the Whales Belly when we were as buried in the Deep And now we are on Land we are but between Death and Life For we are beyond both the Old World and the New And whether ever we shall see Europe GOD only knoweth It is a kind of Miracle hath brought us hither And it must be little lesse that shall bring us hence Therefore in regard of our Deliverance past and our danger present and to come let us look up to GOD and every Man reform his own waies Besides we are come here amongst a Christian People full of Pietie and Humanity Let us not bring that confusion of â—ace upon our selves as to shew our vices or unworthinesse before them Yet there is more For they have by Commandement though in form of courtesie Cloystred us within these Walls for three daies Who knoweth whether it be not to take some taste of our manners and conditions And if they find them bâ—d to banish us straightwaies if good to give us further time For these men that they have given us for Attendance may withall have an Eye upon us Therefore for Gods love and as wee love the weal of our Soules and Bodies let us so behave our selves as we may be at peace with GOD and may find grace in the eyes of this People Our Company with one voyce thanked me for my good Admonition and promised me to live soberly and civilly and without giving any the least occasion of Offence So we spent our three daies joyfully and without care in expectation what would be done with us when they were expired During which time we had every hour joy of the Amendment of our Sick who thought themselves cast into some Divine Pool of Healing They mended so kindly and so fast The Morrow after our three daies were past there came to us a new Man that we had not seen before clothed in blew as the former was save that his Turban was white with a small red Crosse on the Top. He had also a Tippet of fine Linnen At his Comming in he did bend to us a little and put his Aâ—ms abroad We of our parts saluted him in a very lowly and submissive manner As looking that from him we should receive Sentence of Liâ—e or Death He desired to speak with some few of us VVhereupon six of us only stayed and the rest avoided the Room He said I am by Office Governour of this House of Strangers and by Vocation I am a Christian Priest and therefore am come to you to offer you my service both as Strangers and chiefly as Christians Some things I may tell you which I think you will not be unwilling to hear The State hath given you Licence to stay on Land for the space of six weeks And let it not trouble you if your occasions ask further time for the Law in this point is not precise And I do not doubt but my self shall be able to obtain for you such further time as shall be convenient Ye shall also understand that the Strangers House is at this time Rich and much aforehand For it hath laid up Revenew these 37 yeaâ—â— For so long it is since any Stranger arived in this part And therefore take ye no careâ— The State will defray you all the time you stay Neither shall you stay one day lesse for that As for any Merchandize you have brought ye shall be well used and have your return either in Merchandize or in Gold and Silver For to â—s it is all one And if you have any other Request to make hide it not For ye shall find we will not make your countenance to fall by the answer ye shall receive Only this I must tell you that none of you must go above a Karan that is with them a mile and an half from the Waâ—ls of the City without special leave VVe answered after we had looked a while upon one another admiring this gracious and Parent-like usage That we could not tell what to say For we wanted words to expresse our Thanks And his Noble free Offers left us nothing to ask It seemed to us that we had before us a Picture of our Salvation in Heaven For we that were a while since in the Iaws of Death were now brought into a place where we found nothing but Consolations For the Commandâ—ment laid upon us we would not fail to obey it though it was impossible but our Hearts should be enflamed to tread further upon this happy and Holy Ground VVe added That our Tongues should first cleave to the Roofes of our Mouths ere we should forget either this Reverend person or this whole Nation in our Prayers VVe also most humbly besought him to accept of us as his true servants by as just a Right as ever men on Earth were bounden laying and presenting both our Persons and all we had at his feet He said He was a Priest and looked for a Priests reward which was our Brotherly love and the good of our Souls and Bodies So he went from us not without Tears of Tendernesse in his Eyes And left us also confused with joy and kindnesse saying amongst our selves That we were come into a Land of Angelsâ— which did appear to us daily and prevent us with Comforts which we thought not of much less expected The next day about ten of the Clock the Governour came to us again and after Salutations said familiarly That he was come to visit us And called for a Chair and sate him down And we being some ten of us the rest were of the meaner sort or else gone abroad sate down with him And when we were set he began thus We of this Island of Bensalem for so they call it in their Language have this That by means of our solitary Situation and of the Laws of Secrecy which we have for our Travellers and our rare Admission of Strangers we know well most part of the â—â—bitable World and are our selves unknown Therefore because he that knoweth least is fittest to ask Questions it is more reason for the Entertainment of the time that ye ask me Questions than that I ask you VVe answered That we humbly thanked him that he would give us leave so to do And that we conceived by the taste we had already that there wâ—s no worldly thing on Earth more worthy to be known than the State of that happy Land But above all we said since that we were met from the several Ends of the world and hoped assuredly that we should meet one day in the Kingdom of Heaven for that we were both Parts Christians we desired to know in respect that Land was so remote and so divided by vast and unknown Seas from the Land where our SAVIOUR walked on Earth who was the Apostle of that Nation and how it was converted to the Faith It appeared in his face that he took great Contentment in this our Question He said Ye knit my heart to you by asking
of the Sea And some Bayes upon the Shore for some VVorks wherein is required the Air and Vapour of the Sea We have likewise violent Streams and Cataracts which serve us for many Motions And likewise Engines for Multiplying and Enforcing of VVinds to set also on going divers Motions We have also a Number of Artificial VVells and Fountains made in Imitation of the Natural Sources and Bathes As tincted upon Vitrioll Sulphur Steel Brasse Lead Nitre and other Minerals And again we have little Wells for Infusions of many Things where the Waters take the Vertue quicker and better than in Vessels or Basins And amongst them we have a VVater which we call water of Paradise being by that we do it made very Soveraign for Health and Prolongation of Life VVe have also Great and spacious Houses where we imitate and demonstrate Meteors As Snow Hail Rain some Artificial Rains of Bodies and not of VVater Thunders Lightnings Also Generations of Bodies in Air As Frogs Flies and divers Others We have also certain Chambers which we call Chambers of Health where we qualifie the Air as we think good and proper for the Cure of divers Diseases and Preservation of Health We have also â—air and large Baths of several Mixtures for the Cure of Dâ—seasesâ—and the restoring of Mans Body from Arefaction And other for the Confiming of it in Strength of Sinews vital Parts and the very Juyce and Substance of the Body We have also large and various Orchards and Gardens Wherein we do not so much respect Beauty as Variety of Ground and Soil proper for divers Trees and Herbs And some very spacious whâ—re Trees and Berries are set whereof we make divers Kinds of Drinks besides the Vine-yards In these we practise likewise all Conclusions of Grafâ—ing and Inoculating as well of Wild-Trees as Fruit-Trees which produceth many Effects And we make by Aâ—t in the same Orchards and Gardens Trees and Flowers to come earlier or later than their Seasons And to come up and bear more speedily than by their Natural Course they do We make them also by Art greater much than their Nature And their Fruit greater and sweeter and of differings Taste Smell Colour and Figure from their Nature And many of them we so Order that they become of Medicinal Use We have also Means to make divers Plants rise by Mixtures of Earths without Seeds And likewise to make divers New Plants differing from the Vulgar and to make one Tree or Plant turn into another We have also Parks and Enclosures of all Sorts of Beasts and Birdsâ—which we use not only for view or Rarenesse but likewise for Dissections and Trialsâ—That thereby we may take light what may be wrought upon the Body of Man Wherein we find many strange Effects As Continuing Life in them though divers Parts which you account Vital be perished and taken forth Resuscitating of some that seem Dead in Appearance And the like We try also all Poysons and other Medicines upon them as well of Chirurgery as Physick By Art likewise we make them Greater or Taller than their Kind is And contrariwise Dwarf them and stay their Growth VVe make them more Fruitfull and Bearing than their Kind is And contrary wise Barren and not Generative Also we make them differ in Colour Shape Activity many waies VVe find Means to make Commixtures and Copulations of diverse Kinds which have produced many New Kinds and them not Barren as the general Opinion is VVe make a number of Kinds of Serpents Worms Flies Fishes of putrefaction whereof some are advanced in effect to be perfect Creatures like Beasts or Birds And have Sexes and do propagate Neither do we this by Chance but we know before hand of what Matter and Commixture what Kind of those Creature will arise We have also Particular Pools where we make Trials upon Fishes as we have said before of Beasts and Birds We have also Places for Breed and Generation of those Kinds of Worms and Flies which are of Speciall Use such as are with you your Silkworms and Bees I will not hold you long with recounting of our Brew-houses Bake-houses and Kitchins where are made divers Drinks Breads and Meats Rare and of special Effects Wines we have of Grapes And Drinks of other Juyce of Fruits of Grains and of Roots And of Mixtures with Honey Sugar Manna and Fruits dryed and decocted Also of the Tears or Woundings of Trees And of the Pulp of Canes And these Drinks are of Severall Ages some to the Age or Last oâ— forty years We have Drinks also brewed with severall Herbs and Roots and Spices Yea with several Fleshes and VVhite-Meats whereof some of the Drinks are such as they are in effect Meat and Drink both So that Divers especially in Age doe desire to live with them with little or no Meat or Bread And above all we strive to have Drinks of Extreme Thin Parts To insinuate into the Body and yet without all Biting Sharpnesse or Frettingâ—Insomuch as some of them put upon the Back of your Hand will with a little stay passe thorow to the Palme and yet tast Mild to the Mouth We have also VVaters which we ripen in that fashion as they become Nourishing So that they are indeed excellent Drink And many will use no other Breads we have of Several Grains Roots and Kernels Yea and some of Flesh and Fish Dried With divers kinds of Leavings and Seasonings So that some doe extremely move Appetites Some doe nourish so as Divers doe live of them without any other Meat Who live very long So for Meats we have some of them so beaten and made Tender and mortified yet without alâ— Corrupting as a VVeak Heat of the Stomack will turn them into good Chilus As well as a Strong Heat would Meat otherwise prepared VVe have some Meats also and Breads and Drinks which taken by Men enable them to Fast long afterâ— and some other that used make the very Flesh oâ— Mens Bodies sensibly more Hard and Tough And their Strength farâ— greater than otherwise it would be VVe have Dispensatories or Shops of Medicines VVherein you may easily think if we have such Varietie of Plants and Diving Creatures more than you have in Europe for we know what you have the Simples Druggs and Ingredients of Medicines must likewise be in so much the greater Variety VVe have them likewise of divers Ages and long Fermentations And for their Preparations we have not only all Manner of Exquisite Distillaâ—ions and Separations and especially by Gentle Heats and Percolations through divers Strainers yea and Substances But also Exact Forms of Composition whereby they incorpâ—rate almost as they were Natural Simples We have also divers Mechanical Arts which you have not And Stuffs made by them As Papers Linnen Silks Tissues dainty Works of Feathers of wonderfull Lustre excellent Dies and manie others And Shops likewise as well for such as are notâ—â—rought into Vulgar use amongst us as for those that are
of them These we call Compilersâ— We have three that bend themselves Looking into the Experiments of their Fellows and cast about how to draw out of them Things of Use and Practice for Mans life and Knowledge as well for Works as for Plain Demonstration of Causes Means of Natural Divinations and the easie and clear Discovery of the Vertues and Parts of Bodies These we call Dowry-men or Beneâ—actors Then after diverse Meetings and Consults of our whole Number to consider of the former Labours and Collections we have three that take care out of them to Direct New Experiments of a Higher Light more Penetrating into Nature than the Former These we call Lamps We have Three otheâ—s tâ—at do Execute the Experiment so Directed and Report them These we call Inoculators Lastly we have Three that raise the former Discoveries by Experiments into Greater Observations Axiomes and Aporismes These we call Interpreters of Nature We have also as you must think Novices and Apprentices that the Succession of the former Employed men do not fail besides a great Number of Servants and Attendants Men and VVomen And this we do also We have Consultations which of the Inventions and Experiences which we have discovered shall be Published and which not And take all an Oath of Secrecy for the concealing of those which we think meet to keep Secret Though some of those we do reveal sometime to the State and some not For our Ordinances and Ritesâ—We have two very Long and Fair Galleries In oâ—e of these we place Patterns and Samples of all manner of the more Rare and Excellent Inventions In the other we place the Statuaes of all Principal Inventours There we have the Statua of your Columbus that discovered the VVest-Indies Also the Inventour of Ships Your Monk that was the Inventour of Ordinance and of Gunpowder The Inventour of Musick The Inventour of Letters The Inventour of Printing The Inventour of Observations of Astronomy The Inventour oâ— VVorks in Metall The Inventour of Glasse The Inventour of Silk of the VVorm The Inventour of VVine The Inventour of Corn and Bread The Inventour of Sugars And all these by more certain Tradition than you have Then we have divers Inventours of our Own of Excellent VVorks which since you have not seen it were too long to make Descriptions of them And besides in the right Understanding of those Descriptions you might easily erre For upon every Invention of Value we erect a Statua to the Inventour and give him a Liberal and Honourable Reward These Statuaes are some of Brass some of Marble and Touchstone some of Cedar and other special VVoods gilt and adorned some of Iron some of Silver some of Gold We have certain Hymns and Services which we say daily of Laud and Thanks to God for his Marvellous VVorks And Forms of Prayers imploring his Aide and Blessing for the Illumination of our Labours the end turning them into Good and Holy Uses Lastly we have Circuits or Visits of divers Principal Cities of the Kingdome where as it commeth to passe we do publish such New Profitable Inventions as we think good And we do also declare Natural Divinations of Diseases Plagues Swarms of Hurtfull Creatures Scarcity Tempest Earthquakes Great Inundations Comets Temperature of the Year and divers other things And we give Counsel thereupon what the People shall do for the Prevention and Remedy of them And when He had said this He stood up And I as I had been taught kneeled down and he laid his Right Hand upon my Head and said GOD blesse thee my Son and GOD bless this Relation which I have made I give thee leave to Publish it for the good of other Nations For we hear are in GODS Bosome a Land unknown And so he left me Having assigned a value of about two Thousand Duckets for a Bounty to me and my Fellows For they give great Largesses where they come upon all occasions The rest was not perfected MAGNALIA NATVRAE PRAECIPVE QVOAD VSVS HUMANOS THe Prologation of Life The Restitution of Youth in some Degree The Retardation of Age The Curing of diseases counted Incurable The Mitigation of Pain More Easie and less Loathsome Purgings The Encreasing of Strength and Activity The Encreasing of Ability to suffer Torture or Pain The Altering of Complexions and Fatness and Leanesse The Altering of Statures The Altering of Features The Encreasing and Exalting of the Intellectual Parts Version of Bodies into other Bodies Making of New Species Transplanting of one Species into another Instruments of Destruction as of Warre and Poyson Exhilaration of the Spirits and Putting them in good Disposition Force of the Imagination either upon another Body or upon the Body it self Acceleration of Time in Maturations Acceleration of Time in Clarifications Acceleration of Pâ—trefaction Acceleration of Decoction Acceleration of Germination Making Rich Composts for the Earth Impressions of the Air and raising of Tempests Great Alteration As in Induration Emollition c. Turning Crude and Watry Substances into Oyly and Vnctuous Substances Drawing of New Foods out of Substances not now in Vse Making New Threds for Apparell And New Stuffs Such as are Paper Glass c. Natural Divinations Deceptions of the Senses Greater Pleasures of the Senses Artificial Minerals and Cements FINIS
this Question in the first place For it sheweth that you First seek the Kingdom of Heaven And I shall gladly and briefly satisfie your demand About twenty Years after the Ascension of our SAVIOUR it came to pass that there was seen by the People of Renfusa a City upon the Eastern Coast of our Island within night the Night was Cloudy and Calm as it might be some mile in the Sea a great Pillar of Light Not sharp but in form of a Column or Cylinder rising from the Sea a great way up towards Heaven and on the top of it was seen a large Crosse of Light more bright and resplendent than the Body of the Pillar Upon which so strange a Spectacle the People of the City gathered apace together upon the Sands to wonder And so after put themselves into a number of small Boats to go nearer to this Marvellous sight But when the Boats were come within about sixty yards of the Pillar they found themselves all bound and could go no further yet so as they might move to go about but might not approach nearer So as the Boats stood all as in a Theater beholding this Light as an Heavenly Sign It so fell out that there was in one of the Boats one of the Wise Men of the Society of Salomons House which House or College my good Brethren is the very Eye of this Kingdome who having a while attentively and devoutly viewed and contemplated this Pillar and Crosse fell down upon his face And then raised himself upon his knees and lifting up his Hands to Heaven made his Prayers in this manner LOrd God of Heaven and Earth thou hast vouchsafed of thy Grace to those of our Order to know thy Works of Creation and true Secrets of them And to discern as far as appertaineth to the Generations of Men between Divine Miracles Works of Nature Works of Art and Impostures and Illuâ—ions of all sorts I do here acknowledge and testifie before this People that the Thing we now see before our eyes is thy Finger and a true Miracleâ—And for as-much as we learn in our Books that thou never workest Miracles but to a Diviue and Excellent End for the Laws of Nature are thine own Laws and thou exceedest them not but upon good cause we most humbly beseech thee to prosper this great Sign And to give us the Interpretation and use of it in Mercy VVhich thou dost in some part secretly promise by sending it unto us When he had made his Prayer he presently found the Boat he was in moveable and unbound whereas all the rest remained still fast And taking that for an assurance of Leave to approach he caused the Boat to be softly and with silence rowed towards the Pillar But ere he came near it the Pillar and Crosse of Light brake up and cast it self abroad as it were into a Firmament of many Starres which also vanished soon after and there was nothing left to be seen but a small Ark or Chest of Cedar dry and not wet at all with water though it swam And in the Fore-end of it which was towards him grew a small green Branch of Palm And when the wise man had taken it with all reverence into his Boat it opened of it self and there was found in it a Book and a Letter Both written in fine Parchment and wrapped in Sindons of Linnen The Book contained all the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament according as you have them For we know well what the Churches with you receive And the Apocalypse it self And some other Books of the New Testament which were not at that time written were neverthelesse in the Book And for the Letter it was in these words I Bartholomew a Servant of the Highest and Apostle of IESVS CHRIST was warned by an Angel that appeared to me in a vision of Glory that I should commit this Ark to the flouds of the Sea Therefore I do testifie and declare unto that People where GOD shall ordain this Ark to come to Land that in the same day is come unto them Salvation and Peace and Good VVill from the Father and from the LORD IESVS There was also in both these Writings as well the Book as the Letter wrought a great Miracle Conform to that of the Apostles in the Original Gift oâ— Tongues For there being at that time in thiâ— Land Hebrews Persians and Indians besides the Natives every one read upon the Book and Letter as if they had been written in his own Language And thus was this Land saved from Infidelity as the Remain of the Old World was from Water by an Ark through the Apostolical and Miraculous Evangelisme of S. Bartholomew And here he paused and a Messenger came and called him forth from us So this was all that passed in that Conference The next Day the same Governor came again to us immediately after Dinner and excused himself saying That the Day before be was called from us somewhat abruptly but now he would make us amends and spend time with us if we held his Company and Conference agreeable VVe answered That we held it so agreeable and pleasing to us as we forgot both Dangers past and Fears to come for the time we heard him speak And that we thought a Hour spent with him was worth Years of our former life He bowed himself a little to us and after we were set again he said Well the Questions are on your part One of our Number said after a little Pause That there was a Matter we were no lesse desirous to know than fearfull to ask lest we might presume too far But incouraged by his rare Humanity toward us that could scarce think our selves strangers being his vowed and professed Servants we would take the Hardnesse to propound it Humbly beseeching him if he thought it not fit to be answered that he would pardon it though he rejected it VVe said We well observed those his words which he formerly spake That this happy Island where we now stood was known to few and yet knew most of the Nations of the World which we fouâ—d to be true considering they had the Languages of Europe and knew much of our State and Businesse And yet we in Europe notwithstanding all the remote Discoveries and Navigations of this last Age never heard any of the least Inkling or Glimpse of this Island This we found wonderfull strange for that all Nations have Enterknowledge one of another either by Voyage into Forein Parts or by Strangers that come to them And though the Traveller into a Forein Country doth commonly know more by the Eye than he that stayed at home can by relation of the Traveller Yet both waies suffice to make a mutual Knowledge in some degree on both parts But for this Island we never heard tell of any Ship of theirs that had been seen to aâ—ive upon any shore of Europe No nor of either the East or VVest Indies nor yet