BABYLON, A PART OF THE second WEEK OF GVILLAUME DE SALUSTE SEIGNEUR DV BARTAS, With the Commentary, and marginal Notes of S. G. S.  
Englished by WILLIAM L'ISLE.  
Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci.  
Imprinted at London by Ed. Bollifant, for Richard Watkins. 1595   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, CHARLES LORD HOWARD, BARON OF Effingham, Knight of the most renowned order of the Garter, one of her majesties privy Council, and Lord high Admiral of England, etc.  
Weighing how near it concerns your Honourable Charge, what strangers pass the Seas into England, I was thereby, and otherwise in humble duty, moved, to give your Lordship first intelligence of this Gentleman, whom I have newly transported out of France: and also thought it necessary to crave your favourable protection of him in this his travel. A worthy man is he (my Lord) in his own country, howsoever here disguised, and one of the sons of that noble and divine Poet LE SIEUR DV BARTAS; in my simple judgement the properest, and best learned of them all, I am sure the best affected to England, and the gracious Empress thereof: for which cause I made special choice of him, and do therefore the rather hope to find favour on his behalf with your honourable Lordship; whose loyalty to the Crown, the Prince by trust of so high an office, whose love to the land, the people by joint-consent of daily-felt virtues, have so fully witnessed, that the fame thereof hath spread itself far beyond that your admirable Regiment. In so much as this gentle stranger, though he were at the first unwilling, Vlisses-like, to leave his native soil, especially now in this dangerous seafaring time, while all the world is in a manner troubled with Spanish Fleets; yet after he called to mind what he had heard and written of the mighty Goddess of the English Ocean, and who there swayed the Trident under her, trusting upon such a Neptune, he went aboard with a good courage, & doubting not at all but that the proud Spanish Caracks, if they be not yet sufficiently dismayed by the wrack they suffered in their former adventure, but dare again attempt the like, be they never so many more or greater than they were (if more and greater they can be) shall again, by the grace of God, directing (as before) the courage and wisdom of England's renowned Admiral, be dispersed over the frowning face of our disdainful Seas, & drunken with salt waves regorge the bodies of their presumptuous Pilots. And so (my Lord) with a favourable wind, breathing directly from the French Helicon, by the safe conduit of your Honourable name, and help of the Muses, at length I landed my stranger in England. Where since his arrival he hath gladly encountered divers of his elder brethren, that were come over before, some in a princely Scottish attire, others in fair English habits; and to th' intent he might the better enjoy their company, who by this time had almost forgotten their French, he was desirous to learn English of me: therefore I kept him a while about me, was his teacher at home, and enterpreter abroad; and now that he hath gotten such a smattering of the tongue, as he can (so as he can) speak for himself, may it please your good L. to talk with him at your leisure: though I know you understand very well his natural speech, I am of opinion it will much delight you to hear him utter such counterfeit English, as in so little time I was able to teach him. He can say somewhat of the godly government of good princes, & the wicked practices of Tyrants, as well in compassing as maintaining a Sceptre; both worthy your L. hearing for the manner sake, though the matter be not unknown to your wisdom. But some other things he doth report very strange, as of NIMROD, that was the first Tyrant of the world, after the time of Noah, the first Admiral of the world: his aspiring mind & practices in seeking the people's favour, his proud and subtle attempt in building the Tower of Babel, & Gods just punishment thereof in confounding the language of the builders. Very truly reckoneth he (that which few do consider) the great and manifold inconveniences that are befallen mankind by the diversity o● tongues. Further he can tell of speech in general, whether man speak by nature, or have but only an aptness to speak by use, & whether any other creature have the like: as for several speeches, he can prove, with many goodly reasons, which is the best & most ancient of them all; what altereth each tongue, what continueth each in account, what languages are in greatest regard nowadays, & what Authors have most excelled in them. And upon occasion of the English tongue, my Lord, he setteth out in such manner the Queen's princely majesty, her learning, wisdom, eloquence, and other excellent virtues, that I know your noble & loyal heart will greatly rejoice to hear it, at the mouth of such a stranger. The rest, if it be more curious, then, for the states weighty affairs, your L. may intent to hear, I wish referred unto those goodly young gentlemen, your noble & fatherlike-minded Sons, whom after your L. I do most of all honour: there shall they find profit so blended with pleasure, learning with delight, as it may easily win their hearts, already virtuously aspiring, from the wanton and feigning Cantos of other Syren-Poets (wherewith many young gentlemen, and chiefly those of greatest hope, are long and dangerously misled) unto a further acquaintance with this heavenly-poetical writer of the truth: who is now grown into such a liking of this country, chiefly for the peaceable government thereof (blessed be that Governor) and free course of the Gospel (God continue it, and send the like into France) that he is desirous to become a Freedenizen; and hoping further to to be an eyewitness of God's wonderful mercies towards this Land, whereof in France he spoke but by hearsay, to behold that precious Northern Pearl, and kiss her Scepter-bearing hand, whose worthy praise he hath song so sweetly, he humbly beseech your gracious favour to be enfranchised, which if it may please you to grant (my Lord) vouchsafing also the patronage of him; that under seal of your honourable name he may escape the carping censures of curious faultfinders, and enjoy all honours, privileges, liberties and laws, that belong even to the natural inhabitants of this noble Isle, myself will undertake to Fine for him, at least hearty prayers for your daily increase of honour, and all such obedience, as it shall please your L. to impose:  
Whose I rest ever at command. William L'isle.   

Th' Argument of the two first days of the second week of Guil. de SALUSTE Seigneur Du Bartas.  
MOses saith, that in six days God created the heaven and the earth, the sea, and all in them contained, then rested the seventh day, etc. Which the Poet hath at large expounded in his first week. 
* The whole second week.  And having with so lucky hand begun, he determineth (by the grace of God) to follow forth so excellent a work, and in a second week to set out the state of the world from Adam to the latter day, adjoining thereunto even a lively description of th' everlasting Saboth: so now he giveth us the two first days, to each of them allotting four books. The first day may be called Adam, and representeth the state of the first man, before and after the fall, even to his death, and of his posterity to the flood. The second day may be called Noah, and containeth the state of the world after the flood to the time of Abraham: so that here we have a learned and holy paraphrase upon a part of the first book of Moses: to wit, from the middle of the second chapter of Genesis unto th' end of th' eleventh: his style is enriched with all manner of beauties and graces meet for a poem, perfect and worthy to be honoured of all men of good judgement: so much of the work in general. 
Four books of the first day.  Now let us see what the books of these two first days contain in particular. After his meet prefaces and entrance proper to his matter, he placeth the first man in the garden of Eden, painteth out the garden, 
1. Eden.  answereth divers questions commonly thereabout arising, as of the tree of life and th'excellency thereof, likewise of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; and here he showeth what was the knowledge of man before sin, wherefore he was placed in Paradise, what was his exercise there, what was his happiness before the fall: as namely, that he had familiar communication with God: whereunto is properly adjoined the discourse of Visions, trances, and Revelations: this done he toucheth the commandment of GOD to Adam concerning the forbidden fruit, the promise of our first father, the great pleasures he enjoyed so long as he continued obedient: & upon this occasion he describeth point devise the beauties of this garden: yet with such a stay of himself, that he cutteth off many curious demands, and having answered certain objections, endeth his first book. In the beginning of the second he setteth down th' envy and drift of the devil against man, 
2. L'imposture.  why he tempted outwardly, what moved him to take a body rather than present himself: the body of a serpent, rather than to change himself into an Angel of light. Hereout are handled opinions divers, the conclusion of all is this: that the serpent was the devils instrument to mislead our first mother. This draweth the Poet to speak of the power of Satan. So he returning to his former intent, discovereth all the wiles and assaults of th' enemy: how he brought Eve to destruction, and Adam by means of her: whence have ensued effects most grievous to behold. These miserable sinners examined, charged with sin, and condemned therefore, as well by remorse of their own conscience, as by the fearful voice of their creator, who pronounceth doom against the serpent and them. Whereunto is added a sound and full answer to all such wicked and profane spirits as murmur against the fall of Man, as it is set down in holy scripture: to shut up the book, Adam and Eve are chased out of Paradise, and an Angel with a fiery sword there placed to keep them out. Now the better to set forth the misery of man, 
3. Furies.  and the confusions which sin hath brought in among us, the Poet having in the beginning of his third book mentioned again, and set before our eyes the blessed estate of the whole world, and the perfect union that was among all creatures before the backsliding of Adam, the cause (as he showeth by divers examples) of all their disunion, he mustereth and leadeth forth an army of all other creatures to war against man: then coming to the evils that afflict this poor guilty creature both within and without, he bringeth in the furies called out of hell to come and torment mankind. These than are the plagues wherewith they chastise the body: to wit, famine, war, infinite sort of diseases, whereof the chief are named and ranged into four squadrons: The first layeth siege to the head: the second encountereth the chief instruments of life: the third assaulteth the natural powers: the fourth setteth on the outward parts of man.. They are distinguished again into maladies particularly belonging unto certain peoples and climates, proper to the several ages of man, special to divers seasons of the year, contagious, hereditary, new, obstinate, and uncurable. To increase the more this heap of misery, he proveth that beasts are in this regard in better case than man. Then entereth into consideration of the most dangerous diseases of all, which are those of the mind: and namely four principal kinds, which under them contain all other, sadness, joy, fear, and fond desire: these with their train and effects, are without comparison more to be feared than all the most cruel diseases of the body, as by fit examples is proved: and so the Poet concludeth with an holy wish and profitable exhortation to the Frenchmen. 
4. Artifices.  Hereupon having in the entry of the fourth book saluted peace, and showed the commodities thereof, he falleth fitly to his purpose, and decifereth unto us the miserable estate of Adam and Eve, being now forth of the garden, what hard shift they made to live, whereon they fed, how they were clothed, and what pains Eve took to weave a garment for her husband: their furniture against the cold, their place of abode and first buildings, the invention of fire, the beginning of households, and how the land was peopled: the exercise of Cain and Abel, their sacrifices, the wicked mind of Cain, who slew his brother, and after thinking somewhat to ease his soul of the gnawing torments of conscience, built a town, and began to ride horses; which the Poet handleth in kind, and from thence falleth into discourse of th' invention and use of Iron and instruments of Music. But as Cain and his followers busy themselves with affairs of the world, meanwhile Adam and his true children take after godliness and justice, and search out the sacrets of nature. Among other Seth is supposed to ask his father concerning th' estate of the world from the beginning unto th' end, which Adam, excusing himself, at first refuseth to do, but suddenly moved with the holy spirit (here distinguished from the furies of men possessed of the devil) he speaketh of all the world's ages, and showeth what shall befall even to the flood: the discourse and consideration whereof overcometh his heart with grief, depriveth him of speech, and endeth the fourth book, and so by consequent the first days history. 
Four books of the second day. 1. L' Arch.  Beginning the first book of the second day with a new invocation, he entereth into th' Arch, recounteth the holy exercises of Noah, which Cham gainsaieth, and divers ways striveth against the providence of God: but No with many lively and forcible arguments withstandeth him: meanwhile the flood is abated, the Arch stayed, the Raven and the Dove are sent forth, No cometh out of the Arch, the measure and burden whereof is in a few words plainly proved. Then this good Patriarch having sacrificed, receiveth divers laws and promises of God, especially that there shall be never more any universal flood, for token whereof the Rainbow is ordained: then No betaketh himself to till the earth, planteth a vine, is drunk with the wine thereof, and sleepeth on the ground in a shameful manner, Cham maketh a jest of it, but Sem and japhet cover modestly the shame of their father, who now awakened out of his drunkenness, and much grieved thereat, curseth Cham & his posterity: 
2. BABYLON  so the Poet endeth his first book. And to make way to the life of Nimrod he beginneth the second, with consideration of the people's happiness that are governed by good & wise princes, and the bad estate of such as are slaves to tyrants, beseeching God to withhold from us such confusions as he lively painteth out, in the discovering of Nimrods' policies, who from his childhood setteth himself a work to get the sovereignty over men, showeth his natural bent among his play-fellows, and for that behoof spareth not his own body: he beginneth to deal with wild beasts, and mastereth some particulars, by reason whereof he winneth the people's hearts and is made governor: then he layeth himself open; and to maintain his tyranny, putteth into the people's heads to build a town and a mighty tower, to withstand the force of another Deluge: This obtaineth so good liking with the people, that they presently set themselves on work. But the Lord, provoked to anger with their bold attempt, confoundeth the language of the builders, so as they are constrained to let all alone, not understanding one another by reason of their different speech, the root of many inconveniences, whose contrary commodities are declared: and so the Poet falleth into discourse of the beginning of tongues, and of th'advantage that herein mankind hath above all other creatures: and proveth by many reasons that the Hebrew tongue is the most ancient, that it continued by descent from Adam unto Nimrod, and remained last in the family of Heber. Concerning other tongues, parted as they are sundry ways, mention is made of their alterations, as also of their force and vigour, much relying upon use, which hath brought the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin into request. Here the Poet breathing awhile, casteth into a new treatise, where he feigneth a vision, and in the same the dwelling place and image of Eloquence represented unto him, and about this image, the tongues: Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Italian, Arabian, Dutch, Spanish, English, and French, together with the names of certain personages, that in some one of them have excelled: and after due reverence done unto them, he closeth up his vision and book withal. Then in his third book, 
3. Colonies.  taking again in hand the astonished builders of Babel, after he hath given a reason why God would not have them stay in the plain of Sennaar, he leadeth the children of Sem towards the east, of Cham to the south, of japhet to the north and west: but he chooseth rather to stay himself, than enter into the dark corners of Antiquity, showing how much they deceive themselves and others, who venture too far that way: then describeth he the divers removes of sundry nations, as of the Bretons, Lumbards', alan's and Vandals: reckoneth the causes why they shifted their abode: and baulking the unknown journeys of some nations, treateth of the voyages of certain warlike people, chief of the Goths, Lumbards' and Gauls. There again staying, he saith, to be short, that the posterity of noah's three children peopled the world, not all at once, but by little and little, and as it were year after year with increase of children: which also was th'occasion why the first Monarchy was planted in Assyria, near to the plain of Sennaar, rather than elsewhere in any country not so soon inhabited: so the Hebrues and other neighbour peoples have had the Arts, riches and ornaments of delight, before those of the north and west knew what the world meant. hereupon is noted, first how Sem in the east, then how japhet in the west, and lastly how I'm in the south, replenished the world with people: it rested that he should speak of the new world discovered in our time: concerning the same he showeth how so huge a country was first inhabited, why not so soon as other parts of the world, and whereby it appeareth to have been yet a long time possessed: he propoundeth here certain of his own conjectures touching the process of this new world's inhabitants, nameth divers parts, and reckoneth up certain wonders thereof: then answereth fitly to this objection; How it could be that No and his children should have so much increased: and there taketh occasion to entreat of the wonderful works of God in the divers temper and complexion of nations, showing how the northern differ from the southern people, and even those of Europe among themselves, especially the French, Dutch, Italian, and Spanish. Further he showeth why God would have the children of No be so disparcled over the face of the earth: which is compared unto a great city, where men have much to do one with another: then refuteth he the godless crew, proving (to their confusion) that whatsoever they suppose created in vain, and to serve to no use, standeth us oftentimes in greatest stead, as witness the wilderness, the mountains, and the sea. But now being weary (as it were) with so long sailing, he landeth in France, & singeth sweetly the praise thereof, concluding that it wanteth nothing save only a sound peace, which he craveth at the hands of him that is able to give it. 
4. Colonnies.  In the beginning of the fourth and last book, he calleth on God again, being to enter into discourse of a new matter, haughty, and very hard to handle, to wit, the Mathematics; and the better to perform his drift, he supposeth Phaleg to have found two ancient pillars, and to ask of his father Heber what they mean: whereunto Heber answereth, and openeth the door of one of them, and showeth his son four images there enclosed: the first of them is Arithmetic, set out in her proper attire with numbers: the second is Geometry, with her tools, works, and excellent crafts, particularly set down: the third is Astronomy, holding in her right hand the Earth-globe, whereon the land, the sea, and the ten circles of heaven are painted: and in her left hand the sphere of heaven, bedecked with figures and images, noting forth all the principal stars that are seen betwixt the two Poles. In this place is yielded a reason of the names that are given to the twelve signs of the Zodiac, and Heber himself is made to hold opinion that the chief stars of the globe, which he numbereth, contain many mysteries of the church: but, as he endeavoureth to prove the same, the Poet apply a notable correction; and so goeth on to discover the secrets of Astronomy: an art sprung from the Hebrues to the Chaldeans, from them conveyed to th' Egyptians, and so to the Greeks, Arabians, Italians, and Almains: to end that discourse he praiseth the learned Astronomers, and having declared the commodities of their skill, cometh to view the fourth image, which is Music: her he lively pourtraieth in all her bravery, declareth her perfection, and what power she hath over beasts, fowls, men of understanding, and God himself: this done, as Heber was about to go forward, Canan breaketh of their talk, by occasion whereof the Poet resteth himself, and so makes an end of the second day of his second week.   

BABYLON.  



O How great good it is to live under a ¹ Prince, 
A preface representing the felicity of commonwealths governed by good and wise princes, and the distress of people subject to a Tyrant. Fitly foreplaced of the Poet to lead him to the life and deeds of Nimrod.   
That counts more than his weal, the weal of his province!  
Still hark'ning to the wise, no ear to glosser lending,  
The wicked punishing, and honest man defending:  
That sovereign of himself, doth all vice overawe,  
More by his honest life, than punishment, or law:  
That being inward meek, outward majestical,  
Hath, for his persons guard, love of his subjects all.  
That makes no idol of his bright imperled Mace;  
And knowing himself set on stage's highest place,  
Where to control his works, a world hath him in sight,  
Doth not what ere him list, but rather what is right.  
But sure a hell it is to live in servitude,  
A man's whole course of life, under a ² Tyrant rude:  
Such one as Dionyse, that with hot coals him shaved,  
Or Nero, that his house with incest all depraved:  
Or as an owl, that hates the light of government,  
Of parliament and peers, that fears the prattlement  
Of every private tongue, that for his best delight,  
His subjects sets at odds, and still maintains their spite.  
ne'er sets before his eyes faith, honour or justice,  
But raiseth every day office upon office:  
Nor would his subjects were the best learned, wisest, strongest,  
But every day crops off, that ear whose stalk is longest  
Throughout his harvest field: and worse than Tiger wood,  
Will not his kindred spare, no not his brother's blood.  
Who though environed with sword and halberds aid,  
Yet fears much people, more than he doth make afraid:  
Rejoiceth to invent, new taxes general,  
And his own to the bones, eats like a Cannibal.   

Imprint (O king of heaven) within our prince's breasts, 
A prayer to God, fitly arising of the words and matter aforegoing, and making way to the sequel.   
Love to their people-ward, and reverence of thine hests.  
And in case any courtiers poisoned language,  
Or these enormities familiar in our age,  
Shall leave there any taint of Nimrods' property,  
Draw thereupon thy quill, and raze it speedily:  
That for proud Babel's tower they may thy Zion rear,  
And my Muse under them may chant it every where.    


1.  
Prince. Here is the lively image of a good Prince set down unto us in a few lines, borrowed of a many good authors both divine and human, that teach in their writings rules and examples notable for this purpose. Moses in the law, David in the 101. Psalm, do declare unto us, the rules of duty belonging unto governors: and they themselves, with all those the good judges and kings that were among the people of God, serve for sure patterns and examples to all such as mean faithfully to discharge the like duties. Also Plato, Aristotle, Xenophon, and Plutarch, with divers others, for the instruction of those that came after them, have set forth many godly precepts and examples. The commodities that arise out of every one of these virtues here described (each one whereof requireth a large commentary) are infinite: and where there are now adays such princes in the world, their subjects may think themselves exceeding happy. For next after the sincere knowledge and worship of the true God, there is no greater happiness in the world for us to enjoy, than to be governed by such virtuous personages as are here described: mark then the perfect image of the good Prince.   

2.  
Tyrant. To give the better gloss to the former picture, another clean contrary, and marvelous fearful to behold, he setteth here before our eyes the picture of a Tyrant that liveth in mistrust of the whole world, as did Dionysius the elder tyrant of Sicily, of whom we read among the lives of Plutarch. He was so mistrustful, that for fear of his barbers, he made his daughters bring him a burning coal to singe his hair withal. More than this, a Tyrant defileth himself with incests, whoredoms, adulteries, and the sin of Sodom, and therewith infecteth his whole court and country: as that filthy Nero did, whose life is written by Suetonius, Tacitus, and others, reciting therein many horrible and shameful cases. Again, the Tyrant will be subject unto no law, nor order whatsoever; he overthroweth the ground-lawes and pillars of the state: or if he seem willing to submit himself thereunto, it is to further himself so much the more in the undermining, by divers hid practices, and destroying all such as might any way resist, or make head against him. Hence cometh it to pass, that he may in no wise abide any inquisition or examination to be made of his unworthy and vile outrages, but vaunteth of the injury that private men suffer, and discredit they are driven unto by means of his oppression. To maintain his state the better, he entertaineth and upholdeth all manner of hurlyburlies, factions, quarrels, and civil wars: he favoureth ruffians, bawds, flatterers, liars, light and lose persons, murderers, empoisoners, Epicures, Atheists, and such as are defiled with all manner of vice and wickedness. He promiseth mountains, performeth nothing: glorieth to break oath and promise, and to deceive and surprise both small and great by fair words, sweet speech, humble and courteous countenance, when his heart imagineth villainy and treason to his country. He never forbeareth any thing, never pardoneth any man, nourisheth and fatteth himself with blood and fire: all peaceable and virtuous persons he disgraceth and overthroweth, supporting and advancing all peace-breakers, robbers, and wicked livers: he taketh bribes for all offices, and oppresseth the people with the unbridled number of catchpole-officers, that maintain themselves only by grating upon others: his subjects he would have live all days of their life in ignorance: painful, wise, and learned men, and those that have well to take unto, because they need the less to depend on him, or sell themselves for his favour, he chaseth far from him, and maketh beholding unto him none but fools, idiots, jesters, antics, wranglers, and such copesmates as of naughtworth are suddenly start up, that wholly depend upon him, and revel in his coffers, not giving him (as they cannot) any good counsel for the commonwealth; they care not which end thereof go forward: but all their care and counsel is for their private gain, which serves to no better use, than to entice and draw them on daily to careless and wicked living. Further yet, so far is he from regarding or placing near about him men of worth and good qualities, that on the contrary, to the imitation of Tarqvinius, surnamed the proud (whose story Livy writeth in the first book of his second Decade, concerning the Poppy heads that he broke down with his staff, to teach his son by a dumb show, that he should rid out of the way all the peers of the city, and forsake (as another saith) fifty frogs to catch one Salmon) he breaketh down the highest ears of corn: that is, he causeth all those to be put to death, that might any ways hinder his wicked intents. What should I say more? Such a cursed creature, without God, without conscience, worse than any wild beast, spareth neither kith nor kin, but either by sword or poison maketh away the very nearest of all his blood, that he may reign alone, if it were possible. But notwithstanding the many bands of his guard, he standeth in fear of every man, and is despised, mocked, and detested of all. For why? Besides that is aforesaid, he glorieth and taketh delight to devise new subsidies, imposts, and tributes, whereby the commonalty may be impoverished, and held in bondage, and so in steed of Homer's people-féeder, he becometh a people-eater. Of this image of a Tyrant, there are examples above number found, both in ancient & late writers of Church histories, and others: So I return to the Poet.     




Nimrods' first study and exercise, to get the sovereignty of the people, furthered by nature.  3. Nimrod scarce yet in age to twelve years did arise,  
But over all his peers, he sets to tyrannize:  
He overgrowes them all, and of his might future,  
The groundwork planteth he upon so good Augur:  
And bearing in his hand, in steed of sceptres reeds,  
Among the shepheard-swaines gins his prentise-deedes.  
Then knowing that the man, whose courage doth aspire,  
Unto the deemed bliss of an awful empire,  
Must pass in brave exploits the doltish vulgar sort,  
Or else by seeming good, obtain a good report:  
He passed not the night drowned in a feather bed,  
Nor yet the day in shade: but young accustomed  
Himself to good and ill, making ambitiously  
His bolster of a rock, his curtains of the sky.  
Sweat is his sweet delight, his games are bow and arrows,  
His Ganimeads the lists, his hawks the little sparrows.  
His most delicious meat, the flesh of tender kid,  
Which trembleth yet, and scarce is from the skin unhid.  
Sometime he sport's himself, to conquer with one breath, 
The continuance of his labours to obtain the people's favour.   
Some craggy rocks assent that over-peeres the heath:  
Or else some raging flood, against the stream divide,  
That swollen with rain, hath drou'n a hundred brigs aside,  
And with a bounding course, vnbrid'led gallops fast,  
All overthwart the stones, in some straight valley cast:  
Or else after his cast, to catch again his dart,  
Or in plain field on foot, to take the Hind or Hart.   

But now once overpast twenty five years of age,  
And feeling with high mind, his sinews and courage  
Worthy a fiercer Mars, if he know any where  
A Lion, a Leopard, a Tiger, or a Bear,  
He fearless sets thereon, kills, conquereth, and foils,  
And plants in highest place of those the bloody spoils.  
The people then that see, by his hands martial frays,  
From those boot-hailers wild, each-where set free the ways,  
The fearful cattle's herds, and all the waste forests  
Rid of their hideous cries, loves this tamer of beasts,  
This chase-ill Hercules, and shows him special favour,  
And calls him evermore their father and their saviour.   

Nimrod now by the hair handfasting this good fortune, 
He leaveth his former chase for a better pray.   
And striking th' iron hot, doth flatter, press, importune,  
Sometime some, sometime others, and hasting to his bliss,  
Before that hunted beasts, now of men hunter is.  
For as he did employ, in his hunting before,  
The grins, hare-pipes, and traps, and all the limie store:  
And further at his need, against the most haggarts,  
The heavy clubs, the shafts, the sharp swords, and the darts:  
So some men's hearts he gains, by fair hopes closely stealing,  
Others he wins by gifts, and others by hard dealing,  
And breaking furiously the bonds of equity,  
Of that respringing world, usurps the Royalty.  
Whereas in time before the chief of each household  
The same did rule apart, nor did the young-man bold,  
Boisterous, ambitious, upon a wanton brave,  
His sickle thrust (as now) in harvest of the grave.    


3.  
Nimrod scarce yet. The posterity of Noah being much increased, as Moses reckoneth in the 10. chapter of Genesis, they began to spread abroad and take several habitations, but not far one from another so soon after the flood. Among other the sons of Cham, is numbered Cus the father of Nimrod, of whom the history maketh mention, that he began to be great on the earth, and was a mighty hunter before the almighty, and that the beginning of his reign was Babel, Erech, Archad, and Calneh, in the land of Sennaar. Upon this place are given two divers expositions: The first is, of some that hold that Nimrod was the first after the flood that gave any meet form of public government, and by the consent of many families, considering his wisdom and valour, was accepted for master and governor, to rule and order many households together: by reason whereof, (say they) he is called a strong hunter before the Lord: and namely, for that he repressed, by main force, the wicked and unruly, who, like savage beasts, prayed upon the life of man. But the greater part of Expositors take this otherwise, and hold, that Nimrod by force and divers subtleties (here finely set down by the Poet) got the supremacy; and that this power ascribed unto him, was not truly Royal and lawful, but a power usurped by force, a hunter's power, wherewith he surprised men, and reigning over them cruelly, handled them as if they were beasts, yea, and that before the Lord, which is as much to say, as in despite of God, who had established a gentle rule and government among the families. This second exposition is the more certain; whether we consider the race of Nimrod, or the proper meaning and sequel of the words of the text, or the buildings of Nimrod, or what success his proud attempt had. The Poet relying on this opinion, hath further followed in the description of the youth, and exercises of this first Tyrant that was in the second world, such things as were likely to be, and that with such a grace, as in a discourse is requisite, that out of the holy Scripture hath so narrow foundation, and in other books is, with many fables and names uncertain, darkened.     



⁴ Now he enthroned is, 
The tyrannous government of Nimrod, and his proud attempt.  by force he will have wrought  
A thousand cruelties, carelessly sets at nought  
Laws both of God and man, outbraves th'almighty king,  
And rears up to his nose the sceptre flourishing.  
And lest the people at length (ease puffing up their pride)  
Should think to cast his yoke, he keeps them occupied.  
He poureth forth his coin, and makes them labour still,  
In building of a Tower, more like an Atlas' hill.  
We live too long (quoth he) thus like beasts wandering:  
Let's leave these gadding tents, these houses wayfaring:  
A palace let us build, that stately may be joint,  
In Base unto the deep, and unto heaven in Point.  
A Sanctuary safe, and privileged refuge,  
Against the swelling rage of a ravenous Deluge.  
Come let us build a Town, and there incorporate,  
Pass the rest of our days under a royal state:  
Lest that we sundered in tents with many princes,  
Be scattered abroad throughout all the provinces,  
That with bright shining course are viewed by Phoebe's brother,  
Not able then to help, or counsel one another:  
And in case burning coals of at-home-breed sedition,  
Or what mishap so e'er, shall drive us to division,  
Yet brothers, let us leave for lasting monument  
Our names graven on these walls, high as the firmament.  
⁵ Like as the Vulcan weak, that some i'll company, 
A fit comparison to show what force have the plots of tyrants, to bring the vengeance of God upon the people.   
Of shepherds in the leaffie verges have let lie  
Of some one forest wide, a while itself keeps in,  
Yet vomiting smoke-waves, dark'neth the bright welkin:  
Then by soft Zephyrs help, whiles in low bush it lurks,  
Makes a red flaming way to his fierce angers works;  
Up to the blooming Thorn, fro th' humble bush it stirs,  
From thorn to oak, from oak up to the tallest sirs,  
And still it gaineth ground, by running force it finds,  
No Dryads it leaves within their native rinds:  
Right so this pleasant speech soon as his tongue had placed,  
Of some few Favourites with praise it was embraced:  
And strait with giddie-braines it goes from hand to hand,  
Even to the base sort of people through the land,  
Who greatly bend to see the great Tower perfect made,  
Themselves toil day and night, every eachone in his trade.  
Some trip great Ashes down, with sharp-edged axes strokes,  
Some fell the sailing Elms, and some th'enduring oaks.  
So they degrade the woods, and show unto the Sun  
The ground where his bright eye before had never shun.  
Hast thou at any time, an army seen to sack  
A city vanquished? there's grief and joy no lack,  
Together hurly burl'd, one carteth, one takes hold,  
One draws, another leads, and there the soldier bold  
Can find no place too sure, nor yet no lock too strong,  
The whole town in one day forth at the gates doth throng:  
So do these carpenters pill off in one moment,  
From those Assyrian hills, the shaking ornament  
Of their shady Deserts, despoil they the mountains,  
And boiling hot mow down the trembling branched plains.  
The wanes and teems of Mules, scarce one by other wend:  
The groaning axeltrees, o'rcharged with loads do bend.  

A lively description of a people busied about a great work.  Hear to make mortar hard, one day and night is brewing,  
Of some thick slimy pool the water flatly gluing:  
Hear the brick-burner bakes within his smoky kell  
Clay into stone, and here some hollow down to hell  
So deep foundations, that many a damned sprite  
Gazeth on once again the suns unhoped light.  
All heaven replies the sound of their maules clitter clatters,  
And Tigris feels his fish all trembling vnd'r his waters.  
The ruddy coloured walls in length and height do grow,  
Far do they cast a shade, far do they make a show.  
With workmen als turmoiled, the feeble and mortal fry,  
Think at the first days work, their hand shall reach the sky.  

God being angry with the bold enterprise of Nimrod and his followers, determineth to break of their enterprise, by confounding their language.  ⁶ God seeing this, to wrath inclined his countenance,  
And with a thundering sound, that doth like tempest glance,  
Down through the cloudy plain, that doth hills overthrow,  
And makes heavens steadfast gates flash often too and fro,  
See, see (quoth he) these dwarves, see this same rascal people!  
These children of the dust, O what a goodly steeple,  
What mighty walls they build! O th'impregnable castle,  
Of strength to bear my shot, and with my wrath to wrestle!  
I swore an oath to them, henceforth the fruitful ground  
Should never stand in fear of waters breaking bound:  
They doubting, sense themselves: I would by their extent  
Have peopled all the world, they by themselves here penned  
Are prisner-like emparkt: I would have been for ever  
Their master, their defence, their shepherd, their lawgiver;  
And they have chose for king a savage live-by-spoyle,  
A tyrant seeking gain by their great loss and toil:  
Who doth my force despise, and with vainglory swo'ne,  
Attempts to scale the walls, of my most holy throne.  
Come, let's break off their drift, and sith by speeches unity,  
As by will, as by law, and as by consanguinity,  
They hart'ned are to ill, and with a saucy tongue,  
Wax mad upon this work all night and all day long;  
Let's set a pulbacke on their hastie-paced intention,  
And strike them quickly with the spirit of dissension.  
Their language let's confound, and make both one and other,  
Sire barbarous to his son, and brother deaf to brother.  
⁷ Thus had he said, and strait confusedly there went  
I know not what a noise throughout the battlement. 
The execution of God's sentence.   
Right such a jangling sound as one hears in a band  
Of slaves, whom drunkards God doth with his lance command.  
One doth his language tooth, another nose his note,  
Another frames his words unseemly through the throat,  
One howls, and one doth hiss, another sluttereth;  
Each hath his babble, and each in vain endeavoureth  
To find those loved terms those tunes before expressed,  
That in their rolling cradle they drew from mother's breast.  
Go get thee up betimes, 
A fit comparison.  and whiles the morning gay  
With Rainbow-glosse bedecks the portail of the day,  
Give ear awhile and mark the disagreeing moods  
Of those trim choristers that sing amidst the woods  
Good-morrow to their loves: where each one in his fashion,  
Parched upon a bough, pronounceth his oration:  
Then shalt thou understand what mingle-mangle of sounds  
Confusedly was herded among those mason-lounds:  
A Trowel ho saith one, his mate a Beetle heaves;  
Cut me saith he this stone, and he some timber cleaves;  
Come ho, come ho, saith one, and wind me up this rope:  
Then one unwinding strives to give it all the scope;  
This scaffold board, saith one, one makes it down too far:  
Give me the line saith one, and one gives him the square.  
He shouts, he signs in vain, and he with anger boils,  
And look what one hath made, forthwith another spoils.  
With those confused cries they windless chafe in vain:  
Each one the more he strives the less appears his pain.  

Another excellent comparison declaring how neither counsel, art, force, diligence, nor multitude, is able to resist God.  And shortly as the men that altogether stood  
To build in channel deep of some great ravening flood  
High arches of a bridge, marking from hills descend  
A hundred sudden streams, and now far to extend  
The mountaine-hating waves, leave off without advise,  
Scudding some here, some there, their goodly enterprise:  
Right so these Architects, feeling the stormy smart  
Of God's displeasure rise, had neither strength nor heart.  
But there they left their work, and with hands malcontent,  
Rules, mallets, plummets, lines, all down the Tower they sent.    


4.  
Now he enthroned is. This is the exposition of the words, mighty hunter before the Lord: to wit, that Nimrod Cham's nephew, did proudly lift himself up against God and man. His buildings and the beginning of his reign could not have been such, without offering violence to the peace and liberty of divers families over whom he bore rule: and there is no show to the contrary, but that by divers practices from time to time he got the sovereignty. The holy Scripture oftentimes by the names of hunters and chasers, meaneth Gods enemies, and the persecutors of his church. Psalm 91. & 124. Ezech. 32. Lamentations 3. The seventy Interpreters translate th' Hebrew text after this manner: This Nimrod began to be a Giant on the earth, and a huntsman, or leader of hounds before the Lord God. By the hounds of Nimrod may be understood his guards, and the favourers of his tyranny. Moses calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gibor tsaid, that is, lusty, strong, or great and mighty chaser. Which noteth not only the stature and height of body, but also might and authority joined with violence, in all those that want the fear of God. Now although Moses in the 11. Chapter of Genesis, where he speaketh of the city & tower of Babel, make no mention of Nimrod, yet hath the Poet aptly gathered out of the chapter aforegoing, that Nimrod was the author and promoter of those buildings; in as much as Babel is called the beginning of his reign, who could not any ways reign without some habitations for himself and his subjects, and considering that Moses in the self same place affirmeth, that the cities founded by Nimrod were in the country of Sennaar, and that in the 12. verse of the 11. chapter he saith, that these builders of Babel dwelled on a plain in the country of Sennaar: by good reason the invention and beginning thereof is here ascribed to Nimrod, who by this means sought to set his state on foot. Also this Monarchy of Babylon, was one of the first, and with it that of Niniveh, as may be gathered out of the words of Moses. But the more particular discourse of these matters, and diverse other questions concerning Nimrod and his outrages, require a larger commentary.   

5.  
Like as the Vulcan weak. The Poet saith, that as a small deal of fire let fall by some shepherds among the dry leaves of a great forest, setting itself, and hatching (as it were) the heat awhile, at length with help of the wind, groweth to so great a flame, that it taketh the whole forest, and leaveth not a Driad, that is, not a tree in his proper or natural bark: So the words first uttered by Nimrod, the blown with the bellows of his minions & favourites, set so the hearts of the people on fire, that he soon obtained his purpose. This is it that Moses noteth in the 11. chap. of Gen. the 3. and 4. verse. They said one to another (the chief men having put it in their heads) Come, let us make brick, and burn it well in the fire: so had they brick instead of stone, and slime had they in stead of mortar. Then said they, go let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top may reach unto the heavens, that we may get us a name, lest we be scattered upon the whole earth. The Poet in his verse discourseth upon this devise. It is thought that this proud building was begun about a hundred and fifty years after the flood. The good patriarch Noah, that lived yet long time after, saw his posterity confounded and scattered: for so it was the Lords will to exercise the patiented faith of his servant, to whom in recompense he showed the effect of his blessings in the family of Sem, where still remained the Hebrew tongue, together with the doctrine and discipline of the true church. Now out of this history of Moses touching the building of the town, and the confusion of the builders, is sprung (as it seemeth) the fabulous discourse of the Poets, set down by Quid in his first book of Metamorphosis, touching the Giants that heaped hills one upon another to scale heaven, and dispossess jupiter of his throne. Thus hath Satan endeavoured to falsify the truth of sacred histories. Well, this arrogant building showeth us how vain are the imaginations of worldly men, namely, to set at nought the true renown of heavenly life, and seek after the false on earth. Carnal men have no care at all to worship and reverence the name of the true God, they regard only to be accounted of themselves, and so to write their names in the dust. Against th' attempts of the men of Babel, and all their successors, let us oppose these sentences, the 18. and 21. of Proverbs. The name of the Lord is a strong tower, thither shall the just repair and be exalted. There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor force, can prevail against the Lord: and that which is written Psal. the 127. Except the Lord do build the house, the builders labour but in vain.   

6.  
God seeing this: Moses in the 5. and 6. verses of the 11. chapter saith: Then the Lord came down to see the city, and Tower, which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, Behold the people is one, and they all have one language, and this they begin to do, neither can they now be stopped from whatsoever they have imagined to do: come on, let us go down and there confound their language, that they understand not one another. Then he addeth the execution of the sentence, saying; So the Lord scattered them from thence upon all the earth, and they left off to build the city. Therefore the name of it was called Babel, because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth, and scattered them from thence over all the world. God, that is all in all, never changeth his place, he goeth neither upward nor downward, but the Scripture saith, he goeth down then when he worketh any thing on earth, which falling out beyond and against the ordinary course of nature, witnesseth his particular presence. Under these few words of Moses, a many things are to be considered: chief, he noteth the great sins of the builders, in that he bringeth in the Lord, judge of the whole world, vouchsaufing to bow down his eyes particularly upon that foolish people. For it is not without cause that the great God of heaven and earth should arise from his throne, and (if I durst so say) leave the palace of his glory to come and view the durt-dawbers or morter-makers. By this manner of speech Moses showeth, and giveth us to understand, that long time before these Babylonians had built in their heart's most wonderful high and stately towers, and that long ago they had baked in the fire of their concupiscence some marvelous bricks: to wit, they had much counseled one with an other, and discoursed of means to get renown, and found no better way to attain their purpose, than to raise a tower up to the heavens, to ravish with astonishment all those that should behold it. So Moses saith that this pride and froward selfe-trust deserved a grievous punishment: but as God is parfaitly just, so layeth he upon the builders a chastisement proportionable unto their offence.   

7.  
Thus had he said and strait. In God it is all one to will and to do: And further, he sendeth not lightning, wind, nor tempest against the tower: but contenteth himself to strike the proud and puffed up brains of the builders: and so the building founded upon their folly was overthrown by their foolish jangling that God mingled with their language; and the vainglorious masons in steed of their imagined renown, have gotten themselves everlasting shame. Who would have thought that God had had so ready such kind of rods to punish mankind withal? But let the Reader consider whether the world at this day be not full of Babel-towers. Mark what a number of men do in every kind of vocation. Sith I do not take upon me but to write bare Annotations, I leave it to the Readers consideration, who may see, now more than ever, that the world continueth the building of Babel: that is, men madly gainset their own wisdom and power against the wisdom and power of God; who treading as it were with woollen feet, and stealing on softly, is able with an arm of Iron to surprise and seize upon these builders, and turn by divers means their vain purposes and weak endeavours to nought. The Poet hath used many very fit comparisons to represent the confusion of these workmen. The first is taken from that which we see fall out in a great rabblement of Peasants, overruled by the Lance or Mace of Bacchus: that is, such as have the Wine in their heads, and are drunken: for among such people is commonly heard a strange confused noise & jangling, as the Churhales and Wakes, and other such pass-times do now and then declare. The second is taken from the chirping of Birds, in voice and song divers. The third from Masons, constrained by the sudden rage of a land-flood, to leave off the begun work of a Bridge. And here is a lively description of God's judgements, together with their degrees and consequences: namely, in the confusion of understandings first, then of speech, and lastly of the whole company; which being unable longer to continue, was quickly so scattered, that (as Moses saith) they ceased to build the City.     




The harms that men suffer by the confusion of speech.  O proud rebellion, O traitorous impiety!  
Mark in what manner sort by thy speeches variety  
God hath thee punished, alas that pleasant tongue,  
That holy bond of towns, of anger bridle strong,  
Strong glue of amity, once one, now doth wayfare  
In hundred rivers dry; this gold so richly rare,  
Wroth-taming, charming-care, men-drawing, hart-intangling,  
Both colour, weight, and sound, hath lost by mingle-mangling.  
This gift corrupted is, and from the North to South  
Babel's confused fall sounds yet in every mouth.  
The cold Finlanders once might visit Africans,  
The Spanish Indians, th' English Americans,  
Without interpreters; but now the compass small  
That doth our cities bound, our language bounds withal:  
And if we from our home but ne'er so little went,  
dumb should we be, and rest of reason's instrument.  
Or if we speak at least unto our neighbour nations,  
'tis by a borrowed tongue, or by strange animations.  
Without school, without pains, sucking our mother's breast,  
We might have learned the tongue that all men's minds expressed;  
And after seven years old, upon small glistering sand  
Begun to draw with skill the shape of sea and land,  
To part and multiply; and so from skill to skill  
We might have climbed soon the ridge of that high hill,  
Where Arts perfection, in sign of their victory,  
Crowneth her Favourites with everlasting glory.  
Now, infants we always, soon as we learn to sound  
The Latin, Hebrew, Greek, are going to the ground.  
We learn but prittle-prattle, and for the deep inseeing  
Of nature's secrecies, and of that only Being  
That makes all things to be, we labour, never staying,  
Well to decline a Verb, or find some pretty saying:  
Of letters and syllabs to way the quantity,  
Old knowing nought without master's authority:  
Who teach us how to read, and put into our paws  
Some little Chriscrosrow, in stead of civil laws,  
And for Hypocrates, and for that holy wrighting  
Where God himself reveals to Readers there delighting.    


8.  
O proud rebellion. A fine description of evils ensuing this confusion of speech. First, the acquaintance of all mankind together, the knot and love-bond of nations, is so loosened and broke, that scar is there found any remedy for it, some of them not thinking on, or not at all caring for others. Secondly, that only one language which decked and embellished the acquaintance and fellowship of men, that kept them in peace and temper, such as it was, that made them all well appaide, that moved each one to his duty, & was much regarded of all, hath lost all this by this change, and in a word hath neither show nor grace of a language: insomuch as even at this day the fall of the Tower of Babel is heard from North to South, from East to West. That is to say, in the diverse languages of so many nations we may observe almost nothing else but a kind of chattering and confused sound, neither fit, nor comely, nor expressing at all the nature of things: At least one people so judgeth of another's tongue. For I pray you what pleasure taketh a Frenchman to hear a Moscovite or a Mexican speak? And even the tongues that we understand, and speak (as we think) reasonable well, what are they unto us in respect of our mother tongue, or the principal tongues? Thirdly, whereas the nations dwelling farthest asunder, might easily have come together, been acquainted and traffiked one with another: Now a man is no sooner gone out of his own doors, but he hath much ado to understand those that he meeteth withal; and if he set foot in any far country, he needeth interpreters, or must have spent a long time before to learn the tongue, or else must speak by signs, or always hold his peace, and live like a dumb creature. Fourthly, to amplify further this misery, the Poet showeth that if this disorder had not happened, a man might have learned in short time all the Liberal sciences, and gained the top of that hill where Encyclopaedia, (that is, the full compass of all Arts) crowneth all such lawful aspiring minds: and in a word, obtained the parfait knowledge of all things; whereas now we spend our whole life in the learning words of th'Hebrew, Greek & Latin tongues, & that's nothing else but babbling: and in stead of being well seen in the heavenly Philosophy, and that of this lower world, we must take pains in syllables & words, circuits of speech, and other like exercises, until we be gray-headed and white-bearded, and so end our lives scarce having yet attained any sufficient knowledge of Law, Physic or Divinity, that are the chief professions. The learned know how hard a matter it is to have a good style, which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the measure of learning; and that Aristotle, who hath so excellently well set it down, in that wonderful work of his, commonly called the Organ, is understood but of a few. What may a man say then of the most part of the discourses and speech of men now adays living? It is nothing but babble, it is Babel itself. I speak not here of the substance of things, but of the fashion, order, and manner that is used to make them be conceived of those to whom we speak, be they never so cunning in the tongue themselves. Then of Barbarism and ignorance, what shall a man think?     



⁹ What shall I tell you more? 
The Hebrew tongue generally spoken before the confusion of tongues.  Men spoke in every place  
That holy Dialect, the language of God's grace,  
A perfect tongue, that hath no Letter, no small tittle,  
But is embellished with mysteries not little.  
Now since this proud revolt seu'rally people prate,  
Depraved bibble-babbles, bastard, effeminate,  
That every day do change, and losing all their light,  
Scarce utter any sound of that first language right.  
10 Long since the Phrygians and those by Nilus' dwelling,  
Nilus that nourisheth, and fat's the ground by swelling,  
Desirous to have tried which was of more antiquity  
Of their two languages, trusted against all equity  
The right of eloquence to tender stammering,  
And those that judgement lacked made judges of the thing:  
To wit, two sucking Babes whom their two Mothers dumb  
In Hermitages kept, where go man else did come:  
No human charming voice was heard sound near the place  
Of their toong-ty'de abode, for whole three twelvemonth space.  
Then being called forth and set between the people  
Of Xanthus and of Nile, they cry with voices feeble,  
And often cry they, Bec; bec bec is all the ground  
That either tongue can frame or else their mouth will sound.  
Whereat the Phrygians that knew bec signify'de  
In their own language Bread, their countenances died  
With joy their heart conceived, because they were so blest,  
To have on their behalf obtained natures arrest.  
11 O fools, that little thought how those bec-bleating flocks,  
That shore the tender flowers from off the neighbour rocks,  
Had schooled them to this term, & that the words Roomish,  
French, Latin, Hebrew, Greek, Egyptian or English,  
Are not broughtforth with us; but well may be discerned  
That each language by haunt and by long use is learned.  
Only remains a power, this or that sound to place,  
Gift natural to men; as eke that other grace,  

* To speak divers languages. Men only speak. An answer to the objection taken from the undistinct voice of beasts.  Which variably rich, and richly variable,  
Us rendereth most unlike herds brute and miserable.  
And if thou list oppose how that the Bull doth bellow,  
The slothful Ass doth bray, the Lion cruel fellow,  
Now triple rores, now base, and by those tunes we find,  
They seem right eloquent to make us know their mind;  
Surely those are no words, they are but declarations  
Of their disquiet stir, by means of some few passions;  
Confused signs of grief, and tokens of their sadness,  
Of joyfulness, of love, of hunger, thirst, and madness.  

An answer to a second objection taken from the chirping of birds.  The like may well be said of that light winged quire  
That to the verdaunt boughs of bushes doth retire,  
Chirping before the sun: for though against fair weather  
Two by two, three by three, they seem to talk together,  
Though their voice bends itself a hundred thousand ways,  
Though they can descant bold a hundred wanton lays,  
Though great Apollo's self within their school was taught,  
'Tis but a groundless tune of notes intending nought:  
A thousand times a day the self-same song repeated,  
A dumb discourse amids the trembling trees defeated.  
But only man hath power to preach of modesty,  
Of honour, of wisdom, of force, of equity,  
Of God, of heaven, of earth, of water and of air,  
With words of good import, divers and chosen fair,  
Unfolding all his thoughts not by some one language:  
But like to Scaliger the wonder of our age,  
The lamp of learned men, can wisely speak, and much,  
In Latin, Hebrew, Greek, English, Italian, Dutch,  
Spanish, Arabian, French, and Slavonian,  
Chaldean, Syrian, and Aethiopian:  
Who like Chameleon maketh his transformation  
(O rich, O pliant wit!) to any authors fashion.  
Great julies' worthy son, great Siluies younger brother  
In Gasconie renowned more than was ever other.  
Now as for popinjays that passing all their ages  
Within the pierced grates of thorow-aired cages, 
An answer to the third objection touching Parrots.   
Doubt not in eloquence to plead with us for chief;  
Pronounce all throughout the Christian belief;  
Repeat the praire devout that from our Saviour came,  
And all the household call together name by name;  
They like to th'echo be, our sounding voices daughter,  
That through the vaulted Vales importune babbleth after,  
Not weening what she saith: in vain this air they break,  
And speaking without sense, they speak, and nothing speak:  
Not hearing their own voice; because the right language,  
nought is but of the mind the right sounding image:  
Chief when it is short, when it is sweet and painted,  
As that wherewith All were, ere Nimrods' time, acquainted.    


9  
What shall I tell you more? Moses saith, in the beginning of the 11. Chapter, that then (that is, many years after the flood, and about the same time when Cham's posterity left the East parts to come and dwell in the plain of Sennaar) the whole earth was one language and one speech, to wit, No and his children: and all the families from them issued, though they dwelled not together, yet spoke they all the same language. All of them parted not from the East to the foresaid plain of Sennaar: but likely enough is their opinion, that hold that No and Sem parted not so soon so far a sunder, and especially that they accompanied not these builders of Babel, who sought renown, and set up their rest in this world. A man may ask now what was that only language they spoke in the world before the flood, and after, until the building of Babel. The Poet answereth, it was the language of God himself. Hereupon ariseth two opinions: The first is, of those that to honour their country, after the example of some ancient Heathens, would make us believe they are sprung of the earth, or fallen from the Moon, and think their speech the most excellent of all other. The Egyptians and Phrygians have long sithence debated this matter, as shall be said more at large in the next Section. A few years ago a Physician of Brabant named I. Goropius, set forth a great book entitled Origines Antuerpianae, wherein he aimeth especially at this mark, to prove the Cymbrike tongue (which in his opinion is the base Almain) to be the first speech of the world. Since his death a certain writer of Liege, hath set out many other books of his about the same matter: and in one of them, that is called Hermathena, this Cymbrike tongue or low Dutch, is preferred far above the Roman, Greek and Hebrew. It asketh a long discourse to answer his reasons: for this time I will answer but in a word: Namely, that all that which he allegeth for the pre-eminence of his own tongue, is a mere cavil, that is called in the Schools, Petitio principij: when a sophister taketh for granted that which is expressly denied him, and he knows not how to prove. Goropius groundeth all his discourse on this: that the Cymbrike tongue hath borrowed nothing of any other, and that the Hebrew is comen of it, and even borroweth of the Cymbrike. This a man will deny Goropius and his disciples: and whereas they show some Hebrew words or Phrases that resemble the words and terms of the base Almain, and so conclude that Adam spoke low Dutch, and that the language of Moses and the Prophets is hard, ambiguous, poor, and borrowed of the Cymbrike, which they were not well able to follow: I answer, that they are deceived, and that on the contrary they ought to say, the Hebrew was afore all other tongues; who were begun in Babel, and have sithence brought forth infinite others, as the high and low Dutch, and other like, now used in the world. I would the learned professors of principal tongues, would find some time to refute th'allegations of Goropius: Especially those that make against the Hebrew, which he hath too saucily disgraced in the second book of his Hermath, Pag. 25. 26. etc. The second opinion, which I hold with the Poet, is, that the Hebrew tongue, enclosed chief in the Canonical books of the old Testament (which have been wonderfully preserved until our time) is the first speech of the world, and the same that Moses meant, when he said, the whole earth had one mouth or language, before the building of Babel. The reasons thereof are touched in a word by the Poet, who doth hereafter treat of them more at large, as we have also noted in the margin, & mean to speak somewhat thereof in the 12. Annotation. Now whereas this first language hath at this day no letter nor word, but is full of maims and miseries, it may be said of every tongue since the confusion: that it is nothing but corrupt jangling, weak, uncertain, and changing ever from time to time, as many have already showed heretofore. The Greek and Latin tongues have changed five or six times: and the learned know what wrangling there hath been about the writing, pronouncing, and disposing of their terms & phrases. Then what is to be said of the Greekish and Latinish tongues, those that are but apes of the other? What of the barbarous, strange, and new tongues? or of those whose foolish pronunciation only no man can abide, or of others that by use, time, and force of people, are waxed currant? but this I leave to such as list to comment hereupon at large.   

10.  
Long since the Phrygians. The Egyptians, being ever great bragger's, vaunted long ago that they were the most ancient people of the world: a certain king of theirs named Psammetichus attempted to search out the truth; and for that end thought meet by some means to discover what was the first language of the world: Thus, he took two new-born babes, and delivered them unto shepherds to be nursed, commanding they should be brought up in a secret stall, there to suck the milk of goats, and straightly forbidding, that none should come there to pronounce any word before them: then after a certain time when they were of age, they should be left alone, and made to fast a while. Now so soon as they were past two years old, their governor having in all points accomplished the king's commandment, came to open the stall, and then the two children began to cry Bec, bec: the shepherd said not a word: they repeat still the words: and he let his master understand thereof, who caused the children to be brought secretly unto him, and heard them speak. So when the meaning of the word was asked, and th'Egyptians understood it signified bread in the Phrygian tongue, they granted the pre-eminence of antiquity unto the Phrygians. Herodotus writeth that the priests of Vulcan, in the city of Memphis, told him the same tale. There are some others that think these babes were brought up of dumb nurses: howsoever it be, sure it is that the pride of the Egyptians was by some such devise daunted. Suidas, touching the very point, saith that babes nourished of a goat, must needs cry something like a goat, and such was the sound of the word Bec; a meet reward for his wisdom that made such a trial. The Grecians in old time were wont to call an old dotard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a word composed of Bec and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the moon: the same is turned into a proverb which Erasmus expoundeth. But Goropius in the 5. and 9 book of his Origines playeth the subtle Sophister, as his manner is, and useth his beak upon the word Bec: concluding, since bec in low Dutch signifies bread, and Psammetichus his babes called for bec, that so long ago they spoke low Dutch; whereupon it followeth, that his tongue is the most ancient of the world. He calleth also his discourses upon the same Becceselanea, offering the subject of a comedy to some new Aristophanes. But let us consider the answers of the Poet to the Phrygians and to Goropius.   

11.  
O fools, that little thought. The first answer is, that this word Bec that the children spoke, was a confused sound coming near the cry of goats: And how could they ask bread, seeing that they understood it not, never heard it spoken by any body, never heard the meaning of it? The second is, that words are not borne with us, but that we learn them by haunt & long usage. If they were borne with us, doubtless these infants would have spoken as well other words: for the understanding being moved, the belly pinched with hunger, would not content itself to express his passion in one syllable. The third is, that men are only the right and proper speakers, yet if they be not taught it, and thereto fashioned, but are brought up among beasts, in stead of a right & framed speech, they shall make but a sound and cry confused like unto beasts. In a word, I take this discourse of Herodotus, touching the two infants and their Bec, to be but a tale made upon pleasure, and a very heard-say; and there against I oppose the antiquity of the Hebrew tongue. Yet if I were bound to believe Herodotus, I would say the Phrygians Bec was drawn from the Hebrues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lechem. The disciples of Goropius will confess that the Phrygians are come from the successors of No: so can it not seem strange unto them, that I say the Phrygians retaining some tokens of their grandfathers language, have (like infinite others) lengthened and shortened the most part of the words: some whereof yet remain whole, to witness the antiquity and principality of the Hebrew tongue. After this the Poet answereth those that build upon the unframed noise of beasts, the chirping and chattering of birds, and the babbling of Parrots, to prove the birth of speech with us, and cast a cloud over that perfection he granted only to the first language; and so he saith that man only endued with reason, is the only creature on earth capable of distinct, ordered, important, and proper speech, and further speaketh many several tongues: whereof he bringeth in for example the learned Scaliger. Hence it ensueth that a man cannot learn to speak, if he be brought up among beasts that have no reason whereby to deserve the name of a speech, or to use the same aright: or if he be brought up with such as are dumb, of whom he can learn nothing but signs & confused sounds, he will never speak treatably, nor understand any thing, except another do speak first unto him, and make him understand the speech with often repeating: As appeareth not only in young children, but in the oldest men also, who learn as long as they live the words and names of those very things which they have oftentimes seen before. It followeth then, that all the discourse of the Phrygians Bec is a devised tale, & therefore unworthy for them to build upon, that go about to prove the Phrygian tongue, or theirs that would draw their pedigree from the Phrygians, to be the first language of the world. Another man may find in his own tongue a many like words, and draw thence as good conclusions as Goropius doth. But a strange thing it is, that the heathen authors have said nothing, nor made any mention in their books of the beginnings and occasions of diversity of tongues: especially that the Grecians, and other such learned people that have professed the knowledge of all things, knew not the beginning of their own language. Moses only hath set us down this notable history, & opened unto the Heathen the spring of their tongues. And this further is to be wondered at in the history of Babel, that the Hebrew tongue alone, as being the first of the world, hath remained among that people that were the Church of God, where the Messiah was borne, and from whence arose the preaching of the Gospel, touching the appearance of the promised Saviour: which Gospel hath sithence by the gift of tongues and ministery of the Apostles overspread all the parts of the world. Thus Moses handling the beginning of tongues, proveth his history to have long foregone all others, and therewithal engraveth upon the gates and walls of the city and Tower of Babel, a godly warning to all men, to fly and avoid Atheism, and all vainglorious folly, which buildeth Towers against heaven, and rebelleth against God: who suffereth the wicked to advance and hoist up themselves the space of some few months or years, to the end he may give them a fearful overthrow at length. What would the presumption of man have done (saith Saint Augustine) when algate the top of this Tower had reached unto the clouds? It is humility that lifteth up the heart on high, to the Lord, not against the Lord: she it is that leadeth us the true, right, and sure way to heaven. These few words I thought good to add unto the rest, because the proud aspiring mind of man can not be sufficiently discovered, nor to much cried out on. Whereas these builders busily forecast in their mind, and laboured to make themselves renowned among their posterity, & thought men of some worth, let us remember that the true praise consisteth not in works of goodly outward show, but in such as are good indeed, and approved of God. So let us return to the text of the Poet, who having touched in a word the beginning of tongues, and refuted some contrary objections, showeth now which of all the tongues that have been, are, or shall be in the world, aught to be accounted the chief and most ancient, and whereof a man may truly say, it is the most excellent of all other.     



Now when I duly way how ¹² th' Ebrue tongue doth show 
The Hebrew tongue most ancient.   
And readily express in words a very few  
Most cumbersome conceits, and through each secret plight  
Of reason's labyrinth affords the Reader light,  
Much better than the Greek with her Synonymons, 
The first reason.   
Hit lofty Metaphors, her bold Epithetons,  
her compounding of words, her tenses and her cases,  
And of so great request a thousand other graces:  
When I consider well how that the school Rabine 
The second reason.   
Finds in the letter-row of that language divine  
All we believe with heart, all that with eye we see,  
And that within the law all Arts comprised be:  
Be it that with much ado one curiously assays  
The letters of each word to turn a hundred ways;  
(For in Arithmetic as ciphers changing room  
Doth either much enhaunse or much abate the some,  
So th' Anagramme strait knits or else undoth the grace  
Of words whose letters take right interchange of place)  
Or be it to put together thou rightly do devise  
The numbers mystical that from the letters rise  
Of some one Hebrew word, and under that one name  
Another findest hid in number like the same;  
Or that some word is known by some one element,  
Or by some only word a perfect speech is meant,  
As in an Emblem short th' Egyptian silence  
Was mystically wont to press a long sentnce.  
When I consider well that from th' East-Indian sand  
Unto the flaming mount that borders Ireland, 
the third reason.   
From cold Tartarian seas to scorched Tambuts' shore,  
Thou Sun no people see'st so void of gentle lore,  
No men so ignorant of Gods most holy law,  
But they retain as yet some words of Hebrew Saw;  
And but their letters do (though out of order set)  
Come near the holy names of Moses Alphabet;  

The fourth reason.  When with myself I way the sacred counterpawn  
Of God's old Testament was in those letters drawn;  
That urim, that the DREAM, and that the VISION wise  
But in the Hebrew tongue spoke not their Prophecies;  
And that th' Eternals self would with his finger deign  
To grave in Hebrew words his Law on Marbles twain;  
And that since many years the messengers Divine  
Did preach the joyful Word in language Palestine;  

The fift reason.  And when I farther way, that th' ancient Patriarches  
Had not their names imposed without some reasons marks,  
Yea such as fully show'd (and that with great moment)  
Of their whole course of life some famous accident,  
And that a man may see that every ancient name  
Both by sound and by sense from Hebrew language came,  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  As Eve, is constered life; Cain, first of all begot;  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Adam, create of clay; Abel, that profits not;  
Seth, set in others place; and he surnamed Rest,  
That saw th'all-stroying flood below the ground suppressed;  
I cannot choose but grant, though Greece do fret and foam,  
The sacred elder right to th' hebrews' Idiom.  

Great commendation of the Hebrew tongue.  13 Then do I thee salute, O ever-running Spring  
Of reason's portraiture, Phrase of th' eternal king,  
Thou brightly-shining Pearl, Queen-mother of languages,  
That spotless hast escaped the Dungeon of all ages,  
That hast no word but wai'th, whose very elements  
Are full of hidden sense, whose points have Sacraments,  
O holy Dialect, in thee the proper names  
Of men, towns, countries, are th' abridgement of their fames  
And memorable deeds: the names of winged bands,  
Of water-habitants, of armies of the lands,  
Are open treatises, whereout each one might gather  
Their nature's histories, before th' heau'n-rowling father  
By raging anger moved with flaming Symeteer  
The way to Eden carved from these base countries here.  

Adam gave Hebrew names to all  14 For when Adam, in sign of his pre-eminence,  
Names did in true Elyse to all creatures dispense 
creatures according to their nature.   
Then when before his eyes in muster general  
Two by two, side by side, in rank they marched all,  
He chose them all so fit, that every learned ear  
Bearing the sound to mind, the marvels might eke bear  
Wherewith th'all-forming word did richly beautify  
Both those that live in wet, and those that live in dry. 
He enriched the tongue with Verbs and clauses.   
15 And for each Body must suffer some thing, or do,  
When he the Nouns had framed, the Verbs he joined thereto;  
Then, more to beautify this goodly ground of pleading,  
Many a tittle made, that serves to grace the reading,  
The parts of most account to sow together fit;  
As doth a little glue two mighty planchers knit:  
And farther serves as doth the waving plume of feathers  
That on the chamfred top of glistering helmet weathers:  
To marble Images, as footstals do and bases  
To silver cups their ears, to velvet robes their laces.  
16 This tongue that Adam spoke, 
The Hebrew tongue continued generally spoken, from Adam to Nimrod, than it remained only in the family of Heber: whence it was called Hebrew.  till in bad time arrived  
That heau'n-assaulting prince, sincerely was derived  
From father unto son, the world's circumference  
Did thoroughly sound the tunes of her rich eloquence:  
But then as partial full quickly was she gone  
To Heber's family, or because he was none  
Of that rebellious band, or wisely did abide  
Far from the Sennar plain in that unhappy tide;  
Or if he thither were among the rest constrained  
In corners worshipped God and secretly complained,  
And so with slavish arms holp them to build those walls  
Which in despite he vowed unto the deep entrails  
Of darksome Tartarus: as galleyslave in gives,  
That combating the sea most miserably strives  
Against his liberty, and curseth in his heart  
Those for whom night and day he practiseth his art:  
Or be it th' eternal God with his hands ever-giving  
Preventing as it were the works of men well living,  
For his own honours sake, and of his only grace,  
This treasure left in trust with Heber's holy race;  
When as of Masons proud the rest full ill bestead  
A hundred thousand ways the same disfigured,  
And every one dispersed where destiny them tarried  
Into a newfound land a newmade language carried.    


12.  
Th'Ebrue tongue. He propoundeth five reasons, whereby he is induced to believe that the Hebrew is the first tongue of all, whatsoever the Greek and others do allege for themselves.  
The first is, that this tongue compriseth much matter in few words, is very significant, briefly and plainly expresseth whatsoever a man can think, and when it is requisite to discover the most secret and hidden plights of the heart, she slippeth none, but for all things hath words lively, pleasant, weighty and of great import: and for her circuits of speech and long discourses, they are more wonderful than the best and sweetest the Greek hath: which not withstanding her store of selfe-meaning words, her bold and far-fetched Epithets, her cunning Metaphors, her words compounded, her tenses and other fine devices, is no more comparable to the other, than the chirping of a Goldfinch is to the song of the Nightingale. Proof hereof may be made by the earnest and diligent consideration, and weighing the words, sentences, & discourses of the Hebrew with those of the Greek, and all others: not only in Grammars and Dictionaries, but even in whole books and volumes. It shall suffice me to wage and lay the book of Psalms only, or the works of Solomon, or job, or of Esay, against all other auctors: and I dare boldly avouch, that in one of these a man shall find almost in every chapter, more elegance, state and majesty, more figures, and more of all kind of ornaments for a discourse, than in all the tedious works of those that man's wisdom setteth-by so much. I speak not now of the matter and substance of things, which nevertheless is in this tongue as happily expressed as in any other; let them strain themselves never so much, they are not able but very grossly and a-farre-off to make a show of that which this other painteth out in orient colours, what matter soever it hath occasion to utter.  
The second reason is, that the Rabbins or Hebrew Doctors (men wondrous careful to preserve the whole body of the old Testament, so as the least letter, point, and accent, they have counted over and again often times) have noted in the 22. letters of the Hebrew Alphabet, either apart or together considered, all the secrets of Divinity and of Philosophy, both natural and moral. This is a notable thing in the Hebrew tongue, that all the letters have their proper signification: and that the letters of most of the principal tongues in the world have taken their beginning from them: as also that the primitive words, and those of whom infinite others are derived in divers principal tongues, are drawn from the letters, syllables and words of the Hebrew. To say nothing of the excellency of her accents, and the property of her vowels: the Rabbins have further found out many secrets by divers way-turning and alter-placing the letters of Hebrew words: and that which the Greeks & others have after their example invented, is nothing in comparison. For there is scarce any word in the Hebrew, but being inverted (as may easily be done, and sometimes two, three, or four ways, as the number of the letters are) offereth to our consideration another word, either of like sense, or contrary: or making relation to the first, giveth thereto such light, beauty and livelihood, that it is wonderful to behold. Again, oftentimes a Noun or other word, yea a letter, importeth a whole sentence, like unto the Egyptians Hieroglyphikes, invented of them to the imitation of the Hebrew letters and words, yet nothing in comparison of them. This matter would require a whole volume, to be written according to Art, by the hand of some one that were well seen in the tongues: and I could name three pair yet living that are well able to do it. In the mean season, whosoever is desirous to search further herein, let him read the Harmony of the World, written by Franciscus Georgius, and Guido Faber: the Heptap. of joannes Picus, Earl of Mirandula, the Hieroglyphickes of I. Goropius, from the beginning of the seventh book, to the end of the sixteenth: three books of I. Reuclinus De arte Cabaiistica, and other three books of his De Verbo mirabili, the Cabala of Picus, with the interpretations of Angelus Burgonevensis thereupon. Further, much good matter to this purpose a man may find in Thesauro linguae sanctae, set out by S. Pagninus, and after augmented by many other learned professors of this tongue. See further the Syriac Institut, etc. of Caninius: the Mithridates of C. Gesnerus: the Alphabet in 12. tongues of Postella, and his book, De antiquitate linguae Hebraica, there are many such Treatises set forth by divers learned men: whereout, and of the books aforenamed, may be gathered infinite proofs of that which the Poet hath touched in this second reason.  
The third is, that there lives no nation under the cope of heaven, but keepeth still some words of Hebrew in their speech; First, the Chaldean, Syrian, Arabian, Egyptian, Persian, Ethiopian, and many other, as the Gotthicke, Troglodytick, Punic, are so derived thence, that they come as near it as Italian to Latin, some more, some less. Secondly, the Greek, Latin, and those others, that are farther off, have yet here and there some words that we must needs grant, are sprung from the same fountain: a man may set down a many of them, but it were too long here to coat the examples. Thirdly, the roots of many words that are taken to be Greek or some other tongue, are found to be Hebrew, as Franciscus junius hath plainly showed in his learned oration De linguae Hebraeae antiquitate & praestantia.  
The fourth reason is, that the doctrine of the old Testament, which is the doctrine of the first and most ancient people of the world, was not written but in Hebrew. No man denieth that the people that came of Sem the son of Noah, is the most ancient: among these remained the Church of God and the Hebrew tongue. God spoke not but in the Hebrew tongue by the high priest that wore the sacred Ephod, and the breastplate of judgement, whereon was set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 urim & Thummim (words signifying lights & perfections) which some think was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or four-letered name jehova, contained within the breastplate: others say it was the ranks of those twelve precious stones there enchased, that on them had engraven the names of the twelve tribes of Israel: as if it were a repetition of that which Moses saith in the 17.18.19. and 20. verses of the 28. chapter of Exodus, where he speaketh of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 urim & Thummim in the 30. verse: others hold they were certain names: others are of divers other opinions. Some late writers think those words were engraven in the breastplate: This is a secret, the search whereof (whether one dispute of the words, or what they meant, or what's become of them, etc.) is very painful and needless; for that now since the coming of Christ we ought to follow the truth itself, and not stay upon shadows. These words doubtless gave to understand, that all light and perfection cometh of our Saviour, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead bodily dwelleth, in whom are hid all the treasures of understanding and knowledge, who is the light of his Church, that is made unto us of God his father wisdom, justice, redemption, and holiness. In all judgements, demands, oracles, and revelations that were made by urim and Thummim (as may be gathered out of the 27. chapter of Numbers, the first book of Samuel the 13. and 30. chapters, and other places where advise and counsel was asked of God, and answer was made by the mouth of the high priest) there appeared a clear light, a sure truth and perfection: all which in Christ is accomplished. Now these demands & answers were propounded & rendered in the Hebrew tongue, long time before any other language was used in the world. For so soon after their scattering at Babel they could not well be incorporated into a commonwealth: and as for religion, that was not kept but in the race of Sem, as Moses plainly declareth all through the history of Abraham. Concerning the Prophets, their dreams & visions, God spoke not, they understood not, neither answered or taught they the Church but in the Hebrew; that significant, unmingled, holy, chaste & heavenly tongue; whereas others lisp and stammer out uncertain sounds, and are infinite ways defiled through the dishonest, foolish, erroneous, and ungodly discourses of their inventors: I except the books of the new Testament, and all writings drawn from the clear fountains of holy Scripture, besides the which there is nothing but vanity, filth, wickedness, and ungodliness in the world. Moreover, the Lord himself setting down his law to his people, and writing it twice with his own finger, and speaking with his own mouth to Moses and his other servants in the Mount, used the Hebrew tongue. So did the Angels and Prophets, and jesus Christ spoke the Syriac, a tongue so derived of the Hebrew, that they are very like; as their Grammars declare. The Apostles spoke divers tongues, and wrote also according to the people and persons with whom they had to do: yet for all that in their books may be noted an infinite many of phrases borrowed of the Hebrew: as the learned interpreters of the new Testament have exactly showed.  
The fift and last reason set down by the Poet is, that the Hebrew words, especially the proper names (some are alleged for example, and many other may be added) are of great weight and importance: for sometimes they lay open unto us the chief things that do befall the person so named. Nay further, if a man would take the pains to change the order of letters, he may find in them many goodly mysteries. The Greeks have found the way, and followed it in the interpretation of their proper names: but they come far short of the livelihood and majesty of the Hebrues, who begun the thing before them many hundred years. As for other tongues the most part of their proper names have no meaning; they are devised atall adventures; so are they right tokens of barbarism. Some tongues there are more happy and plenteous than others in this behalf: but their interpretations are for the most part uncertain, especially if the Root thereof come not from or near the Hebrew. herehence again the curious reader may take occasion of a large commentary: I leave it unto him.   

13.  
Then do I thee salute. It is not without cause, that the Poet strait upon the former discourse, useth these words: considering the excellency of the Hebrew tongue, and that he setteth out in so few verses her wonderful perfections, each one of them requiring a large treatise, and himself being unable to shut up so great matters in so few words. For example sake let us consider but very briefly those three points that the Poet here toucheth: to wit, that the 22. Hebrew letters are full of hidden sense; that the proper names of persons, countries, and cities in this tongue are as much as abridgements of their life and deeds, that the names of birds, beasts and fishes, contain the history of their natures, howbeit since the fall of Adam the knowledge thereof is greatly darkened. To make the Reader somewhat more desirous to enter meditation hereon, I will set him down some examples. Concerning the mysteries of th'Hebrew Letter-row Eusebius & S. jerom in his Epistle ad Paul. urbic. which is the 155. expoundeth them, as I shall show you in our own tongue. The first letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aleph signifieth doctrine, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beth a house, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ghimel Fullness, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daleth Tables, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He This, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vau & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zain That or she there, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cheth Life, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teth Good, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joth Beginning, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaph a Hand, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lamed Discipline, or the heart, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man Theirs, or of these, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nun Continual, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Samech Aide or succour, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ain a Spring, or an Eye, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phe a Mouth, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sade justice, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coph Calling, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resch a Head, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schin teeth, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tau Signs. All which may be thus put together and expounded. The doctrine of the Church, which is the house of God, is found in the fullness of the Tables: that is, the holy Scriptures. This doctrine and that fullness of the tables is the life; for what life can we have without the knowledge of holy Scripture? Out of these we learn jesus Christ, who is the life of them that believe. And although this knowledge be excellent and perfect in God, yet as for us, we know not but in part, we see as it were by a glass in darkness: But when we shall ascend up into heaven, & become like unto the Angels, than the doctrine of the house, and the fullness of the tables of God's truth, shall be accomplished: then shall we see face to face the Good prince (to wit, God himself the Sovereign Good, who is the Beginning of all things) even as he is in his own nature. In the meantime we must lay Hand to the work of our Calling, by the means of a right Discipline or a true heart, assuring ourselves that we shall find Continual Succour in this heavenly truth, which is the Spring or Eye of the Mouth of justice, namely Christ our Head, whose Calling is in Signs, or marks of Teeth or framed voice of the Scripture. I desire th●●…ader to take in good part this short Allegory that I am bo●…d make upon the Hebrew letters; and if he desire more in this kind; let him repair to the Roots of th' essential words of these letters, there may he view the matter more at large. For this time it shall suffice to have shot this arrow at the mark our Poet aimed at.  
Now for the second point touching the names of several men, of nations and cities, I will note you a couple of examples of each: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abraham signifieth A father of many, so was his household much increased temporally and spiritually, he is the father of all the believers, whose number is uncountable. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moses signifieth Taken out of the waters, so was he by Pharaoh's daughter, when his mother, loath to have him slain according to the kings cruel commandment, had laid him forth in a pitched flasket by the rivers brink, Exod. 2. By him also God guided his people through the waters of the red sea, and wrought many miracles. The Arabians are a people who even at this day have no certain place of abode, they wander still up and down the champion countries and wilderness, they are famous thieves, and lurking in secret places make often sallies out upon their neighbours, and set upon all passengers unawares. Their name cometh of the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arab, by Ain in the first conjugation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hearib, which signifieth to mingle day and night together: and because that in a desert and waste place all things are confused, as if day and night were mingled together, therefore the country for the situation is called Arabia. This Verb agreeth right with another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arab, written by Aleph, which signifieth to lie in ambush, or to lurk in dens as thieves and ravening beasts do. The Egyptians in the Scripture are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mitsraim because of their strong holds and places of defence, that have been long amongst them: the primitive word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsor that signifieth to Truss close together: In some places of Scripture Egypt is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rahab, that signifieth Proud: so ind●●d they have always been highminded and greater bragger's than any other people. Now for cities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jerusalem signifieth The vision of peace, and just according to the truth: for the peace and grace of God hath been seen and continued vp●… 〈◊〉 place many hundred years, and chief because it hath 〈…〉 figure of the Church militant and triumphant; as often mention is made of the new and heavenly jerusalem. Babylon cometh of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Babel, which is derived of the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Balal to confound, mingle, or trouble, as water when it is mudded. For so indeed the earthy Babel, that was in Chaldaea, hath made a hodge-podge of the world: and that Babel, the spiritual, that is spoken of in the Revelation, hath made so many confusions, that it is unpossible to name them all.  
There remaineth the third point, touching Birds, four-footed beasts, and fishes, whereof and every of them I will name two only, for a pattern, lest I seem too long in the annotations. The Stork, so commended for her love toward those by whom she received life, is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chasida, that is to say, dutiful, loving, and religious. The Eagle is called Nescher that cometh near to Shor and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jashar, the one signifieth to look, the other to be rightful: and this bird of all other hath the sharpest sight, and looketh against the sun. There is further a lively description of this bird in the 39 chapter of job, as also of the Ostrich, and many other in divers places of Scripture. The horse, called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sus, is thought to come of the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nasas, if rather this Verb be not thence derived, which signifieth to advance himself: for it is the bravest and fiercest of all other four-footed beasts: as job finely describeth him in the 39 chapter. The Hebrues have three names for a Lion; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arieh, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labi and Laijsch: the first cometh of a Verb that signifieth to snatch, and tear in sunder: the second of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leb, that signifieth the heart, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laab, to be in solitary and desert places: the third is commonly interpreted a great and roaring Lion, not unlike the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Losh, that signifieth to surprise or devour, for tha●●his beast rampeth-upon and swalloweth up his prey. The ●…hales and great fishes are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thannim, Snakes, Ser●…nts, or Dragons, because they are of a great length, and turn and fold themselves every way, and are no less dangerous in the sea than serpents and dragons on the land. In the 40. chapter of job that great fish is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leviathan, which some de●… of the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lavah, which signifieth to borrow or take 〈◊〉 ●or his recreation: because the Whale seemeth to play up 〈◊〉 down the sea, as in a place borrowed for recreation. The Crocodile, that liveth both on land and water, is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hatsa● and seemeth to come of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsab, which signifieth the covering of a Chariot, because this mighty creature hath so long and so thick a skin. Moreover, th'hebrews of the whole kind of fishes speak commonly as if they were of another world, because they are so far parted and severed from the sight and conversation of men: they make three sorts of them, which they express by the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dagh, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thannim, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leviathan. This have I added the more to show the livelihood and natural importance of this tongue, and herewith I will content myself at this time, desiring that some other, stirred up by my example, would take this matter in hand, and discourse of it better and more at large.   

14  
For when Adam. Moses saith plainly, in the 19 and 20. verses of the second Chapter of Genesis: That God made all the beasts of the field, and fowls of the heaven come before Adam, to see how he would name them, and that howsoever he named every thing living, so was the name thereof. The Man therefore gave names unto all Cat-tail, and to the Fowls of heaven, and to every Beast of the field. The wisdom, wherewith our first father was endued before his fall, importeth thus much, that he should give meet and covenable names unto all creatures under his dominion: & although the knowledge and search of birds and beasts names be hard, because of the weakness of man's judgement now since his fall, yet is it not unpossible, as men well seen in the Hebrew tongue have already showed.   

15  
15 And for each Body. Adam a man perfectly wise before he sinned, gave not only meet names to all creatures, that were (in a manner) the movables and instruments of his house, and of this great shop of the world, whereof the Lord had made him master; but further enriched his language with all manner of ornaments that might be required to make it perfect: So that before his fall he spoke more eloquently than any mortal man since. After he had sinned, entered ignorance into his understanding, and frowardness into his affections: which have made the speech of him and his posterity unfitting, unparfit, deceivable, and often false, even in human and indifferent things, yea such sometime as we most curiously study upon: But the grace of God, the long life of this Patriarch, and his fresh remembrance of the wondrous things that he had seen in the Garden of Eden, have brought to pass doubtless, that the conversation, instruction, reports and authority of so great a parsonage, had a marvelous force to persuade and teach all those that were in his school. For from him had we first our Arts & Sciences derived, & especially the knowledge of the true God. And although since his time the things have been more and more enlightened and parfited, yet must we needs confess that Adam was the first teacher of them. Who so desireth to know the depth of his wisdom, let him at his leisure meditate upon the four first Chapters of Genesis, and he will confess there is contained the sum of all that all men have known, or shall unto the world's end. Now out of all doubt it is, that Adam taught his children and their posterity all these things exactly. But Moses, by the direction of the spirit of God, thought it sufficient to represent only the ground of things: otherwise the world neither had nor would ever be able to contain the books that might be made upon these four first Chapters.   

16  
This tongue that Adam spoke. The first world continued 1656. years. Adam lived 930. years, his posterity kept his language, and although they possessed with their tents and dwellings a large piece of ground, yet is there no place of Scripture to be found, whereout may be gathered any proof of the diversity of tongues before the flood. There being then but one, it must needs be the same that Adam taught his children: as may also appear by this, that all proper names until the flood are Hebrew. No the true son of Adam retained and spoke this tongue, and taught it his children. And although three or four score years before the flood they began to spread abroad themselves, and corruption grew more and more among them (as by that may be gathered, that is written of Nimrod and Asshur, and the children of Cham, Genesis the 10.) yet in the beginning of the eleventh Chapter Moses witnesseth that at what time they, that came to dwell in the plain of Sennaar, spoke of building the City and Tower afterward called Babel, all the earth was one language & one speech: which I understand not only of those that dwelled in the plain of Sennaar, but of all people then living in the world. It is likely that they that came out of the East countries, and settled themselves in Sennaar were a great number. They spoke Hebrew, but when confusion befell their tongue, some drew one way, others another way, and by continuance of time their Hebrew varying by means of their separation was embased, and every several people had their language apart. As for such as were not mingled in this disorder, namely the families of Sem, or the most part of them, they kept the original and primitive tongue, whereof Heber was the chief professor at the confusion of Babel; and thence it cometh (as it is thought) that the tongue was called Hebrew, and the people Hebrues; as Abraham in whose family that speech remained, is surnamed an Hebrew. The Poet, with some interpreters, leaves it in doubt whether Heber was among the builders of Babel, or dwelled apart. I think with some others, that he was not of the number, but hearing how the Tower-builders were scattered, he gave the name of Peleg (that is, Division) to his son that then was borne: because (saith Moses, Genes. 10.25.) that in his time the earth was divided. Thus much of the Hebrew tongue, which was after preserved by Moses and the high Priests, the judges, Kings and Prophets. Now let us consider what the Poet saith further as touching those other tongues, that first arising of the Hebrew, were after the confusion a hundred thousand ways altered and disguised by the nations living asunder, who themselves invented, and carried new words and language, each to the place of their abode.     




The first languages derived from the Hebrew are each of them again divided into divers others.  17 But softly-sliding Age, that envious all doth waste,  
Those ancient languages soon every one defaced  
That in the thundering sound of masons clattering hands,  
By Tigris banks devised, had overspread the lands:  
And, that the world might be more out of order left,  
Into a many tongues the least of them hath cleft.  

Whence cometh the alteration of a tongue.  18 Each language altereth, beit for that merchandise  
Imparting unto us the treasures of great prize  
From azur'd Amphitrite, and sending ours aboard,  
Bold with a good success, oft changeth word for word:  
Or that the learned man ingenuously endighting  
With guilt and curled words tricks up his wanton writing.  
And hunting after praise some stamp near seen before  
Sets both on deeds and things, or doth at least restore  
Disclaimed words to use, and makes again be borne  
Those that with over-age, with rot and mould were worn.  
With them it falleth out, as with leaves in a wood,  
One falls, another grows; the words that once were good,  
And, like fair Lily flowers in greenest meadow strewed,  
Quite through the learned speech their glittering beauty show'd,  
Now are not in request; but sith Court them exiles,  
Ashamed they shroud themselves under base cottage tiles:  
And those that longago were censured curiously  
For base and counterfeit, now pass on currently.  
19 A courage bold led with discretion fortunate  
May licence words to pass, although they but of late  
Were forged in his shop, among plants natural  
May graff some foreign imps, his language therewithal  
Enriching more and more, and with a divers gloze  
Enameling his talk, his Muse's task, or prose.  
Some language hath no law, but Use headstrong and blind,  
That runneth wheresoe'er the people light as wind  
Goes headlong driving it: another closely running  
Within the bounds of Art, her phrases frames with cunning:  
Some one strait waxing old assoon as it is borne  
The cradle hath to grave, another is not worn  
With file of many years; some liveth ill bestead  
Within a strait precinct for ever prisoned,  
Another boldly doth from Alexander's altar  
Among the learned stretch unto the mount Gibraltar.  
Such now the Hebrew tongue, the Greek and Latin be; 
Hebrew, Greek, and Latin the best of all tongues.   
Hebrew, for still she holds, and by her hand hold we,  
The Word, the sacred Word of God thrise-eternall,  
And was of Laws divine the true original:  
The Greek, as one that hath within her learned writ  
Plainly comprised all the knowledge of man's wit.  
And valiant Latin eke, because her eloquence  
By sword was planted through the world's circumference.    


17.  
But softly-sliding Age. The Poet here entereth into consideration of other tongues beside the Hebrew: and saith these first tongues that begun in Babel, being all (as it were) Meslins of Hebrew, by tract of time are so worn out, that each one of them hath engendered a many others, as a man may quickly understand, if he consider the great variety of ancient people that were before the Greeks and Latins. It shall suffice at this present thus to have pointed hereat in a word. Whoso is desirous of more, let him cast his eye upon the three first and principal Monarchies, and all the divers nations subject unto them, and mentioned in the Chronicles of the world: the Abridgement of all is to be found in the first Volume of the Historical library of N. Vignier.   

18.  
Each language altereth. He showeth by divers reasons whence cometh the change of tongues. First, the traffic that one country people hath with another, as well by sea (which he calleth, Th'azured Amphitrite) as also by land, is cause why we learn some new words, as if we made no less exchange of words than of wares. Secondly, a writer that dares venture, and is desirous to enrich his mothertoong, decketh it boldly with that which he borroweth of others, setteth forgotten words on foot again, inventeth new words, colouring and fashioning them according. Thirdly, time altereth a speech; as we see it doth all things else, that we might be forced thereby daily more and more to see and confess, that nothing is sure and steadfast under heaven; and to beat down also the vanity of man's conceit, who commonly vaunteth himself and taketh pride in such things as have nothing constant in them but their own unconstancy.   

19  
A courage bold. This cometh too near the second reason to be counted a fourth. The French Commentar must pardon me; I think rather the Poet having spoken of Writers, Merchandise and Time, the right and only means whereby new words and phrases are first brought into a language: here he showeth us how they are accepted, for as before he touched in a word that the Courts dislike of old words bred their disuse; so here he telleth us plainly that the authority of him, that deviseth or useth new words, is cause of their acceptance: which is afterward confirmed by use, Quem penes arbitrium est, & vis & norma loquendi: as Horace writeth. But forasmuch as use without Art draweth a language headlong into Barbarism, and so out of request, and Art without authority of Empire, shutteth it up in a narrow compass, he saith, that the Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, had all these maintaining means, whereby they have continued so long, and spread so far abroad. So beginneth he cunningly to make his passage from words and phrases unto entire languages, the better to come at length to that excellent discourse, that followeth in the next Section, upon all the principal tongues now spoken or known in the world. As for the Hebrew, besides the perfections above mentioned, he saith, in it God hath revealed his will, and that it is the original of the divine Law: both of great force to make the tongue far known, and continue long: it had further the Art and knowledge of high Priests and Prophets, the wisdom and state of Solomon, & was a long time used and accustomed to be spoke in the famous commonwealth of the jews. But these because they belong not unto that tongue only, but as well to the other two, the Poet here leaveth out. The Greek he saith, in her books containeth at large all the liberal Sciences: a great cause and most proper to the Greek: the rest as common to the others are let pass. The Latin more grave & forcible than the Greek (that was a more neat and wanton tongue) was advanced and continued in request by the Romans force of arms: whose Empire was the greatest and most warlike of all the rest; and therefore is this cause here only mentioned, as most proper to the Latin tongue, and the rest omitted. These three tongues do at this day far surpass all others; but ungodliness and contempt of the true Divinity, is cause why the Hebrew is not esteemed as it deserveth: the more is it regarded of them that know it. As for the Greek, that which is now commonly spoken is very gross. The pure and good Greek is contained within the books of Plato, Aristotle, Zenophon, Demosthenes, Isocrates, Homer, Euripides, Sophocles, Plutarch, Basil, Nasianzen, Chrysostome, and many others. The Latin, after some ignorant and unlearned men had greatly embased it, was restned and set on foot again within these fourscore years, at what time there flourished many great and learned personages in Europe, as Melancthon, Erasmus, Picus Myrand. and others: but they come short of that grace and livelihood that the ancient Latin writers have: Cicero, Caesar, Livy, Virgil, Horace, and a number of others well enough known: of whom (as also of the most excellent authors in other tongues) the Poet here goes about to entreat.     




The Poets takes breath to enter afresh into the next discourse, where by way of a Vision, he cunningly describeth the principal tongues, with their best authors.  20 Tracing these latter lines, half tired as I were  
With this enticing pain of heavenly Pallas Lere,  
Still now and then I strike my chin upon my breast,  
And softly both mine eyes begin to close to rest,  
Moist with Ambrosian dew; knit is my senses band,  
And fairly slides my pen forth of my fainting hand.  
Upon my flattering couch I spread myself again,  
And plunge in Lethe-streame all troubles of my brain:  
There drown I all my cares, save one, that with no trance  
Is discontinued, to please and profit France.  
The sacred Forge of Love, that me inflamed keeps,  
Will not let sleep my soul although my body sleeps.  
21 And golden-winged Dream rising in th'eastern shore  
Forth at his Christ all gate, a little while before  
The Day-gate opened, into a Valley fair  
Me led fantastical, where day and nights fresh air,  
The north winds & the south, the drought & th'Ises mother  
The fair days and the foul, came not one after other:  
There May did always reign, and Zephyrus bedight  
With Rosy coronets, blew nicely day and night  
A woods soft-rustling boughs, that blossoms sweet did yield  

A description of the seat & image of eloquence.  And Oualwise bewalled the flowr-embroidred field.  
22 Just in the midst of all this Ammel-blooming glade  
Raised was a mighty Rock, in footstall manner made:  
Upon the top thereof a brasfe Colosse did stand,  
That in the left hand held a flaming firebrand,  
An Ewer in the right; out from her golden tongue  
A thousand little chains all o'er the meadow sprung,  
That worlds of hearers drew, fine wrought by subtle art,  
Some linked by the ears, and some fast by the Hart.  
The Boar lay at her feet, nor foaming, nor enraged,  
There slept the Tiger charmed, & Bears their fume assuaged:  
The neighbour Hillocks leapt, the Woods rejoiced round,  
Even dancing as it were at her sweet voices sound.  
A double circled row of pillars high and dight  
By cunning workman's hand after the Carian right,  
With bases underpinned for their more sure foundation,  
Beset this ravishing Image of sweet Oration:  
And four by four bore up amid them one language  
Of those that flourish most in this our learned age.  
23 Among the blessed wits, 
6. The Hebrew.  to whom heaven gave the grace  
That they should underprop the Hebrew in this place  
The man whose face did shine like to a blazing star  
Heau'n-decking, fraying-men; that for a Sceptre bar  
A scare, yet budding rod, and in his fingers hent  
The tenfold register of God's Commandment;  
He guideth Israel, he left authority  
First both of prose and verse to his posterity.  
Such holy writings as not only long forerun  
The writings of the Greeks', but all that they have done.  
The second David is, whose touch right cunningly  
Combined with his voice draws down sweet harmony  
From th'organized heavens, on Harp that still shall sound  
As long as days great star shall over our heads go round.  
Nay farther who can tell, after these heavenly Lights  
Their Measures ended have, but that the blessed Sprights,  
Christ's holy champions, at sound of his accords  
Shall dance in honour of th' Almighty Lord of Lords:  
When many legions of Angels, winged ghosts,  
Shall sing holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts.  
The third is Solomon, whose goodly monuments  
Are wisely powdered with more store of documents  
And golden sentences, than doth his diadem  
With Diamonds and Pearls, and fiery Rubies beam.  
The fourth is Amos son, that hath the Graces all,  
Devout and full of threats, grave and Rhetorical.  

2. The Greek.  24 The Greek Homer upholds, that sweetly versifies,  
Whose learned School brought forth a many companies  
Of old Philosophers, that made his cunning plea  
The world to overflow like some great Ocean sea.  
And Plato all Divine, who like the Bird we call  
The Bird of Paradise, soils not himself at all  
With earth or waters touch; but, more than Hell's descent  
Surmounted is by Heaven, surmounts the firmament.  
And smooth Herodotus; and he of pleader's Arts  
The Law, Demosthenes; gold-mouthed, king of hearts.  

3. The Latin.  25 Then he of Anthony and Catiline great foe  
That lighteneth and thundereth, & from whose breast doth flow  
A thousand streaming floods, wherein the rarest wits  
Daily torment themselves, surprised with maruaile-fits.  
And Caesar, that can do aswell as he can plead;  
And Sallust full of force; and he that Troy doth lead  
Again to Tiber's banks, a writer sent from heaven,  
That never shuts his eyes to sleep morning nor even,  
That ever treadeth sure, always plain, always grave,  
Shamefac'dly venturous and temperately brave,  
That still is like himself, and unlike others all:  
These bear the sweete-grave tongue was last imperial.  

4. The Italian.  Th' Italian founded is on Boccace pleasurous;  
On Petrarch finely dight, bold and sententious;  
On Ariosto smooth, divers, in passions fierce;  
And Tasso, worthy man to write heroic verse,  
Sharp, short, filled, figured, with language flowing fast,  
The first to be esteemed albeets he wrote the last.  

5. Th' Arabian.  27 The language Arabic is mightily sustained  
By Averroes great, deep-reaching subtill-brained:  
By faire-spoke Avicen, and Eldebag satirical;  
By smooth Ibnu-farid, pleasant and allegorical.  
28 The Dutch dependeth on the famous Michael Buther, 
6. The Dutch.   
That Sleidan turned to Dutch; and next on Martin Luther.  
Witbergs and Islebe's fame, and on my Butrick next,  
And last of Peucer sweet, that dooble-guilds his text.  
29 Then Gueuare, and Boscan, Grenade, and Gracilas', 
7. The Spanish.   
With Nectar all distained, that mantleth in the glass  
Of honny-powring pith, uphold the Castillan,  
And had not th'ancient grace of speaking Catallan,  
Osias ravished, his learning might have boar  
The Spanish Laurel from one of the foresaid four.  
30 The speech of Englishmen hath for her strong pillars  
Three Knights, Bacon and More, they two Lord chancellors, 
8. Th' English.   
Who knitting close their tongue raised it from infancy,  
And coupled eloquence with skill in policy:  
Sir Philip Sidney third, who like a Cignet sings  
Fair Tham'ses swelling waves beating with silver wings:  
This stream with honour filled his eloquence doth bear  
Into dame Thetis' lap, and Thetis eu'rywhere.  
31 But what new Sun is this that beameth on mine eyes?  
What? am I wrapped amongst the heavenly companies? 
For the fourth pillar of the English tongue he nameth our gracious Queen Elizabeth, duly and truly praising her for wisdom, maintenance of peace, learning, and eloquence.   
O what a princely grace! what state imperial!  
What pleasant lightning eyes! what face Angelical!  
Ye learned daughters of him that all governeth,  
Is't not that Pallas wise, the great Elizabeth:  
That makes the sturdy men of England nothing bent  
For man's empire to change a woman's government?  
Who whiles Erynnis, loath to tarry long in Hell,  
Her neighbour kingdoms all with fire & sword doth quell,  
And whiles the dark affright of tempest roring-great  
Doth to the world's carrack a fearful shipwreck threat,  
Holdeth in happy peace her Isle, where true belief,  
And honourable laws are reckoned of in chief:  
That hath not only gift of plenty delectable  
To speak her mothertoong, but readily is able  
In Latin, Spanish, French, without premeditation,  
In Greek, Italian, Dutch, to make as good oration,  
As Greece can, as can France, as Rome imperial,  
As Rhine, as Arne can, plead in their natural.  
O bright pearl of the North, martial, Mars-conquering,  
Love still and cherish Arts, and hear the Muses sing:  
And in case any time my verses winged-light  
Shall over th' Ocean sea to thine Isle take their flight,  
And by some happy chance into that fair hand slide,  
That doth so many men with lawful sceptre guide:  
View them with gracious eye and favourable thought,  
I want thine eloquence to praise thee as I ought.  

9 The French.  32 But what are these of France? this countenance is unshaped  
Hence hath the bungler hand of idle Mason scraped  
Only the harder scales of every rugged knot;  
'Tis Clement Marot sure that laboureth so hot  
Artist like without art, and pricked with Phoebus' lance  
Transporteth Helicon from Italy to France.  
Marot I honour thee like as an old Colosse  
All soiled, all-to-broke, all ouergrow'n with moss,  
Worn pictures, tombs defaced, not so for their beauty  
As in devour regard of their antiquity.  
What one this other is I scarce remember me;  
A cunning one he seems what one so ere he be.  
Still rest I in suspense, sometime he doth appear  
To be james Amiot, sometime Blaze Viginiere.  
Great Ronsard is the next, that doth of graces wrong  
The Greek and Latin both, to grace his mothertoong,  
And with a courage bold doth manage happily  
All kind of argument in prose and poetry.  
De Mornay this man is, that combats Atheism,  
Iewes stubborn unbelief, and foolish Paganism,  
With weapons of their own, he godly, grave, settled,  
Stifneth so well his style, plain eke and flourished,  
That pregnant reasons of his winged words, like darts,  
Deeply instrike themselves into all gentle hearts.  
Then thus I spoke to them. O bright, O goodly wits,  

The Poets desire considering the learned writers of France.  Who in most happy case have consecrate your writs  
To immortality! sith that my feeble shoulders  
May not among-ye be the French glories uphoulders;  
Alas! sith I can scarce look after you so high  
As is the double mount approaching to the sky,  
Yet suffer me at least here prostrate to embrace  
Your honourable knees, grant me atleast the grace  
On your bright-shining heads to guirlond April's spring;  
Grant of your gentleness that these base tunes I sing  
May in your glory get an everlasting glory,  
And that always my verse may register your story.   

They granting my request made semblance with their head, 
The end of the Vision.   
So vanished the vale, and all the pillars fled:  
So likewise had the Dream with them together hasted,  
But that I with mine ink his nimble feathers pasted.    


20.  
Tracing these latter lines. Before he endeth this Book or discourse, having begun to speak of tongues, and their comparison one with another; he taketh thence occasion to set before our eyes the three principal tongues, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, accompanied with six other greatly nowadays esteemed throughout all Europe. For this purpose, and to enrich his poem with some new ornament, worthy the things he treateth of; he declareth, how being weary with overwatching himself in these his former studies, he cast him on his bed and slept; yet so as the earnest desire he had to delight and profit his countrymen, kept still his soul awake; which caused him to see in his Dream the Vision here following. A fine invention and framed to the imitation of the best ancient Poets both Greek and Latin, who, being to handle matters of great importance, are wont by such devices cunningly to provoke the readers to mark and give ear unto them.   

21.  
And golden-winged Dream. Of Dreams and their causes hath been spoken sufficiently in the first day of this second Week, entitled Eden, Page the 46. 47. 48. etc. having here to speak of a Dream clear and easy to be conceived, he distinguisheth it from such as are darksome and deceivable, saying it was about the dawning of the day when the golden-winged (that is, the sweet, pleasant, and untroubled) Dream came forth at the Crystal gate in the East: as much to say, as when the day star ariseth, or the morning draweth on, we feel (if we were awake before) sleep gently seizing on us, and our spirits coming and going as it were thorough crystal gates: for then be dreams and visions clearest and best distinguished; whereas before our meat be fully digested, our brain overladen with vapours, receiveth but troublesome impressions, waved so to and fro, and so interlaced one with another, that in the twinkling of an eye, it frameth a thousand shapes, that presently vanisheth away and are no more remembered. Now the Poet saith, he was guided (as he thought) into a place most delightful, which he describeth in few verses, and it is very fit for the matter following.   

22.  
Just in the middle point. First he describeth the dwelling of Eloquence: to wit, on a great Rock, wrought and fashioned in manner of a footstall, or base for an Image to stand on: to show how steadfast and certain a thing this excellent gift of God is. Secondly, the resemblance or Image of Eloquence, he calleth a coloss, that is, of stature surpassing all others: which betokeneth thus much, that eloquent and fair spoken men go many degrees beyond others, whom they use at their pleasure, and draw whither they list, as the examples of Pericles and Cicero declare, and many proofs thereof are found in the holy Scripture. He maketh this Image of Brass, which implieth the fair gloss, the sweet sound and strong force of Eloquence; he placeth in the left hand a firebrand, to signify that learned, true, and fair utterance maketh men see & touch (as it were) the right nature of things: in the right hand an Ewer, because the speech of the wise dampeth and putteth out the flame of passions. I might note hereof many examples, but I leave them for the diligent Reader to search: meaning here to offer him but Annotations, which I fear already are grown too long. The little chains that come forth from the Images golden tongue, & draw such a number of hearers by the ears & heart, signify the great power of a well framed speech: the truth whereof appeareth chiefly in preaching the word, in counsels of grave common wealths-men, and orations of good Magistrates and valiant Captains. In this manner did the ancient Frenchmen paint & set out their Hercules surnamed Ognius: whereupon Alciat hath made a pretty Emblem) it is the 180. expounded at large by Cl. Minos. The sum of all is, that Eloquence is to be preferred before force. Our Poet aimeth at that description. Further concerning the Boar, the Tiger, and the Bear lying tame at the feet of this Image, it signifieth that a pleasant and learned speech appeaseth all angry, cruel, and savage men; and even the maddest and most brutish people in the world: it maketh the woods and hills to dance and leap: that is to say, it moveth, bendeth & instructeth very blockheads, and such as are most hard of understanding; & this may be the meaning of those feigned tales of Amphion, Orpheus, Arion, and other like. Lastly, this Image is environed with a double rank of pillars, well and strongly grounded and under-pinned, that bear up in due proportion the nine languages following, each by her own chief authors & maintainers. For every pillar was wrought in fashion of a man, & framed to the countenance of one of their best writers in a long gown, or stole. And that is the meaning of the French a la Cariatide: After the Carian right: as vitrvuius writeth at large in this first Chapter of his first book of Architecture. This I note because the French Commentar lets it pass and it troubled myself to understand it at the first.   

23.  
Among the blessed wits. For chief props of the Hebrew tongue (which he placeth in the fore front of Eloquence, as in every regard it was meet, whether we consider the sweet gravity, the natural impliance, the shortness, haughtiness, livelihood of it, or the sincerity, holiness, light, and heavenly majesty) he nameth first Moses, because he is the most ancient of those whose writings in this tongue are extant. As for the book of the prophesy of Henoch, it was lost a long time ago. He describeth this holy Law-writer after an excellent manner, as was requisite in a discourse of Eloquence. His face shineth like a blazing Star: alluding to that in the Scripture that Moses coming down from the mount where he had talked with God, his face so shined, that none was able to behold his countenance; insomuch as he was feign to wear a vail over it: the rest is very easy to be understood, especially of such as have never so lightly turned over the History. Now for the books of Moses, they were written many hundred years before the Greeks were known: who were not heard of in the world but a little before the reign of Saul, and had but few works in writing, or none at all, till after the time of Solomon, as their own Histories witness, whosoever will take pains to turn them over. Nay further, all their knowledge came from the Egyptians, Phoenicians and others, who had learned somewhat by conversing with the Hebrues. And to come again to Moses, he hath been in marvelous account with infinite Heathen writers. If any have lightly regarded, or found fault with him, it was either because they understood him not at all, or maliced him exceedingly, which a man may easily find in their writings. The second author of the Hebrew he counteth David, whose Psalms he speaketh much of in few lines, but little it is in comparison of their excellency, whereof many ancient and late writers have spoken notable things: I will not heap them up here, assuring myself that all true Christians will grant me that the Book of David's Psalms is (as Saint Basill saith) the Storehouse and treasury of all good learning, for all men to come at; and will confess with Saint Jerome and S. Chrysostome, that nothing better becometh a man, be he Peasant or Craftesman, great or small, than to sing unto the Lord the praises and thanksgiving in these excellent songs contained: the very lively and true Anatomies of a believing soul. O how cursed and abominable before God and his Church are those wicked ones, that have forbidden Christians the understanding and use of them, and banished them out of Christendom: that have suffered, allowed, maintained, commanded and commended unto the people these shameful and wanton Poesies, these books of vanity, error, & leasings, which with their authors deserve the fire: and not the quiet and peaceable persons, that call upon jesus Christ, and believe steadfastly the life everlasting. The soul that feareth God will not take this my digression ill, nor think it needless: As for the ungodly, let them spit at it, if they will, I regard them not. The third author and ornament of the Hebrew is reckoned Solomon in his proverbs, the book of the Preacher, and the Song of Songs, books more besprinkled with golden words and notable sentences, than his crown was with precious stones and pearls embossed. Happy is the man that taketh delight to mark and daily think upon so profitable and necessary instructions. The fourth is the Prophet Esay the son of Amos, right such a one as the Poet hath described. These four he thought sufficient to name, because they have most writings extant, and are withal exceeding eloquent, as might easily be proved by particulars, if I were to write a Commentary, or a whole discourse thereof.   

24.  
The Greek. Homer, his Illias' and Odyssea containing 48. books, is the most ancient Greek Auctor we have: his inventions are wonderful, his vain natural, his verses smooth, and full of Art, and the more they are considered, the greater grace they have. There is also in them a hidden sense, and the very wellspring of all human knowledge; as may appear by that infinite pieces of his poesies are cited in the books of ancient & late Philosophers, Geographers, Historiographers and Orators, as Plutarch and others witness. The next to Homer is Plato, not in time but in worthiness: he is called the divine Philosopher, because he is so marvelous pure, so high & lofty in all his discourses; the true scholar of him that professing himself to know but one thing, namely that he knew nothing, declared that he knew all things that might be learned in the world, as touching the world. For concerning the knowledge of salvation, Plato and his master both were ignorant: and sith all other knowledge is nothing in comparison of that, (the more are we bound to God that have it) he said most truly, that he knew nothing. The third is Herodotus, who writeth in th' jonick Dialect, that is a kind of Greek differing a little in phrases and pronunciation from the common-spoken, as some far situate shires do from the Court or mother City of their Country: in divers points it agreeth with the French. Plutarch dealeth somewhat too roughly with this worthy Historiographer, in whose defence I will oppose the authority of a learned man of our time: who in a certain Preface of his, saith of Herodotus: Narrationes eius sunt disertae, indicationes expressae, speciosae, explicationes accuratae & evidentes, collectiones certa atque plenae, in his rerum gestarum, hominum, temporum fides, accurata compertorum relatio, dubiorum coniectura sagax, fabulosorum verecunda commemoratio, mira ubique simplicitas, & eximius quidam candour. See the great praises, and perfections of a grave Historiographer. The fourth is Demosthenes, the prince of Greek Orators, the very rule and square of all that endeavour to speak eloquently, a man that leadeth other men's minds as he list, excellent in all his discourses: which are extant, the most of them, and read to the great use and profit of those that know how to apply them.   

25.  
Then he of Anthony and Catiline great foe. That is Cicero, surnamed the father of Eloquence: he is the first and chief of those that grace and maintain the Latin tongue. He was extremely hated of Mark Anthony and Catiline, both whom he hath also bitterly pursued and touched to the quick, as his Catilinarie and Philippick Orations declare: the often printing of his works, and learned men's continual reading of them, and borrowing thence the best graces of their writings, do prove his learning, eloquence and plenty of speech to be such as the Poet here describeth. The second is Caesar, the most valiant of eloquent men, and most eloquent of valiant men, as may well appear by his life in Plutarch, and his Commentaries de bello Gallico: by which work he hath wrung the pen out of learned men's hands, and in a manner discouraged them all from writing Histories, because they see such perfection therein, as they are not able to come near. The third is the Historiographer Sallust: we have of his works, besides divers Orations, two Histories remaining, Coniuratio Catilinae: & bellum jugurthinum, short they are, but full of sentence and sinews, witnessing the ancient force and vigour of the Roman tongue. The Reader may hereto add the commendations of these three authors, as they are in many learned books of late writers here and there scattered. As for those that think Cicero babbleth without learning, and that Caesar the dictator and first Emperor wrote not these Commentaries that bear his name, and that Sallust writeth a hard and forced style: because their accusations are false, and they so far out of the way, I think them worthy none other answer, than our Poets few verses here. Of the fourth, which is the Poet Virgil: too much cannot be spoken: his books of Georgickes and Aeneidos, being such marvelous works, and so far exceeding all other books of humanity: I speak not only for the excellence of his verse; but sure in the depth of his inventions, his judgement, his decence, his modesty, his gravity, and his state, how much he doth outstrip and go beyond all others, may be seen not only in every book of his, but even in every verse; wherein is contained a thousand thousand secrets, and as it were the abridgement of all kind of Arts and knowledge; besides his proper terms, his Epithets always fit, his metaphors and figures sown and sprinkled in their right places, and his speech quite throughout eloquent and pure, without any bodging or dawberie whatsoever. The learned Caesar Scaliger among many others, hath plainly and at large declared in his Art of Poetry, the excellency of this Author.   

26.  
Th' Italian. For ornament of the Italian, a language risen of the Roman or Latin, he nameth three Poets and one Orator, slipping divers writers of history & Secretaries, that have left divers excellent works, Orations, and Epistles among us. The reason is (I think) because these four contain in them all the graces of the others. He nameth also the Tuscan tongue, because of all the divers Dialects of Italy the Luquish, Milanish, Genevish, and Venetian, none are so pure and fine as the Florentine or Tuscan. john Boccace hath written long time ago, but a very fine and pure style; as his Decameron, his Fiametta, the Philocope, The Labyrinth, and his other books witness, that with the world are in so great request. Francis Petrarch hath written since, and invented goodly words, and partly by his own pregnant wit, partly by imitation of all the best authors, hath enriched the tongue with many graces: he hath ventured also far and made Sonnets, Chapters, and Cantos wonderful curious. Then Ludovico Ariosto of Ferara hath set forth a legend of Love, entitled Orlando furioso, in verses sweet and meet, famous throughout all Italy, he is full of affections in his discourse, and as delightful as is possible, by reason of the variety of that fabulous matter he writeth of, which he shadoweth so cunningly, that the reader is therewith often affected and moved, as if it were a true story, or at least not altogether false. Torquato Tasso is last of the four in time of writing, but in account (as the Poet saith) the first and chief: he was the son of Bernardo Tasso that eloquent man, whose excellent Epistles are in print. This his son hath written in twenty books or Cantos, of stately verse a poem, the best of all Italians, entitled Gierusalemme liberata, all the graces and riches of the Greeks and Latins are there gathered together, and wrought into it after the best manner, so grave, so short, so learned, so comely, so lively, so stately, as if it were the work of another Virgil. There are also Printed at Ferrara, three volumes of his works, containing other kinds of verse, and all sorts of fine inventions, a Comedy, a Tragedy, divers Dialogues and discourses in prose, all are worth reading, and all make good the judgement that our Poet hath given of the Author.   

27.  
The language Arabike. This language is comen of the Hebrew: among other learned men's books that have made this tongue of account, we have the works of Aben Roïs', that is, the son of kings: for Ben signifieth a son, in Hebrew; and the Arabians add to the beginning this preposition A, and sometime Al. This Aben Roïs' is the same that we commonly call Averroes, the Commentar, a very excellent Philosopher. He hath commented upon most of Aristotle, and is translated into Latin, printed at Venice; the work doth show the deep reach and subtle brain of the man. Avicen was a great Philosopher and Physician, as his writings also declare. Gesner saith Averroes was of Cordway, and Avicen of Seville, and so I think: but it appeareth by their works that they were both Arabians, and professed the superstition of Mahomet. As for Eldebag, johannes Leo writeth of him in the fift book of his description of Africa. This poet borne at Malaga in Grenade, of great name through all the parts of Buggy and Thunes, was very eloquent in the Arabian tongue, and wonderful sharp in railing on those that did him hurt: he made the men of Tebesse feel it in a Satire he wrote against them, the effect whereof is this: that Nature knowing the Tebessians should be men of little worth and very swine, would make no good thing grow about their city but nuts. The last, to wit, Ibnu-farid, the French Commentar knoweth not what he was, and I can not learn.   

28.  
The Dutch. For the Dutch or Almain tongue he setteth us down Mychaell Beuther, who very well hath translated the Latin Commentaries of Sleidan: the next is Luther borne at Islebe, as learned and eloquent a man as any was among the Divines and Preachers of Germany, as all will confess, that have read his works in Dutch: he Preached and read Divinity the space of many years at Wytteberg in Saxony. Then Gasper Peucer son in law to Philip Melancthon, an excellent Philosopher, Mathematician, and Physician, as his works declare. And lastly Peter Beutrick, Counsellor to Duke john Casimer, and chief dealer for him with divers Princes; lately deceased. I could name you many more, but I content myself, as the Poet hath done, with these four.   

29.  
Then Gueuare. The books of Anthony de Gueuare, du Boscan, de Grenade, de Gracylace, have been for the most part, translated into Latin, Italian and French: but they are far better in their Castilian: which is the most pure Dialect of the Spanish tongue, and wherein the men of learning and good nouriture are wont ordinarily to write and speak. And these four the Poet hath chosen for the most eloquent writers in this tongue: yet nothing foredéeming divers others that have written well both in verse and prose; as namely Osias, whom but for his old Dialect, he judgeth as good an author as the other.   

30.  
The speech of English. For ornament of the English tongue he nameth sir Thomas Moor and sir Nicholas Bacon both Lord chancellors: the first of them was very learned in the Arts and tongues: the second exceeding well seen in the common laws of England: and both very eloquent in their mother language. As for sir Philip Sidney he deserveth no less commendation than the Poet hath given him. Chaucer deserveth the like commendation here that Osias did among the Spanish authors.   

31.  
But what new Sun is this. He maketh a digression in praise of the Queen of England, who the space of seven and thirty years hath governed her Realm in great prosperity; so as, during the troubles and overthrows of other kingdoms about her, herself and her people have been preserved from infinite dangers. This famous Queen hath also the tongues here mentioned by the Poet, very perfect, and at this day by the singular grace of God she is accounted the precious pearl of the North, and very fortunate in all the wars she taketh in hand: her happy success and victories are every way so memorable, that they deserve to be written in a large history, and reverenced of all posterity.   

32.  
But what are these of France? Clement Marot worthy to be admired for his time, in regard of the ignorance and barbarism that reigned in Europe many years before him, hath led the Muses over the Alps, and arrayed them after the French fashion: as witnesseth, among other his works, the translation of nine and forty Psalms of David, a work that will continue in account as long as Yea and Nay are spoken, even to the world's end. Indeed he wanteth that Art and those fine devices that some later writers have; but even in this want & these imperfections he hath done wondrous well; & showeth in his natural vain that if he had sister he could have been excellent: yea in some points and places he hath so done already, as the best of them all could have done no better. For translations we have jacques Amiot, who hath turned into French the Ethiopian History of Heliodorus, seven books of Diodorus Siculus, and all Plutarch, wherein he hath laboured to very good purpose, and with happy success: I would to God he had set his hand also to Thucydides, Xenophon, and Seneca: his style is pure, and natural, not affected, not forced; right good and true French. Blaze Viginere hath also translated many books, as the Polonian history, a part of Livy, Caesar, Chalcondylas, Philostratus, three dialogues of Friendship, and the Psalms in free verse, all which I have read over and again, yet do I prefer Amiot before him. Indeed I find in Viginere a very ready style and matter well chosen, but the other (I know not how) me thinks hath a better carriage of himself. The Seiour de Vauprivas in his French Library saith, of all the foster-childrens of the Muses that were bred in France Viginere hath so written, that, as well for learning as for eloquence of speech, he hath prevented all that shall come after him, and as it were shut the gate against them. See what a commendation here is: I leave the Reader to judge of our opinions. Our Poet stayeth in doubt, but I have been bold to go further; I trust without any great offence: in this consisteth not the good or bad state of France. Concerning Poets, he nameth Peter Ronsard, who hath made himself rich with Greek and Latin spoils, as his Treatises of Love, his divers Poems, his Odes, Elegies, and Hymns do witness: wherein a man may read all sort of verses, and all kind of matter, sometimes in a low style, sometimes in a mean, sometimes in a lofty style: For which cause the Poet calleth him Great Ronsard. I will note here a notable speech of his: after our Poets first Week was come forth in print, being asked his opinion of the work, he answered, alluding to the title, Mounseiur du Bartas hath done more in one week than I have done in all my life time. As for Philip de Mornay, Lord of Plessie Marly, his learned work of the truth of Christian religion, honoured thus by the true title, and written in good French, with lively reasons there gathered together, moveth and draweth to his purpose, that is, to acknowledge the truth, all that read it with a heart desirous of peace and good. The like may be said of his Discourse of life and death, of his Treatise of the Church, his Meditations, and some Epistles and Demonstrations of his. For all his writings are strengthened with arguments, inductions, and proofs invincible, and all in a style with gravity & sweetness mixed, well knit, and well sounding, and easy enough to those that are never so little acquainted with it. The Poet having so lively represented his Vision, endeth his discourse of Eloquence, and her most renowned favourers in every language, and so shutteth up his sixth Book: Which is the second of the second day of his second Week.     
FINIS.