And my heart trembleth when I thinke how few there are of this upon the surface of the Earth For as one who had conversd farre and neere with the Citizens of the world doth avouch if the Globe of the Earth were divided into thirtie parts they would hardly make up three parts of thirtie But whither am I thus transported I hope to be dispensd withall for the qualitie of the subject which is the unum necessarium which made me dwell so long upon it I should now post back to Druina but that before I part with Bombycina I must needs salute the amorous Myrtle and her Metropolis Adriana in regard she hath beene alwayes a true Confederate to the Royall Oke A CHARACTER OF ADRIANA ANd here behold a thing of wonder Adriana sited upon an assembly of Islands in the very jawes of Neptune where being planted at the very first a Christian a prerogative she worthily vaunts of above all other she hath continued a Virgin ever since neere upon twelve long Ages under the same forme and face of Government without any visible token or least wrinckle of old Age. The great Arch-Flamin espousd her once to Neptune and a Prophecie there is That she shall continue a Virgin untill he forsakes her and he of late yeares is observd to shrinke and grow weaker about her as if she had made him over-labour himselfe too much upon her And it is well knowne no place swimmes more in all manner of wanton pleasure witnesse those multitudes of Medlars which make their Beds and are permitted to grow about the Myrtle for which she is so much spoken of all the world over Most renowned Adriana hath beene for brave exploits up and downe the World having wrestled with the greatest of Earthly Potentates She re-establishd the Easterne Cedar more then once in his Throne she restord the Ivie twice in his holy Seat being chasd out of Petropolis which made the great Arch-Flamin of late yeares to be foulely taxd of a kind of ingratitude in offering to cause her Armories to be defacd in his Court having so well deservd of him But it is thought since she expelld the Loyolists out of her Territories Petropolis hath still a grudge to her which lyeth yet indigested and is in her like Lees in the bottome of a Tub of Wine which at the least stirring of the Vessell is readie to rise up By the Charter of her Saint she is to have in her Arsenall as many warlike Vessels as there be dayes in the yeare and in the Summer season as many in course as there be houres in the naturall day to scoure three hundred miles of Sea whereof she is Protectresse And some kind of Vessels she hath which knew not how to be beaten untill of late yeares that top of Druina's Cavaliers one that hath spirit enough to actuate that goodly tall Bulke receiving from them some affronts met with them handsomely and bangd them to good purpose In that dangerous League when most of the Occidentall Potentates were banded against her and in a manner conspird to sinke her shee bore up above water against them all But her custome hath beene to piece the Lyons skinne with a Fox tayle and so to supply the weakenesse of Force by wilinesse of Art and advantage of Treatie And it is well knowne how the Myrtle hath taught the Willowes of late yeares part of her Cunning betweene whom there is an irrefragable Confederacie to bayt Elaiana and stoppe the further growth of the Olive Amongst other things Adriana is much cryed up for her rich Treasure is one which Elaiana hath often attempted to exhaust And one of her Embassadours desiring on a time to see it seemd to slight it in comparison of his great Masters Treasure which is perpetually growing and hath no bottome as that had Which made one say That Adriana in relation to the foure Elements hath her Citie in Water her Treasure in the Ayre her Vertue in Fire which makes the Earth so to flye away from her True it is that of late yeares the Myrtle hath beene at a stand in improving the Treasure of her Saint since Elaiana hath crossd the Equinoctiall and found out a Track by Sea to Levantina whence Adriana did use to receive not farre from her owne home and dispense through all the Westerne world those aromatique and daintie Fruits the Indian Trees affoord but she gives out that the losse of that Trade is recompenc'd by certaine singular Immunities she hath through some of the Dominions of Alcarona So that of late yeares she is shrewdly suspected to be a Concubine to the huge Bramble who hath often loppd her Myrtle and cut off the onely Regall Branch she had And against him it must be confessd shee is the greatest Rampart and best Securitie all the Westerne Princes have any where by Sea Thus the Myrtle flourisheth still And truly a rare and wonderfull thing it is that for so long a tract of Time considering the violent stormes that have shaken her so often she should still continue fresh and without warping or any considerable change or the least symptome of old Age as I sayd before Whereas other Politicall Bodies of a farre greater Bulk have met with their Grand Climacterique and receiv'd Changes in a farre shorter Revolution of Time For Politicall Bodies as well as Naturall have their degrees of Age Declinings and Periods which I cannot so properly tearme Periods as Successions or Vicissitudes Common-weales have often turnd to Kingdomes and Realmes have beene cut out into Republiques the ruine of one being still the raysing of the other as one foot cannot be lifted up till the other be downe Witnesse those foure mightie Monarchies which were as Spokes upon Fortunes Wheele or as so many Nayles driving out one another And so is it also in Naturall Bodies the corruption of one is still the generation of another so that it seemes Nature hath her Wheele also as well as Fortune and these Changes and Chances tend to preserve the whole from decaying So that the opinion of that Adrianian since much enrichd by a Learned Druinian is farre from deserving to be exploded for a Paradox viz. That the Vniverse doth not decay or impaire at all in the whole but in its individuals and parts For as the preservation of the World is a continuall Production so in this Production as I sayd before the corruption of one fore-runnes the generation of another Therefore to beare up the whole if there be a decay in one place 't is recompencd in some other so that one may say Nature danceth in a Circle and by this Circulation preserves the visible World The Meteorologists observe that amongst the foure Elements which are the ingredients of all sublunarie Creatures there is a notable kind of correspondencie the Fire by condensation looseth to the Aire the Aire by rare-faction looseth to the Fire Water attenuated becomes Aire Aire thickned becomes Water the Earth by secret
strongly conjecture was found out by a straying Prince of Monticolia seven ages since And this presumption is drawne from the analogy of speech wherein there are diverse words that are the same in both languages both for sound and sense with other traces and markes The most admird of all prophane Prophets whose predictions have beene so much scann'd and cried up and are yet valued up and downe the world did vaticinate here And the first Monastery that ever the world had wherein the sacred fire of Christian piety did burne was amongst these mountaines the sparkles whereof flew so far that diverse Regions which groapd before in the darke corners of paganisme were enlightned thereby Beside observable it is what a precious blessing is lately found out having beene reserved and lockd up as it were all this while in Natures bowels to make this most ancient part of Druina happy now in the decrepit age of the world A rich mine and generative mint of treasure the gainefull returnes whereof exceed more and more the labour and charge of those multitudes that are hourely set a worke thereby A CHARACTER OF LVRANA OPposit to Monticolia Lurana stands separated by a most boysterous and working sea she is replenish'd and very thicke set with strong and well trunked Trees of all sorts reduc'd at last to a perfect obedience to Druinas diademe partly by voluntary reddition desire of protection and partly by conquest A multiplying and healthy spacious Forrest she is plentifully furnishd with all those benefits that aire earth and water use to affoord for necessity or pleasure There are no where such huge ponds and fresh lakes with goodly rivers and safe maritime harbours inviting forren commerce the soyle fatt and luxurious in diverse places and antipatheticall to all venemous creatures as Druina her neighbour is to all ravenous Her lower region is stird and rarified with fresh quickning windes more frequently then other Forrests which makes her lesse subject to contagious diseases so that I beleeve the saying of that Elaianian Generall who being asked what he thought of Lurana answered That when the ill spirit profferd our Saviour all the kingdomes of the earth he verily beleeved he intended to have still reserv'd Lurana for himselfe proceeded rather from the resentment of the ill successe and disgracefull repulses hee had there then from any sound judgment or demerit of the Country Nor can I subscribe to him that said LVRANA was a good Countrey for them onely to live in who wanted a Countrey that shâ—e is a fripperie of Bankerupts who flie thither from Druina to play their after-game The plants here are of a strenuous Bulke agile and very patient of hardnesse though not of labour for the greatest fault of this great FORREST is that shee swarmes with too many Drones whereby Shee may bee called insignis sed segnis terra Somewhat incomposed they are in their trimming extraordinary tender and so are the brute Animalls also of their young ones crafty and of a passable reach of understanding light of beliefe and great listners after newes which may bee imputed to the long time of their unsettled government fearing alwaies some innovation or imminent danger And by reason of their frequent revolts they have drawn upon themselves the pressures of war so often that it seems to have somewhat cowed their spirits as may be gather'd from the very accent of their words which they prolate in a whining kind of querulous tone as if they were still complaining crest-fallen nor do they beleeve to have come yet to the worst for they have an old prophecy that the time will come when Lurana shall weepe o're the Druinians graves Before this rough forrest was civillizd and trim'd by Druina she had peculiar lawes customs of her own but some of them were such that as one said if they had been practis'd in Hell they would have turnd up tupsiturvie the very kingdome of Satan Some of Druinas Monarckes made voyages thither in their own persons and many of the royall stemme were sent to governe but alwayes one of her prime Elmes to whom I read of foure generall submissions that were made but the conquest could not bee consummated till of late yeares which may be imputed to some errors in the course of civill and martiall policy It was the practise of that selfe admiring mistresse of the last Monarchy into all Countries where she tooke footing with the lance to bring in her language and lawes This was not done here but the Natives were left still incapable of Druinas lawes which only extended to her owne plantations So that the law of the Conqueror did neither protect their lifes nor revenge their deaths for it was no felony to fell downe any of them yea in time of peace Nor in civill causes could they implead or commence sute against any of the Druinians or imbud ingraffe insoliat or inoculat upon any of them unlesse he were formerly infranchizd by charter of denization so that the meere Luranians were reputed out-lawes enemies and Aliens in their owne soyle But this may be ascrib'd not so much to the policy of Druina as to the great ones that came thither from her to plant themselves and push on a fortune who disswaded the communication of Druinas lawes to the natives because they might oppresse spoyle rob peele proyne and grubbe them up at pleasure In these unsettled times many of Druina and of late yeares of Cardenia also tooke firme rooting in the best and fattest soyles of Lurana so that they are growne since to a notable height Amongst whom now that I treat of Trees the Corke did thrive wonderfully and no doubt but by a singular benediction from above the dew of heaven falling so plentifully upon his endeavours as appeares in all his branches which he sees grafted upon noble scutcheons and honourable shields so that he may be call'd the miracle of his time all things considered Another reason that hindred a settled peace and period of this conquest was those vast proportions of lands which were distributed among Druinas Adventurers which were such that the whole Forrest was in a manner cantonizd amongst a very few in number of whom some had regall rights there being eight County Palatines at once where the royall writ could not runne They had also implicit Commission left to discretion and not tied to any regular forme of plantation And those huge tracts of ground they lorded over begat wealth wealth usherd in pride and pride tumultuary contentions amongst themselves which gave the Luranians advantage to fish in those troubled waters for their liberty and make often encroachments upon them But had the Oke himselfe gone to the Forrest the inferior Trees had not shot up so high Another mistake was that the first undertakers made ill choice of the seates of their habitations for they erected forts and houses in the open plains turning the Natives into the Woods and places of fastnesse whence
Prophet speakes of another great Tree That the Waters make him great and the Deepe sets him on high Druina would hardly be able to deale with any of the other single unlesse upon the Defensive but joynd with Itelia she can give them both Law at Sea and confederating with either of the other two she is able to oppresse the third Now the onely entire Head that confronts Elaiana's greatnesse and is the Remora that stops her progresse is Ampelona Therefore that saying carryeth with it a great deale of Truth and no lesse Caution That the day of the ruine of AMPELONA is the Eeve of the subversion of DRUINA Therefore from the time the Olive grew to be so great Druina for strong reasons of State hath inclind ever since rather to maintaine Ampelona then any way to enfeeble her And once when the adventrous Vine was taken prisoner by the Olive which was about the time that the Olive began first to shoot out his branches so wide the Oke did contribute to ransome him Moreover in that memorable great Incendium which rag'd so long by intermissive fitts throughout the whole Body of Ampelona to quench which Elaiana out of pretence of zeale to Religion sent great Barrels of Water though some say they were filld with Pitch and Oyle which did rather encrease and feed the Fire I say at that time when there was a Designe to Provinciate the whole Kingdome Druina though offerd a Canton would not accept of it So then this linke of mutuall conservation enchaining them the Oke may be presumd to be a sure Confederate of the Vine and the Willowes also all the while they containe themselves within those bounds they are in at present But if they should over-master the Olive in Leoncia it would much alter the case No addition could make Ampelona more dangerous and suspectfull to Druina then Leoncia for so it were farre worse then if the Olive had all Leoncia solely to himselfe in regard they would fall into one continued and entire peece But to conclude there cannot be a truer Maxime for the safetie of Druina and her Confederates then this of a late great States-man Decrescat OLIVA nec crescat VITIS And thus have I finished the perambulation of Druina with all her Pourliews and Perquisits together with her next transmarine neighbours with whom she hath most pratique and necessarie intelligence I should now passe to Rhenusium and so o're the Mountaines to Bombycina but that I am afraid to loose my selfe in so vast a Forrest before I should begin my promised Storie Therefore I will deferre their Character to some emergent occasion out of the matter it selfe and in the interim resume my subject and returne to my first Epoche But before I proceed I will give the Reader this short touch that I doe not purpose by this discourse of Trees to bring him into a Labyrinth or impervious darke Thicket for I know some under borrowed Names and Types have affected obscuritie of purpose to amuse the Reader and make themselves admired for profound Reaches when oftentimes their Fancies prove flat Impertinencies and Non-sense No the Woods that I will lead him into shall be faire and open as he may partly perceive by what hath preceded so that he may easily distinguish twixt the kinds of Trees it shall be lucus à lucendo And imagine I am now returned to Druina where I find all things flourishing in a rare conjuncture of Peace Securitie Honour and Plentie under the Branches of the stately Caledonian Oke newly settled in his triumphant Throne begirt with Cions of his owne royall Stemme and encircled with multitudes of ancient and nobly extracted Elmes holy and reverend Yewes learned Laurels stout Poplars with other goodly Trees the Lillies and Roses White and Red did bourgeon round about him the Muses and Graces made Festivals the Faunes Satyres and Nymphs did dance their Roundelayes all the Trees of the field did clap their hands and never were seene such Halcyonian dayes The Saturnian times of Gold let none henceforth admire behold a true Pearly Age. All the neighbouring Forrests stood at a gaze envying this high felicitie The Vine the Firre the Myrtle the Willowes sent to congratulate and comply with Druina but above all other the Olive so shrewdly shaken before by her To performe which worke the prime Officer of Honour Elaiana had by Land was sent Ambassadour and that in a most high and courtly manner to present the newly enthroniz'd OKE with a Branch of Olive the Embleme of Peace and Elaiana's ancient Cognisance Which being accepted Druina in correspondence of State sent her prime Officer at Sea her Thalassiarcha in such a splendid equipage that Elaiana rings of the renowne of it to this day The parts adjoyning to Elaiana's royall Court did so strayne themselves to entertaine and welcome him with his numerous Traine that some yeares passed before they could recover themselves many miles about for so gratefull was his Errand being an Embassie of Peace and so bitter were the resentments and fatall effects of the former Warre that young and old did blesse him as he passed deeming he had beene some Angell descended from Heaven and that his attendants were some kind of Seraphins they so admir'd their comelinesse which did unbeguile the vulgar of the odde opinion the Loyolists had formerly infused into them by their concionatorie Invectives That the Druinians since they left Petropolis were transform'd into strange horrid shapes some having Dogs heads others Swines countenances others huge tayles hanging behind them Such Ceremonies as these being mutually performd twixt Druina and her Confederates and some other domestique Triumphs ended the royall OKE as well to expresse his Princely acknowledgement for his free and peacefull reception to Druina's Throne without the least motion of opposition or murmure which usually happen at such Changes whereat the neighbouring Princes specially Ampelona's then Warlike Monarch stood in a kind of admiration which reception was accompanied also with unparallell'd acclamations of Epidemicall joy as also for redresse of divers Grievances rectifying of Enormities and enabling wholesome Lawes sent out Summons for a generall Assembly where his Royall Majestie with all the noble Elmes the grave and learned Yewes and a selected number of the choisest Poplars should meet in one Body to consult of the common Good and here you might behold a goodly sight the Epitome of all Druina But there preceded a notable act of Princely grace For whereas some out of the motions of a malevolent spirit and impostumated hearts had during the former universall Exultations of Ioy beene detected to have had a most Treasonable and dangerous Designe on foot against the Majestie of the Royall OKE whereof they had beene legally convicted and doom'd He meerely out of his inclination to Mercie wherein Kings come nearest to the Almightie sent a private Missive all of his owne Characters to pluck tnem out of the very jawes of Death even then when having
Tree which came from a low Plant to be so eminent dissuading him from ingraffing upon anothers right was taken as a block out of the way clapd in Prison and afterwards made away by Poyson Hereupon He with his new Consort being after an exact Scrutinie found by the Sages of the Law to be privie to this black Act were adjudgd to be struck off by the stroake of Iustice but by the clemencie of the Royall Oke who never quite forsooke any whom he once favourd they were still permitted to live but for ever removd from being any more so neere under the shadow of his pure and Vice-detesting boughs And as in naturall privations there is no recession to habit so is it commonly in the favour of Princes whence if one fall he is never re-admitted into that fullnesse and strength of confidence and grace But the inferiour instruments in this black Act sufferd Which gave occasion to some Critiques abroad to compare DRUINA'S Lawes to them of SOLONS that were like Cobwebs through which great Flyes broke out while the small ones were intangled Nor did the first act of this doe any good to the honour of the Civill Lawes of Druina Yet a notable piece of exemplarie Iustice was acted upon the Guardian of Druina's prime Fortresse who being found onely privie to some of these passages was doomd to death to the terror of others for betraying that high trust that belongs to that Office And his death was the more remarkable because he confess'd that Heavens just judgement was fallen upon him in regard that to restraine himselfe from Gaming whereunto he was excessively addicted he made a solemne Vow which he often broke afterwards That if he played any more above such a value he might suffer upon such a fatal Tree That nimble Eirenarch so cryed up by Reports who then stood at the Helme of the Law wherein he was so active that Druina's Monarch was usd to say He was like a Cat throw him which way you would he would light on his feet This Iusticer proceeded with that acrimonie to cut downe this now pittied great Tree with his high-descended Mate and others that of their sprigs he made a Rod for himselfe for ever after he went alwayes declining which some held to be a deserved judgement upon him in regard he was often observd to insult upon miserie and to loose a Life sooner then a Ieast when he sat upon the Tribunall of Iustice. In Ampelona also about this conjuncture of time a politique Plant of Bombicina's growth being by the favour of that stately Tree out of which the now regnant Vine sprouted forth made to over-top all the rest of the noble and Princely Elmes in that Forrest was at the Gate of the Royall Court suddenly felld draggd up and downe his privatst parts lopp'd off miserably chopp'd and the remainder of his body reducd to ashes whereof part was hurld into the ayre part into the water to extinguish the very memorie of him While this Tragique act was a perpetrating the generall Crie about him was Vivat Rex whereby was fulfilld the prediction of a Wizard with whom he had tampred not long before touching the course of his fortunes who told him That in short time they should be such that he should be carryed about the streets of Tutelia with such a publique acclamation of joy His Consort an Enchantresse as some would have her ranne the same destinie But that which made the world speake of it the more was that after he had been thus as a man would thinke quite extinguishd his Processe was formed whereby he was found guiltie of nought else that I could learne which was actionable but of Ambition which like the Crocodile never leaves growing and that being an exotique Plant he went about to take too deepe rooting in AMPELONA The procedure of this businesse seemd very strange to the world that the Royall Vine having alreadie assumd the Character of IUST should give way that such a horrid Tragedie should be acted in his owne Royall Palace for Palaces of Kings should be Sanctuaries and that the Delinquent was not proceeded against by Legall forme of Law till after this violent Death which preceded the Sentence of Condemnation He that succeeded him in favour did suddenly make such a flight that from vulgar Shrubs he made himselfe and two more which were nearest to him in stock to be rankd amongst the tallest Elmes in Ampelona yet he fell also by a kind of fatall destinie Pestilentiall though not so precipitate in the first heat of the Warres against the Eusebians to which he had incited his Royall Master What will become of Ramundas who hath the Vogue at present in comparison of whom for transcendencie of height and continuance the other two were but Mushrumps I will not undertake to divine But observd it is That the ground whereon Favourites stand is no where more slipperie and fuller of Precipices then in AMPELONA Which makes Ramundas to barricado himselfe with as much policie and strength as may be devisd against all shocks of Violence OF THE TREATIE OF an Alliance vvith ELAIANA THe treaty of an alliance twixt Druina and Elaiana a peece long hammered upon the Anvill of policy and nationall wisdome did now openly appeare and advance it selfe To which end the Royall Oke to remove all blockes that might lye in the way ridde himselfe of those places he held in deposito of the Itelians to prevent any request or proposition that should happily come that way from Elaiana And considering the daily expences Druina was at and the vast sommes she was out upon them and that most necessary dependency of conservation and community of danger that was and still must bee twixt her and Itelia this Act was not such a great soloecisme in policy as some Criticks would have it who in regard they were the very keys of Itelia and her associated Groves observd that while Druina kept them in her hands she was more awed and respected by the Willowes then she hath beene since At the close of this businesse the royall Oke did an act full of Majesty by forbearing much of those huge sommes which might have beene demanded And it was in recognition of those rich presents Carbasilis receivd when she passd through the Willowes to Baccharia To negotiat this great businesse of alliance twixt Druina and Elaiana Earle Mordogan a shrewd complying Instrument was employed and going to have his first audience a peece of the royall palace fell under him which could be no good omen Mordogan had studied the Genius of Druinas Monarke so exactly that he seldome departed from him with refusalls hee had such a rare faculty by facetious wayes to dispatch the most important affaires of state Hee employed all his art and I beleeve his heart also went along and left no stone unrolld to bring this mighty worke to passe yet so infortunate hee was that his endeavours prov'd plausible neither in Druina nor