard be had vnto the midst and euery other opposite thing notwithstanding in respect of our selues we say that it hath high low right and left That Pole which we see being termed low according to Aristotle thother which is hidden from vs high And the East whence the first motion proceedeth is the right side The West is the left whence commeth a motion contrary to the former Then the Astrologers and Philosophers affirme that from the superiour part of the world there discendeth a certaine vertue accompained with light and heat which some of them do call the spirit or soule of the world others say it is nature which mingleth it selfe with the masse of this great body penetrating quickening norishing and moderating al these variable thinges vnder the Moone which being of such efficacy beginneth first with the fire and the aire which being moued by the celestial mouings doe afterwardes moue the water and the earth and consequently the natures compounded of these fower Elements as wel men beasts birds and fishes as plants trees herbes and mettals That there is the first mouing whereof do depend all other inferious motions and al essence whatsoeuer That there hence do proceede diuers temperatures of bodies inclinations of mindes manners of men properties of nations vices and vertues health and sicknes force and feeblenes shortnes and length of life mortality riches and pouertie prosperitie and aduersity That there hence al estates and sects do take their beginnings their course continuance and their ends In briefe that al this inferiour world doth obey the superiour is gouerned by it Especially that all humaine affaires do depend thereon and yet are to be preuented by deeds not that such effects doe necessarily come to passe and inuiolably by a fatall Law but that they may be auoided by wisedome or turned from vs by diuine praiers or augmented or diminished or moderated by nurture custome and instruction First that the Sunne lightning all thinges with his beames doth giue euident proofe therof who rising and setting maketh the day and the night by comming towards vs and going from vs causeth the yeres continually to be renewed and by the obliquity or crookednes of the Zodiacke with the helpe of the twelue signes which are in it doth distinguishe by his Solstices and Equinoxes the fower seasons of the sommer and winter of the spring and haruest In the which consisteth the vicissitude of life and death and the change of all thinges
beasts amidst the greene pastures skip vp and downe being inflamed with loue In briefe euery thing springeth groweth embelisheth florisheth and fructifieth all things are renewed On the contrarie when Autumne and Winter do returne all is full of horror and of sadnes cold raine dirt sleete hayle snow frost yce foggy mists long nights and almost continuall darknes We trauaile the earth day and night more to satisfie our pleasures then for our necessarie norishment And notwithstanding that which it endureth superficially might seeme tollerable if we did not pierce it so farre as to seeke gold and siluer brasse copper lead tinne yron stones to build and others accounted precious in the entrailes therof Neither is it onely thus vexed by men but it seemeth that the three other Elements haue conspired the ruin of this one alone without speaking of the heauen it selfe which by his vntemperate disposition hath cut off a great part therof Might it not haue sufficed the Sea to haue compassed it and to haue cut off a great part therof without stretching it selfe into it in so many gulfes little distant the one from the other breaking through mountaines and making violent ruptures as though it would spread it selfe ouer all Then so many riuers lakes marishes so many standing pooles as are throughout so many springs and little brooks so many swift and raging streames The aire shaketh it causing it to lose that naturall propertie of beeing immoueable ouerwhelming not onely fieldes houses townes cities but whole nations and countries oftentimes not leauing any appearance whereby one may see that there haue bin such Then the fire being so fertile that it ingendreth of it selfe and groweth of little sparks becomming in an instant great and impetous burneth it in many places both without and within beeing dispersed about the chimnies arysing out of billets and sticks-ends beaten together appearing thorough the cloudes or comming of lightning kindled by burning glasses opposed to the sunne which also with the other starres doth drie and scorch it excessiuely in some seasons and countries It is a meruaile that being so vexed on all parts it is not already consumed but so farre are these great and violent calamities from distroying it that they rather helpe to the conseruation thereof For the Earthquakes by the openings which they make draw out the corrupted windes which were kept in the entrailes of it and caused within such disordered noise the inundations do clense the filth the heats digest those humors which they find too grosse as the colds and frosts do moderate that which is inflamed HOW ALL THINGS IN THE WORLD are tempered and conserued by vnlike and contrarie things IN like maner is the Earth and euery other thing in the world tempered and conserued by things of dislike and contrarie qualitie It is not then without cause that nature is so desirous of contraries making of them all decency and beautie not of things which are of like nature This kind of tempering is the cause that such things as before were diuers and different do accord and agree together to establish intertain and embellish one an other the contrarietie becomming vnitie and the discord concord the enmitie amitie and contention couenant Wherefore Heraclitus said that discord and concord were the father and mother of all things And Homer that whosoeuer spake euill of contention did blame nature Empedocles maintayned not of discord by it selfe but that with concord it was the beginning of all things meaning by discord the varietie of things that are assembled and by concord the vnion of them But the vnion in this assemblie ought to exceede the contrarietie Otherwise the thing should be dissolued the principles diuiding themselues So we see in the Heauen contrarie mouings to preserue the world Venus placed in the midst neere vnto Mars to asswage his fircenes which of his owne nature is corruptiue And Iupiter next vnto Saturne to mitigate his malice The inferiour world composed of contrarie elements to maintaine it selfe by the proportion which they haue together and the natures made of them to preserue themselues by the temperature of different qualities which being simple in their nature without any maner of mixtion or composition and contrarie one to the other when they are compared in their qualities in the highest degree yet of them are all thinges compounded and by their commixtion is the beginning of all generation There are found in the bodie of the world Earth Water Aire Fire Sunne Moone and other starres There is matter forme priuation simplicitie mixtion substance quantitie qualitie action and passion In mans bodie bloud flegme choler melancholie flesh bones sinewes vaines arteries head eies nose eares hands feete braine hart liuer and splene In the oeconomical bodie husband wife children Lord slaue master and seruant In the politike bodie Iustice Fortitude Prudence Temperance Religion warfare iudgement counsaile magistrates and priuate men noble and base rich and poore young and olde weake and stronge good and euill labourers artificers merchants retaylers and cariers which are all dislike parts and the most of them contrarie conioyned together by due conueniency Art imitating nature in the painting of blacke white greene blew yellow red and other mingled colours representeth the portraitures conuenient to those things for the which they are made And in Musick of high and low long and short is made an accord Grammer consisteth of letters vowels and mutes The Sciences can not well be taught without comparing of contraries th one being considered principally and in regard of that one thother accidentally that it may be auoyded As Physicke doth accidentally treat of sicknes to the end to be the better able to preserue health and to auoyd the other The Ethicke and Politicke science doe not onelie shew what is honest iust and profitable but also that which is dishonest vniust and domageable Insomuch that we may say in all cases that contraries when they are put neere one to the other they appeare the more cleerely Euen as want maketh riches to be the more esteemed and the obscuritie of darkenesse commendeth the cleerenesse of light The sweetnesse of the Springtime is more esteemed by the sharpenesse of Winter the happinesse of peace by the calamities of warre and faire weather after long rayne So it seemeth that the good can not be knowen without the euill and although they be contrarie yet haue they such a coniunction that in taking of one both are tane away For the good can not be vnderstood nor esteemed but by conferring of it with euill to auoid it neither the euill shunned and eschewed except that which is good be throughlie knowen Plato sayth the like of pleasure and sorrow that although they be two thinges contrarie and repugnant betweene them selues and can not bee together in one person yet neuerthelesse if any one follow and receiue the one he is for the most part euer constrained to take the other as if they were both in one point and
giuing to some force without lightnesse to others lightnesse without force he armed some and for those which were without armes he inuented other succour Those which he had inclosed in a little body he lifted them vp into the aire with feathers or commaunded them to craule on the earth He fortifyed such as were growen into a great Masse with their Masse it selfe And likewise he proceeded with the rest giuing to euery one his vertues After he had so furnished them to th end they should not distroy one another he gaue them meanes to defend them th one from the other and to remaine abroad without couert Clothing some of them with thicke heare little houses or shells and skales of diuers sorts with feathers or hard skinnes against the vntemperatenes of Winter Sommer and of the same things made them beds and natural couches ioining to their feet clawes nailes and callosites to their heads hornes teeth and tronks then distributed to them food making some to eate grasse on the earth others to feed on fruits roots of trees others more greedy to deuoure one another Prouided that they which liued on pray should be in some sort barren and the others that were subiect to be deuoured more fruitful to th end that the kind should continue For the diuine prouidence hath bin wise therin making al fearful beasts and such as are good to â—eed on very fruitful lest by being often eaten there should faile of the kind euen as hurtfull and harmeful beasts are of small increase Therefore the hare is very fruitfull and alone of al kind of venison surchargeth the burden in his belly because that men beasts and birds do prosecute him to death Likewise the Cony is sound so ful of rabets that some of them are yet without heare others somewhat riper and others going out of the belly But the Lyonesse which is the strongest and hardiest of all beastes neuer bringeth but one and but once in her life But Epimetheus being not very wise he gaue all to the brute beastes reseruing nothing for man whom he left alone without force without power without propertie starke naked without armour without clothing vnhosed and vnshood without conuenient food and wanting all things In such sort that he could not resist other creatures being then more excellent then himselfe For the staggs ran swifter the beares and Lions were stronger the Peacock was fairer the fox was craftier the Emmet more diligent and the snayle better lodged then he Euery beast found a medicine fit for his malady and hurt whereof man was ignorant Of this came such a confusion that men perished by little and little thorough diuers sorts of crueltâ—e In such sort that their kind had soone bin consumed without the aduise of prudent Prometheus who seeing so great a fault to redresse it stole from Vulcan and Minerua the artificial wisedom togither with the fire being not possible to obtaine it or to vse it without fire and so did distribute it to mankinde by meanes whereof men began for their common commoditie to assemble togither for feare of the be astes and to th end to resist them helping one another and seeking here and there after safe places for their habitation they learned to make houses and garments to auoid the sharpnes of cold and the force of heate to reserue fruits for their necessitie to prepare armes for their defence and to finde out other commodities for their life Which finally necessity it selfe being inuentour of all things maketh knowen particularly to the vnderstanding of men vnto whom were giuen for helpes their hands speach and reason Reason to inuent speach to coÌ„municate the hands to accomplish that which they should either inuent themselues by reason or learne of others by speach for no other creature doth speak in deed for as much as speach proceedeth of reason nor hath hands though peraduenture somewhat like vnto handes Wherefore man hath first found out by reason the most necessary thinges as food clothing and armes and afterward such as serue for pleasure ornament and magnificence he hath imposed names on euery thing inuented letters of diuers sorts and sundry kinds of writing made all arts both mechanical and liberall proceeding so farr as to measure the earth and the sea to reduce by instruments the mighty masse of heauen scarse to be comprehended by vnderstanding and to propose it before our eyes Moreouer the same Plato affirmeth that before men liued in company and spake togither or that they had begun to inuent and exercise arts for as much as they alone of al other creatures did participate of the diuine nature being indewed with an immortall soule that they by reason of this diuine affinitie did thinke first that there were Gods and so honoured them and prayed to them from thence had religion her beginning publicke gouernment iudgement negotiation and traficke by Sea and by land lawes were established magistrates created innumerable trades inuented houses villages and townes builded consequently cities castles and fortresses and then kingdoms and Empires erected Wherehence hath succeeded the greatnes and excellency of mankind such as we see it at this day From thence I say began religion which is more natural to men then all their other arts and inuentions no nation in the world hauing bin found so rude so cruel barbarous but that it had some appearance of religion For howbeit that the greater part is ignorant what God how they ought to worship him yet al notwithstanding do agree that we ought to honour pray and feare one God the authour of all things which is confirmed not only in the first and most auncient nations as the Ethiopians Indians Armenians Chaldees Hebrewes Assyrians Egyptians Greekes Romains and Gaules but also in the Goths Vandales Sarazens Tartarians Turkes Persians Cathayans or Chinoys And not onely in our hemisphere but also amongst the Antipodes and Sauages of the new found lands of whom heretofore we neuer had any knowledge They which haue nauigated thither haue found many people liuing yet as the first men without letters without Lawes without Kings without common wealthes without arts but yet not without religion who beleeue that the soules of the dead go into other places according to such workes as they haue done in this life To intertaine it haue bin appointed cerimonies praiers ordained temples edifyed oratories chapels hospitals almeshouses cloisters and couents Sacrificers or priests haue bin instituted and much respected in all Countries And if it pleased God that hee woulde be worshipped thoroughout all the world in one selfe same maner men shoulde be deliuered of great hatred and cruel discorde happening amongst them thorough the diuersitie of Religions AT THE beginning men were very simple and rude in all thinges little differing from beastes They did eate in the fieldes and mountaines the rawe fleshe of beastes or herbes with their rootes stalkes and leaues which the earth brought foorth of his owne accorde and in
they killed one an other with their presse and disorder And when the greatest part of such as had escaped this ouerthrow were passed ouer the bridge which was made with boates on the riuer Indus Semiramis caused it to be broken and the king being warned by prodigious apparitions not to go beyond the bridge ceased the pursuit Such was the proofe of the Indian power Touching their wisdom the Brachmans made profession therof amongst them naked and austere being holiemen liuing according to their Lawes intending altogether the contemplation of God without making any prouision of vittailes for the earth furnished them alwaies with new and fresh the riuers gaue them drink and the leaues â—â—lling of the trees and the grasse yeelded them lodging And there was not onâ— amongst them reputed a holie or happie man if while he was yet liuing of perfect memorie and vnderstanding he did not separate his soule from his bodie with fire and did not go pure and cleane out of the flesh hauing consumed whatsoeuer was mortall in him And whereas the people were diuided into seauen sortes and degrees they were the first in dignitie being exempted from all charges not subiect vnto any man nor ruling ouer any but as men acceptable vnto the Gods and reputed to knowe all that is done in Hell they receyued of euery one his oblation made for sacrifices and tooke the care and charge of the dead receiuing great guists by occasion thereof Assembling and gathering themselues togither at beginning of the yere they fortold of drouths raines windes diseases and other things the knowledge whereof brought great profit to the people Their Artisans were very good as being brought vp in a pure and cleane aire drinking nothing but good and wholsomewaters The gouermeÌ„ts of the Indians being diuided into many parts it was not permitted vnto any to change his maner of liuing not seeming reasonable vnto them that a man of warre should till the earth nor that a Philopher should become an Artisan On the other part the ETHIOPIANS vaunted them selues to bee the first created of al the men in the world that they were brought sorth by the earth for considering that the heate of the sunne in drying the earth when it was moist had giuen life to all things it was also coÌ„sequent that in places neerest vnto the suÌ„ne there were procreated from the beginning al kind of liuing creatures They said that religion adoration of the gods was first sound out amongst them and the sacrifices processions pompes solemnities and al such things by the which honour was giuen them of men of the which they had such recoÌ„pense that they were neuer vanquished nor ouercom by any strange king that alwaies they had remained in liberty And howbeit diuers princes had assaied with great armies to bring them in subiection yet none of theÌ„ had enioyed their Empire Moreouer that they were the first that had inuented the formes and vse of letters and giuen themselues to the study of Astrology as well by reason of their quick wits and sharpnes of vnderstanding whereby they exceed all other nations as by the oportunitie of the Countrey which they inhabite and that therfore they haue continual serenity and tranquility of the aire and haue not the seasons of the yere disordered and variable but liue alwaies in one temperature Moreouer that the Egyptians were discended of them the Priests of both nations obseruing the same order and maner of doing their sacrifices vsing the like vestures and ornaments For the prerogatiue of antiquity there was in times past great contention between the Egyptians and the Scythians For the EGYPTIANS sayde that from the beginning when the world was created where other lands burned on the one side by ouergreat heate of the sunne others on thother side were frozen thorough the extremity of the colde in such sort that they could neither bring forth new men nor receiue straungers if any had come thither and especially before garments were inuented to keepe men from colde and heate and the artificiall remedies to correct the ill disposition of places Egypt hath alwaies bin so temperate that the inhabitants thereof are not molested with the great cold of winter nor with the heat of Sommer Also the land is so fruitfull there of all thing necessary for the life of man that not any where els is found a land so plentifull Wherefore reason would haue it that men should be first borne in that Countrey where they might best and with most ease be nourished On the contrary the SCYTHIANS saide that the temperatnes serued to no purpose to proue the antiquitie for when nature parted and deuided extreme heat extreme cold into diuers regions it is to be thought that the land which first remained vncouered vnclothed of theis two extreme qualities did incontinently bring forth men and beasts which might there bee nourished And concerning trees and other fruits they were varied according to the estate of the Countries And for as much as the Scythians haue a sharper aire then the Egyptians so are there bodies and their vnderstandings harder also then theirs Neuerthelesse if the frame of the world which is now diuided into two partes hath bin sometime all one whether the whole earth were inclosed and inuironed with water or that the fire which hath engendred all things held and possessed the whole world in both cases the Scythians were the first For if the fire possessed al it must needs be that by little little it was quenched to make place for the habitable earth In which case it is to be thought that it was first quenched on the north side because it is the coldest region and the Scythians are seated there whence it cometh to passe that euen at this present it is the coldest countrey that is knowen And in regard of Egypt and all the East we must thinke that the heate was there but lately remitted For yet at this day they haue meruailous heate there when the sunne is at highest Also if the whole earth were at the first enuironed with water it is to bee thought that the places that are hyghest were first discouered and that where the earth is lowest there the water remained longest and by consequent that there where the earth was first discouered and dryed there began first all liuing things to be ingendred But the countrey of the Scythians is higher then all other lands as appeareth by this that all the riuers which do arise there discend to the poole Meotis and from thence do take their course into the Ponticke Sea and into Egypt which Countrey of Egypt is so lowe and so subiéct to waters that although so many Kings thoroughout so many ages haue with great diligence and expence made so many rampyers so many bankes and dyches to keepe the land from being ouerflowen by the impetuosity of riuers because that when they held them in on oneside they ran out on the
sacrificed to pray onely for himselfe but hee must also pray for the prosperity of the king and generally of all the Persians being himselfe by this means comprised in the praier Euery one of thē when they would sacrifice brought his offering into a place that was not contaminated then hauing his attire on his head made for the most part of mirtle he called on that God to whom he sacrificed They would neither pisse spit nor void their noses into the riuers but reuerenced them aboue all things They suffered their dead bodies to be bitten praied on by doggs and birds before they would bury them others anointed them ouer with waxe then put them into the earth They and the Egyptians did not burne them because the Persians said it was not fit that a God should feed on a dead man the Egyptians thought the fire to be a liuing creature eating cōsuming whatsoeuer he seased on dying with his meat whē he was ful in their Law it was not permitted to cast the dead bodies to birds and beasts to deuoure them or to any liuing Creatures and therefore they embalmed them with salt that they should not be eaten of wormes The Egyptians would neuer kill any thing that had life The Mages killed with their handes euery liuing creature sauing man whom also the DRVIDES of Gaule did not spare to kill and sacrifice diuining by southsayings as the MAGES whom they resembled in many thinges shewing themselues so cerimonious in obseruing of Magick that they seemed to haue taught it to the Persians and not to haue learned it of them as Pliny sayth These Mages gaue out that the Gods appeared vnto them and foretold them of things to come affirming that the aire was full of spirits which did subtilly insinuate themselues into mens eyes that there were two princes namely one good God which they called Herosmades and the other euill whom they termed Arinan They clothed themselues with white garments liued of herbes cheese and course bread slept on the ground caried canes or reades in steed of staues They assembled in a holy place to communicate and talke togither Their authority was so great that Cambises when he went out of Persia left the gouernment of his house to one of them who in the absence of the king conspired with a brother of his against him and went about to make himselfe king Their Magicke consisted wholy in the religion and seruice of the Gods To whom they offered praiers vowes and sacrifices as if they onely were exalted beleeuing the resurrection of men and that they should be immortall Aristotle witnesseth that they were auncienter then the PROPHETS of Egypt Clearehus affirmeth that the BRACHMANES or GYMNOSOPHISTS of India came from thē ZOROASTER without doubt was the first inuentor whom somethinke by the etimologie of his name to haue bin an obseruer of the starres and to haue vnderstood natural things Plato in his first Alcibiades saith that the Magick of ZOROASTER is a knowledge of diuine mysteries which was wont to bee taught vnto the children of the kings of Persia to th end they might learne by example of the whole worlds common wealth to gouerne their owne And in his Charmides he sayth that the Magick of ZAMOLSIS was the physick of the minde causing it to vse temperance as the other is cause of bodily health Pithagoras Empedocles Democritus and the same Plato sayled and went far to learne it and hauing learned it did celebrate it at their retourne and kept it secret and many other vertuous amongest the auncients haue trauailed carefully therein getting great authority and reputation thereby For obseruing by it the meruailes hidden in the secretes of the world in the bosome of Nature and mysteries of God they haue discouered the concords of the world and agreement of the heauen with the earth accommodating the superiour thinges to the inferiour after they had once knowen their vertues howe they agree in doing and suffering which the Greekes call Sympathies and Antipathies which hath moued Plotinus to call such MAGES making profession of naturall MAGICKE the ministers of Nature It is at this day much vsed in CHINA and CATHAY which are Countries inhabited by most ingenious and industrious people where they are not permitted to come to Offices and Honours in the Common wealth without being learned namely in this MAGICKE which signifieth to speak simply according to the auncient Persian language perfect and soueraigne wisedome and MAGVS an expounder and obseruer of the diuinity Sithence that men haue abusiuely transferred this name to inchaunters who do wickedly abuse the simple making them beleeue that they know the secret and future things by strange words by signes and characters by diuelish deceits and impostures and other superstitious obseruations of Necromantie Geomantie Hydromantie Aeromantie Pyromantie such other of long time reproued both by diuine and humane lawes Wherhence may be vnderstood that there are two sorts of MAGICK th one natural thother superstitious The natural in contemplating the vertues of celestial and terrestiall things considering the conuenances contrarieties discouereth the powers which are hidden in nature mingling th one with thother in due proportion vnder certain constellation and applying the actiue to the passiue draweth them one to another by the similitude of nature So the elements do draw th one the other so the loadstone draweth the yron to it amber the chaffe and brimstone fire the sunne many flowers leaues the Moone waters Mars the winds many herbes drawe vnto them many liuing creatures and haue meruailous secret properties by the which this Magicke naturally worketh great miracles The other superstitious Magick is by inuocation of euil spirits which is a manifest Idolatry and hath alwaies bin forbidden by wel ordered common weales Such were the MAGICIANS of PHARAO which counterfeited diuelishly whatsoeuer MOSES ARON diuinely had wrought til such time as the rod of MOSES turned into a serpent did eate vp theirs which they had tourned also into serpents Such was SIMON MAGVS and such the Pythonisse was that called vp the soule of Samuel the prophet such also was Circe such a one was Medea Plutarch writeth that the spirit of Antony being bound by magicall verses and loue drenches that his liberty being lost he was fixed in the face of Cleopatra The Euthydemus of Plato compareth Oratorie and Magicke or Enchauntery togither and sayth that as Oratory is a delighting and appeasing of the Iudges and assemblies of men so that Enchanting is an asswaging of vipers spiders scorpions other venimous and cruel beastes as also of diseases The vanity of this superstitious Magick appeared especially in the Emperour Nero who gaue him selfe to it as much as euer any man did hauing neither want of goods of power nor of vnderstanding and desiring nothing more then to command the Gods and the dead Notwithstanding after he had called vnto him Tyridates king of Armenia