the Ilophagi siekynge to the plaines with their wiues and their children climbe trees and gather eate and cary home the tendre croppes and buddes of the boughes And thei haue by continualle practise suche a nimblenes in climbyng that a wondrefull thynge to be spoken thei wille leape from boughe to boughe and tree to tree like Cattes or Squirelles and by reason of their slendrenes and lightenes wille mounte vp on braunches and twigges without daunger or hurte For thoughe their fiete slippe yet hang thei fast by the handes and if thei bothe faile theim yet falle thei so light that thei be harmelesse These folkes go naked and hold their wiues and childreÌ„ in commune Emong them selues they fighte for their places without weapon but against foreiners with staues And wheare thei ouercome there chalenge thei Lordeshippe Thei communely dye for hongre when their sight faileth them whiche was their onely instrumente to finde their foode The residewe of the countrie there aboute do those Aethiopians holde whiche are named Cynecy not vety many in nombre but muche differing in life from the rest For their Countrie beyng wooddie and wilde fulle of thicquetres and skanâ—e of watre thei are forced by night for feare of wilde beastes to slepe in trees and toward the mornyng all weaponed together to drawe doune to the waters wher thei shroude them selues into couert and so abide close till the heate of the daie At the whiche tyme the Bugles Par dales and other greate beastes what for the heate and what for thriste fiocke toguether to the watres Assone as thei haue druncken and haue well laden their bealies with watre the Ethiopes startynge out vpoÌ„ them with stakes sharpened and hardened in the fire and with stones and with arrowes and suche like weapon at this aduauntage stra them vpon heapes and deuide the carkesses by compaignies to be eaten And sometyme it happeneth that thei them selues are slaine by some beast of force howbeit very seldome For thei euer by their pollicies and traines doe more damage to the beastes then the beastes can do vnto them If at any time thei lacke the bodies of the beastes then take thei the rawe hides of suche as thei lateliest before had slaine and clensyng them cleane fro the heare thei sokynglie laie them to a softe fire and when thei be throughly hette deuide them emong the compaignie whiche very griedely fille them selues of them They exercise their children whilest thei be boies to throw the darte at a sette marke and he that hitteth not the marke receiueth no meate By the whiche maner of trainyng hoÌ„gre so worketh in the boies that thei become excellent darters The Acridophagie a people borderyng vpon the deaserte are somwhat lower of stature then the residâ— we leane exceding blacke In the Spring time the Weste and Southwest winde bringeth vnto them out of the Deaserte an houge nombre of Locustes whiche are of verie greate bodie and of wynge very filthily coloured The Ethiopians well accustomed with their maner of flighte trade gather together into a loÌ„g slade betwixte two hilles a great deale of rubbeshe and mullocke from places nighe hande apte for firyng and all the grasse and wiedes there aboute And laieng it ready in heapes aforehande along the slade wheÌ„ thef seethe Locustes come with the winde like cloudes in the atre thei set al on fice and so swelte theim in the passyng ouer that thei bee skante full out of the slade but thei fall to the grounde in suche plentie that thei be to all the Acridophagi a sufficient victuallyng For thei poudre them with salte wherof the countrie hath pleÌ„tie and so continually from yere to yere liue by none other foode For thei neither haue any kinde of catteille â—e fifthe can haue beyng so farre fro the sea And this maner of meate siemeth to theim verie pleasaunce and fine Of bodie thei are very lighte swifte of foote and shorte liued as not passyng xl yeres he that liueth loÌ„gest Their ende is not more incredible then it is miserable For wheÌ„ thei drawe into age their briedeth a kinde of winghed lice in their bodies of diuers colours and very horrible and filthie to beholde whiche firste eate our their be alies and theÌ„ their brest and so the whole body in a litle spare He that hath this disease first as thoughe he had on hym some tickelyng yeche all to beskratcheth his bodie with suche pleasure as is also mingled with some smart And within a litle while afire when the lyce beginne to craule and the bodieâ—â—â— ginneth to mattre enraged with the 〈◊〉 trenes and grief of the disease he teareth and mangleth his whole bodie with his nailes putting furth in the meane while many a greuous grone Then gussheth there out of hym suche aboundaunce of lice that a manne would thinke they had bene barelled in his body that the barel now broken the swarme plomped out And by this meanes whether throught the enfectious airs or the corruption of their fieding thei make a miserable ende Vpon the Southe border of Affrike dwell there menne called of the Grekes Cynnamie of their neighbours Sauluages Bearded and that with aboundaunce of heare Thei kiepe for the saufegarde of their liues greate compaignies of wilde Mastiues for that from midde Iune till midde Winter there entreth into their countrie an innumerable sorte of Kine of Inde Whether thei flie thether to saue them selues from other beastes or come to sieke pasture or by some instincte of nature vnknowen to manne it is vncertaine Against these when the men of their owne force are not able to resist thei defende theÌ„ selues by the helpe of their dogges and take many of them Wherof thei eate parte whilest thei are freshe and parte reserue thei in pouldre for their aftre niede Thei eate also many other kindes of beastes whiche thei hunt with their dogges The laste of all the Affriens Southewarde are the Ichthiophagi A people borderyng vpon the Troglodites in the Goulfe called Sinus Arabicus whiche vnder the shape of man liue the life of beastes Thei goe naked all their life tyme and make coÌ„pte of their wiues and their children in commune Thei knowe none other kindes of pleasure or displeasure but like vnto beastes suche as thei fiele neither haue thei any respecte to vertue or vice or any discernyng betwirte good or badde Thei haue litle Cabanes not farre from the Sea vpon the clieues sides where nature hath made great carfes diepe into the grounde and hollowe Guttres and Criekes into the maigne lande bowtyng and compassyng in and out to fro many sondrie waies Whose entringes thenhabitauntes vse to stoppe vp with great heapes of calion and stones wherby the criekes serue them now in the steade of nettes For when the sea floweth which happeneth there twise in the daye aboute the houres of thre and of nyne the water swelleth so highe that it ouerfloweth into the maygne shore and filleth those crieques
longe time haue bene offred to their goddes are kepte in the temple whose dores are by excellent workemanship garnished with golde siluer and yuorie The couche of their God is vi cubites longe and foure cubites brode all of golde gorgeous of worcke and goodly to beholde And by that is there sette a table of like sorte in euerie poincte for sise stuffe and gorgeousnes They haue but one temple all of white stone builte vpon pilours grauen and embossed thre hundred and. xxxviii taylours yardes square that is to saye euen of lengthe and bredthe euery waye so muche And somewhat acordinge to the syse of the temple it is sette full of highe ymages very precious coruen and grauen Rounde about the temple haue the priestes their habitacion And all the grounde aboute them xxv myle compasse is halowed to their goddes The yerely rente of that grounde is bestowed vpon sacrifice ¶ The. iij. Chapitre ¶ Of Assiria and Babilonia and the maners of those peoples AS saieth sainct Augustine the countrie called Assiria was so named of Assur the sōne of Sem. And at this dase to the ende that time might be founde an appairer of al thinges with the losse of a sillabe is becomen Siria Hauyng for his bounde on the East the countrie called Inde and part of Media On the West the floude Tygris on the Southe Susiana and on the Northe the maigne mounteigne Laucasus It is a deintie to haue in Assiria a showre of raine and therefore are thei constreined for the due moistyng of their lande to tolle in the riuers by pollicie of trenching and damming wherwith thei so plentisie their grounde that thei communely receiue two hundred busshelles for a busshell and in some speciall veine three hundred for one Their blades of their Wheate and Barlie are fowre fingers brode Their Sesamum and Milium Somer cornes are in groweth like vnto trees All the whiche thinges Herodotus the historien thoughe he knoweth thē as he writeth be to vndoubtedly true yet would he that men toke aduisemente in the reportyng of theim for that thei mighte steme vnto suche as neuer sawe the like incredible Thei haue a tree called Palma that beareth a kinde of small Dates This fruicte thei fiede muche vppon and out of the bodie of the tree thei draw at one time of the yere a liquour or sappe wherof thei make bothe wine and hon̄y In their fresh waters thei vse boates facioned round like a buckler which the Armenians that dwelle aboue them do make of salowe wikers wrought one within an other and couered with rawe leather The appareile of the Assyrians is a shirte downe to the foote and ouer that a short garment of wollen and last of al a faire white pleicted cassaque doun to the foote agayne Their shoes are not fastened on with lachettes but lyke a poumpe close about the foote Which also the The bans dydde vse and but they twayne no moe They suffre theyr heares to growe and couer them with prety forked cappes somwhat my trelyke And when they goe abroade they besprinkle them selues with fragraunt cyles to be swete at the smelle They haue euery man a rynge with a signet and also a sceptre finely wrought vppon whose toppe thei vse to sticke either an apple or a rose or a lillye or some lyke thynge For it is a dishonour to beare it bare Emongest all the lawes of that people I note this chiefly as worthie memorie Whē their maidens came to be mariage able thei ware frō yere to yere brought foorthe into the Marquette for suche as would buye them to be their wiues And because there ware some so hard fauoured that menne would not onely be loth to giue money for them but some menne also for a litle money to take theim the fairest ware first solde and with the prices of theim brought into the commune Treasourie ware the fowler bestowed Herodote writeth thet he heard by reaporte that the Heneti a people on the bordre of Italie towarde Illiria ware wonte to vse this maner Whervpon Sabellicus takyng an occasion writeth in this maner Whether there ware suche a maner vsed emong that people saieth he or not I haue litle more certaintie to laie for my self then Herodote had But thus muche am I able to saie that in Venice a citie of famous worthines and whose power is well knowen at this daie to be greate bothe by Sea and by lande suche maner as I shall saie was sometyme vsed There was in the Litie of Venice a place dedicate as ye would saie to our Ladie of Pietie Before whose doores it happened a child or twaine begotten by a skape whiche either for shame or necessitie could finde no mother or for the nombre of parteners no one propre father to bee laide And when by the good Litezeins suche tendrenes had been shewed to two or thre as the mothers loked for and manhode to saie the truthe doth require the dore of pitie became so fruict full a mother that she had not now one or twoo in a yere but three or fower in a quarter Whiche thyng when the gouernours of the citie perceiued their toke ordre by commune consente that frō thens foorthe suche women children onely as should fortune so to bee offred to Pietie should bee nourisshed at the commune charge of the citie none other And for those acordyngly thei ordeined a place wher thei ware brought vp hardly kepte in and diuersly enstructed acordyng to their giftes of witte and capacitie vntill thei ware mariage able At the whiche tyme she that had beautie and good qualities bothe found those a sufficient dowrie to purchase her choyse of husbandes And she that hadde but beautie alone thoughe her qualities ware not so excellēte yet for her honestie that beside forth was singuler in theim all founde that beautie and honestie could not be vnmaried These therfore ware not permitted to euery mannes choise but graunted to suche as ware thoughte menne worthir of suche women If there ware any that lacked the grace of beautie yet if she ware wittie and endewed with qualities together with her honestie a small dowrie purchased her a husbād in good time But if there ware any in whō there happened neither commendacion of beautie nor wit but onely bare honestie for her bestowyng was there a meane found by waie of deuotiō as we terme it whē we signifie a respecte of holines in the diede Menne vnmaried beyng in daungier vpon Sea or on Lande or bryng sore distressed with sickenes makyng a vowe for the recouerie of healthe where vnto thei holde them selues bounden in conscience if it fortuned theim at that tyme to be deliuered for satisfactiō of their vowe in that case not vprightly perfourmed vsed to take for their wiues suche of the simplest as other had left So that in processe thei alwaie fonnde husbandes and the commune wealthe a diminishyng of charge Another Lawe of the Babilonians there was more worthie of
shall ye stablishe your selues a sure quiete in your blisse And that your nature leade ye not to the worse for lacke of knowledge of the bettre I haue bothe made vnto you Lawes as I learned thē at the mouthe of the lorde also an ordre of publique discipline Acordyng to the ordenaunces whereof if ye shall directe your liues ye shal be iudged of all people the moste happie Hauyng spoken these thynges he deliuered vnto thē the lawes and the ordre of their cōmune wealth writtē in a boke But thei vniuersally wepte and greatly lamented the departure of their capitein that so fast approched Remēbring what daungters and carcke he had suffred for their sauftie muche distrustyng what should aftrewarde come of theim As the people that neuer was like to haue suche a gouernour again And muche fearyng least God would withdrawe his tendrenes towarde theim when there lacked a Moses to entreate And thei bewailed with greate repentaunce the thynges whiche in their angre thei had done vnto hym in the deserte So that the teares of the people their dole and sobbyng complaintes ware greater then could be recomforted with wordes Although Moses did what in hym laie to perswade thē that there was no cause why thei should bewaile hym But rather remembre to put in vse the ordre of the cōmune welth that he had giuen theim And so he dissolued the assemblie These woores be spokē a the person Iosephus Now then afire what tyme I shall haue shewed ye thordre of the communewealth miete for the worthines and vertue of Moses and shall haue described the same that it maie appere vnto al men beyng willyng to reade what our state hath bene in times paste I will procede to the declaracion of the other thynges With suche faithe that I neither wille penne any thyng other wise then he lefte it ne adde either for settyng out of the matier or other wise any title of myne owne Sauyng onely those that he lefte written by piecemeale as he receiued thē at the mouthe of God we haue framed toguether into one ordenarie treatise Wherof I thought good to giue warnīg least some of our bloude happenyng vpō these might by occasion saie that we had swarued from the truthe The lawes then perteinyng to the instituciō of our citie are suche as followe But suche as he lefte vs cōmune among our selues those haue I deferred vntill I putte furthe my booke A booke of Iosephus so named De moribus causis whiche I haue purposed God willyng to go in hande with next aftre this Moses speaketh againe * What time then ye shall haue achieued the land of Chanaan and as menne that haue founde laisure to vse their goodes shal determine from thencefurthe to builde cities if ye shall accomplishe these thinges ye shall bothe haue bone a thing acceptable vnto God and shall winne to your selues a grounded wealthe See that there be one holie citie in the mooste goodlie place of all the lande of Chanaan See that ther be but one churche in it and one altare of stones neither squared nor karued ne yet framed by Masonrie but hande somely heaped together as thei be gathered And lette the same be so plastered ouer that it maie appere to the sighte a plaine and comely Altare But se there be none ascence ther vnto by staiers but onely a faire vp goyng by a slope bancque of Turfes In any other of your cities se there neither be Churche ne Altare For God is but one and the people of the Hebrues but one Whosoeuer shal haue spokē * villanie against God Blasphen let hym be stoned and hanged fro morowe till nighte and vilely be bewried withoute anye solempnitie Thrise a yere the people shal assēble into the citie where the churche is fro farre and niere through the whole lande that the Nebrues shal possesse Bothe to rendre thanckes to GOD for that he shall haue sent them to make supplicaciō for thinges that are to come And further to th ende that with often hauntynge one with another and festing together there maie be a friendship engēdred emongest theim For truely it is miete that menne of one nacion and bloude and coupled in one trade of lawes should be acqueinted one with another as by suche fellowshippeit shal come to passe and that thei should cause a remembraūce to remaine one of another emōgest them with suche repaire and cōpanieng together Without the whiche ye shall seme one to a nother moste straunge Ye shall also reserue aparte a tenthe of all the fruictes of the earthe beside the tenthe appoincted to be giuen to the priestes and Leuites The whiche ye shall selle eche man at home in his countrie But the profecte comyng thereof shal be spent vpō the feastes and sacrifices to be made in the holy citie For so is it mete that men take parte of the fruictes comming of the londe whiche the Lorde shall giue them to the honour of the giuer The price that commeth of the commune har lot shalt thou not conuerte vnto the vse of Sacrifice For God delighteth not in the fruites of any kinde of iniquitie and nothing is more abhominable then such lewdenes of the body Likewyse yf anye manne require eyther thy dogge for the folde or for the chace to lime his bitche the price comming therof shalte thou not conuerte to the sacrifice of the Lord. No man shall rayle against those that other cities holde for their goddes Neither shall ye spoyle or robbe churche or chapell of any foreine Idolle ne take away any gifte consecrate to them See that none of you be apparelled with a garmente * of linnen and wollen meinte Linsy wolsy for that apperteineth onely to the priestes And when the multitude shal be assēbled into the holy citie to celebrate the seuēth yeres sacrifices at suche time as the feast of the Bowthes draweth nighe lette the bysshoppe standing in some place alofte made for the purpose fro whence he may wel be harde recite the lawes vnto them all Withholdinge neither woman ne childe no not the bondeman from hearing of them For it behoueth them to haue them writen in their hartes mindes that thei may be kepte neuer to perisshe For by that meanes shall it come to passe that thei shall not offende when thei shal haue none ignoraunce to excuse them in the ordinaunces and lawes and the lawes shal haue the greater authoritie vppon the offendours in that thei haue warned them afore of the penaltie and by hearing haue grauen in their mindes what thinges thei commaunde That thei maye haue the effecte of their meaninge euen dwelling within them The whiche neclegted thei shal offende and be the cause of their owne euilles Yea and let the very children learne the lawes fro their youthe as being a most good lye discipline and the cause of blessed wealthe Twise a daye also bothe in the morning and at the houre of
bedtime let them testifie to the Lord his bounteous goodnes from the time of their deliueraunce oute of Egipte Forasmuche as thaÌ„ckes giuinge of very nature is dewe and is had aswell to yelde recoÌ„pence for the benefites paste as to allure the like in time afterwarde Let them also write vpon their doores eche most notable benefite receiued of God and what soeuer may set forthe hie power and fauour towarde them Lette them beare them for broches on their cappes and braselettes on their armes and let them shewe them to all menne that goddes tendrenes towarde theÌ„ may on euery side be apparaÌ„t Lette there be chosen for euery citye seuen rulers exercised in all vertue and in the waye of equitie And to euery of those let ther be giuen two ministres of the Tribe of the leuites And let those whiche are appointed to ministre the lawes to the citie be had in all honour and reuerence So that no man be bolde to speake any wordes of dishonestie thei being present ne to behaue him self malapertly That this their reuerence towarde men of dignitie may make them more fearde to offende against God And let the iudges haue power to pronounce their senteÌ„ce excepte any man can shewe that thei are corrupted with money to peruerte the lawe or can bring any other cause to conuince them not to haue iudged a righte For it is not miete that such shoulde sitte in iudgement as will leane to lucre or dignitie but suche as preferre equitie before all other thinges For so might God seme to be smallie reputed amonge you and to be iudged of lesse aucthoritie then thei to whose sentence ye shoulde yelde your consente for feare of power The power of GOD is equitie He then that beareth in anye pointe with them that are of power for dignities sake enhaunseth their power aboue the power of GOD. But if the iudges be not able to determine in some race brought afore theÌ„ as amoÌ„ge men it oftentimes happeneth let theÌ„ remitte the whole cause to the holy citie And let the highe priest the prophete and the counsell asseÌ„bled giue their seÌ„tence Cleaue not to the Testimonie of one witnes But of thre or twaine at the leaste suche as haue so liued that for their honestie thei maye be reputed credite worthy The woman shal not be admitted as a witnes for the lightenes and disshonest holdenes of that kinde No the bondemaÌ„ shall haue no voice in matier of witnes for that he lacketh the francque noblenes of minde either for lucre or feare is like to testifie vntruthes If any shal be giltie of false witnes conuicted therof let him suffre the same that the personne should haue againste suffred whome he wytnessed If ther shall haue bene in any place a murder committed and neither the doer can be founde ne anye man suspected vpon malice to haue done it lette serche be yet made for the doer with al diligeÌ„ce appointing rewarde to him who so euer shall detecte him But if then neither no maÌ„ shal disclose in the officers of the townes nexte vnto the place wher the murdre was done shall mesure the distauÌ„ce fro the plotte where the deade lieth And looke what towne shal be founde nexte therunto the rulers of the same shall leade a boughte cowe into a valley and place neither fitte for ploughe ne plante and shal cutte in two the senowes of the beaste in the houghes And the priestes and leuites and the counseille of that towne wasshinge ouer the heade of the oxe shall with loude voice protest that they neither did it ne ware present at the diede And to desire God to forbeare his wrathe and that neuer ther happen so heinous a diede in the londe agayne At this present ye are not gouerned by any kinge or any one man alone but by a nombre of the beste chosen out among ye The whiche of all gouernaunces is the beste and to liue vndre it passing all other liues Wisshe ye not then for anye other trade of coÌ„mune wealthe but be ye coÌ„teÌ„ted with this accoÌ„ptinge your lawes for your lordes doyng al thinges acordiÌ„g vnto theÌ„ For god is sufficieÌ„t enoughe to be your ruler But if ye shal be at anye tune desirous to haue a king ouer ye let him be of your bloude and suche a one as estiemeth righteousnes and all other vertues And let him not sticke to his owne wisedome but ordre all matiers of waight by the lawes and the lorde And let him do nothinge withoute the hyghe priest and the sentence of the counseille Neither let him be giuen to many mariages ne to seke aboundaunce of money and horses Whiche hauing obteined he maye waxe full of the lawe and vtterly contempne it And if ye perceiue that he busily seketh suche thinges lette him be cutte shorter that his power encreace not more thaÌ„ is expedieÌ„t for you It shal be lawful for no man to remoue the bouÌ„de either of his owne londe or of other mennes with whome ye haue peace But let it be sene to that they maye continue in their steades as the sure markes of god there placed for euer For therof comme the warres and sedicion when the coueitous manne will encroche beyonde his boundes Yea who so thus ouerleapeth the bounde will not gretly sticke to ouerleape also the lawe He that planteth an horteyarde if the settes bring frute before the fourth yere let him neither yelde vnto God the firstlinges thereof ne occupie them to his owne vse For thei are comen in vndue time and soner then their nature permitteth And be nether miete for God ne the owner But in the fourthe frute haruest for then are thei seasonable lette him beare the whole gather into the holy city and let them be spente together with the tenth of all other frutes festing with his frindes the fatherles childe and the widowe And in the .v. yere he shall haue libertie to take to him self the profectes of his plantes Lette not the vineyarde be planted or sowen with aught elies For it is enoughe for the grounde to nourishe the vine to be free fro the labour of the ploughe Let the grounde be tylled with oxen and let none other beaste be yoked with them Yea let the ploughe be hande somed for them also acording to their sortes Lette your siede be moste piked and cleane pure and vnmingled nor lette them not be sowen by two or by thre sortes together For nature liketh not suche felowship of sondry kindes Neither shal ye put to your cattaille a male of adiuerse or contrarye kinde For it is to be feared lest therby the vnkindlie couplinge against kinde passe also at lengthe vnto men beginning at thinges of smalle regarde and so crieping on further Lertes ther is nothing to be suffrâ—d for other to folowe wherof mighte procede anye chaunge of your state But it behoueth you forasmuche as the lawes haue takeÌ„ charge of the weightyer thinges to foresee with all