and think not to go out from hence without a declaration of war or peace between the people of Rome and you." This severe manner of proceeding abated 'the pride of Antiochus, so that he presently made answer, “ That he would obey the senate."

66

2. When Darius. the son of Hystaspis, made an expedition into Scythia, the Scythians had wasted the country of necessary provisions, for want of which the army of Darius was brought into great straits; which the kings of Scythia understanding, they sent an ambassador to him with these presents, a bird, a mouse, a frog, and five arrows. The Persians enquired of him that brought them, what they intended by them? the Scythian told them, That he had no other thing in charge, but, that as soon as he had delivered them he should return with all speed, only to declare, That if the Persians were ingenious, they should interpret what these presents meant and signified." When the Per sians heard this, they consulted about it: the opinion of Darius was, "That the Scythians did yield themselves, together with the earth and water, upon this reason, that the mouse is bred in the earth, and feeds upon the same food with man; the frog lives in the water; the bird might represent the horse, and that, by sending arrows, they seemed to deliver up themselves." But Gobryas, one of the seven princes that had ejected the magi, was of opinion, that those presents intimated thus much, "O ye Persians! unless as birds ye fly in the air, or as mice ye retreat under the earth, or as frogs ye swim in the water, ye shall not return whence ye came, but shall be slain by these arrows." The Persians interpreted it according to his opinion: and had it not been by accident, neither Darius, nor any of his army, had ever seen Persia more, being glad to fly, and happy that he found a way of escape; for the Scythians being in pursuit, missed of him, thinking he had taken another

mently incensed against the Lampsacenians, who sent Anaximenes, as their ambassador, to appease him. Alexander, at the first sight of him, that he might cut off all occasion of being prevailed with, as to any favour in their behalf, solemnly swore, "That although Anaximenes was his master, yet he would not either grant or do any of those things that he should desire of him." Then" said the other, "I desire of thee, O king! that thou would'st utterly destroy the country of Anaximenes, thy master." Alexander, for his oath's sake, was thus constrained (though otherwise much against his mind) to pardon the Lampsacenians.

4. Nicholaus de Brook, a knight, was sent by Valdemarus, the marquis of Brandenburg, as his ambassador to Frankfort, in his prince's name, about the election of a king of the Romans. The competitors were, Philippus Pulcher, duke of Austria, and Lewis, duke of Bavaria: the marquis had sent his letters in favour of Frederic, that he might be king; but his ambassador expecting to receive nothing from Frederic, and perceiving that most men's minds were inclinable to Lewis, he scraped the name of Frederic out of all his prince's parchments, and, contrary to his mind, instead thereof put in the name of Lewis: for which infidelity the marquis, upon his return, kept him in prison, and suffered him there to die of famine.

5. The people of Florence sent one Franciscus, a lawyer, but an unlearned person, as their ambassador to Joan, queen of Naples. At his coming he was informed by a courtier, that it was her majesty's pleasure that he should return on the morrow. In the mean time he had heard that the queen had no a version to a handsome man; and therefore upon his return, having had his audience, and discoursed with her about many things, at last he told her," That he had something to deliver to her in private." The queen withdrew with him into a privy chamber, supposing that he had something to impart to her, which

was not fit to communicate with others: here it was that the fool, prepossessed with an opinion of his own beauty, desired the queen that he might be admitted to her bed. The queen, without alteration of her countenance, looking him in the face, demanded, "If the Florentines had made that part of his commission?" And while the ambassador remained silent, and covered with blushes, she bade him return, and caused it to be entered with the rest of his instructions; and dismissed him without any other sign of her anger.

6. There was a treaty on the part of Spain for a marriage with our prince Henry, wherein Salisbury, then secre`tary (a little man, but a great statesman) instantly discovered the juggling before any other had the least suspicion. For although it went forward cunningly, yet did Salisbury so put the duke of Lerina unt it, that it either must be so, or they must confess their juggling. The duke of Lerma denied that there ever had been any treaty or any intention from that state. Salisbury sent for the ambassador to a full council, told him, "He had abused the king and state, about a treaty for marriage, which he had no commission for; that, therefore, he was liable to be punished by the laws of our kingdom: for when an ambassador doth abuse a state by their master's commission, then the servant was freed; but without commission was culpable, and liable to be punished by the laws of that state, as being disayowed to be servant to the king his master." The ambassador answered gravely," He did not understand the cause of his coming, therefore was then unprepared to give any answer: but on Monday he would come again (this being Saturday), and give his answer." On Monday he came, and began with these words, " My soul is my God's, my life my master's, my reputation my own; I will not forfeit the first and last to preserve the second;" then laid down his commission and letters of instruction un der the king's own hand. He acquitted himself honestly to this state, but was lost to his own, being instantly sent for

(5.) Zuin. Theat. vol. 3. 1. 4. p. 746. (7.) Pezell. Mell. tom. 1. p. 120. VOL. 31.

(6.)

home, where he lived and died in disgrace.

7. The Spartans sent their ambassadors to Athens; who declared in the open senate, "That they came from their state, with full power to compromise all matters of difference betwixt them, and to put an end to all controversy.' Alcibiades, who, in emulation to Nicias, had a desire to continue the rupture, was terrified with this declaration of theirs ; and thereupon made means for a priva e conference with the ambassadors. When he came "What mean you, my lords?" said he; "have you forgotten that our senate is humane and moderate towards those they treat with? But the people are high-spirited, and desirous of great matters. If therefore, in the assembly of the people, you sh 11 declare you come with full power, they will impose upon you what they please: rather deal so with them, as if you had not the full power; an I, for my part, will do all I am able in favour of your state:" and confirmed it to them with an oth. Next day, at the assembly of the people, Alcibiades with great civility demanded of the ambassadors in what quality they came; whether as plenipotentiaries, or not? They denied what they had said before in the senate; and declared before the people, that the had not full power to conclude matters. Hereupon Alcibiades immediately cried out, That they were a sort of unfaithful and inconstant men, no way to be trusted." By this means he so excited both the senate and people against them, that they could do nothing.

CHAP. VI.

Of such as were eminent Seamen, or Discoveras of Lands, or Passages by Sea, formerly unknown.

WHEN Anac' arsis was once asked, "which he thought to be the greatest number, of the living or the dead?" "Of which sort," said he, "do you take th se to be that sail upon the seas?" He doubted, it seems, whether they were

to be reputed among the living, who I committed their lives to the pleasure of the winds and waves. Had all others been possessed with the same timorous sentiments, the world had wanted those noble spirits, who could not rest satisfied, till, by their own hazards, they had brought one hemisphere to some acquaintance with the other.

1. Christopher Columbus, born at Nervy, in the Signiory of Genoa, being a man of great abilities, aud born to undertake great matters, could not persuade himself (the motion of the sun considered) but that there was another side of the globe to which that glorious planet did impart both his light and heat when he went from us. This unknown side he proposed to seek after and opening his design to the state of Genoa, anno 1486, was by them rejected. Upon this repulse he sent his brother Bartholomew to king Henry the Seventh of England, who in his way fell unfortunately into the hands of pirates, by whom he was detained a long while; but at last he was enlarged. As soon as he was set at liberty, he repaired to the court of England; where his proposition found such a cheer ful entertainment at the hands of the king, that Christoper Columbus was sent for to come thither also. But Christopher, not knowing of his brother's imprisonment, and not hearing from him, conceived the offer of his service to have been neglected, and thereupon made his desires known at the court of Castile; where, after many delays, and six years attendance on the business, he was at last furnished with three ships only, and those not for conquest, but discovery. With this small strength he sailed on the ocean more than sixty days, yet could see no land; so that the discontented Spaniards began to mutiny, and refused to move a foot forwards. Just at that time it happened that Columbus did discern the clouds to carry a clearer colour than they did before; and therfore he besought them only to wait three days longer; in which space, if they saw not land, he promised to return toward the end of the third day. One of the company, called Roderigo de Triane, descried fire, an

evident token they drew near unto some shore. The place discovered was an island on the coast of Florida, called by Columbus, St. Saviour's, now counted oe of the Lucales. Landing his men, and causing a tree to be cut down, he made a cross thereof, which he erected near the place where he came on shore ; and by that ceremony took possession of the new world for the kings of Spain, October the eleventh, 1492. Afterwards he discovered and took possession of Hisp niola, and with much treasure and content returned to Spain, and was preferred by the kings themselves for his good service, first to be admiral of the Indies, and in conclusion to the title of the duke de la Vega, in the isle of Jama ca. The next year he was furnished with eighteen ships for more discoveries. In this second voyage, he discovered the islands of Cuba and Jamaica; and built the town of Isabella, after called Domingo, in Hispaniola; from whence, for some severeties used against the mutinous Spaniards, he was sent prisoner to Castile; but on a fair trial, he was very honourably acquitted, and absolved of all the crimes imputed to him. In 1497, he began his third voyage; in which he discovered the countries of Pana and Cumana on the firm Land, with the islands of Cubagna and Margarita, and many other islands, capes, and provinces. In 1500 he began his fourth and last voyage; in the course whereof, coming to Hispaniola, he was unworthily denied entrance into the city of Domingo, by Nicholas de Ovendo, then govenor thereof: after which, scouring the sea-coasts as far Nombre de Trias, but adding little to the fortune of his former discove.ies, he returned back to Cuba and Jamaica, and from thence to Spain, where six years after he died, and was buried honourably at Seville, anno 1506.

an

2. Columbus having led the way, was seconded. by Americus Vesputius, adventurous Florentine, employed therein by Emanual, king of Portugal, Anno 1501, on a design of finding out a nearer way to the Moluccas than by the Cape of Good-Hope, who, though he passed no further than the, Cape of St. Au,

gustin's in Brazil, yet from him (to the great injury and neglect of the first discoverer) the continent or main land of this country, hath the name of America, by which it is still known, and commonly called,

3. To him succeeded John Cabott, a Venetian, the father of Sebastian Cabott, in behalf of Heary the seventh, king of England; who discovered all the northern coasts of America, from the Cape of Florida in the South, to Newfoundland and Terra de Labrador in the North, causing the American Roytolets to tura homagers to the king and crown of England.

4. Ferdinandus Cortesius, was (as I suppose) the most famous of all the Spaniards, for the discovery of new lands and people for passing the promontary of Cuba, that points directly to the west, and is under the tropic of Cancer, and leaving Jucatana and Colvacana on the left hand, he bent his course till he attained the entrance of the great river Panucus, where he understood, by interpreters he had in his former voyage, that these were the shores of the continent, which, by a gentle turning, was on this side connected with the shores of Uraban; but on the other, northward, after a vast tract of land, did conjoin itself with those Countries which seamen call Baccalauræ. He also was informed that the large and rich kingdoms of Mexico were extended from the south to the west. These king doms he was desirous to visit, as abounding in gold, and all kind of pleaty; the climate temperate, although situated under the equator. Here making advan tage of the difference betwixt two kings contending with each other, having strengthened himself, but especially by the terror of his guns and horses, he overcame Montezuma, the most potent of all the kings, made himself master of the great city Temistitana, and took possession of that rich and fertile country the name of his master. But he did not long enjoy it; for the fame of these great actions drew the envy of the court upon him, so that he was sent for back, hav

in

ing, as a reward of his virtue, received the town of Vallium from Charles the emperor, to him and his posterity for ever. He afterwards followed Cæsar in his African expediton to Algiers, where he lost his precious furniture by shipwreck. Of a mean man's son of the poor town of Medelinum, Cæsar raised him to the degree of a nobleman; some few years after which, he died at home, not as yet aged.

5. Sir Francis Drake was born nigh south Tavistock, in Devonshrire, and brought up in Kent; being the son of a minister, who fled into Kent for fear of the six articles, and bound his son to the master of a small bark, which traded in to France and Zealand. His master dying unmarried, bequeathed his bark to him, which he sold, and put himself into farther employment, at first with sic John Hawkins, afterwards upon his own account. Anno 1577, upon the thir teenth of December, with a fleet of five ships and barks, and one hundred and seventy-four men, officers and seamen ; he began that famous navigation of his, wherein he sailed round the world, with great vicissitude of fortune: he finished that voyage, arrived in England November the third, 1580, the third year of his setting out. He entertained the queen in his ship at Deptford, who knighted him for his service, being the first that had accomplished so great a design. He is the efore said to have taken for his device, a globe, with this motto: Tu primus circumdedisti me "Thou first didst sail round me." A poet then living, di rected him this epigram:

Drake pererrati novit quem terminus orbis,
Si taceant homines, facient te sidera notum,
Quemque simul mundi vidit uterque polus &

Sol nescit comitis non memor esse sui.

Drake, whom th' encompass'd earth so fully

knew,

And whom at once both poles of Heav'n did

View:

Should men forget thee, Sol could not forbear To chronicle his fellow-traveller.

6. Sebastian Cabott, a Venitian, rig

Heyl. Cosm. p. 1075.

Stowe's

Chroniele, p. 689.

ged