sinnelesse yet for sinne of man is mockt beat The sixt vnder Iesus Christ hong And laid in graue The last is th'euerlasting rest Then shall th'embillowed Sea be downe a leuell prest The Sunne shall lose his light The last shal be the worlds rest Heau'n stay his whirling round All fruit shall cease to grow vpon th'all-bearing ground And we that haue on earth beiecued Heauenly troaths Shall keepe in Heau'nly ioy the Saboth of Sabothes What shall I hope alas of all the latter age Adam considers what shall betide his posteritie till the first world is ended by the Flood Or fierie vengeance sent to burne this worldly stage Or men who law'd by lust nere heard of God nor me What shall I hope of them when these whose pedegree So late from Eden draw'n continues liuely sense Of Heau'nly doome on me when these with mad offence Gods anger still prouoke Ha traitor and rebell soule Ha Lamech was 't a fault so light thy bed to soule To third the paire-of-man that yet more hellish wood Needs must thou dip thy blade in double-gransiers blood Nor could the Rogues pasport embrant betwixt his browes Nor his charge stay thine hand who power infernall bowes But Enos O thou Saint be bold Enos restablisheth Gods seruice and plant againe The standard of beleefe which mans vnsteddie braine Hath laied along the ground Call-on the Sou'raine Good Besprinkle his altars hornes with sacrificed blood Send vnto his sacred smell the sweet perfumie clouds And Truths bright lampe retinde in Errors ashie shroudes See Enoch thy disciple he with a godly strife Still dying to himselfe liues in the Lord of life Grace of the world Faithfull Enoch taken away to the Lord for pleasing him Heb. 11.5 Gen. 5.24 and sets t' abide th'ey daunting shine That blazeth lightning-like i'th'essence first diuine Lo how deliuered from yoake of bodies weight And sequestred from sense he meats the toplesse height Of Heau'n and borne on wing of Fasting Faith and Prayer Styes vp the tent of Saints embroyd'red all so faire He though a guest on earth in heau'nly trance doth fall Know'th all seeth all hath all in God that 's all in all He passing each degree from forme to forme ascends And O most happie man in Gods owne likenesse ends For lo th' All-goodly-faire him for his vertue loues And not in part but all from earth to heau'n remoues Gone art thou art thou gone vnto the starrie blew Adieu my sonne Enoch adieu my sonne adieu Liue happie there on high thy body now a sprite Or changed wondrously to shape of Angell bright Puts-on eternitie thine eyes now no more eyes But newly-flaming starres do beautifie the skies Thou drinkest now thy fill of Nectar wine thy day Of Saboth neuer ends the vaile now draw'n away Thou seest God face to face and holily vnite Vnto the Good Three-one thou liu'st i' th infinite An Angell new but lo thou leauest here behind The Patriarchs children corrupt themselues by marrying with the prosanerace of Cain Men of vnbounded lust their hands-rake all they find Their bellie like a gulfe is euer gluttonous Yea would a man beleeu 't the very chosen race And holy peopl ' of God th' adopted sonnes of grace They are alas the men most impudent of all They gallop after sinne with bit in teeth and fall T' embrace in lustfull heat mans daughters lewd and vaine Profanely tempering the blood of Seth and Cain So with a shamelesse eye they choose the gawdy face Before the godly mind From these foule beds a race Of Gyants God knowes what spring vp with bloodie minde Strong fierce plagues of the world and whips of humane kind Then God who sees that sinne more by the long delay Of his reuenging hand encreaseth day by day Is angrie and now no more will plead the reason why But man an all for man will sodainly destroy At least what ere with wing doth clip the yeelding aire Or haunt in mortall state the land so richly-faire With one hand sets he ope the windowes of the skie Whence on mens rebell heads there falleth from on hie A thousand showrie seas he gripes i'th'other hand The soaken spongie globe of th'all defiled land And sets it hard in presse and makes it cast anon What flouds it euer dronke sen first the world began From euery vaulted rocke great riuers gin to flow And downe-hill so encrease with flouds of moulten snow That Firre and Cedar trees scarce any bow do show The wat'r swol'n so hie and bankes are sunke so low O what posteritie for want of skill to swimme Loose I within these gulfes yet some full brauely climme The craggie peakes of hills t' escape the raging deepes And grapple about the rockes but ah the wat'r vp creeps And lesning all these hills makes all the world a meere My children whither now O whither can you steere From God but vnto God whose anger hath shooke the world Quite cut-off all your legs in flood your bodies horld Now grows the flood so high that th'erth is more then drownd The riuers and the sea haue all one onely bound To wit a clowdy skie a heau'n still full of raine As trauelling with child of many another maine To make me childerlesse O father miserable O too-to fruitfull reines O children dammageable O gulphes reuealed for me that were before vnknown O end of all O world en wrackt and ouerflow'n O Heau'n O mightie sea O land now no more land O flesh and blood but here his voice began to stand For sorrow stopt the pipe and ny of life berest him So fall'n a swoond with griefe the Prophet Spirit left him Annotations vpon the end of Adam and beginning of Noe. 1 THe wining Territorie The verses are graue and full of maiestie and agreeable to the person that speakes Adam sheweth vnto his sonne in how many daies the world was created and how many ages it shall endure To giue more weight to this declaration he brings in the first of Mankind to speake thereof as it were by the rauishing power of the holy Ghost for that his purpose was to ioine to the former discourse of Creation the sequele of diuers ages of the world which Adam could not speake of but by Spirit of prophecie 2 That first As God created Heauen and Earth in sixe daies and rested the seuenth so Adam shewes that the world shall continue sixe ages and in the seuenth shall be the eternall rest of the Church triumphant in Heauen Some there are both old and new writers who discoursing on this number of six and constring to their purpose the saying That a thousand yeares are as one day before the Lord haue imagined that the world from beginning to the end shall fulfill the number of six thousand yeares to wit two thousand before the law two thousand vnder the law and two thousand vnder Grace But this opinion hath so little foundation in holy Scripture that contrariwise
it is refuted rather by expresse testimonie of Christ who saith the latter day is vnknowne both to men and Angels Now that which the Poet propoundeth here concerning the worlds six ages not defining the number of yeres it is founded in the word of God The first age then begins from Adam and continues till Noe 1656 yeares The second from Noe who built the Arke and planted the Vine till Abraham 292 yeares The third lasteth from Abraham the great sheepheard drawne out of Chalden who obaying the voice of God was readie to sacrifice his onely sonne Isaac from Abraham I say vnto Daâ—id 942 yeares The fourth from Dauid the valiant and nimble sheepheard who with one cast of his sling ouerthrew the Gyant Goliah and of sheepheard was made King renowned aboue others who was also a great Prophet and excellent in Poetrie and Musicke vnto the taking of Ierusalem vnder Zedechias who after hee had seene his children slaine and the people of ludea led capture into Babilon had his eyes put out containes 475 yeares Now from the destruction of the first Temple built by Solomon vnto the destruction of the second Temple destroyed by the Romans about fortie yeares after the death of Christ some reckon 656 yeares and that 's the fift age The siâ—t holds on from Christ to the worlds end If this latter age last yet but 51 yeares longer the Lord shall haue attended it with as long patience as he did the former world destroyed by the blood but the destruction of this world shall be by fire Hereof see what Saint Peter saith in the third Chapter of his second Epistle 3 What shall I hope alas In all the rest of this discourse vpon the first day of the second weeke the Poet makes a â—â—iefe of the Historie in holy Scripture contained from about the end of the fourth Chapter of Genesis to the end of the seuenth Adams first consideration here is of his descendants by Cain who giuen wholly to the world forgot to exercise themselues in godlinesse and true justice Whereupon there ensued such vngedlinesse vnrighteousnesse and debauched life as brought the delâ—ge and vniuersall flood vpon them Adam foreseeth that such as shall be liuing in the latter age wherinto we are fallen are like to be wondrous peruerse sithence his so neere successors euen in his life time durst prouoke the iust Iudge of All. The Poets haue fained foure ages of the world the first of Gold the second of Siluer the third of Brasse the fourth of Iron And we may put thereto a fift mingled with Iron and Clay They said the first was of Gold for the abundance of all good things for then was there more knowledge and wisedome in the soule of man Iustice and all other vertues were more honored mens bodies were much more big strong and vigorous and so much the longer liuing by how much the lesse they need care to maintaine health After this life so commodious and ensie there followed another more troublesome and after that a third and a fourth declining still by little and little from worse to worse Compare ye the peaceable time of Adam with the broyles and mâ—ssakers of these our dayes and you shall see plainely in the one Gold and in the other Iron Nay euen in the daies of Hesiod and Ouid many hundred yeares agoe the Iron age is discouered by their complaints But in that Golden age before the flood when Adam Seth Enos Henech and other excellent Patriarches liued in the schoole of God raigned euer good order or if there were any disorder as in Cain and his line which corrupted the posteritie of Seth that same Enos and other good men found remedie for it Whereas now a daies vice it selfe is held a vertue and right is tried onely by the swords point so are both the bodies and soules of men decayed and abased But least these my notes turne to a Satire let vs stay them here with the 12 verse of the 12 chapter of the Apocalips well agreeing with this latter age Wo to you inhabitants of the Earth and Sea for the Diuell is come downe vnto you which hath great wroth knowing his time is short 4 Ha traitor and rebell Soule For example of vice and wickednesse he noteth Lamech mentioned in the fourth and fift Chapters of Gen. accusing him to haue tripled the Paire-of-man that is to haue brought in Poligamie by marrying and hauing two wiues at once so as contrarie to the Lords appointment who of one body made two and of two but one he went about to ioyne three bodies in one and whereas hee ought to haue but one wife tooke two viz. Ada and Tsilla Beside this desiling the marriage bed which the Apostle saith Hebr. 13. is honourable among all men and calles it the bed vndesiled Lamech is here also accused to haue embrued his sword with the bloud of his Grand-fathers Grand-father that is to haue killed Cain of this descent see Gen. 4. where you shall sinde Lamech in the seuenth degree counting Adam the first and Cain the second c. Philo Judaus Lib. de Praemâ—js Poeâ—â—s holds that Cain was not killed but as his offence was a thing neuer knowne before so was it punished after a new fashion and bearing a certain mark of Gods anger languished in coutinuall misery without hope of grace or comfort Certaine ancient Doctors giue Lamech the title of a Murderer bloudy minded Man and his menaces in the Text shew no lesse hence it is that the Poet after diuers others hath gathered that Cain was killed by Lamech some say purposely some vnawares But these Traditions hauing no ground in holy Scripture and little concerning the stay of our faith let the Poet say and the Reader thinke what they will Howbeit Muses sheweth plainly that this Lamech of Cains Posteritie was a cruell man and giuen to his pleasure 5 But Enos O thou Saint It is recorded by Moses Genes 4. Ch. the last verse that vnto Seth the third sonne of Adam was borne a sonne called Enos and it followeth that then men began to call on the name of the Lord as much to say as then began a distinction apparent betweene the Church of God and the Race of Cain For as much as Adam Seth Enos and their Families only of all the World called themselues the children of God and reioyced in that name The Poet so followes this exposition that he ioynes in opinion with such as say when Enos came into the world Adam was 239. yeares old and that then the Race of Cain was so multiplied as the seruice of God began to be of small account the due calling vpon his name neglected and the doctrine of Sacrifices mis-vnderstood Whereupon these good Patriarkes perceiuing the disorder opposed themselues against it by all the best meanes they could Some learned men there are who consider the words of Moses otherwise and as though in the time of Enos some others
will sooner mount and light aire downward presse Then how thou'lt aske me come these huge and raging floods That spoile on Riphean hils the Boree-shakeÌ„ woods Drowne Libanus and shew their enuious desires To quench with tost-vp waue the highest heau'nly fires He aske thee Cham how Wolues Panthers from the Wild This refutes all the obiections of Atheists At time by Heau'n design'd before me came so mild How I keepe vnder yoke so many a fierce captiue Restored as I were to th' high prerogatiue From whence fath'r Adam fell how wild foule neuer mand From euery coast of Heau'n came flying to my hand How in these cabins darke so many a gluttonous head Is with so little meat or drinke or stouer fed Nor feares the Partridge here the Falcons beake pounces Nor shuns the light-foot Hare a Tygers looke or Ounces How th' Arch holds-out so long against the wauy shot How th' aire so close the breath and dong it choaks vs not Confused as it is and that we find no roome For life in all the world but as it were in toombe Ther 's not so many planks or boords or nailes i'th'arch As holy myracles and wonders which to marke Astonnes the wit of man God shew'th as well his might By thus preseruing all as bringing all to light O holy Syre appease appease thy wroth and land In hau'n our Sea-beat ship ô knit the waters band That we may sing-of now and ours in after age Thy mercie shew'd on vs as on the rest thy rage Annotations vpon the first Booke of Noe called the Arke 1 DIvine verse He complaines of the miseries of our time of his bodies crasinesse and care of houshold affaires which hinder his bold designes and make his Muse fall as it were from heauen to earth He calls the verse diuine because of the subiect matter which he handleth acknowledging withall that as Ouid saith Carmina proueniunt anime deducta sereno and this serenitie or quietnesse of spirit which is all in all for a Christian Poem is a gift from Heauen And therefore this our Poet In stead of calling vpon his Muse which is but himselfe or helpe of profane inuentions looketh vp rather vnto that power from whence commeth euery good and perfect gift that is the father of light 2 Oh rid me This is a zealous inuocation and well beseeming the Authors intent which also is enriched with a daintie comparison For verily the chiefe grace of a Poem is that the Poet begin not in a straine ouer high to continue and so grow worse and worse to the end but rather that he increase and aduance himselfe by little and little as Virgil among the Latin Poets most happily hath done Horace also willeth a good writer in a long-winded worke ex sumo dare lucem that is to goe-on and finish more happily then he began Who so doth otherwise like is to the blustring wind which the longer it continues growes lesse and lesse by degrees but the wise Poet will follow rather the example of Riuers which from a small spring the farther they run grow on still to more and more streame and greatnesse 3 As our foresire foretold Saint Peter in his 2. chapt of his 2. Ep. calls Noe the Herault or Preacher of righteousnesse and in the eleauenth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes it is said that Noe being aduertised from God of things not yet seene conceined a reuerent seare and built the Arch for safegard of his familie through the which Arch he condemned the world and was made heire of the righteousnesse which is by saâ—th By these places may be gathered that Noe laying hold on the truth of Gods threats and promises as Moses also sheweth in the sixt of Gen. prepared materials for the Arch and in building the same did as well by worke as word of a Preacher condemne the impiety and wickednesse of men warning them of the iudgement which hung ouer their heads which also was put in execution at the very time appointed by the Almighty 4 When all were once i' th' Arke This historie of the Deluge our Poet had before touched in the end of the second day of his first weeke which passage I the Translator thought good here to insert that the description might be the fuller These verses and the rest to the end of this booke shew vs the fearefull iudgement of God vpon the sinnes of that former world set downe first by Moses in the 6.7 and 8. chapters of Genesis Were I to write a full commentary thereof I should discourse of Noes Arke and diuers questions which present themselues concerning that rare subiect with the precedents consequents and coincidents but I touch lightly these things to draw the Readers care and make still more and more knowne vnto him the great learning and Art shewed in this diuine Poem To see how our Author is his crafts-master let a man conferre this decription with that of Ouid in the first booke of his Metam concerning the Deluge of Deucalion Some of his verses I thought good here to set downe for encouragement of such as haue leysure more neerely to consider and compare the French with the Latine Protinus Aeolijs Aquilonem claudit in antris Et quaecunque fugant inductas flamina nubes Ennttitque Notum madidis Notus euolat alis Terribilem piceá tectus caligine vultum Barba grauts nimbis canis fluit vnda capillis Fronte sedent nobulae rorant pennaeque sinusque Vtqué manu latè pendentia nubila pressit Fit fragor densi sunduntur ab aethere nimbi Then speaking of the land and out-let of Riuers thus Intremuit motuque vias patesecit aquarum Eupatiata ruunt per apertos slumina campos Cwnque satis arbusla trabunt pecudesque virosque Tectaque cumque sais rapiunt penetralia sacris See the rest of Ouid who hath not so exactly described these things as our Poet. 5 Nereus By this word he means the Sea which at the Deluge ouerflowed the whole Earth because it was not then held within the proper bounds thereof by the powerfull goodnesse and prouidence of the Creator Ouid expresseth it thus Omnia pontus erant deerant quoquelittora ponto Virgil thus Spumeus atque imo Nereus ciet aequora sundo Natalis Comes in his Mythologie lib. 8. cap. 6. hath much of Nereus and the Nereides where also he giues a reason why the Poets so call the Sea 6 The Sea-Calues So I translate le Manat for the Veal-like flesh thereof though this be indeed a great Sea-fish described by Rondeletius in the 18. chapter of his sixt booke He is also like a young Bull with a broad backe and a very thicke skin they say he weigheth more then two oxen are well able to draw His flesh as I said before commeth neere the taste of Yeale but it is fatter and not so well relished he will be made as tame as a dog but hath a shrewd remembrance of
the bitter and saltnesse of the Sea-water Plutarch hath spoke thereof in his booke of the Philosophers Opinions 3.16 see what he saith there and in the ninth question of his first booke of Table-talke and in the first question of his Naturall causes Aristotle in the 23. Section of his Problemos Pliny in his second booke from the 97. chap. to the 101. where he assoiles the most obiections that are made concerning this point of the Sea but especially in the 110. he ascribes there to the Sunne the Saltnesse of Sea-water at the top not at the bottome With him agrees Mellichius vpon the same Chapter of Plinie Garcaeus in the 36. Chapter of his Meteorologie Danaeus in his Christian Physickes 2.11 And Velcurio in his Comment vpon Aristolles Naturall Philosophie 3.7 7 Of the seuenth Article enough hath beene said in the third and the Terrestriall Globe and Mappes doe make all very plaine 8 There rests for the eight Article a word to be said concerning the forme or shape of the Sea whether it be round or flat That which hath beene afore-said shewes plainly it is round but neither in it whole selfe nor parts how then Only as it is enterlaced with the whole body of the Earth and hath for bed the great deepe If any be so curious as to seeke herein further satisfaction let him reade Scaliger against Card. Exercit. 37. c. So much for these eight Articles touching the Sea 30 Here should th' Aire The Poet goes about here to range in proper place both the Elements and Heauens to wit The Earth lowest the Water next thereupon then the Aire then the Fire next ouer these the seuen Planets and aboue them the fix-star-Fix-star-heauen embrased with the primouable and ouer that the glorious habitation of Saints This is the common opinion of Christian Astronomie agreed-on by most Winters both of late and former times Some few as Copernicus and his followers gainsay it but the Poet takes after that opinion which is most likely and most receiued 31 Among the greater Six The Terestriall Globe hath Ten Rings or Circles six great ones so called because they diuide the Sphere after the full compasse thereof into equall parts and foure called leste because they diuide it into parts vnequall The first of the great here mined by the Poet is the Equator or Equinoctiall which I tearme The Circl ' of Match-day night This Circle in euery part therof is like distant from the Poles of the world diuideth the Globe into two equall parts and is the greatest of all the Circles by reason whereof it comes to passe that the Sunne and other Planets haue vnder this a swifter course than other of those heauenly bodies as contrariwise they runne slower when they come nearer the Poles And when the Sunne is vnder this Line day and night is equall throughout the world and that caused the name There are two such times in the yeare the one called of the Spring the Vernall Equinox about the eleuenth of March the other the Autumnall of that Season and falleth commonly neare the thirteenth of September For when the Sunne first entreth Aries or Libra then is he vnder the Equinoctiall and stayeth as long aboue as vnder euery Horison that is twelue houres a peece halfe the naturall day This and the rest would better be vnderstood with an Armillary Sphere in hand 32 This other The second great Circle is called the Zodiake which diuides the Equator into two equall parts at the beginning of Aries and Libra and the one toward the North is called the Articke halfe and the other toward the South the Antarticke halfe of the Equator The Zodiake hath other Poles or Axelpoints than those of the world and from them also distant 24. degrees which also in the Globes turning draw-out the Tropicke Circles of Cancer and Capricorne whereof hereafter 33 This other passing-through The Astronomers imagine also two other great Circles called the Colures which a man may thinke doe stead the Globe no more than to hold the parts thereof together For the office that some giue them to distinguish the Night-qualles and Sunstaies belongeth more properly to the Equator and Tropickes The Poet here exactly describes the first Colure and saith it is drawne from one of the Tropickes to the other to note the staies of the Sunne who comming thereto neere goes not so fast as afore 34 And this here crossing This is the description of the second Colure that shewes the equall space betwixt the two Equinoxes or Eauen-nights of Spring and Autumne and the two Solstices or Sun-stayes of Summer and Winter The word Colure comes of the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies curtolled or cut off by the taile because onely one part appeares vnto vs and the other is hid and so saith Proclus 35 And this the circl ' of Noon That is the Meridian which passing through the Poles and our Zenith or Crowne-point diuides the Globe into halues the one East the other West It is called the Noon-line or Meridian because alwaies when the Sunne by sway of the Primovable comes thereto at what time or place soeuer then there it is Noone and Noone is nothing else but the midday Naturall or Artificiall Whereupon it followes that all Cities vnder the same Meridian stand alike distant from East and West and contrary-wise if one be neerer East or West then another they haue not the same Meridian but diuers Th'arke then or round parcell of th'Equator reckoning from West to East which is betweene the Meridian of the Fortunate Isles and the noon-point of any place or Citie is colled the longitude or length of that Citie or place and their Latitude or bredth is the Arke of their Noon-circle from th'Equator to the Crowne-point Hence also arises the distinction of Climats implied here in the word Horison which moueth as farre as you will to North or South The Ancient Astionomers saith Appian in the 6. Chapter of his Cosmography diuided the whole Earth into seuen Climats or degrees of heat and cold but we now obserue nine by reason of our late more exact discoueries A Climate is a space of the Earth betweene two paralels or lines of Latitude differing halfe an houre in Sunne-dyall one from other for the Sunne drawing from the Equator toward the Poles must needs make the daies vnequall And so much is one Climat remoued from the Equato as makes the daies there differ halfe an houre from the Equinox from Day-and night-cauen Heere further is to be noted that euery Climate takes 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 enâ—â—keble Citie Riuer Country Isle or Mountaine c. From the â—â—quâ—â—â— then to reckon Northward the first Climate is câ—lled of Mâ—â—â— because it runnes thorow the midst of that Citie in dâ—â—â—ke 〈◊〉 second of Sieâ—â— a Citie in Egypt vnder the Tropick of Caâ—â—â— the third of Alexandria the fourth of Rhodes the fift of Rome the sixt of Pontus the seuenth of Boristhenes
the eight of the Riphean hills and the ninth of Denmarke And Southward the same with note of opposition or relation as the first is Counter-Meâ—oe the second Counter-Sieâ—â— and so the rest 36 The Winter Tropicke Hauing spoken of the six great Circles in the Spâ—ere he comes now to handle the foure lesse whereof two are calâ—ed Tropicks or Turnes one of Winter the other of Summer The Winter-Tropicke circle is made or drawne by the Sunne first entring into Capricorne whereof it is called also the Tropicke of Capricorne and fals out nigh the 12. of September with the Winter Sunne-stay for then the Sunne â—ay goe no further from vs but turnes againe toward vs and thence hath this Circle the name as also that other Tropicke of Cancer which is the Summer Sun-stay or Turnagaine of the Sunne then entring into Cancer about the 12. of Iune and mounting no higher aboue our Horison 37 The two other small Circles are the Artick Antartick both equally distant from the Equator and easie to be obserued in the Maps both flat and round They are imagined for Astronomy-sake to be drawne by the Poles of the Zodiack mouing about the fixed Poles of the world one at North the other at South That of the North is called the Artick or Beare-circle of that Pole so neere ar markable Starre in taile of the little Beare I say so neere because although it be commonly called the Pole-starre yet is it some foure degrees from the Pole that of the South is called Antartick because it is opposite to the other Circle and Pole and hath not no more then the South-pole it selfe as yet got any other proper name though some that haue that way sayled haue obserued about the South-pole one great and faire Starre called Canâ—pus and others take notice of foure which â—â—ey call the Crosse 38 The Ball she bâ—ares After description of the Globe Terrestriall hee comes to the Celestiall the Globe of Heauen wherein are set downe from either side of the Equator to the Poles the suadry Constellations according to the diuers names and figures which the Astronomers haue giuen them to shew in what sort they worke vpon the lower bodies on earth and to make their postures and distances the better obserued 39 I neuer see them looke By a daintie comparison he toucheth in few verses vpon the chiefe point of Astronomie concerning the Aspects influences and wonderfull operations of the Setstars and Planets according to their sundry coniunctions and distances beside their proper motions caused by the heauens admirable whirlung-about To speake of these their aspects and glauncings one at another in Triangle Quadrangle and Sextile whereupon the Astrologers make their discourse and iudgement would require a long Comment Reade the third booke of the Diuinations of learned Peucer 40 Then Phaleg said how is' t Phaleg as the Poet makes him imagining all these strange vgly shapes which Astronomers haue deuised were by the Creators selfe so drawne-out and limbed on the ouerface of heauen asketh Heber the reasons thereof who nameth diuers here cunningly set forth by the Poet. The first is taken from the consideration of Gods infinite wisdome who in the diuers proportions of so many bodies hath engrauen most manifest arguments of his owne greatnesse and power The second is that the ancient Astronomers well weighing the powerfull effects of these heauenly Signes gaue them names most answerable to their properties As in the Zodiack to omit the rest there is 1. the Ram 2. the Bull 3. the Twynnes 4. the Crab 5 the Lyon 6. the Virgin 7. the Ballance 8. the Scorpion 9. the Archer 10. the Goat 11. the Water bearer 12. the Fishes Of those Marsilius Ficinus in his Comment vpon Ficinus Platonicus 3. lib. Ennead 2. hath in few words to this effect The old Heathen Philosophers did set the Ram first of all the Signes in the Zodiack in honour of Iupiter Ammon whom also they were wont to paint with two hornes on his head The Bull followes next because when the Sunne comes there the earth is fit for tillage In third place the Twynnes for increase and multiplication of all things then springing and engendring After these comes the Crab because the Sunne in that Signe begins to recoyle and go backward then the Lyon because there the Sunne is most hot and fiery coloured then the Virgin because the earth at that time scorched with heat of the Sunne is barren or like a Maide brings forth no encrease then the Skoales or Ballance because the Sunne therein weigheth as it were the day and night and makes them equall then the Scorpion so called because the Sunne is there gone so far of that the Ayre begins to stnoteng vs with cold and therefore the rather next followes the Archor so named for the piercing cold of his arrowes driuen with the wind The Goat hath the next place because the Sunne there begins againe to raise vp himselfe as a Goat doth to brouse The two last are allotted vnto the Waterman Fishes for the much raine and moist season of Ianuarie and February Some say otherwise that these Signes and the rest had their names from the posture of starres in their sundry constellations Let me ioyne hereto as it will be are the translating that which Macrobius hath in the first booke of his Saturnals chap. 21. The Aegyptians when they would consecrate an Image for the Sunne they made it with the head halfe-shauen and hairie on the right side This haire kept-on doth import that the Sunne is neuer quite hidden or hindred from his working vpon naturall things but the shauen haire whose roots yet are left sheweth that this glorious Planet euen when we see him not hath power like haire to rise and grow againe vpon vs. Hereby also they signified that time of yeare when the day close-powled as it were is at the shortest which men of old time called the Winter-Sun-stay in Latine Soâ—stitium brumale of Bruma drawne from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Short day Thence the Sunne thrusting vpward againe out of the secret places where he lay as it were hid enlargeth his course and preuailes euen to the Sun-stay of Summer which is counted his kingdome and therefore the Egyptians haue consecrated the beast that stands in Zodiack where the Sunne hath yearely greatest heat and call that Signe of the Lyon the house of the Sunne because the substance of that beast seems to be drawne from the nature of that Planet For first he surpasseth all other beasts in force and heat as the Sun doth other Starres then as the Sun in the forepart of the day and yeare hath his force still increasing till Noone or Summer and then growes weaker and weaker till Set which is the weakest part of the day and Winter which is the weakest of the yeare euen so is the Lyon made strong before small and weake behinde Moreouer it is obserued that the Lyon hath his eyes alwaies
all sorts of needfull instruments they may well be likened vnto the actiue and trading life and the middle sort vnto the ciuill gouernment 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 beene renowmed for the Tongues the Lawes the Mathematicks Poesie Oratorie and 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 beene diuers very learned men flourishing and Germanie especially which is as it were Vuleans forge and the Campe of Mars hath brought forth many men excelent well seene in all kinde of learning it were needlesse to name them they are so well knowne 62 But eu'n among our selues The more to magnifie the vnsoundable wisdome of God appearing in the creation of so diuers-disposed people he noteth out many points of great difference euen among those Nations that liue neare together and are seuered only by certaine hilles riuers and forrests as the French Dutch Jtalian and Spanish He paints them out all in their kinde for such properties as are daily 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 Countrey-men 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 Counsaile wauering in Diet sumptuous gentle in Speech diuers in Apparell out-facing his Enemie a sweet Singer a swift Paser a merty Louer If any man can draw a righter counterfeit of our Nation let him take the pensill 63 Yet would the immortall God He shewes for what cause it pleased God the earth should be inhabited by men of so diuers natures As first to the end he might shew forth his mercy and louing kindnesse in raising his chosen out of the sincks of sinne wherewith each of their birth soiles were bestained Secondly That it might appeare how neither the soiles nor yet the heauenly Signes though they haue great power ouer earthly bodies can force the minds of men especially such as God himselfe hath blessed Thirdly That there might be some in all places of the world to acknowledge his manifold goodnesse and glorifie his Name And fourthly that whatsoeuer needfull things the earth any where by his gartious blessing bringeth forth proper and seuerally they might be enterchanged and carried from place to place for the vse of man 64 For as a Citie The last consideration giues the Author occasion to compare the world vnto a great Citie such as Paris Roan Tolouse Lyons or any other like where there are merchants and craftesmen for all kinde of wares each in their seuerall wards buying selling changing and trading one with another And euen so one Countrey affordeth Suger another Spice another Gummes and Gold Alabaster Iuory Heben-wood Horses Amber Furres Tynne and Silke they are brought from diuers coasts all the more to furnish with things necessary this great Citie of the world Whereby we may note that no Countrie be it neuer so well appointed can say that it needs 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 we see the like there is none so poore but hath some speciall gift none so rich but hath need of the poorest Our Poet therefore hauing so fitly resembled the world by a great Citie he brings-in thereupon a sine example of the Persian Queene who as Herodotus Xenophon and Plutarch report called one Prouince her lewell-house another her Wardrope c. for euen so may euery man say that hath the true knowledge and feare of God such a man may say Peru brings forth Gold for me the Moluckes or Chaldea Spice Damaske Alabaster and Italy Silke Germany sends me great Horses Moscouie rich Furres Arabia sweet Parfumes Spaine Saffron Prusse Amber England Cloth and Tinne France Corne and Wine Yea more the childe 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 mee to worship him But of this let the Diuines discourse more at large I will goe on with the Poet who saith further against the carping Atheist that nothing was created in vaine but euen the most vnlikely places bring forth many good fruits and very necessary for the life of Man And hee proues it plainly by some notable particulars that follow 65 The Moores enameled First The Fenny Valleyes though too moist they are and ouer-low for men to build and dwell vpon yet are they so beset with diuers harbes and flowers so lagged garded and enter-trailed with riuers that they are as it were the common gardens of the world as also the plaine fields are our seed-plots and the stony grounds our Vineyards Secondly The huge Mountaines about whose tops are engendred thunders lightnings and tempests for which cause the Atheists count them hurtfull or at least superfluous or made by chance and errour they are in truth cleane contrary as Thâ—odoret hath long agoe shewed in his Sermons of Gods Prouidence â—uen the sure standing Bounds and Land-markes of euery Kingdome and Countrie they beare great store of timber-trees for ships and houses and fuell to burne from them spring the great riners that breed much fish and helpe the conueyance of prouision and other merchandise vnto many people dwelling farre-off by them are stayed and gathered the clowdes and thicke mists that manure and fatten the lower grounds the Wind-milles are much helped by them as if they were the the store houses of winde like rampiers and bulwarkes they keepe-of the sudden force of warlike neighbours and to conclude they are as it were the very morter that ioynes Land and Sea together Thirdly The great Deserts and wast-grounds that are for men by reason of some wants searse habitable yet like huge Commons they feed an infinit sort of beasts great and small whereof we haue good vse and commoditie Fourthly The Sea it breeds fish maintaines many Cities encreases Trafficke and makes the wayes for trauell 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 be found in all other the Creatures of God how vnlikely foeuer 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 reape of euery creature 66 But shall I still be toss'd Fitly and in very good time the Poet hauing ouerslipt nothing worthy note in this discourse
it had a being So first the great Three-One with drift ingenious Diplaid of shining heau'n the curtaine precious And as vpon a slate or on a painters frame The shape of things to-be portrayed on the same Loe is not there the draught of some gold-sandy brooke On the beauens are the models of all on earth That on this azure ground glydes as it were acrooke There softly fannes a Rav'n here swiftly an Eagle driues There walloweth a Whale and here a Dolphin diues A Dragon glisters here a Bull there sweating frets Here runs the light-foot Rid and there the horse curuets What thing so goodly abides in ayre at sea aground But some right shape thereof in heau'n aloft is found Our ballances our crownes our arrowes darts and maulles What are they but estreats of those originals Whereof th' Almighty word engroue the portraiture Vpon the books of heau'n for euermore t' endure 28 But what quoth Phaleg Phaleg asketh Heber concerning the two Globes that Astronomic held in her hands Heber makes answer that in her right hand is the Globe of Sea and Earth and because there-ouer could not be painted the Elements of Aire and Fire nor ouer them the heauens of Starres wandring and fixed the Primum mobile and Empirean they are all here together tepresented by ten Circles whereof I shall speake hereafter but first concerning the Seas interlacement with the Earth to make on Globe 29 The Sea doth cou'r all eu'ry where But onely in certaine parts dâ—sparpled here and there All the points hence arising tò be considered may be drawne to eight Articles 1 Concerning the diuers names of the Sea 2. Concerning the place or Channell thereof 3. To shew the parts thereof and whether it composse the Earth and how 4. Why it is not encreased by the waters continually falling into it 5 Concerning the Ebbe and Flow. 6. Why the Sea-water is salt 7. Of the Enterlacement of the Sea with the Land 8. Whether the Earth be round or flat Of them all in order 1 For the Names of the Sea it is called of our Poet Th' Ocean Neptune Neree and La-Mer Some thinke this last was drawne from the Latine Amarum because the Sea-water is salt and bitter Why not rather of Mare which commeth of Marath signifying the same The word Ocean hath diuers Etymologies For Suidas holds the Sea so called of a priuatiue turned into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diuido because the waues thereof so follow one another as they cannot be seuered Others deriue it of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies Swift because the Sea hath so quicke a continuall motion The other two names are meerely poeticall and vsed by a Metonymie 2 Now concerning the place or Channell of the Sea It is said in the 33. Psalme That God hath gathered the waters together as into a vessell and heaped them vp as a treasure Whereto not vnlike is the Philosophers opinion that the Earth is the Center of the world girt and compassed though here and there vncouered by the Sea which also falles-into and filles vp the hollow deepes thereof and so becomes a huge masse and treasure as it were of waters from whence the Diuine prouidence drawes innumerable Riuers to runne thorow the vaines and ouer the face of the Earth And further that the Sea is not only the receptacle of all riuers thereinto falling but is also the great store-house of waters both for the Earth and Sunne which haling-vp the steeme of waters from Sea to mid region of the Aire makes thereof diuers Meteors but most store of Raine Our Terrestriall Globes and the report of Pilots and Nauigators that within this hundred yeares haue tâ—auelled all Seas make-good that is said of the great bed or channell of the waters And thereto also accords that which Ouid hath 1. Metam Tum freta dissundit rapidisque tumescere ventis Iussit ambitae circundare littora terrae Then spred the Seas them bad with boistrous wind To swell and all the Shores of Earth imbind 3 Whereas it hath beene aforesaid in ordering the Elements that the Water is aboue the Earth this breeds a scarre to the third Article for if the Sea lye higher then the Land and doth the same round about enuiron how comes it to passe that the Land is not ouerflowed thereby Considering this Element is not easily kept within bounds but of a moist and flowing nature still running downward But this is before answered in the second Article where it is said that the Sea is gathered together on a heape to a large compasse so as the parts thereof next the land tending toward the proper Center of their whole masse draw not from but rather to the Sea which hath for maine bed or channell that large extent of the East West Oâ—ean where what doe we see to speake of but waters For a few Islands here and there scattered are nothing to the huge wasternes of the Sea And that is moued three kinde of waies One way as it is Water another way as it is the Sea the third as it is accidentally forced by the winds Of the later I will not here speake but of the two former together It is the nature indeed of all water to runne downwards but the Sea as well in proper channell where it is hoised farre aboue the land as also in the parts and armes thereof hath set-limits and bounds which it cannot passe For so Almightie God the Creator hath ordained who shut the Sea with doâ—res when it bâ—ake forth as if it had issâ—od out of the wombe Iob. 38.8 Who bound the Sea with Sand by a perpetuall decree which it cannot passe and though the waues thereof tosse themselues yet can they not preuaile though they roare yet can they not passe ouer it Ier. 5.22 and diuers like places there are in holy Scripture Now whereas the Sea and Land doe make one Globe together certaine it is that the highest part of the Land is commonly furthest from the sea as plainly appeares by the current of Riuers and the highest of Sea furthest from Land This also is proued by diuers of the learned and men expert in Nauigation who say that comming to land they perceiue the Sea still to decline and that vnder the Equator it is higher than in any place else the reason is I thinke because there it hath in furface the largest compasse and highest Arch of a Circle or Globe as appeares by the Card. How then doth the Sea compasse and enuno on the whole Earth First by the great body thereof which is the Ocean then by the Midland-sea the Sound and other like Bayes by the Cimbrian Arabian Persian Gulphes and many other little Seas and great Riuers which are to that bodie as armes legges vaines and haire whereby it is ioyned to the Earth The particulars of both are plainly set forth vnto vs both in our globy and flat Mappes of the world
the breath and Spirit all-aliuing Stirres of the tuned heau'n these wheeles all louely striuing And as their wonted way eternally they trace Some of them trill the Treblâ— and some bomb-out the Base Now all these counter-notes so charmy-sweet Musicke in our Humours Seasons and Elements Bâ—ssâ— appeere Yet not so plainly in heau'n as eu'n among vs heere Th' humour Melancholike the Wint'r and cold dry ground They beare the Bases part and soft and slowly sound The white phleame th'Autom-time the water cold and wet They all aleauell run Tenr and are for Tenor set The Blood the prime of yere the moist and luke-warme Aire Play Descant florisher deuider painter Countertenor strayer The Choller Summer Fire that are so hot and dry Treble Resembl ' a strained chord that soundeth eu'r on high The reason and force of Musicke See then the cause my son why song doth ofteÌ„ win them That are most fierce by kinde there are inclos'd within them The seeds of numb'r and time nor can their life hold-out But by the Spirits helpe that whirleth heau'n about With wisemen Sweet harmony it makes the fiercest Army stay Their deadly fewd and force the griefe it doth allay Of eu'ry pained soule and with a gentle charme And Fooles Withdraweth by degrees the Foole from trickes of harme It bridleth hot desire and putteth-out the flame That makes a louers-heart Idolatrize a dame It heales a man that 's hurt with fly Phalangy's sting That eu'n at point of death will madly daunce and fling With Beasts The Swan delights therein deceiu'd thereby we finde The shye discoullard fowle and fearefull starting hinde The Dolphin loues the Leere th'vnhiued swarme of Bees With tinkling sound of brasse are clustred on the trees With God himselfe O what 's to Musick hard which wont so much to merit Which wont so to preuaile eu'n with th'enspiring Spirit As bring him downe on Saul and in Elisha wed The Spirit rauisher vnto the rauished Yea when th' eternall God to sharpest anger bent Smoakes thunders lightens hailes with all his pow'rs assent And with his heau'd-vp arme and with his backe enfoul't Is ready to discharge his forest blasting-boult Th'armonyons accord that hearts deuout shall weepe His sinnowes albenombes and brings his ang'r asleepe Then sweet-ey'd mercy steales as well shee wont and can From vnd'r his hand the rod deseru'd by rebell man But now as Heb'r had thought t' haue further gon told The practise and the skill of all the Musicke old See Canan searching-out his Iordans fatall walke Vnto the Pillernies and breakes-off all the talke Nor can I further goe this iourneyes irksome length In weaknesse vndertooke hath wasted all my strengthe I must anew entreat some helpe of heau'nly grace And somewhat need recoile to leape a greater space 48 For you ô heauenly wits Shewing that he had a good minde to dilate vpon the praise of this Art he breaks-off to come to the description of the fourth Image which is Musick and her he sets-out with all the most necessarie and gracefull attire both for voice and instruments of diuers sorts It requires a long dispute and hard to resolue what manner of Instruments and how framed they were which we reade by translated names to haue beene in vse among the Hebrues Greeks and other people of old time This would take-vp a whole Volume as also that other question what was their vocall Musicke whereof Plutarch and Boetius both haue treated I perswade my selfe they had in those dayes a kinde of skill in making and managing their musicall Instruments and ioyning voice thereto which is hardly well knowne or conceiued now of vs though some of our Musicians we finde both in voice and vpon instrument so exceeding skilfull that they are able much to moue our affections but short of that wonderfull power which hath been ascribed to the ancient Musicke 49. Sith eu'ry Sphere they say The Poet vpon this occasion of Musicke raiseth himselfe to consider the accord and harmony of the Heauens borrowing his discourse from the Philosophie of Plato whereof I shall endeuour here to set downe the summe He saith then that our Musicke on earth is but a shadow of that superlatiue harmonie which God hath ordained the great Cymbals as it were of heauen to make by their so swift and orderly mouing sithence vnlikely it is but that the Primovable and other Spheres that whirle-about continually and haue done so long should make some noise answerable to their compasse and cadence so proportionall And rather may we presume they make a most excellent melody and far exceeding our earthly Musicke which from that heauenly borroweth her perfection For so it being that God hath made all things in number weight and measure very likely it is that he kept a due proportion in the heauens and that more exactly than on the earth because this is the lowest part of all for habitation of the meanest creatures when they as their English name signifies are heauen-vp on high to make a beautifull and glorious palace for th'All-Creator To consider the matter yet more particularly the Platonikes doe say that God who is the Voice Soueraigne and giueth voice sound and harmony to all things high and low hath in euery Sphere of heauen set an Intelligence some call it Scule some Angell some morion quickned by the Primouable whereby the heauens are moued to their cadence appointed so exactly as no melody can be more pleasing As for mine owne opinion hereof I thinke the Platonicks who say also that God still exerciseth Geometry meant hereby to commend the perfection of Mathematicks and chiefely Astronomy which is most excellent and certaine of them all And because the minde is maruellously delighted with Musicall proportions which no where can be found more perfect then in the heauens who so hath the gift to vnderstand them enioyes a contentment surpassing all sweetnesse of earthly and eare-pleasing Musicke Now to the end this heauenly Musicke may be the better conceiued our Poet here vseth a very choice and daintie comparison and saith the Spirit of God giues the heauens a Musicall motion which breeds a sweet harmony among them euen as an Organist by due fingring the keys of his Instrument stirres vp therein a melodious sound Thus much by the way that the Reader may thereby take occasion to stop his eares against the tempestuous broyles and discords of this world and raise-vp himselfe toward this heauenly concord or rather to fly-vp thither with the wings of faith and learne in the company of Saints and blessed Soules to vnderstand those excellent Songs which are partly set-downe for vs in diuers passages of the Apocalyps 50. Now all these counter-notes Leauing that heauenly Musicke of the Spheres he shewes now that we haue a Musicke also contained euen in the humors of our bodies answerable to the foure Seasons of the yeare and the Elements Our Melancholy like the Earth