before Abraham moved out of Chaldea; where, and in Babylonia, all those people by Nimrod commanded, inhabited for many years, and whence Nimrod went out into Assyria, and founded Nineveh. Indeed the great masters of nations, as far as we can know, were in that age of the issues of Ham; the blessing of God given by Noah to Shem and Japhet taking less effect, until divers years were consumed; and until the time arrived, which by the wisdom of God was appointed. For of Chus, Mizraim, and Canaan came the people and princes which held the great kingdoms of Babylonia, Syria, and Egypt for many descents together.

SECT. III.

Of the isles of the Gentiles in Japhet's portion: of Berosus's too speedy seating Gomer the son of Japhet in Italy; and another of Japhet's sons, Tubal, in Spain: and of the antiquity of longinque navigation.

TO begin therefore where Moses beginneth with the sons of Japhet, among whom the isles of the Gentiles were divided; which division, as well to Japhet's sons as to the rest which came into Shinaar, was (if the division were made at Phaleg's birth) in the year of the world 1757 or 1758, and, by that account, in the year after the flood one hundred and one, of which question elsewhere.

The habitations proper to the sons of Japhet were the isles of the Gentiles, which include all Europe, with all the islands adjoining and compassing it about; Europe being also taken for an island, both in respect that the sea Hellespont and Egeum, Bosphorus and Euxinus cut it off from the great continent of Asia, as also because Europe itself is in effect surrounded with water, saving that it is fastened to Asia by the north; for it hath those seas before named to the east, the Mediterranean to the south and south-west, the ocean to the west, and British, German, and Baltic sea, with that of Glaciale to the north-north-east, and north-west. Besides, it hath about it all the Cyclades or isles lying between Greece and the lesser Asia, and the isles of Rhodes, Cyprus, Crete or Candia, Sicilia, Corsica,

Sardinia, Malta, the isles of Britany and Zealand, with their young ones adjacent.

This partition and portion of Japhet, with the part which he held in Asia and the north, which was also very great, answereth to that blessing of God by Noah; h Dilatet Deus Japhet; "Let God spread abroad (or increase the pos66 terity of) Japhet, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem.” For though Junius here useth the word alliciat, and not dilatet, and the Geneva persuadeat; yet the Septuagint have dilatet or amplificet; and such was the blessing given to our fathers, which God promised to Abraham and his seed for ever. And the dwelling in the tents or tabernacles of Shem was a blessing by God to the posterity of Japhet; noting, not only an enlargement of territories, but that thereby they should be made participant of God's church. But to come to Japhet's sons, of whom Gomer is the eldest. This Gomer (if we may believe Berosus and Annius, whose authority the greatest number of all our late writers have followed) did, in the tenth year of Nimrod's reign, depart from Babylonia, and planted Italy; which also i Functius confirmeth in these words, Anno decimo Nimrodi, &c. “In "the tenth year of Nimrod's reign, Gomerus Gallus plant❝ed a colony in that land afterwards called Italy: and in the "twelfth year of the same Nimrod's reign, Tubal seated him"self in Asturia in Spain, now called Biscay, which was in "the 140th and in the 142d years after the flood, according "to Berosus." But this opinion is very ridiculous; for before the confusion of tongues the children of Noah did not separate themselves, at least so many of them as came with Nimrod into Shinaar. Let us therefore consider with reason, what time the building such a city and tower required, where there was no prepared matter, nor any ready means to perform such a work as Nimrod had erected, (and as Functius himself, out of his author Berosus, witnesseth,) ad altitudinem et magnitudinem montium," to the height "and magnitude of the mountains." Sure that both this city

and tower were almost built, the scriptures witness. k But the Lord came down to see the city and tower, which the sons of men built. Let us then but allot a time sufficient for the making of brick to such a work, of the greatest height (and therefore of circuit and foundation answerable) that ever was. For where the universal flood covered the highest mountains fifteen cubits; Let us build us a city and a tower, saith Nimrod, whose top may reach unto the heaven; meaning, that they would raise their work above fifteen cubits higher than the highest mountain, otherwise they could not assure themselves from the fear of a second inundation; a great part whereof was finished before it fell, and before they left the work. They also began this building upon a ground the most oppressed with waters of all the world, as by the great ruin which these waters forcibly overbearing and overflowing, made in the time of the succeeding emperors, is made manifest, approved also by the prophet Jeremy, speaking of Babylon in these words, Thou that dwellest upon many waters. It cannot be doubted but that there needed a substantial foundation for so high a raised building on a marshy ground; and to which Glycas upon Genesis giveth forty years. For it seemeth that the tower was near finished when God overthrew it; it being afterwards written, So the Lord scattered them from thence upon all the earth, and they left to build the city. Out of which place it may be gathered, (because the tower is not then named,) that they very near had performed the work of their supposed defence, which was the tower; and that afterwards they went on with the city adjoining, wherein they inhabited. It is also to be noted, that till such time as this confusion seized them, (whereupon the tower was thrown down,) these nations did not disperse themselves; for 'from thence the Lord scattered them upon all the earth; that was, when they perceived not one another's speech. Now to think that this work in the newness of the world (wanting all instruments and materials) could be performed in ten

years, and that Tubal and Gomer in the same year could creep through 3000 miles of desert, with women, children, and cattle let those light believers, that neither tie themselves to the scripture nor to reason, approve it, for I do not. And if the ark of Noah was 100 years in building, or but near such a time, and then, when the world had stood 1556 years, it were more than foolishness, and madness itself, to think that such a work as this could be performed in ten; when the world (from the flood to the arrival at Babel, and beginning of this building there) had but 131 years, and whereof they had spent some part in travelling from the east. Again, if all Asia set to their helping hands in the building of the temple of m Diana, and yet they consumed in that work 400 years, (or be it but half that time,) and in such an age as when the world flourished in all sorts of artificers, and with abundant plenty of materials and carriages, this work of the tower of Babel could hardly (with all the former wants supposed) be erected in those few years remembered. And for conclusion, let all men of judgment weigh with themselves how impossible it was for a nation or family of men, with their wives, and children, and cattle, to travel 3000 miles through woods, bogs, and deserts, without any guide or conductor; and we shall find it rather a work of 100 years than of 100 days. For in the West Indies, of which the Spaniards have the experience, in those places where they found neither path nor guide, they have not entered the country ten miles in ten years. And if Nimrod's people spent many years, by the account before remembered, in passing from the East Indies, or the higher part thereof, which standeth in 115 degrees of longitude, until they came into Shinaar, which lieth in seventy-nine degrees, (the distance between those places containing thirty-six degrees, which make 720 leagues, which is 2160 miles,) and did all the way keep the mountains and hard ground; then the difference between Babylon and Biscay is much more; for the body of

m Plin.

Biscay lieth in ten degrees, and Babylon, or Shinaar, as aforesaid, in seventy-nine; so the length of way from Shinaar to Asturia, or Biscay, is sixty-nine degrees, which make 1380 leagues, or of miles 4140. And therefore if Nimrod took divers years to find Shinaar, which was but 2160 miles; or (supposing that the ark rested in Armenia) little above 400 miles, there is no cause to the contrary, but to allow as many years to Gomer and Tubal to travel 3000 miles to countries less known unto them by far, than the land of Shinaar was to Nimrod. For paradise was known to Noah before the flood, and so was the region of Eden by Moses afterwards remembered; but what he understood of most part of the world else, it is unknown. And therefore did Annius ill advise himself to plant Gomer in Italy, and Tubal in Spain, in the 10th and 12th of Nimrod's reign: n Shall the earth be brought forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? But it may be objected, that the sons of Japhet might come by sea, and so save this great travel through deserts by land. But we never read of any navigation in those days, nor long after. Surely he that knoweth what it is to embark so great a people, as we may justly suppose those conductors carried with them, will not easily believe, that there were any vessels in those days to transport armies, and withal their cattle, by whose milk they lived and fed their children; for milk and fruit were the banqueting dishes of our forefathers. And in the eldest times, even the kings and fathers of nations valued themselves by the herds and numbers of their cattle; who had flocks of sheep, and great droves and herds of their own, and their own shepherds and herdsmen. Now if Tubal had passed by sea from any part of Palestina, Syria, or Cilicia, he might have made good choice within the Straits, and not have overgone Granado, Valencia, and other provinces in that tract; passed the Straits of Gibraltar, disdained all Andalusia and Portugal, with all those goodly ports and countries, and have sought out the iron, woody, and barren