they ill obserued For after Darius his sonne XERXES comming to rainge which had bin brought vp in the same Kingly delicacies as Cambises hee likewise fell into the like inconueniences For possessing togither whatsoeuer Cyrus and Darius his father had gotten and seeing himselfe exceeding riche and mighty hee purposed to conquere Greece and came thyther with an inestimable army hauing by Sea fiue hundred and seuenteen thousand sixe hundred men by land a milion and seuen hundred thousand foote and fourescore thousand horsemen with twentie thousand Arabians and Africans vnto whom there ioyned of Europe three hundred thousand the whole multitude comming to two milions sixe hundred seuenteen thousād fighting mē the greatest that euer was in field after those of Ninus and Semiramis at the least of which we haue knowledge by histories Insomuch that we need not to maruaile at that which is sayd that running ryuers were dried vp by the infinite number which dranke of them and that there were so many sailes that one coulde not see the Sea by reason of them But therein the riches of Xerxes was more to bee admired then his conduct to bee commended because he was alwaies seen to bee the first in flying and the last in comming to fight being fearefull in daungers couragious and stoute in security and before hee came to the hazard of the warres Trusting in his forces as if he had bin Lord ouer nature hee leueled mountaines with the plaines filled and raised vp vallies passed ouer armes of the Sea on bridges which he caused to bee made and tourned the course of others by newe channels to saile at his pleasure But by how much more his comming into Greece was terrible his departure thence was so much the more dishonourable For being astonyed by the discomfitures of his people both by Sea and lande hee went backe into Asia euen almost alone in a fisherboate Which retraite deserueth well to bee considered with admiration for knowledge of the trueth of mens deeds to see him hidden in a little Schiffe whom but a little before the whole Sea could not suffice and to see him destitute of seruants whose armie all Greece coulde scarse intertaine In this manner Xerxes who had bin the terrour of the worlde began to bee despised of his owne people after he had bin so vnhappy in the expedition of Greece In so much that Artabanus an Hircanian a man of great credite with him and Captaine of his Guarde slue him and Darius his eldest sonne after him hoping to make himselfe King but setting vpon Artaxerxes the second sonne and hauing giuen him a stroke with his sworde ARTAXERXES feeling himselfe wounded but not to death est soones tooke his sword in hand for his defence and stroke Artabanus such a blowe that he fell dead to the ground So ARTAXERXES being almost miraculously saued and hauing also therewith auenged the death of his father succeeded him in the kingdom and Empire of Persia where there hath not bin since any king that hath bin great in deed as Plato sayth nor of any reckoning or renowne For taking away from the people to much of their liberty introducing a more absolute authority of ruling ouer them then was conuenient they lost the amitie and communion of the state Which things being lost the Princes looked no longer to the profit of the subiects or of the people but for the conseruation of their authoritie whatsoeuer little profit was offered them they razed the townes and consumed with fire the nations that were their friends and hating spitefully and without mercy they were hated in like maner And when it was needful that their people should fight for them they foūd them not of accord to hazard them selues willingly and to fight but ruling ouer almost innumerable men they made them vnfit for war and as hauing need of men they hyred others thinking to preserue themselues and their state by mercenary and straunge Souldiors who likewise forgat themselues shewing by their deeds that they preferred riches before vertue The tyrannies which they vsed towards their subiects for their pretended conseruation are recited by Aristotle in his Politicks but not approued as to abase and pull downe the highest and to take away the most couragious not to permit their bankets assemblies disciplines nor any such thing but to take heed to whatsoeuer is wont to ingender these two highnes of minde and confidence to forbid them Schooles and all other companies and meetinges and to prouide in any case that they came not acquainted one with another considering that knowledge and acquaintance maketh men to haue more affyance one in another That all the archers of the Guard being straungers should shew themselues in the streets and walke before the doores of houses wherby that which the subiectes imagined or practised should not be kept secret and they would come to haue lesse courage by being continually kept vnder Moreouer to endeuour to discouer what they said and did and to haue spies listeners and referendaries dispersed thorough out the Countries and whersoeuer there were any assemblies for they become lesse hardy by fearing such maner of people and if they should waxe hardy they be yet lesse secret Also that they should accuse and slander one an other and friends fall to debate with friends the common people with the Nobles and the riche amongst themselues And to impouerish the subiects serueth that they be not constrained to keepe a guard and that being euery day busied they may haue no leasure to conspire and that being vrged with some war they may alwaies haue need of their king as their head and Chiefetaine Not to suffer about him graue persons and free of speech because that such diminish the excellency and authority of the Lord which would only seeme to be such a one himselfe All which meanes and such other like being drawen out of the gouernment of the Persians are tyrannicall and most pernitious gathered by Aristotle not to the end to teach them vnto others but rather to beware of them by knowing the misery of tyrants which are constrained to fly to such euils thereby to assure their parsons and estates which when they thinke by these meanes to bee surest and safest are then soonest ouerthrowen at vnawares thorough the hate which their tyrannies haue engendred By which rough and hard vsage the Persians being degenerated suffred them selues to bee ouercome in many partes of Asia bordering on the Sea and hauing passed into Europe they were beaten backe some of them perishing miserably and others flying shamefully as they were worthy and had wel deserued For it is impossible saith Isocrates in his Panegyrick speaking of them to finde in people so brought vp and gouerned any vertue or prowes to triumphe ouer their enemies How should there be amongst such maners either valiant Captaine or good Souldiour the greatest part of them being but a confused multitude and not accustomed to perills being too soft
cyment and rubbed ouer with fine plaister which when it is drie they write what they will on them There bookes are not made by leaues but they stretch them forth many cubits in length and bring them into square peeces ioined in such sort with cyment or soder that they are easie to turne and seeme to be made of bordes or tables of wood and wheresoeuer they are opened there appeare twosides written in maner of two pages as much there is vnderneath if they be not stretched out in length because that vnder one leafe are many leaues written The letters and characters are like vnto hookes ginnes files starres and other such formes where with they write in lines after our fashion representing in some sort the auncient maner of the Egiptians and Ethiopians and they paint between the lines figures of liuing creatures namely of men as is aforesaid as of Kings and princes reciting their acts They write also their Lawes sacrifices ceremonies obseruations of the starres and of husbandrie Both the vpper and vnder side is of fine workmanship and such as when they are foulded vp they seeme nothing different from ours They make little table-bookes also of bordes of figtree to write common things on which they can easilie deface againe The said Martyr saith also that there haue bin found in Darienna bookes made of the leaues of trees sowed together and that at Mesira they vse figures by which they signifie their affaires aswell as by writing Moreouer that in Hispaniola there is found a tree called Coppeia whose leafe is as fit to write on as paper with a needle or pin or a pointed sticke and that it is to be thought that this is the tree in the leaues of which the Chaldees the first inuentors of Letters did write their conceits before the vse of letters was inuented The leafe will abide writing on both sides aswell as our paper it is about twelue fingers broad and almost round thicker then double parchmine and verie tough When it is wet the letters appeare white in the greene leafe but when it is dried it becoms white and hard as a woodden borde but then the letters are yellow it is neuer marred nor defaced for wetting if it be not burnt Paulus Venetus writeth that in the prouince of Arcadan which is subject to the great Cham there are neither letters nor characters but that men there make their contracts and obligations by little bordes or tablets which they diuide in the midst and compare afterwardes together and confer their markes and signes one with the other and so doe acknowledge the cause of such contracts The simple people of the new found land not knowing the vse of Letters did maruaile much to see that Christians by meanes of them vnderstood one an other and thought that the written leaues did speake by their commandement and reported their secrets in such sort that they touched and caried them with feare as if there had bin some spirite in them and that they had spoken by some diuinitie and not by industrie of man THE most cōmon kind of writing which we vse at this day in these parts is with black Inke which heretofore was made of the sweat of bathes and furnaces but now of gaules gum Arabick and ryndes of pomgranats being all steeped in water of victriol or copperis beaten into pouder There is vsed also red ynke made either of Vermilion or of the shauings or fylings of Brasell steeped in strong Lye being yet warme and putting a little Alum to it and Azure made of some blew stone or earth yelow of goldsand or pouder Also one may write with the iuyce of Mulberies Cheries and other such fruicts And that with pennes made of reedes or canes such as Erasmus vsed or of brasse gold or siluer or of goose-feathers swans peacockes or ostriches Without speaking of the subtilities of writing with Cyphers which Princes vse and notes which Cicero inuented or with Alum where the letters do not appeare nor can not be read except they be dipt in water or with salt Armoniack iuyce of an orenge limon citron or onyon to be discouered onelie when they are held neere the fire or with grease cinders and coales But the maner to write by imprinting hath excelled all the rest in readynes and diligence dispatching more worke in a day then many speedie or swift writers are able to doe in a yeare And since it commeth in so fitlie to our purpose we will intermeddle here a little and say briefly as much as we shall think fit for this present discourse of that which we haue heard and learned of the most expert touching this so rare so profitable and admirable Art to the end that if by warres or other humaine mischiefes and casualties the vse thereof should at any time be left off yet it should not bee altogether lost but be faithfully kept and preserued by bookes as it hath saued and preserued manie bookes TO MAKE Characters for imprinting it is requisite first to haue ponchions of steel softned by the fire on the which they graue with coūter-ponchions hardned or grauing yrons steeled the white which is within the letters perfecting and smoothing the bodies of them with fyles where they are eminent or vneuen not at the right ends but at the contrarie after they wet these ponchions in water to harden them and then polish them and do strike them into little peeces of fine copper that haue bin in the fire which being so engrauen do naturally represent the forme of the letters which the artisans do call striking of the matrices Then do they iustify their matrices on moulds of yron and in the white therof make their castings with lead tinglasse antimony and other mixed maters to the end to harden them and that they may endure the longer The Letters being thus cast made are put in a great case or box of wood ful of little boxes in to which they are distributed according to their seuerall sorts From whence the Compositors hauing layd before them the writing which they are to imprint do take thē one by one dispose them by pages and formes which they put again into other chasies or frames of yron with one or two crosses locked or shut fast with furnitures of wood Then the gouernour of the Presse taketh these last chasies or fourmes and laieth them on the marble of his Presse then beateth them with balles of wood filled with woll couered with white leather and soaked or rubbed with ynke well mixed and distributed placing the leafe that is to be printed on a double tympan or parchmin hauing a wollen cloth betwixt them and a moyst linnen cloth to keepe the leafe from mackling and putting downe the frisquet of parchmin which couereth the white or margent of the leafe he maketh the traine of the presse to roule which resteth on the cariage till it come vnder the vice or spindle vnto which the plattin is fastned and
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
with a little bread halfe baked and rice with the pouder of flesh that is dried in the sunne â—â—eir drink is faire water being forbidden to drink wine in the Campe. Such a law had in ancient time the Carthaginians in war as Plato faith But the Turks besides this politicke discipline haue their religion also which maketh them the more fearefull to offend There was neuer elswhere the like obedience because there is not amongst them any company about x. men but hath his head the inferiours are alwaies obedient to their superiours Their s 〈…〉 in such a multitude is meruailous so many souldiers being kept in order by signes of the hand of the countenance without speaking any word In so much that oftentimes in the night they let their prisoners escape for feare of making noise There is none so hardy as to bring any woman into the army nor to vse the company of any They play not at dicâ— nor cards nor any other plaies of hazard for mony neither do they blaspheme God in any sort but name him at al times with great reuerence The two cases which they punish most greeuously are quarrels and thefts Marching thorough the countrey in the summer season they dare not for their liues to go amongst the come spoil it They despise death thinking that it is predestinate vnto euery man and the day of his death writteÌ„ in his forehead which it is not possible to auoid which maketh them more bold and aduentorous as also the punishment recompence which are present for them that do well or euil For whereas punishment and reward doe vphold al coÌ„mon weals as Solon said honor reproch are the two wings of vertue presently amongst them after the fight is done he that hath acquited himselfe wel is rewarded by increasing of his pay and he that hath done euill hath his head cut off or els remaineth for euer dishonored They neuer lodge in the townes neither when they come neer them do they permit any to goe lye there for feare of iniuries and seditions obseruing military discipline very strictly to th end that while they are in caÌ„pe they be not vsed vnto delicacies which in times past haue destroied mighty kingdoms and corrupted the most warlike Nations Moreouer to auoide ydlenes the Othoman Princes haue accustomed from two yeres to two yeres to make wars in some place to the end to exercise their men of war which otherwise being dispersed here and there in the prouinces would consume and come to be of little worth There is no nation with whom the Turkes haue had any different but they alwaies ouer came them besides the Tartarians Notwithstanding although the great Seignior aboundeth in men and in all things requisite for warres more then any other Monarch of our time yet for all that he aduentureth nothing rashly and obtaineth more victories by dexterity and taking opportunities then he doth by force He knoweth the maners of those with whoÌ„ he hath to deale procureth theÌ„ other enimies to thend to distract to weakeÌ„ their forces causing the situation of the countries to be set downe before him in a model which way he is to march wherto encaÌ„pe with his army to fight or to retire seldome going into any countrey but when it is deuided and that he hath fauour and intelligence with the one partie He accustometh when he goeth about any long or difficult iourney and where the couÌ„trey is vneasie to draw artillerie to cary it in pieces and then towards the bounds of the enemy or when he hath passed the euil way to cast and melt it When he conquereth by armes any new 〈…〉 trey he ouerthroweth by and by all the vnnecessary fortresses destroieth the cities and iourneth them into poore Hamlets extinguisheth wholly the great ones and the nobles suffering the common people to liue in that religion which they had before All his great power consisteth in his 〈◊〉 called commonly spachis and in his footemen which are called Ianisaries The Spachis haue as much pay in time of peace as in warre and are abouâ— the number of two hundred thousande comprehending as well the ordinary ones of the Court and house of the Prince as the subiects or Beglerbeis Moreouer there are threescore thousand aduenturours named Achangis to whom the Turkes and Tartarians do ioine when they are called But there is no strength among the Turkes more assured or more galant then that of the Ianisaries which can after the maner of the Macedonian Argyrâ—spides in old time being disposed into a phalange sustaine and breake all the assaults of the enemies and neuer were ouercome togither Amurath the second of that name first ordayned them and by their helpe wan the great battaile at Varne where Lancelot the king of Hongaria and Polonia was slaine His sonne Mahomet tooke Constantinople by assault and Baiazet Methon Selim vanquished the Sophi the two Souldans Soliman obtained many victories in Asia Africk Europe Their weapons are either â—ows or long harquebuses which the most part handle very wel shorter pikes then those with the Lansquenets and Switzers vse a Cymeter and a little battaile-axe They fight stouâ—ely both by sea and by lande They take the sonnes of all the Christians that are subiect to their Seignior which he commaundeth to be taken from three yeres to three or from foure to foure and maketh them to be brought vp very poorely and to lye on hard ground to th end to harden them to trauaile and accustome them to liue in the field All the Turkes goe with such courage order and alacrity to the warre especially when it is for defence of their religion that when they assemble to go thither one would thinke they were rather going to a mariage then to the campe Scarsely and with much a doo will they stay for the prefixed time of marching but doe commonly preuent it It dislyketh them much to remaine at rest without warr accounting themselues happy when they die not in their houses amidst the teares of their wiues but in fight amongest the Lances and arrowes of their enemies not lamenting for the losse of those which die in that maner but reputing them holy and praying for them in all their assemblies To preuent manslaughters which they haue in great detestation they carieno weapons in the Court nor in the Townes or in campe saue when they are to fight but lay them on camels or mules or keepe them within their tents They care not for the colde of Winter nor the heate of Sommer nor for any other incommodity of the aire or of the weather They feare not the roughnesse of places or length of the waies they content themselues with a little and doe not lode themselues with vnprofitable baggage making great iourneyes without fainting thorough their trauail They showe great staiednesse in their manners auoiding lightnesse in their deedes gestures apparell and speaches There is no curiositie vanitie oâ—
former famous ages The world is such as it was before The heauen and the time keepe the same order which they did The Sunne and thother Planets haue not changed their courses and there is no starre remoued out of his place The Elements haue the same power men are made of the same matter in the same sort disposed as they were in old time And were not the maner of lyuing corrupted which we vse preferring idlenesse before diligence pleasure before profit and riches before vertue nothing would let but this age might bring foorth as eminent personages in Philosophie as were Plato and Aristotle in Physick as Hippocrates and Galen or in the Mathematicks as Euclide Archimedes and Ptolomey Considering the help which we receiue of their books the examples wherwith antiquitie hath instructed vs so many obseruations and inuentions sithence their time and so long experience of all things In such sort that if we consider it well there was neuer age more happie for the aduancement of learning then this present if weying the shortnes of mans life we resolue to employ our whole endeuour industrie on the studie of true knowlege Wisdom hath not fulfilled her work much remaineth and will alwaies remaine and there will neuer be wanting occasion to add therunto Trueth doth offer her selfe to all those that wil seek her and are of capacitie to receiue her albeit Democritus complayneth that she is hid in a place as deep as a well wherhence in his opinion it is not possible to draw her foorth Whosoeuer giueth himself to it in good earnest shall find alway somewhat to do therin All the mysteries of God and secrets of nature are not discouered at one time The greatest things are difficult and long in comming How many are there not yet reduced into art How many haue bin first knowen and found out in this age I say new lands new seas new formes of men maners lawes and customes new diseases and new remedies new waies of the Heauen and of the Ocean neuer before found out and new starres seen yea and how many remaine to be knowen by our posteritie That which is now hidden with time will come to light and our successours will wonder that wee were ignorant of them M. Varro witnesseth that in the space of a thousand yeares the Arts were inuented and augmented which yet vntill this time are not perfected and accomplished But if the perfection of them hath not hitherto bin found it followeth not therof that it cannot be found For those things which at this day are held to be the greatest and most admirable had a time of beginning and that which is now verie good was not so at the first but is increased by little and little amending from time to time Certainly the excellencie in all thinges is slow difficult and rare seing that there is scarcely found in many hundreds and thousands of yeares amongst an infinite number of Students one man worthie of admiration beeing learned and eloquent indeed that with a good naturall wit liuelynes and sharpnes of vnderstanding experience and vse of things hath the constancie and pacience to perseuere which are requisite to such an interprise This notwithstanding we ought not to faint or to dispaire for if there be but small hope to excell and go beyond the best yet is it an honour to follow them and if there be no meanes to reach them yet is it commendable to be second or third vnto them It is therefore conuenient to applie our industrie to the searching out of the trueth as they haue done and to endeuour to augment the doctrine of the Auncients without so much subiecting our selues to antiquitie that we do nothing for our age and haue no care of our posteritie Moreouer many things inuented by the Auncients are lost The wisdome of the Egiptians Persians Indians and Bactrians hath not come vnto vs many good Greek and Latine Authours are not found And amongst those that remayne there are few agreable to the present maners and affaires We do not build now adaies after the fashion of Vitruuius neither tyl the ground nor plant according to Varro or Columella nor take foode or physick after the ordinance of Hippocrates and Galen We iudge not according to the Ciuil Law of the Romaines neither plead we as did Demosthenes and Cicero or gouerne our common wealthes by the Lawes of Solon and Lycurgus or following the politicke precepts of Plato and Aristotle We sing not as did the Auncients neither warre we according to Vegetius the art militarie being changed and all kind of armes both offensiue and defensiue Ptolomey in his Cosmographie doth aduertize men to beleeue the latest trauaylers touching the longitude and latitude of places Aristotle saith that the Quadrature of the Circle may be knowen but that it is not yet found out Plato affirmeth that Geometrie was vnperfect in his time and that Stereometrie and the Cubike wanted The Calculations of the Heauens are not all found true Vesalius curiously obseruing Anatomie hath found manie pointes therein omitted by Aristotle and Galen Plinie boasteth that he hath added in the Historie of liuing Creatures that which Aristotle was ignorant of Leonicenus reproueth Plinie of lyes and errours in manie places Auenreis hath written agaynst Galene Galene against Aristotle and Aristotle against Plato There is no Authour so accomplished or perfected in whom one may not finde somewhat wanting or worthie of reproofe And that which is worse there are some men so giuen and so affectionate to antiquitie that they are ignorant or haue very smal knowledge of the Countrie and time wherein they liue They know in euery point how Athens Lacedemon Carthage Persia Egipt were gouerned not knowing the affaires of their owne Countrie wherin they are strangers As there are found many among vs discoursing of the assembly of the Ariopagites of the Comices of the Romains vnderstanding nothing of the counsaile of France the handling of the reuenewes and the order of the Parliaments Is it not then an abusing of studie and of learning to dwell continually among the Auncients and not to endeuour to bring foorth new inuentions agreeable to the maners and affaires of this time When wil we leaue taking of grasse for corne the flower for the fruit and the rind for the wood doing nothing but translate correct expound or abridge the bookes of the Auncients who if they had bin also of this mind not setting themselues to write or to say any thing but that which had bin written or said before no Art should haue bin inuented or at least they had all remained in their beginnings without receiuing any increase The perpetuall Imitatours or alwaies Translatours or Commentatours hyding themselues vnder the shadow of others are verie slaues and haue no generous courage in them if they dare not once to do that which they haue so long time learned They alwaies distrust themselues and follow the first in those things
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
the woodes the fruictes of wilde trees or venison on the bankes of the Sea Riuers Lakes Pooles and Marishes they fedd on fishes and birdes They clad them selues with skinnes in steede of garments to bee defended from heat and colde from winde raine and snow they withdrewe themselues into great holow trees or vnder their thick leaued branches or into low dyches hideous caues holow vautes cabins and lodges made of great logges of wood and lightly couered with boughes stalkes canes and reeds Then hauing strong bodies they nourished themselues with strong meates and also liued longer They abode euer almost in the open aire in continuall trauaile and lying on the hard ground wheresoeuer sleep ouertooke them When they waxed weaker and could not digest such meates nor dwell in the open aire naked and vncouered they were constrayned to seeke by little and little to soften this wild and sauage maner of lyuing which they could no longer endure learning to sow Corne which before grew vp vnknowen amongst herbes and weeds and to dresse the vines which likewise the earth brought forth amongst other plants to transplant and to graffe fruict-trees to thend to make the fruicts better and to dresse and season both flesh and fish and then to build and to assemble themselues in companies that they might liue the more safely and commodiously In such maner were they reduced from that brutish life which they led to this sweetnes and ciuilitie beginning from that time forward to feed cloath and lodge themselues in better sort and more commodiously Now whereas men haue taken nourishment first of tame beastes before either of graine or of fruits there is no doubt but that pasturage grasing shepheardrie were before husbandrie and tillage as it appeareth by the most auncient nations who hauing so liued from the beginning haue taken their names there hence as the Hebrewes and the Italians which is to say shepheards and that many Nations vse it euen at this day exercising as may be said a kind of liuelie tillage The tilling and planting of the earth haue bin both inuented after pasturage and vnto both haue bin added hunting fouling and fishing On the one side they haue found out the vse of Wheat which in these partes is found the best and most commodious nourishment as also Barley Millet Rye and all other knowen kind of graine On the other side they haue found Ryce Mahiz and Iuca the maner to sow and gather them to thresh fan and winnow to boult and sift flower to knead it and to make dowe to mould it and raise past to make loaues and to bake them in the ouen whereunto are appointed and doe serue the Millers and Bakers Then haue they added pease and beanes and other sortes of pulse both new and old Herbes of diuerse sorts and rootes as persley lettice spinage tyme pepperwort marioram buglosse maloes beetes endiue succorie purslain sage colworts melons cucombers gourds artichocks sperage mugwort onyons garlick leekes chibols carrets parsnebbs nauets radishes and turnepps mingling with them salt oiles butter and suet to giue them a better tast and make them the more sauorie Moreouer the fruits of trees cheries plums peares apples peaches apricocks mulberies medlers quinces raisins figgs oliues citrons orenges dates chestnuts and marrons And not content with graine fruits herbes and rootes they haue bin giuen to eat the flesh first of themselues which they haue left for the most part with horrour theÌ„ of other creatures both tame and wild of the land of the water and flying in the aire neither leauing inward nor outward part of them which they haue not fouÌ„d mean to season boile seeth roast frie or put in past bake with saulces and spices brought from the fardest parts of the earth making puddings saulciges haggasses tripes and chitterlings which they serue at the beginning of meales with potages broathes and sallets and at the end therof cheeses tarts and creames wafers iunkets and march-panes prepared and dressed by Cookes and pybakers Neither hath their pompe and riot bin any lesse with fishes both of the sea and of freshwater In somuch that Plutarch in his Symposiacke proposing this question whether that the Sea or the Earth brought forth most delicate and delicious meates findeth businesse and difficultie enough in the decision therof Moreouer being not pleased with milk nor faire water to drink they found out a way to brew Beere and Ale to draw and presse out Syder of apples and peares wyne out of grapes and palmes and to make sweet drinkes compounded with honie as bragget meath and metheglem which they call Medons in Moscouia and Polonia and infinite other artificial drinks which they haue dronk in cuppes of gold siluer cristall and glasse spicing them in diuers maners Besides to make their drink fresher they haue found meanes in some places to keepe snow and yâ—e all the yeare At the first sitting on the ground they tooke their repast on the grasse vnder the shadow of leaues after they made stooles formes benches tables and tressels Table clothes table napkins trenchers salt-sellers cupbords vessel and vtensiles of diuers sorts and fashions appointing officers fit for these charges as Stewards of the house pantlers cellerers caruers cupbearers cookes boylers and rosters Salust blameth the Romains which sought in his time by sea and by land after all sorts of delicacies not expecting hunger nor thirst nor cold nor wearinesse but preuenting all these things by disordinate appetite Liuie telleth how after the Conquest of Asia all sorts of superfluities and delicacies came vnto Rome and that then the Romains began to make banquets with more curiositie and cost And a Cooke which before was held amongst them for a seruile drudge began to come in reputation Seneca complaineth that the kitchins were more celebrated then the Schooles of Philosophers Rhetoricians Who would not wonder to heare tell of the excessiue feasts of Anthonius and Cleopatra or of the Emperour Caligula who consumed on one supper the reuenues of three prouinces of Heliogabalus of Lucullus or of the prodigalitie of Esope and Apicius who shortned his life fearing least goods would faile him to the maintayning of his sumptuousnes In one feast made to Vitellius by his brother were serued two thousand dainty fishes and seuen thousand birds Good God how much paine hath bin procured vnto men by their insatiable gluttonie and gurmandise how manie sorts of workmen and their seruants hath it set on work But their curiositie in apparell hath not bin lesse to the furnishing whereof many occupations haue bin applied as the spinner carder tucker weauer clothworker fuller sherman dyer taylor cutter hosier doubletmaker linnen draper semster capper and feltmaker feathermaker lacemaker embroderer felmonger skinner furrier leatherdresser tanner currier cordwayner and shoomaker They haue spon and wouen flaxe hempe woll cotton silke made of wormes and of it haue made Veluet Satin Damaske Taffeta and of goats haire and camels haire Grogram and
trauayling in diuers exercises do obtaine alike excellencie and reputation they thinke that mens wits are nourished by emulation and that sometimes enuie sometimes admiration doth stir them vp and maketh them mount by little and little to the highest where it is hard to remaine since euery thing that can not go forward or vpward doth naturally discend and retire yea commonly much faster then it ascended And as they are prouoked to follow or imitate the first so after they dispaire of going beyond them or attayning to them they lose their courage of trauayling and labouring with their hope leauing the matter as alreadie possessed which falleth after by negligence and commeth to contempt Aristotle who affirmeth the world to be eternall and Plato who said that it had a beginning but that it should haue no end do both affirme that infinite things haue bin in one and the same kind and should bee infinitely that there is nothing whose like hath not bin that there should be nothing which had not bin and that nothing hath bin but should be againe That in this maner the Arts and sciences and other humaine inuentions cannot be perpetual those Nations being distroied where they flourished by reason of extreme heats and inundations which must needes happen at certaine times by the mouing and progresse of the starres either by the fire and water discending from aboue in exceeding quantitie or fire breaking out of the earth or the sea forcibly ouerflowing his bankes or by the increase and swelling of riuers which can not runne into the sea or that the earth trembling and quaking open it selfe and violently cast forth the water before inclosed in his entrailes But howbeit the Starres haue some power towards the disposing of inferiour things the situation of places and temperature of the seasons of the yeare do helpe concerning vnderstandings and maners the reward and honour proposed vnto mans industrie the learned ages and liberall Princes giue great aduancement vnto Arts and emulation serueth for a spur therevnto Notwithstanding for my part I thinke that God being carefull of all the parts of the world doth grant the excellencie of Armes and of Learning sometimes vnto Asia sometimes vnto Africk sometimes vnto Europe establishing the soueraign Empire of the world once in the East another time in the West another time in the South another in the North and suffering vertue and vice valiancie and cowardize sobrietie and delicacie knowledge and ignorance to go from countrie to countrie honouring and diffaming the Nations at diuers times to th end that euery one in his turne might haue part of good hap and ill and that none should waxe proude by ouerlong prosperitie as it will appeare to haue fallen out vnto this present by particuler recitall of the Nations accounted the first or chiefest of the world The end of the third Booke OF THE VICISSITVDE OF ARMES AND OF LETTERS concurring in the Coniunction of Power and wisdom through the most renowmed Nations of the world and who haue bin the first and most auncient of all that haue excelled in them both The fourth Booke INtending to begin our discourse by the most auncient Nations of the world I find my selfe hindered by the different which hath bin betweene some of them touching the honour of antiquitie and of precedence THE INDIANS inhabiting Countries of maruailous largenesse did boast that they were the true Originaries hauing neuer receiued any strangers among them neither sent any of theirs to dwell elswhere But that the first amongst them vsed such victuals as the earth brought forth of it selfe and skinns of beasts for their garments and then found out by little and little the Arts sciences and other things necessarie to liue well That their land is so fertile that they neuer found want of victuals For whereas it bringeth forth twice in a yeare all maner of Corne they gather one Haruest in winter at such time as they plant rootes and thother in summer when they sow Rice sesame and millet wherof there commeth great aboundance from thence for asmuch as the graines and fruits grow there without any help of man and that the rootes growing in the marishes of singuler sweetnes serue men in steed of other victuals verie sufficiently and that the customes do helpe that fertilitie much which they obserue in time of warres not to hurt the husbandmen nor endamage the laborers in any thing but to leaue them in peace as ministers of the common profit and not to burne the farmes and villages of their aduersaries themselues nor to cut their trees or corne which they had sowen THE strength of the Indians appeared then when they were assayled by Semiramis Queene of Assyria for being a woman exceeding couetous of honour and of glorie after she had conquered Egipt and Ethiopia she thought yet to make one warre more the memorie whereof should last foreuer Vnderstanding then that the people of the Indies was the greatest of the world and their Countrie aboue all others excellent in beautie and fertilitie where the earth as is said caried twice in a yeare fruits and seeds and where there was great quantitie of gold siluer brasse precious stones and all other thinges both for profit and pleasure she imployed all her forces against the Indians ouer whom raigned Staurobates and assembled her Armie in the which there were three Millions of foote fiue hundred thousand horsemen a hundred thousand chariots and as manie fighters on camels-backs with swordes of sixe foote in length two thousand barkes or shipps and made or fained Elephants in great number whose counterfaits were caried on Camels Which militarie preparation being vnderstood by the King of the Indians he assayed to exceed her forces and hauing ordained all things in a readines for the resisting of her he sent his Ambassadours before reprehending her of great ambition that without being prouoked by any wrong or iniurie of them she made warre against them blaming her besides in many and diuers respects and calling the Gods to witnesse he threatned her that if she were ouer come in battaile he would cause her to be hanged and crucified Whereunto Semiramis answered smyling that they must fight with prowesse and not with words The battailes then approching one against the other Semiramis had the better in the first encounter and in the second was ouerthrowen with her counterfait Elephants in such sort that almost all the Assyrians being put to flight Staurobates by chaunce meeting with Semiramis hurt her first with an arrow iâ— the arme and then with a dart in the shoulder and as she was getting to horse she was almost taken the Kings Elephant pursuing her The Assyrians in this maner ouercome tooke the way to their ships and the Indians pursuing their victorie slew many of them at the straights and narrow waies in the which the footemen and horsemen being intermingled hindred one an other in so much that there was no meanes to flie nor to saue themselues but
armes now into Spaine against Sertorius now against the Pyrates vnder colour of pacifying the sea He pretended these causes to th end he might continue his power What led him into Africk and into the North against Mithridates and into Armenia and against all the kings of Asia but onely an infinite desire of increasing in greatnes seeming only to himselfe that he was not great enough What did put Iulius so far forward into these publike euils glorie and ambition and a desire which he had without measure to excell aboue others He could not suffer one to be before him where the common wealth endured two What think you that Marius being once Consul indeed hauing taken away by force the six other Consulships when he defeated the Theutons and the Cymbrians and when he pursued Iugurtha thorough the deserts of Africa did aduenture these dangers by the instinct of vertue These men mouing all things were also moued themselues after the maner of whirle-winds which carrie away whatsoeuer they catch and thereby become more impetuous and can not be stil. Hauing then bin mischieuous vnto many they finally feele in themselues their pernicious mischiefe whereby they haue bin hurtfull vnto many The same Seneca It is all one saith he whether Cato ouercome or be ouercome in the battaile of Pharsalia The good being in him which could not be vanquished when his partie was ouercome was equall with the good which he should haue caried victorious into his Countrie haue pacified the affairs Wherefore should it not be equall seeing that by the same vertue euill fortune is ouercome and good fortune well ordered The vertue can not be greater nor lesser It is alwaies after one sort But Pompey shal lose his armie but the honest pretence of the common wealth and the Senate with the chiefest Lords of Rome following the part of Pompey being placed in the first rank of the battaile shall be ouerthrowen in one onely battaile and the ruines of so great an Empire shall be dispersed ouer all the world one part shall fall into Egipt an other into Africk an other into Spaine This miserable common wealth can not all fall at one time Let them do all they can The knowledge of the places doth not help the king Iuba in his kingdom nor the obstinate vertue of his subiects and the fidelitie of the Vticians being broken with so many euils faileth And should Scipio be abandoned in Africk of the fortune of his name It was already prouided that Cato should receiue no harme And yet he was ouercome Certainly the calamities were verie great in that conuersion of the world and there were strange aduersities mingled with the prosperities There was neither Countrie Citie Lordship or personage any whit renowmed but endured much The ruine of Carthage first presenteth it selfe which Citie seuen hundred yeares after it was founded had bin so flourishing and excellent in all things had borne rule ouer so many seas and lands and Islands and ships and so much riches and so many armes as nâ—ne more and had courage more then any other Fourteene yeares after the Numantines being besieged by Scipio AEmilian seeing that for want of victuals they were not able any longer to endure the siege themselues burned theiâ— Citie of Numantia and killed themselues part by the sword part by fire part by poison Cicero nameth Carthage and Numantia the two astonishments of the people of Rome Shal I tel how Syracusa was spoiled Corinth rased Antioch and Hierusalem taken Athens besieged and sacked Marsâ—illes borne in triumph how Rome saw her Senate flying her treasures taken away Alexandria found Cesar fighting in her and her king the yong Ptolomey dead how Thebes in Egipt was destroied Thirteen towns in Peloponesus swalowed vp with an earthquak wherwith Caria Rhodes also were shaken How ther came extraordinary inundations of the sea of riuers and of raines of tempestuous winds Monsters hideous in all nature signes in the aire comets eclipses of the sun and of the moone and other horrible things in the celestiall motions whereof ensued famins plagues and other diseases which were before vnknowen Cicero writeth that there appeared then not onely fierie impressions by night in the heauen flashes of of lightning and tremblings of the earth but moreouer that the thunder fell on the high towers of the Temples many Images of the Gods were remoued out of their places many statues of famous men throwen downe the tables of brasse wherein the Lawes were ingrauen were melted The Image also of Romulus the founder of Rome who was made as he were sucking and waiting at the tears of the wolfe striken with thunder Shall I tell of fower-score thousand Romains and their allies defeated by the Cymbrians and a hundred fortie thousand Cymbrians slaine by the Romains the armies of the Heluetians and Germains ouerthrowen the bondmen vp in armes and allies mutining And not onely the good townes and mightie armies did suffer but also the rich seignories and noble kingdomes were distroied the free nations either trauailed with warres or were brought vnder subiection As the Spanish French British Germain Pannonian Illyrian Armenian and Thracian Italie it selfe after it had about some fiue hundred yeares valiantly defended it selfe was in the end subdued Moreouer there were scarce any famous men either in armes or learning but either receiued notable iniuries or suffered violent death Scipio Africanus being returned out of the Senate was found the next day stifled in his bed which was thought to haue bin done by his neerest kinred Hannibal being driuen out of Italie and banished Africa poisoned himselfe in the Court of king Prusias The king Mithridates being besieged by his sonne Pharnaces slew himselfe and Pharnaces was in a moment ouercome by Cesar. Antiochus the great was depriued of the greatest part of Asia whereof he thanked the Romains And the king Prusias cald himselfe their slaue Perseus the last king of Macedonia was ouercome led in triumphe and died in captiuitie and one of his sonnes was the scribe of the magistrates Tigranes king of Armenia prostrated himselfe before Pompey and asking pardon he lifted him vp and put the Diademe on his head which he had throwen downe Ptolemey king of Cypres threw himselfe head-long into the sea knowing that by the instance of Clodius the Tribune Cato was sent thitherto carie away his treasures Syphax Iugurtha and Iuba being great kings in Africke ended vnhappely Sertorius was slaine by treason Marius flying from Rome in extreme danger of his life hid himselfe in the marish about Minturnes and went to sea in a squiffe without victuals to the fortune of the windes and the waues afterwards being returned he died being three score and ten yeares olde and almost mad His sonne slew himselfe at Preneste Sylla died eaten with wormes and lyce Crassus being ouercome beyond Euphrates by the Parthians was slaine as he parlied on safeguard Pompey was beheaded in the shore of Alexandria Cesar
went vnto the house of praier he perceiued a great light to lighten from his house vp towardes heauen and by and by he dyed leauing his wife with childe And within twelue daies after Mahomet was borne Then all Idoles fel and became blacke All kingdomes were destroied from the East vnto the West and not one stood vpright Lucifer was cast into the bottome of the sea where he remained fortie daies and with much a doe came out therehence then calling all his fellowes he shewed them that Mahomet was borne who would take away all their power and therefore they should determine to corrupt the worlde with hypocrisie riotousnes and pleasure At the same hower God made it to bee vnderstood thoroughout heauen and earth that hee had a faithfull and happy friend borne vnto him His mother witnessed that in bearing and bringing him forth in her child-birth she felt not any paine at all and that from aboue there were sent to nourish him flockes of birdes with beakes of Emerauldes and winges of hyacinth who lifting vp their eies from the East toward the West and looking towards the child perceiued that he was almost fledged and helde out his handes as it were to pray vnto God There came also a man clothed in white rayment presenting him with three keies like vnto pearles which hee tooke namely the key of victory the key of the lawes and the key of prophecy And afterwarde came three persons with their faces shyning of whome the first caried a cawderon of Emeraudes with foure handles of pearles well appropriated and offering it vnto him said This is the world and his foure corners East West North and South Mahomet accepting it all it was foretolde him that hee should commaund ouer all the worlde And when this man had washed him thrice hee kissed his forehead speaking thus Be glad O Mahomet for that is reserued for thee which hath bin denyed vnto the prophets which surmountest all in wisedome and magnanimity And the key of victorie being especially giuen thee thou shalt be without feare and there shall bee none remayning in the worlde but shall tell of thy name And then assembled all sorts of birdes the cloudes and the windes and finally the companies of Angels striuing for the nourishment of the child The birdes said that they were fittest considering that they could gather fruites from diuers places The windes that they could fill him with odours The cloudes that they would nourish him most conueniently hauing meanes to imparte vnto him the sweetenesse of waters The Angels being angred said that there remained nothing for them But a voice from aboue appeased the debate declaring that he should not be taken out of the handes of men and that happie shoulde bee those brestes which shoulde giue him sucke happie the handes which should handle him and happie should be his house and his bed An asse being almost famished with honger kneeled downe to worship him and hauing him on her backe lift vp her head and went beyond the others which had gotten before her And when as euery one meruailed thereat the asse answered for her selfe speaking in the voice of man Thus hath God restored me as I perished and hath raised me from death to life O if you knew what I beare It is the seale of the prophets the Lord of the messengers better then all the former friends of God Three men caried him vp to a mountaine and ript vp his belly without griefe or harme The first opened him from the brest vnto the nauell and washed his entrailes with snowe The seconde cleaued his harte in the midst and tooke out thereof a blacke graine saying it was the portion of the deuill The third clensing the place made him whole againe Hee was then thus nourished according to their fabulous saying and grewe in such sorte that hee neuer gaue any cause of trouble or griefe to those which nourished him Seraphin kept him three yeares and Gabriel ninteene who gaue vnto him the Lawe in the fortieth yeare of his age and caried him to heauen Wherehence being descended and associated with Eubocara Haly and Zaid hee calleth him selfe the prophet of God preaching publicklie And not onely maketh himselfe beleeued by his worde but also by force considering that the sworde preuaileth more with people then reason fighting often against his aduersaries in so much that they reckon twentie and two expeditions of his hauing bin present in person at nyne and in his life time giuen eighteene battailes in which hee obtayned victorie conquered Mecha with the places rounde about and possessed the rest of Arabia Then seeing himselfe fortified hee wrote to the Princes of other languages as to the King of Persia the Emperour of the Romaines the king of Ethiopia and others that they would willingly receaue his Law They haue forged many other lies of him like vnto these which I wil purposely omitt fearing tedious prolixity and least in reciting of scandalous blasphemies I should offend Christian eares As touching his death they say he died of a Plurisie or of the falling euill the Lxiij yeare of his age and that hauing foretold in his sicknesse that the third day after his death he should be caried into Heauen the people expecting it kept him so long that by the stinch of his carion they were constrayned to burie him at Medina surnamed since of the Prophet Such then was the beginning of the Algier of MAHOMET that is to say of his raigne which endured ten yeares after the which his followers do recken their yeares as we do ours after the Natiuitie of Christ. His parents and successours continuing the enterprise haue persisted till this present in the publication of that Lawe by preaching and by force making their power verie great and spreading with their Empire the Arabian religion and language almost in all parts of the habitable earth Then the Mahometists made at the beginning great conquests vnder the gouernment of one only Lord called the Caliphe which was king priest together hauing the superintendence and conduct of all their affaires concerning not onely pietie and iustice but also armes and reuenewes all possessions sacred or prophane libertie and bondage life and death But as they increased in countries so they entred into partialities and while this schisme endured they created in Egipt an other Caliphe leauing him of Bagdet as too superstitious and rigorous who excommunicated them and declared them Hereticks The Caliphe of Bagdet commaunded in all the East And thother of Egipt who diminished his authoritie had but little lands at the first But he conquered in proces of time all Barbary and a great part of Spaine For the Saracens vnder his obedience passed into Africk where they tooke Carthage Maiorca Minorca and following their good fortune marched as far as Mauritania And still endeuouring to increase they passed into Europe at the perswasion of an Earle a western Gothe called Iulian who beeing much moued with the
to resist against the conquerers they confederated with the Arabians receiuing their Religion And anon after on the occasion which they took hold of they rebelled and seized the Caliphat of Bagdet which they a long time held Their power was growen and increased in such sort that at such time as the Frenchmen vnder the conduct of Godfrey of Bouillon went to recouer the holy land they ruled alreadie ouer the better part of Asia Wherehence they were driuen out after many victories gotten on them by the Latin Christians by the Georgians Armenians After the departure of the Turks the CORASMIANS seeing the kingdome of Persia disfurnished of defence inuaded it and created their Seignior Emperour of Asia Then vndertaking to possesse Turkie they were beaten back losing their Emperour who was slaine there and they could not rise againe but were by little and little defeated And they being destroied the TARTARIANS began to be celebrated in Asia who came from the same quarter wherehence the Turkes before had come as appeareth by their language and similitude of maners whose beginning progresse victories and conquests are more admirable then of all the Nations that euer were before or after in greatnes of armies celeritie of expeditions successe of battailes largenes of Seignories foundations of Empires and maner of liuing much different from others First they inhabited that part of Scythia which is beyond the great mountaine of Belgian towards the Indies to which place came the armes of the Macedonians vnder the conduct of Alexander And being a beastlie people without maners without learning without religion liuing on beasts which they kept and nourished wandring from place to place following the commoditie of pasturage vnfit for armes dispised of all and tributaries to their neighbours yet they increased so much that they were diuided into seuen principal peoples and began to liue vnder Captaines who had the conduct of them and of their affaires remaining notwithstandtng vnder the subiection of others vntil such time as a poore old man a Smith by his occupation who as they beleeue was ingendred of the sun-beames was diuinely ordained their first CHAM and Emperour For he saw in his sleepe a man of warre clothed all in white and mounted on a white horse which called him by his name and said vnto him Changuis The will of the immortall God is that thou be the gouernour of the Tartarians and ruler ouer the seuen Nations to the end that by thee they may be deliuered out of the bondage wherein they haue long remayned and receiue the tributes which they haue bin accustomed to pay CHANGVIS was verie glad when he had heard the word of God and told vnto euery one this vision But the Captaines and chiefe men amongst them would not harken to it but made a ieast thereof Till themselues the night following saw the white man of armes and had such a vision as he had declared vnto them who were commaunded from the immortall God to be obedient to CHANGVIS and to accomplish his commaundments in all things Then being assembled together they did their obedience and reuerence vnto him as to their naturall Lord Then they spred in the midst of them a black couering on the ground and a seat on it wheron they placed CHANGVIS calling him the first CHAM and doing him solemne reuerence with kneeling Which custome though it be base hath bin sithence obserued by them in confirming of their Emperours albeit they haue gotten many kingdomes and infinite riches hauing inuested themselues of Asia and Europe euen to Hongary and Austrich CHANGVIS being thus established Emperour by the consent of all would make triall whether they would obey him faithfully commaunding them many things And first that they should all beleeue in the immortall God by whose grace he was come to the Imperiall dignitie Secondly he ordained that there should be made a generall view of all such as were able to beare armes and that the muster being made there should be appointed a Captaine ouer ten ouer a thousand and ouer ten thousand making the regiment of this assembly Moreouer he commaunded the foresaid seuen Captains to bereaue themselues first of their charges and dignities Thother commandment was yet more strange by which he inioyned them to bring euery one his eldest sonne and ech to cut off his head with his owne hand And albeit that seemed cruell and vniust yet was there not any that refused it forasmuch as they accounted him to haue bin appointed their Lord by the diuine prouidence When he had knowen and proued their good wills and that they were readie to obey him euen to death he assigned them a certaine day to march forward And from thence he went against many Nations which he incontinently subdued and possessed all the lands on this side of the mountain Belgian and inioined them without any gain-saying vntill such time as he had an other vision seeing the same white armed man againe which said vnto him Changuis Cham The will of God is that thou passe ouer the mountaine Belgian and go toward the West where thou shalt conquer kingdomes seignories and lands subduing many Nations vnto thy Empire And that thou maist be assured that it is true and proceedeth from God which I tell thee arise and go with thy people towards that mountaine to that part which ioyneth on the sea There thou shalt kneele downe nine times and worship God nine times and he which is almightie will show thee the way which thou maist go conueniently According to this vision Changuis reioicing arose and without any doubt because the first vision being found true assured him of the rest he gathered together all his people commaunding them to follow him with their wiues and children and all that they had Then they went so long till they came where the great and deepe sea toucheth the mountaines and there appeared no way nor passage for them Changuis as was commaunded him from the immortall God alighted off his horse as did also all the rest and kneeling towards the East worshipped God asking mercie and grace of him and that he would show them the way to go They remained that night in praier and arising in the morning they saw the sea retired nine foot and that it had left a spacious way Being all astonished with this miracle they thanked God deuoutly and going towards the West they went men and women beastes and chariots a great and terrible multitude The yeare before this their discent which we reckon of Christ M.CCxj in the moneth of May appeared for the space of eighteen daies a Comet burning ouer the Polaques the riuer of Don or Tanais and the Countrie of Russia the taile thereof directed towardes the West which signified the discent of the Tartarians which hapned the next yeare following If this be true it resembleth much the going of the Hebrewes out of the lande of Egipt vnder the conduct of Moses to whom the redd sea opening
the countrey of Egypt and of Arabia euen to the East sea their Empire hauing bin almost the onely one that hath vntill this present made the East West the North and South their limits hauing endured xij hundred yeres longer then any other kingdome or common wealth which hath bin either before or sithence except the Assyrian For the Turkes hold little in Africk nothing in Italy Spaine France Germany England neither yet passing toward the East the south the auncient bounds of the Romains The common wealth of VENICE being principally Aristocratical by the senate and colledge of wisemen hath these parts so well tempered togither and proportioned that it hath bin a long time preserued from sedicions within it selfe and mutations which at leastwise were of great importance and outwardly hath maintained it selfe against the assault of many mighty princes hauing already continued aboue twelue hundred yeres without any violence of inward wars and without falling vnder the yoake of any foraigne power or changing the first ordinance wherein it was founded Many auncient common weales haue exceeded it in greatnes of Empire in militarie discipline and renowme of great exploictes But there is none to bee compared to it in gouernment and lawes for good and happy life neither any to be found that hath raigned so long no not among the auncients the Romaine Carthaginian Rhodian Athenian Lacedemonian and Marsilian or amongst those of later age the Florentine Senoise Lucoise and Genuoyse the state being in deed gouerned in the most accomplished communalty that hath bin seen or red of The Democratie of the SWITZERS likewise is well tempered by the counsailes established in euery Canton which preserue it from such vices and inconueniences vnto which the common people are most ordinarily subiect haue made it to prosper hitherto And in as much as there are mongst them thirteene cities confederate they represent the auncient leagues of the Toscans Ionians Eolians and Acheians which exceeded not much the number of twelue or thirteene townes For being come to such a number that they haue meanes to defend them selues they endeuour not to increase their state as wel because that necessity constraineth them not to seeke to get greater power as also because that being common in their conquestes they make no lesse reckoning of them that otherwise by augmenting in societies confederacies the multitude would come to some confusion A COMPARISON OF WARLIKE NA tions Armies Battayles Sieges and Assaults of Fortresses SOme nations are better by land and others by sea Polybius writeth of the CARTHAGINIANS that they were best on the sea and could there best furnish an equippage for as much as this exercise was hereditarie and ancient vnto them and that they traficqued on sea more then any others but that the ROMAINS holpe themselues best with their footemen gaue thēselues wholy vnto it The Phenicians Cilicians Egiptians Rhodians Marsilians were in times past much esteemed for marine matters The situation of VENICE is more fit for warre by sea then by land seeing that one could not there in any sort accommodate any companies of horsemen or bandes and squadrons of footemen Moreouer the most simple and couragious nations seeke not to fight but by prowes and vertue blaming all subtelties and surprises such as the Gaules Heluetians were in old time The others as the Greekes Spaniards Persians Egiptians and Africans which are crafty and cautelous of nature care not by what meanes they get the aduantage on their aduersaries not thinking any kind of deceight to be reprochful against the enimies so that they ouercome them And therefore they do ordinarily vse ambushes to entrap him and do rob and spoile their townes at vnawares endeauouring to vanquish them by skirmishes and sodaine surprizes when they find them vnprouided rather then by battailes determined and prepared at a prefixed day Polybius saith that the Cretenses or Candians are the nimblest people of the worlde both by sea and by land for ambushes robberies and spoiles for surprises by night and all maner of deceipts but that in a pitched field they are feareful and cowardly without seruice vnto whom the Acheians and Macedonians are quite contrary Iustin telleth of the Parthians that by flying or running away they deceiued their enimies and that when one would think them to be ouercome they were thē most dangerous The Turkes who are reckoned so mighty get more victories by policie and opportunity then by force neuer aduenturing or hazarding battaile but to their aduantage Concerning armies Asia at all times by reason of the vnmeasurable largenes thereof hath bin most populous and therfore hath set forth armies of incredible greatnesse and power as we haue said of Ninus who led an armie of seuenteene hundred thousand footemen two hundred thousand horsemen ten thousand and sixe hundred chariots armed with hookes Of Semiramis his wife who went into India with thirtie hundred thousand foote fiue hundred thousand horsemen a hundred thousand chariots and made a bridge on the riuer of Inde of two thousand boates of Cyrus who gathered togither sixe hundred thousand footemen and sixescore thousand horsemen with two thousand armed chariots Of Darius the first who assailed the Scythians with eight hundred thousand fighting men Of Xerxes going into Greece who had by sea fiue hundred seuenteene thousand men and by land a Million seuen hundred thousand footemen and fourescore thousand horsmen with twenty thousand Arabians and Africans vnto whom there ioined of Europe three hundred thousand the whole multitude comming to two millions sixe hundred and seuenteene thousand fighting men Attila in Europe assembled fiue hundred thousand men of warre on horsebacke and on foote We wil compare TAMBERLAN vnto them who had togither and entertained long twelue hundred thousand souldiers and those which haue diminished this number yet gaue him no lesse then sixe hundred thousand footemen and foure hundred thousand horse The two greatest armies which haue bin seene in the West by land within these thousand yeres were that of Sultan Soliman when he came the second time to Vienna and of the Emperour Charles the fift going to defend it against him Where if they had fought the question had not bin only of Vienno but of the Empire almost of all the world to bring it into his ancient estate But the winter comming on they parted without doing any thing worthy of remembrāce fearing one the other In the Turkes armie there were fiue hundred thousand fighting men and of Artillery three hundred field pieces In that of the Emperour xc thousand foote and thirtie thousand horsemen Almaignes Flemings Bohemians Polaques Hongarians Spaniards Italians Bourguignons Namurois and Hannoniers with incredible preparation of al sorts of artillery the whole number of all those that were in the armie when it was full comming to cclxxx thousand parsons The other militarie assemblies that haue bin seene in the West of long time do resemble robberies or playing at barriers