subiecteth it selfe cōtinually to al mouings changings in the same perpetuity that the first mouer moueth formeth neuer faileth to produce these transitory things OF THE VICISSITVDE WHICH THE fower Elements haue amongst them selues and euery one by it selfe THat successiue alteration which is in the inferiour part of the world consisteth principally in the fower Elements of which it is compounded which doe receiue continual change both amongst themselues togither and eche of them seuerally First when the water is thickned it seemes to become a stone or a peece of earth when it vapours away to be breath or aire Also the aire enlightened is conuerted into fire the fire extinguished and thickned is turned into aire againe the aire thickned into mists and clouds whence proceedeth water Also we see of water earth and stones to be ingendred in such sort that they giue one to another by turne and course a continual generation Seeing then they neuer remaine in the same estate it is hard to discerne th one from the other But that which we see to be now of one forme then of another and like vnto fire we must not call it fire but like vnto fire neither water but such a thing as water and so likewise in the rest as thinges which haue not any stability Wee ought not to signifye them by names such as wee vse to demonstrate any thing as when wee say this or that for they flie and will neuer abide this demonstration being onely applyable to thinges which are stable but eche of them ought to bee called such and such according to his similitude as the fire and whatsoeuer else hath generation But that wherein they seeme to bee formed and fashioned agayne ought onely to bee designed by this or that remaining alwaie the same without diminishing either power or faculty and continually receyuing all without retayning euer any semblable forme It is the first matter exposed to all nature to receiue any forme and beyng stirred and formed by those thinges which happen on it sometimes it seemeth to be of one sorte and sometimes of another But the matter that is subiect to such à formation should not be well prepared or ordered if it were not of it selfe without forme and naturally despoyled of all the formes which it is to receiue for if it were like to any of these thinges when his contrary or any other nature should come it could not well represent it hauing the other already wherfore it behoueth it to be exempted of all shapes figures and formes which must receyue into it selfe all kindes Wee will not say than that the mother and receptacle of this inferiour world is the earth the ayre the fire the water or anything which is made of them or whereof they are made but that it is an inuisible nature without forme yet capable of any to be comprehended onely by the vnderstanding with reason and not to be perceiued by the senses that the fire seemeth to be somewhat that is heated and the water somewhat that is moistned likewise the aire and the earth according as it receiueth their formes suffering the other passions which depend of them by meanes whereof it seemeth to be of all formes But because it hath not forces or faculties neyther of the like qualitie nor of the same waight it keepeth not any equalitie but is vnequally moued or stirred of these kindes which againe are moued of it by which motion they are caried hither thither and discerned the one from the other by kinds qualities obseruing the order which is giuē them to the end that by the coherence of different bodies there should not remayne that confusion which was before the constitution of the world These foure Elements so different in natures and qualities and contrary one to another are assembled by such à proportion that those which are light are held downe by waight least they should mount higher and contrariwise the heauy least they should fall are hāged on the light ones which tend alwaies vpward remaining all by à like force cōstrained kept in their places by the perpetual circuit of the world which turning alwaies in it selfe holdeth the earth balanced in the midst as the lowest of al which againe in counterchange doth ballaunce the other Elements themselues which holde it as it were ballaunced and hanged in the midst of them The water is diffused rounde about it And the ayre is caried ouer them both making but one globe The fire is seated highest which beyng placed betweene the heauen and the aire is pure on that parte which toucheth the celestiall bodie and impure in that which is next to the ayre receyuing many chaunges in diuers formes And although in that parte next vnto heauen it haue no contrarie to corrupt it remayning in his naturall place apt for the conseruation thereof neuerthelesse the partes of it doe not alwaies perseuer in their puritie by reason of the difformitie or diuersitie of the motion which turneth it and shaketh them and forceth them downwards towards the aire euen to the earth where they perish are consumed Likewise the ayre is diuersly altered by the others which are next vnto it for being diuided into three partes the highest the middle and the lowest the highest parte next vnto the fire to the celestiall mouings and the starres is thinnest and purest the lowest next vnto the earth is thickest and grossest the meane or middlemost is temperate betwixt both yet colder notwithstanding then either of them both for the highest doth participate with the heate of the starres the inferior is warmed by the vapours proceeding from the earth and then againe by the repercussion of the Sun beams and also by the artificiall fires vsed amongst men and the naturall which are hid in the earth But the meane being secluded from both extremities doth continue in his coldnes The aire then being thus diuided is for the most part variable inconstant and changeable especially neere vnto the earth where it doth and suffereth much according to the diuers scituation of the places and according to the aspects and different course of the starres which by their contrary rising and falling doe raise exhalations and vapours from whence proceede the windes clowdes showers tempestes lightninges thunders haile frost snow and other calamities of the earth with great strife of natural things amongst themselues some striuing vpwards which are forceably kept downe by resistance of the starres others being violently caried away the raine descendeth the cloudes ascend the waters are dried the haile and snowe do fall the Sun beames reflexed doe heate the windes whirling about blow vnequally th one against thother being sometimes calme and sometimes stormie And the Northren windes are raised by Iupiter the Easterne windes by the sun the Southren by Mars the VVesterne by the Moon Or els by the foure triplicities of the twelue signes of the Zodiacke those three which are of qualitie hot and drie mouing
winde from the oriental part vnder the equinoctiall line called East the three other cold and drie raising the Southern wind comming from vnder the Pole antarticke the other three hot and moist the West winde being also vnder the equinoctiall line the other which are colde and moist the North winde comming from vnder the pole articke which windes haue their different properties according to the places from whence they proceed and where they blow mouing about the water and the earth euen as the starres by which they are raised The foure principall windes haue foure other collaterall all which eight together are called entier or whole windes betwixt whom are placed eight halfe windes and sixteene other quarters of windes and by these is all nauigation ordered But the water on which they saile being contiguous or ioyning to the aire receiueth no lesse varietie than it and maketh but one globe with the earth For as the earth being drie of his owne nature cannot endure without moisture neither should the water haue any where to abide without resting it selfe on the earth they haue therefore bin thus by nature ioyned together the one opening the vaines and conduites of the earth the other passing through it both within and without to serue instead of à bande vnto it All water of his proper motion descendeth downe from on high but in the Ocean sea which enuironeth the earth are found three motions th one from East to West another from the North towards the South the third of the daily ebbing flowing for from six houres to six it aduaunceth and enlargeth it selfe then it abateth and retyreth The which motions are seene also in the Mediterranean sea towards the bankes The cause of the first motion from East to West is the daily mouing of the firm ament by whose impetuositie all the Spheres are moued with a good part of the fire and the aire The other from the North towards the South is because that the Sea is higher in the North parts then in the South in respect that the Northren cold ingendreth more water then the Sea can containe within the space distance and heigth of his bankes and the water which is in the South part is consumed and diminished by the heat of the same So one part of the water in the North forceth downe an other on that side which is lowest and moueth accidentally from the place of his generation The third followeth the reuolution of the Moone which alwaies increasing and decreasing appeareth sometimes horned sometmes half round some times almost round and sometimes spotted then by and by cleere great when she is at full and anon she is not seen at all Sometimes she shineth all night sometimes ariseth late sometimes she shineth all day supplying the brightnes of the sunne and comming to Eclipsie yet appeareth notwithstanding and at the monethes end hideth her selfe when she is said to trauaile Sometimes also she is low and sometimes high which neuer happeneth after one sort for sometimes one would say that she were fixed to the firmament other whiles that she touched the top of the mountaines so low she is abased she is sometimes found in the South side of the heauens and sometimes we must seeke her in the North. Since then that she is so variable it is no meruaile if the ebbings and flowings of the Tydes in the sea which are caused chiefely by her are also variable First in the daily motion which the Moone maketh with the heauen in twentie fower howers there are two tydes ebbing and two flowing the sea increasing by the space of six howers and diminishing six others which are twelue And it doth asmuch in other twelue howers which are twentie fower Their augmentations are not alwaies alike in all times and places for by the space of seauen daies the waters do increase when they call them liue waters and seauen other daies they decrease when they are called dead waters In such sort that from the first day of the change of the Moone vntil the eight which is the first quarter the waters are diminished and from the said quarter vntill the fifteenth which is full Moone they are still augmented and from thence till the third quarter they goe still decreasing and from that to the coniunction they are increased againe So the first day of the Moone is chiefe of the waters and the second day the waters are yet verie great and the third in like sort but the fourth day they begin to waxe lesse and so go diminishing from day to day vntil they come to the eight for then are the low waters and on the ninth likewise and the tenth almost the same then on the eleuenth is the rising of the waters when they begin a little to augment And from that time forwarde they increase euery day vntill the fifteenth when it is full moone and then it beginneth againe to be head water and on the sixteenth it increaseth likewise and almost vnto the ende of the seuenteenth But on the eighteenth it decreaseth and goeth so diminishing euery day vntill the thirtieth when as she is in coniunction And so on the first day it beginneth againe to behead water and proceedeth thus increasing and decreasing as hath bin said Yet in these increasings the waters are not so high at one time as at another but greater at one time and lesse at another Also the ebbing and flowing of tides are not equal in all places Neuertheles when the moone is at Northeast it is full sea and when she is at Southeast it is low water Also there is nothing perpetuall in the earth sometime the sea or some other water enclosed within it breaking out forceably doth couer a part thereof sometimes againe it retireth The Riuers and fountaines are dryed vp and there arise new in other places Some Countries are turned into standing pooles and marishes others into sandie deserts others into woodes then being husbanded and laboured they become fertile of barrain and againe on the contrarie barrain of fruitful The Mountaines are made plain and the plaines are lifted vp some places are swallowed by Earthquakes or scorched by exceeding heats When it hath long bin manured it waxeth wearie then by rest and cherishing it recouereth vigour In tract of time it waxeth old if not wholie yet at the least in his parts then is renewed and becommeth young againe We see euery yeare at the spring time and beginning of Summer how being watered with small rayne caused by soft windes and moderately heated it openeth the seedes of all things which before were shut vp and putteth some of them into herbes stalkes and eares others into stems and husks others into budds others into tender tops the garden trees yeeld buds flowers leaues and fruit the forestes and woods are clothed with greene bearing on their branches and bougâ—es the birdes pricked with a desire of engendring which record by themselues their melodious songs The Fishes leape and the
straight Concerning the dayes and nightes they are alwayes alike vnder the Equinoctiall but thence they goe continually increasing and diminishing either by the opposition of the earth which maketh the night or by the roundnesse thereof which bringeth the daye They then which inhabite Northward from the Equinoctial haue their dayes increasing when the Sunne returneth from the Tropicke of Capricorne to that of Cancer and those which inhabite the South haue the contrarie namely their nights increasing in length and their daies decreasing by reason that the sunne goeth euery day farther farther from them towards the North. Also when he commeth into Aries on the eleuenth of March hee treadeth the Equinoctial line and maketh the dayes equall with the nightes on euery side but when hee hath passed the first point of Aries the dayes become longer then the nightes to those on the North and shorter to those on the South And the eleuenth of Iune when the Sunne enters into Cancer is the longest day and the shortest night and on the other side the contrarie for the Sunne is then neerest to the one and farthest from the other Also from thence forward he beginneth to discend and returning by little and little maketh the dayes shorter and the nightes longer to them which inhabite Northward and contrarywise to the inhabitantes of the South Moreouer when he is in Libra the thirteenth of September he traceth againe the Equinoctiall line and then are the nights and the daies equall But from thence he discendeth towards the signe of Capricorne and the nights become longer then the daies to them that dwel in the North and the daies longer and shorter nights to those of the South Finally being come to the Tropick of Capricorne he maketh to vs heere the shortest day and the longest night and in the South the longest day and shortest night For this is also a place wher the sunne is neerest to the one and farthest from the other And by how much the Pole is eleuated aboue the Horizon of euery habitation the daies and nights are so much the longer In somuch that they which haue their Zenith vnder the Circle articke and to whom the Pole is raised aboue their Horizon 66. degrees and a halfe when the sunne commeth into the first point of Cancer on the eleuenth of Iune they haue a day of 24. howers and their night is almost as an instant because the sunne toucheth their Horizon but a moment for that day And on the thirteenth of December when the Sunne is in the first degree of Capricorne they haue then a night of 24. howers and in a maner but a moment of day by reason that the sunne toucheth their Horizon in an instant and by and by setteth and they account this small touch for a day They which are vnder the Antarticke circle haue the cleane contrarie And those which haue their Zenith betweene the Circle and the Pole of the world while the Sunne is going towards the North that which their Horizon discouereth of the Equinoctiall shal be vnto them for one day And if it be the quantitie of one signe their day shall endure one Moneth and if of two signes it shal be of two Monethes and so for the rest And he which shal be vnder one of the Poles shall haue all the yeare long but one day and one night In such sort that if he were vnder the Pole Artick those sixe Monethes in which the sunne is going towards the North shal be a day vnto him without night and the other sixe Monethes while the Sunne is going towards the South should be a night vnto him without any day And on the contrarie to those which are vnder the Pole Antartick In so much that halfe the yeare shal be vnto them a day and the other halfe a night by reason of the roundnes of the world which waxeth lesse and lesse toward the Poles So their Horizon which are neerest to the Poles discouereth the greatest part of the day which the sunne maketh when he goeth on their side the earth and water not hindering them of the sight of the sunne all the time that he ascendeth and discendeth vntil he commeth to that place where their Horizon doth not discouer any thing of the Circle or course which he maketh about the world and also by how much that part is greater so much shall the day be longer Manie do erre thinking the increasing and decreasing of daies to proceede equally throughout the yeare because that in deede they increase as much in the one onely moneth of March as they did in the monethes of Ianuarie and Februarie together And on thother side they are shortned as much in the one onely moneth of September as they were afore in Iuly and August The cause is for that the Sunne on the twelfth of March parting from out the Equinoctiall and returning towardes the North vntill the twelfth of Aprill maketh twelue degrees and from the twelfth of Aprill vntill the twelfth of May eight and from the twelfth of May to the eleuenth of Iune that he commeth into the Tropicke three and a halfe which are together 23. degrees and a halfe which is the greatest declyning of the sunne In such sort that he separateth himselfe the first moneth by th one halfe of his declining and the second moneth a third part and the third a sixth part And so the length of the day is equall with the night on the eleuenth of March and from thence vnto the eleuenth of Aprill the day increaseth th one halfe of his whole increase and from the twelfth of Aprill vntill the twelfth of May it increaseth a third part and from the twelfth of May to the eleuenth of Iune it increaseth a sixth part In the vttermost North of Moscouia the day and the night are each of them three monethes in the time of the Solstices During the Summer time in May Iune and Iuly there is day continually In the Winter time in Nouember December and Ianuarie continuall night In Februarie March and Aprill first the day is short the night long and on the contrarie in August the night short in October long Of the diuersitie of Shadowes there fall out three sorts of habitations which we are constrained to expresse in Greeke words because we haue no other They are the Amphiscians Eteroscians and Periscians Amphiscians are they which haue their shadowes on both sides of them Northward and Southward such as are the inhabitants betweene the two Tropickes and vnder the Equinoctial as the Ethiopians Arabians and Indians Eteroscians which haue their shadowes turned on th one side inhabiting the temperate zones betweene the Polarie and Tropick circles such are towards the North the Spaniards Frenchmen Englishmen Italians and Greekes Periscians are they which haue their shadowes round about them in forme of milstones such are they which dwell vnder the Poles hauing but one day and one night in the whole yeare and alway the same six signes
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
thereon it wil bee founde by true reason of Cosmography that they neuer possessed the twelfth part of the earth ZENON the first authour of the secte of the Stoickes ymagined an vniuersall forme of gouernement tending to this that all men should not liue by townes peoples and nations being separated by particular lawes rightes and customes but that they should account themselues fellow citizens and that there was but one sorte of life as there is but one world no otherwise then as if it were but one flocke feeding vnder one shepheard in common pastures PLATO also wished that there were on earth but one king as there is in heauen but one God to th end that the humaine gouernement might therein resemble the diuine which Lord of the world as a true shepheard of mankind should loue al men indifferently as his naturall subiectes maintayning them with good maners lawes iudgements and assured entercourse both by sea and lande so great a prince not bearing enuy to any person and hauing no occasion to enlarge his frontiers by ambition which would be the cause of ceasing so many enmities warres slaughters spoiles and robberies happening amongst men through the pluralitie and dissentions of gouernements Which matters being by them grauely and magnificently propounded are much more easie to bee wished then effected considering the diuersity of tongues dissimilitude of maners and customes varietie of sects and vanity of opinions that raigne amongest men and make them to lose that loue which is wished amongest them hindering the establishing of one vniuersall common wealth of all and consequently a Monarchie of people so much differing in estimation of diuine and humaine right and the religion and seruice of God One man alone can not possesse all the earth the greatest part of it being drowned by the sea and in some places where it is vncouered of waters being vnhabitable thorough excessiue heate or cold And if he should possesse it hee would straight forget himselfe in so great authoritie and libertie and become proud beyond measure waxing tyrannicall and insupportable as it happened to Cambyses to Nero to Sesostris to Attila to Tamberlan and to Alexander the great who thorough extreeme ouerweening would be accounted and called the sonne of God and for his insolencie was poisoned by his most familiar friends and as it happened to OCTAVIAN AVGVSTVS who suffered Temples to be consecrated to him and diuine honours to be giuen him in his life time Considering also that there is a certaine measure and proportion of greatnes in Townes Cities and States euen as in liuing creatures plantes and instruments which when it exceedeth loseth his nature and vse As it befell vnto this ROMAINE EMPIRE which being clymed vp to an incomparable greatnesse and inestimable wealth did fall est soones into great calamities and was finally ouerthrowen as others had bin before it which we wil compare togither setting downe their similitudes and differences A COMPARISON OF THE ROMAIN Empire with the Assyrian Median Persian Macedonian and Parthian AMongest the great auncient kingdomes the ASSYRIAN was excellent in nobility mighty in armes large in compasse of land and in continuance admirable which being augmented by Belus Ninus and Semiramis and enlarged by the spacious countries of Asia was the first that amongest all other Empires which it farre exceeded obtayned the name of an established Monarchie and for the space of a thousand three hundred and threescore yeres vnder thirtie eight kinges florished greatly After followed that of the MEDES which vnder nine kings continued CClxj yeres well gouerned in peace and warre Then raigned the PERSIANS who hauing added Egypt vnto their dominion and increased their strength and riches when they had prospered two hundred and thirtie yeres they lost their state vnder Darius their fourteenth king From that time forwarde the MACEDONIANS by the successe and conduct of Alexander obtained the rule ouer Asia which they lost one hundred and twenty yeres after giuing occasion by their ciuill dissentions to the Parthians in the East and to the Romaines in the West to increase and grow great Then the Romaines towardes the West seasing the Macedonian Seigniorie which though it were great indeed yet was but weake by the diuision of the princes who had parted it betweene them established the greatest and fairest Empire that euer was For if all the famous Monarckes amongest the straungers bee compared vnto the Romaine Emperours there will not bee founde any amongest them that haue done greater thinges either in peace or warre or that haue more enlarged their Empire and longer maintained it The AssyriaÌ„s went not out of Asia The Medians endured only cclx yeres the Persians hauing ouercome the Medes obtained almost al Asia but when they assailed Europe they little preuailed And the Persians being ouerthrowen the Macedonian Empire was greater then al the former but it endured but a whiles For incontinently after the death of Alexander being deuided into many Lordships it was easily supplanted by the Romaines And although it were very â—arge yet it went not into spacious Africk sauing where it reacheth vnto Egypt neither possessed all Europe being bounded on the north with the countrey of Thrace and towards the West with the Adriaticke sea But the ROMAIN EMPIRE extended into Europe Asia and Africk from the Orcades and Thule on the one side Spaine and Mauritania on the other euen to the hill Caucasus and the riuer Euphrates and the higher Ethiopia trauersing the countrey of Egypt and of Arabia euen to the East sea being the first and only which to this present hath made the East and West his limits and hath endured longer then any other excepting the Assyrian Touching the PARTHIAN which was at the same time when the Romain opposed against it being encreased with the ruines of the Macedonian in the East as the Romain was also in the west albeit it was very great and terrible vnto all the East as comprehending eighteene kingdomes betweene the Caspian and the red sea and being far stretched out towarde the Indies and famous by many ouerthrowes which it had giuen to the Romaines as namely by the death of Crassus and shameful retreat of Antonius yet obtained it but one part of Asia and receaued some kings from Rome which being begon by Arsaces endured only cccclxiij yeres vnder twenty and seanâ—n kings And the second PERSIAN also was of no greater circuit which was set vp by the Persian Artaxerxes hauing ouercome in three battailes and in the end slaine Artabanus the last king of the Parthians and ended cccxiij yeres after it was restored being ouerthrowen vnder Hormisdas the xxviij king by the Arabians THE BIRTH OF ROME AND CONTI nuance thereof compared to the foure Ages of mans life AS the Astrologers say that cities haue their reuolutions and prefixed times of continuance which is knowen by the situation of starres at the day of their natiuities For this cause Tarucius a Romaine in the time of Cicero and of
and sciences THE VICISSITVDE of Townes SOme Towns and Cities begin others end others increase others diminish cōming of little to be great of great little some are ouerthrowen by warres others by sedition others by long peace turned into loosenes or by pompe and prodigalitie pernitious to great riches or by casuall chaunces of fire inundation of waters or Earthquakes or els by old age which consumeth all things Niniue so great so faire and sumptuous was distroyed by Arbaces and the Medians Carthage by Scipio and the Romaines By tract of time the greatest part of Babylon hath bin turned vnto tillage and at this day is nothing or els hath chaunged his name Athens is reduced into a little village Troy into Champaigne Ierusalem so famous throughout the scripture hath bin often distroied and reedified Thebes was sometime the fairest Citie not onely of Egypt but of the whole world the magnificence of which was diminished by the increase of Memphis And that of Memphis by the edification and augmentation of Alexandria holden for the chiefe or second Citie in the world Rome began when Babylon ended and Constantinople is growen vp by the spoile of Rome the Empire being transported thither with his chiefe forces and riches Lions first scituated on a hill was burned then reedified below Elice and Buria drowned In auncient time there were in Candie 100. Townes which are now reduced vnto three On the contrarie in Germany there were no Townes there are at this day the fairest the strongest and best gouerned that are any where The Arabians and Tartarians march by great troupes representing great walking cities In other places are seen veriefaire Cities which were not in former time As Cair Alep Tauris Mosko Prague Cracouia Nugradia Antwerp London Lishbon Paris Roan Mexico in Temistiten Venice Cambalu Quinzay Meace in Gyapan Malach and Ormus THE VICISSITVDE OF COMMON Weales Kingdomes and Empires THe first and chiefest forme of Ciuil gouernment is a Monarchie erected naturally which by good establishment begetteth a Kingdom or Roialtie but when a Roialtie falleth into those vices which are neerest i◠as into Tyrannie of their abolition ariseth Aristocratie which is commonlie chaunged into Oligarchie And when the Communaltie reuengeth the iniustice of the Gouernors there followeth a Democratie by the outrages and iniquities whereof is againe erected the Ochlocratie Such is the naturall reuolution of gouernments according vnto which the estate of the common wealth is chaunged and translated and againe returneth to the same Yf the vertue of commaunders were alwaies alike the affaires of men would go better and more certainlie without being transported to and fro and incessantly altered for aucthoritie is easilie maintayned by the same meanes by which it is gotten but where for diligence idlenes for continencie and equitie couetousnes and pride do take place there the fortune chaungeth with the maner of their lyuing Wherefore the Kingdoms and Empires are translated continually from the lesse apt and able to those that more chaunging from familie to familie and from nation to nation As by the variable course of the Moone is gouerned the great Sea mouing or appeasing his waues aduauncing or withdrawing the flowing and the ebbing of the tydes so are by the vnstabilitie of fortune and mens want of wisdom publike states increased diminished exalted abased changed destroied conuerted and put ouer from some vnto others those that are best gouerned hauing their power more assured and durable then the rest and yet none being perpetuall for asmuch as they are corrupted in length of yeares whatsoeuer good orders there are at the beginning if heed be not carefully taken in reforming them often and reducing them as much as is possible to their first integritie We see that a Lordship well founded doth prosper a time by the goodnes of the gouernment and goeth from good to better drawing in a right line towards the midst or the highest of his true politique course afterwards declineth from high to low or from the midst to the extremitie True it is that where th one endeth thother beginneth and is aduaunced by the ruyne of the former or many smal are reduced into one great and that great one diuided into lesser THE VICISSITVDE AND variety of Tongues LIkewise the Tongues words writings and Characters are continually changed hauing no better hap then other humaine things which do change ordinarily with their words namely maners of liuing both publike and priuate customes meates lawes habits and garments edifices buildings armes engines and instruments They haue a beginning continuance perfection corruption and alteration Some are altogether lost others do spring out of the former beeing corrupted and mingled others after they haue bin long time disanulled are restored They are maintayned with their proprietie sweetnes and elegancie with the sciences which are written in them thorough the power and greatnes of Empire and by religions with which meanes they are largely spread abroad in diuers Countries and endure long as also they are lost by the contrarie THE VICISSITVDE of Artes. BY the same order and interchangeable course the Arts and Sciences being small at beginning do augment by little and little and come vp to their perfection whether after they are once come they fall eftsoones and finally perish thorough the slouth of men or by the calamitie of warres long continued or by the tyrannie of barbarous people Then when they haue bin a while let downe they arise againe and successiuelie recouer their former strength Which hath giuen occasion to some excellent Philosophers and Astrologers to thinke that the same Sciences haue sundrie times bin inuented before time out of minde and lost againe as they may be againe also in time to come seeing that power and wisedom leaue not long each other but ordinarily keepe good companie together As I haue obserued within these three thousand yeares to haue falne out fiue or sixe times at certain seasons finding the excellency of armes and learning to haue bin first in Egipt Assyria Persia and Asia the lesser consequently in Greece Italie and Sarasmenia and finallie in this age in which we see almost all auncient liberal and Mechanical arts to be restored with the tongues after that they had bin lost almost twelue hundred yeares and other new inuented in their places Wherein shal be employed all the discourse ensuing depending on the former which we will begin with the Tongues with which are preserued and lost all humaine arts and affaires The end of the first Booke OF THE VICISSITVDE AND varietie of Tongues The second Booke GOD creating Man gaue him for a great and excellent gift the vse of Reason and Speech and by these two prerogatiues hath separated him from other Creatures But reason would little helpe him and would lesse appeare in him if he could not by speech expresse that which before hee had conceiued in his mind for the beastes seeme to yeeld vnto him rather in speech then vnderstanding doing finely and
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
beasts amidst the greene pastures skip vp and downe being inflamed with loue In briefe euery thing springeth groweth embelisheth florisheth and fructifieth all things are renewed On the contrarie when Autumne and Winter do returne all is full of horror and of sadnes cold raine dirt sleete hayle snow frost yce foggy mists long nights and almost continuall darknes We trauaile the earth day and night more to satisfie our pleasures then for our necessarie norishment And notwithstanding that which it endureth superficially might seeme tollerable if we did not pierce it so farre as to seeke gold and siluer brasse copper lead tinne yron stones to build and others accounted precious in the entrailes therof Neither is it onely thus vexed by men but it seemeth that the three other Elements haue conspired the ruin of this one alone without speaking of the heauen it selfe which by his vntemperate disposition hath cut off a great part therof Might it not haue sufficed the Sea to haue compassed it and to haue cut off a great part therof without stretching it selfe into it in so many gulfes little distant the one from the other breaking through mountaines and making violent ruptures as though it would spread it selfe ouer all Then so many riuers lakes marishes so many standing pooles as are throughout so many springs and little brooks so many swift and raging streames The aire shaketh it causing it to lose that naturall propertie of beeing immoueable ouerwhelming not onely fieldes houses townes cities but whole nations and countries oftentimes not leauing any appearance whereby one may see that there haue bin such Then the fire being so fertile that it ingendreth of it selfe and groweth of little sparks becomming in an instant great and impetous burneth it in many places both without and within beeing dispersed about the chimnies arysing out of billets and sticks-ends beaten together appearing thorough the cloudes or comming of lightning kindled by burning glasses opposed to the sunne which also with the other starres doth drie and scorch it excessiuely in some seasons and countries It is a meruaile that being so vexed on all parts it is not already consumed but so farre are these great and violent calamities from distroying it that they rather helpe to the conseruation thereof For the Earthquakes by the openings which they make draw out the corrupted windes which were kept in the entrailes of it and caused within such disordered noise the inundations do clense the filth the heats digest those humors which they find too grosse as the colds and frosts do moderate that which is inflamed HOW ALL THINGS IN THE WORLD are tempered and conserued by vnlike and contrarie things IN like maner is the Earth and euery other thing in the world tempered and conserued by things of dislike and contrarie qualitie It is not then without cause that nature is so desirous of contraries making of them all decency and beautie not of things which are of like nature This kind of tempering is the cause that such things as before were diuers and different do accord and agree together to establish intertain and embellish one an other the contrarietie becomming vnitie and the discord concord the enmitie amitie and contention couenant Wherefore Heraclitus said that discord and concord were the father and mother of all things And Homer that whosoeuer spake euill of contention did blame nature Empedocles maintayned not of discord by it selfe but that with concord it was the beginning of all things meaning by discord the varietie of things that are assembled and by concord the vnion of them But the vnion in this assemblie ought to exceede the contrarietie Otherwise the thing should be dissolued the principles diuiding themselues So we see in the Heauen contrarie mouings to preserue the world Venus placed in the midst neere vnto Mars to asswage his fircenes which of his owne nature is corruptiue And Iupiter next vnto Saturne to mitigate his malice The inferiour world composed of contrarie elements to maintaine it selfe by the proportion which they haue together and the natures made of them to preserue themselues by the temperature of different qualities which being simple in their nature without any maner of mixtion or composition and contrarie one to the other when they are compared in their qualities in the highest degree yet of them are all thinges compounded and by their commixtion is the beginning of all generation There are found in the bodie of the world Earth Water Aire Fire Sunne Moone and other starres There is matter forme priuation simplicitie mixtion substance quantitie qualitie action and passion In mans bodie bloud flegme choler melancholie flesh bones sinewes vaines arteries head eies nose eares hands feete braine hart liuer and splene In the oeconomical bodie husband wife children Lord slaue master and seruant In the politike bodie Iustice Fortitude Prudence Temperance Religion warfare iudgement counsaile magistrates and priuate men noble and base rich and poore young and olde weake and stronge good and euill labourers artificers merchants retaylers and cariers which are all dislike parts and the most of them contrarie conioyned together by due conueniency Art imitating nature in the painting of blacke white greene blew yellow red and other mingled colours representeth the portraitures conuenient to those things for the which they are made And in Musick of high and low long and short is made an accord Grammer consisteth of letters vowels and mutes The Sciences can not well be taught without comparing of contraries th one being considered principally and in regard of that one thother accidentally that it may be auoyded As Physicke doth accidentally treat of sicknes to the end to be the better able to preserue health and to auoyd the other The Ethicke and Politicke science doe not onelie shew what is honest iust and profitable but also that which is dishonest vniust and domageable Insomuch that we may say in all cases that contraries when they are put neere one to the other they appeare the more cleerely Euen as want maketh riches to be the more esteemed and the obscuritie of darkenesse commendeth the cleerenesse of light The sweetnesse of the Springtime is more esteemed by the sharpenesse of Winter the happinesse of peace by the calamities of warre and faire weather after long rayne So it seemeth that the good can not be knowen without the euill and although they be contrarie yet haue they such a coniunction that in taking of one both are tane away For the good can not be vnderstood nor esteemed but by conferring of it with euill to auoid it neither the euill shunned and eschewed except that which is good be throughlie knowen Plato sayth the like of pleasure and sorrow that although they be two thinges contrarie and repugnant betweene them selues and can not bee together in one person yet neuerthelesse if any one follow and receiue the one he is for the most part euer constrained to take the other as if they were both in one point and
variable and to vnderstand the causes therof cherishing principally amongst all their senses their sight and hearing which do helpe them to haue knowledge but the sight most of all where hence hath begun this knowledge by admiration for seeing the Heauen the Sunne the Moone the Starres and hauing knowen by their eyes the difference of daies and nights the reuolutions of the monethes and the yeares they applied themselues to contemplate the disposition of the world and to seeke out the secrets of nature First necessitie as hath bin said taught them the arts necessarie vnto life after followed those which serue for pleasure ornament and magnificence And after they had gotten opportunitie and leasure they began to consider all things contayned in the world being innumerable in multitude and admirable in beautie inquiring after their properties agreements and differences whereof they were made what they became when and how they perished what in them was mortall and corruptible and what diuine and perpetual They were so desirous to learne that dwelling and liuing here on earth so little while they durst vndertake to know not onely what is aboue vnder and in the earth as the nature of all sortes of liuing creatures and qualities of mettals but also the nature of the Ocean and of all waters and fishes that liue therein Then mounting into the aire they inquired of the winds of the raines haile snow thunder lightning and other accidents appearing in the middle Region thereof they ascended by vnderstanding and by art euen into Heauen which they haue indeuoured to compasse round imagining two Poles and one Axeltree to sustain it distinguishing the planets from the fixed starres inuenting the Zodiack obseruing the Solstices and Equinoxes the causes of the equalitie shortnes and length of daies and nights the reasons of shadowes the maner of discribing and measuring the world of sayling out of one Countrie into an other guiding the way by the windes and starres whose mouings coniunctions and oppositions they haue diligently obserued their greatnes quicknes or slownes colours shinings serenities heats colds and the power which they haue on theis inferiour things and the good or ill which they signifie And wholie and altogether the agreement and sympathie of heauen and earth from whence as from a perpetuall spring floweth this vniuersall aboundance by which this world is vncessantly restored and renewed Their industrie hath pierced thorough all neither the thicknesse of the earth nor the depth of the Sea nor the varietie of the aier neither the heat and brightnes of the fire nor the spacious largenesse of Heauen could amaze their vnderstanding Moreouer they which were most speculatiue considering the feeblenes of the senses the multitude of sensible things so small that they can not be perceiued or so moueable that they are without certaintie that our life is short all full of opinions and customes and all enuironed with darknes and hidden haue thought that by humane discourse nothing could be certainly knowen nothing vnderstood and comprehended but that separating our selues from sight and hearing and from the whole bodie we ought to take the thought of the mind and by the vnderstanding which is in the Soule as the sight is in the bodie to endeuour to know the reason of euery thing and that which is in it pure and cleane alwaies simple and vniforme without euer being changed by generation and corruption These haue passed the vault of heauen so far distant from the earth and came to the place aboue with-drawing themselues by contemplation from the world towards God from darknes to light from corruption to eternitie from ignorance to wisdom satisfied as they say of all their desire and inioying the knowledge of the trueth which is of things that are alwaies alike not receiuing any mutation wherefore they haue called this inferiour part of the world where there is almost nothing certain and few things certainly knowen the region of falshod and opinion and the other superiour knowen by reason and intelligence where are the formes and exemplaries of things the seat of trueth In this progresse of knowledge they haue knowen some things by natural instinct without learning others by obseruation vse and experience others by reasonable discourse and demonstrations and others by diuine inspiration But there is such pleasure in this contemplation that they which with a good will giue themselues to it do easily forgo all other delights and are so constant and perseuerant that they admit them not at any time neither fearing domage nor losse of goods nor the blame of the people and ignominie but are readie to endure all kind of crosses and calamities euen to the suffering of voluntarie pouertie which gaue occasion to people in times past to say that Atlas sustained heauen on his shoulders and that Endymion had long time slept with the Moone and that Prometheus was tied to the high mountain Caucasus with a Vulture feeding on his liuer Meaning by such tales to signifie vnto vs the great and maruailous studie which these excellent persons bestowed in contemplation of celestiall and naturall things Democritus hauing begun to withdraw his mind from his senses put out his owne eies Anaxagoras forsook his patrimonie What exceeding pleasure had Aristotle teaching not onely Athens and all Greece but also the vniuersal world discouering the secrets of nature before vnknowen and hidden in profound obscuritie magnifying and boasting himselfe with good reason that he had attayned thither whereno other Greeke nor Egiptian had euer come What contentment receiued Plato who did write at 90. yeares of age and euen the verie day that he deceased who was for his excellent knowledge honoured in Greece Sicile and Italie aboue the common estimation of men esteemed by Kings admired of people and hath alwaies bin reuerenced by all such as desired to haue knowledge of diuine and humaine things So men moued by nature with a desire of knowledge and of the pleasure which is found therein haue inuented Grammer Rhetoricke and Logicke for speach Oration and disputation Poesie for composition of verses and rimes Arithmeticke to number Geometrie for measure and weight And passing farther haue come to Musicke consisting in concord of voices and sounds and in obseruation of due proportions Astrologie which serues for consideration of celestiall things Physicke of naturall things and Metaphysicke of supernaturall Theologie of diuine things Ethicke for institution of priuate maners Economicke for houshold Politicke for gouernments and states and Nomotechnicke for knowledge exposition or interpretation of Lawes Such hath bin their dexteritie in the inuenting of liberall and mechanicall sciences But although there are euery where found people capable of knowledge so that they be duely instructed yet notwithstanding there are some more ingenious and inuentiue then the rest and more apt to certaine sciences either by naturall inclination and influence of the heauens or by the situation of the Countrie wherein they are borne or by exercise which they vse
they killed one an other with their presse and disorder And when the greatest part of such as had escaped this ouerthrow were passed ouer the bridge which was made with boates on the riuer Indus Semiramis caused it to be broken and the king being warned by prodigious apparitions not to go beyond the bridge ceased the pursuit Such was the proofe of the Indian power Touching their wisdom the Brachmans made profession therof amongst them naked and austere being holiemen liuing according to their Lawes intending altogether the contemplation of God without making any prouision of vittailes for the earth furnished them alwaies with new and fresh the riuers gaue them drink and the leaues â—â—lling of the trees and the grasse yeelded them lodging And there was not onâ— amongst them reputed a holie or happie man if while he was yet liuing of perfect memorie and vnderstanding he did not separate his soule from his bodie with fire and did not go pure and cleane out of the flesh hauing consumed whatsoeuer was mortall in him And whereas the people were diuided into seauen sortes and degrees they were the first in dignitie being exempted from all charges not subiect vnto any man nor ruling ouer any but as men acceptable vnto the Gods and reputed to knowe all that is done in Hell they receyued of euery one his oblation made for sacrifices and tooke the care and charge of the dead receiuing great guists by occasion thereof Assembling and gathering themselues togither at beginning of the yere they fortold of drouths raines windes diseases and other things the knowledge whereof brought great profit to the people Their Artisans were very good as being brought vp in a pure and cleane aire drinking nothing but good and wholsomewaters The gouermeÌ„ts of the Indians being diuided into many parts it was not permitted vnto any to change his maner of liuing not seeming reasonable vnto them that a man of warre should till the earth nor that a Philopher should become an Artisan On the other part the ETHIOPIANS vaunted them selues to bee the first created of al the men in the world that they were brought sorth by the earth for considering that the heate of the sunne in drying the earth when it was moist had giuen life to all things it was also coÌ„sequent that in places neerest vnto the suÌ„ne there were procreated from the beginning al kind of liuing creatures They said that religion adoration of the gods was first sound out amongst them and the sacrifices processions pompes solemnities and al such things by the which honour was giuen them of men of the which they had such recoÌ„pense that they were neuer vanquished nor ouercom by any strange king that alwaies they had remained in liberty And howbeit diuers princes had assaied with great armies to bring them in subiection yet none of theÌ„ had enioyed their Empire Moreouer that they were the first that had inuented the formes and vse of letters and giuen themselues to the study of Astrology as well by reason of their quick wits and sharpnes of vnderstanding whereby they exceed all other nations as by the oportunitie of the Countrey which they inhabite and that therfore they haue continual serenity and tranquility of the aire and haue not the seasons of the yere disordered and variable but liue alwaies in one temperature Moreouer that the Egyptians were discended of them the Priests of both nations obseruing the same order and maner of doing their sacrifices vsing the like vestures and ornaments For the prerogatiue of antiquity there was in times past great contention between the Egyptians and the Scythians For the EGYPTIANS sayde that from the beginning when the world was created where other lands burned on the one side by ouergreat heate of the sunne others on thother side were frozen thorough the extremity of the colde in such sort that they could neither bring forth new men nor receiue straungers if any had come thither and especially before garments were inuented to keepe men from colde and heate and the artificiall remedies to correct the ill disposition of places Egypt hath alwaies bin so temperate that the inhabitants thereof are not molested with the great cold of winter nor with the heat of Sommer Also the land is so fruitfull there of all thing necessary for the life of man that not any where els is found a land so plentifull Wherefore reason would haue it that men should be first borne in that Countrey where they might best and with most ease be nourished On the contrary the SCYTHIANS saide that the temperatnes serued to no purpose to proue the antiquitie for when nature parted and deuided extreme heat extreme cold into diuers regions it is to be thought that the land which first remained vncouered vnclothed of theis two extreme qualities did incontinently bring forth men and beasts which might there bee nourished And concerning trees and other fruits they were varied according to the estate of the Countries And for as much as the Scythians haue a sharper aire then the Egyptians so are there bodies and their vnderstandings harder also then theirs Neuerthelesse if the frame of the world which is now diuided into two partes hath bin sometime all one whether the whole earth were inclosed and inuironed with water or that the fire which hath engendred all things held and possessed the whole world in both cases the Scythians were the first For if the fire possessed al it must needs be that by little little it was quenched to make place for the habitable earth In which case it is to be thought that it was first quenched on the north side because it is the coldest region and the Scythians are seated there whence it cometh to passe that euen at this present it is the coldest countrey that is knowen And in regard of Egypt and all the East we must thinke that the heate was there but lately remitted For yet at this day they haue meruailous heate there when the sunne is at highest Also if the whole earth were at the first enuironed with water it is to bee thought that the places that are hyghest were first discouered and that where the earth is lowest there the water remained longest and by consequent that there where the earth was first discouered and dryed there began first all liuing things to be ingendred But the countrey of the Scythians is higher then all other lands as appeareth by this that all the riuers which do arise there discend to the poole Meotis and from thence do take their course into the Ponticke Sea and into Egypt which Countrey of Egypt is so lowe and so subiéct to waters that although so many Kings thoroughout so many ages haue with great diligence and expence made so many rampyers so many bankes and dyches to keepe the land from being ouerflowen by the impetuosity of riuers because that when they held them in on oneside they ran out on the
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
rather then true warres if we beleeue Blondus Flauius the Historiographer militarie discipline being all obserued in these partes and men effeminated by delightes and blynded by their mutual and friuolous dissentions diminishing from day to day their valiancy and reputation As touching battailes Herodotus affirmeth that of all those which were euer fought by the Barbarians the sharpest and most furious was betweene TOMYRIS the Queene of the Massagetes and CYRVS where was ouerthrowen a great part of the Persian armie and Cyrus himselfe slaine Xenophon reckoneth for great battailes those two which Cyrus obtained against the Assyrians and the Lydians in which th one King was slaine and thother taken We may also put amongst the principal battailes those three which ALEXANDER wan of DARIVS King of Persia Those which were betweene SCIPIO and HANNIBAL and betweene POMPEY and CESAR at Pharsalia Between ATTILA king of the Hunnes on the one part and the Romaines Frenchmen and Gothes on thother in the playne of Chaalons where remained a hundred and fourescore thousand parsons in the place That which CHARLES MARTEL had at Tours against the Sarazens where were slaine three hundred and threescore thousand Vnto which wee may compare that which TAMBERLAN gaue to BAIAZET OTTOMAN where were slaine two hundred thousand Turkes AMVRATH to LANCELOT King of Poland and Hongary at Varne where he was slaine The two which SELIM got on the SOPHI at Calderan and on the SOVLDAN in Suria the most renowmed that were fought these thousand yeres The most memorable auncient sieges of places are that of TROY by the Greekes where they continued ten yeres and in the end tooke it in the night time by deuice of BABYLON by Cyrus and by Darius of MESSENE by the Lacedemonians where they remained likewise ten yeres hauing bound themselues by oath not to depart til they had taken it Herodotus writeth that Psamneticus king of Egypt held AZOTVS a citie of Suria be sieged for the space of ninteene yeres and was so obstinate in his purpose that he would not depart til he had taken it The same Authour saying that of all the townes that he had euer knowen it had endured the longest siege Moreouer Alexander besieged Tyre Marcellus Syracusa Hannibal Sagunt Scipio Carthage and Numantia Numantius Corinth Iulius Cesar Vxellodun Alexia Auaric Gergobie and Marseilles Vespasian and his sonne Titus Ierusalem Alaricus Attila and Gensericus Rome Wee may put amongst the new sieges which we will compare with the auncients that of CONSTANTINOPLE by Mahomet accompained with two hundred thousand Turkes who tooke it by assault when hee was but two and twentie yeres old of GRANADO by king Ferdinand and Queene Isabel where they continued seauen yeres before they could take it on the Moores of RHODES by Sultan Soliman compassing it with three hundred thousand men who finally obtained it by composition of BELGRADO at the entrance of Hongary a very strong citie and of MALTA also by him which he coulde not take although his men did their vttermost but conquered Signet in Hongarie when he died It is not long sithence Florence sustained a siege a whole yeare togither before the common wealth was brought into a Dukedome But the sieges of Rhodes and Malta were more by sea then by land and may be compared to the sieges of Tyre Syracusa Carthage Numantia and Marseilles which in like maner were rather on sea then on land The battaile by sea which the VENETIANS got not long sithence of the Turkes doth not yeld any whit to the most renowmed of the auncients as that of the ROMAINS against the ARMORICANS that of DEMETRIVS the sonne of Antiochus king of Suria and PTOLOMEY king of Egypt Betweene PHILIP king of Macedonia and ATTALVS king of Pergamus betweene OCTAVIVS CESAR and MARCVS ANTONIVS before Actium It is true that the ancients were more mighty by sea then wee but for want of vnderstanding and skill in nauigation they made infinite shipwrackes and receiued inestimable losses The onely citie of Athens kept somtimes three hundred gallies And nowe the Turke who is so riche and so mighty cannot rig forth set to sea and maintaine so many Xerxes when hee went into Greece had three thousand vessels Alexander when he died caused a thousand to be prepared to go into Africk and to assaile Carthage The Romaines and Carthaginians in the warres which they had long time togither lost an infinite number of ships Dionise the tyrant of Syracuse had foure hundred vessels with oares Moreouer the auncients made gallies of v. vj. vij viij ix x. oares in a seate yea euen to xxx Those of this time are but of iij. and at Venice it hath bin a difficult thing to build one of fiue oares These fiue hundred yeres the Venetians and Genuoises haue bin Maisters of the Mediterranean sea and haue fought sharpely thereon one against the other for the chiefe superintendance thereof The Venetians at length haue had the better and are mighty theron at this day In the Ocean the Portugales Castilians and Englishmen by dexteritie knowledge and skill of nauigating hold the chiefe commendation in this exercise hauing excelled the Tyrians Egyptians Phenicians Rhodians Romaines Carthaginians Marsilians Armoricians and all others that euer medled with long voiages and discoueries of landes that were before vnknowen hauing gon round about the world by their nauigations which the auncients neuer did nor could or durst vndertake to doe A COMPARISON OF NAVIGATIONS and discoueries of Countries Peregrinations and voyages by land HOmer and Orpheus haue songe in their verses how all the habitable earth is enuironed with the Ocean as an Isle And the Cosmographers affirme that the earth and water make but one globe which hath bin wholly compassed in our time in three yeres by the nauigation of MAGELLAN and his fellowes In ancient time the North was sailed by the commandement of AVGVSTVS as far as the Baltick sea and Borussia where the Amber groweth Now the ENGLISHMEN and the NORMANS go easily into Moscouia passing the sea of Y ce at such time as it is vnfrozen Touching the innermost and farthest part of the North the Auncients knew no farther then the riuer of Tanais diuiding Asia from Europe At this day all is knowen euen to the Pole and the most part reduced to the Christian religion by the SVEVIANS and MOSCOVITES Which on the other side was knowen by the MACEDONIAN armes during the raigne of Seleucus and Antiochus from the Indian sea vnto the Caspian And about the Caspian sea were discouered many bankes as towardes the East was visited a great part of the south sea by the victories of ALEXANDER the great HANNO also a riche Carthaginian Lord sayled from Gibraltar into the Arabian sea behinde Africke hauing set downe his voyage in writing In our time the Castilians haue sayled beyonde the Canaries and bearing towardes the West passed vnto our Perieces which they haue subdued to the Crowne of Spaine with many Cities and large countries full