37016New Atlantis.
“open it to you.
And here I ſhall ſeem a little to digreſs, but you will by
“and by finde it pertinent. Ye ſhall underſtand (my dear Friends) that
“amongſt the excellent acts of that King, one above all hath the preemi-
“nence: It was the erection and inſtitution of an Order or Society which
“we call Solomons Houſe, the nobleſt Foundation (as we think) that ever
“was upon the Earth, and the Lanthorn of this Kingdom. It is dedicated
“to the ſtudy of the Works and creatures of God. Some think it beareth
“the Founders name a little corrupted, as if it ſhould be Solomons Houſe;
“but the Records write it as it is ſpoken, ſo as I take it to be denomi-
“nate of the King of the Hebrews, which is famous with you, and no ſtranger
“to us; for we have ſome parts of his Works which with you are loſt,
“namely, that Natural Hiſtory which he wrote of all Plants, from the Cedar
“of Libanus to the Moß that grovveth out of the Wall, and of all things that have
“Life and Motion. This maketh me think that our King finding himſelf to
“ſymbolize in many things with that King of the Hebrevvs (which lived
“many years before him) honored him with the Title of this Foundation.
“And I am the rather induced to be of this opinion, for that I finde in an-
“cient Records this Order or Society is ſometimes called Solomons Houſe,
“and ſometimes The Colledge of the Six days VVorks; whereby I am ſatisfied,
“that our Excellent King had learned from the Hebrevvs, that God had
“created the World, and all that therein is within Six days; and therefore
“he inſtituting that Houſe for the finding out of the true Nature of all
“things (whereby God might have the more glory in the workmanſhip of
“them, and Men the more Fruit in their uſe of them) did give it alſo that
“ſecond name. But now to come to our preſent purpoſe.
“and by finde it pertinent. Ye ſhall underſtand (my dear Friends) that
“amongſt the excellent acts of that King, one above all hath the preemi-
“nence: It was the erection and inſtitution of an Order or Society which
“we call Solomons Houſe, the nobleſt Foundation (as we think) that ever
“was upon the Earth, and the Lanthorn of this Kingdom. It is dedicated
“to the ſtudy of the Works and creatures of God. Some think it beareth
“the Founders name a little corrupted, as if it ſhould be Solomons Houſe;
“but the Records write it as it is ſpoken, ſo as I take it to be denomi-
“nate of the King of the Hebrews, which is famous with you, and no ſtranger
“to us; for we have ſome parts of his Works which with you are loſt,
“namely, that Natural Hiſtory which he wrote of all Plants, from the Cedar
“of Libanus to the Moß that grovveth out of the Wall, and of all things that have
“Life and Motion. This maketh me think that our King finding himſelf to
“ſymbolize in many things with that King of the Hebrevvs (which lived
“many years before him) honored him with the Title of this Foundation.
“And I am the rather induced to be of this opinion, for that I finde in an-
“cient Records this Order or Society is ſometimes called Solomons Houſe,
“and ſometimes The Colledge of the Six days VVorks; whereby I am ſatisfied,
“that our Excellent King had learned from the Hebrevvs, that God had
“created the World, and all that therein is within Six days; and therefore
“he inſtituting that Houſe for the finding out of the true Nature of all
“things (whereby God might have the more glory in the workmanſhip of
“them, and Men the more Fruit in their uſe of them) did give it alſo that
“ſecond name. But now to come to our preſent purpoſe.
“When the King had forbidden to all his People Navigation in any
“part that was not under his Crown, he made nevertheleſs this Ordinance,
“That every twelve years there ſhould be ſet forth out of this Kingdom
“two Ships appointed to ſeveral Voyages; that in either of theſe Ships,
“there ſhould be a Miſſion of three of the Fellows or Brethren of Solomons
“Houſe, whoſe errand was onely to give us knowledge of the affairs and
“ſtate of thoſe Countreys, to which they were deſigned, and eſpecially of the
“Sciences, Arts, Manufactures and Inventions of all the World; and withal
“to bring unto us Books, Inſtruments, and Patterns in every kinde. That
“the Ships after they had landed the Brethren ſhould return, and that the
“Brethren ſhould ſtay abroad till the new Miſſion. The Ships are not other-
“wiſe fraught than with ſtore of Victuals, and good quantity of Treaſure,
“to remain with the Brethren for the buying of ſuch things, and rewarding
“of ſuch perlons as they ſhould think fit. Now for me to tell you how the
“vulgar ſort of Mariners are contained from being diſcovered at Land,
“and how they that muſt be put on ſhore for any time colour themſelves
“under the names of other Nations, and to what places theſe Voyages have
“been deſigned, and what places of Rendezvous are appointed for the new
“Miſſions, and the like circumſtances of the practick, I may not do it, neither
“is it much to your deſire. But thus you ſee we maintain a Trade, not for
“Gold, Silver, or Jewels, nor for Silks, nor for Spices, nor any other com-
“modity of Matter, but onely for Gods firſt Creature, which was Light; to
“have Light (I ſay) of the growth of all parts of the World. And when he
had ſaid this, he was ſilent, and ſo were we all; for indeed, we were all aſtoniſh-
ed to hear ſo ſtrange things ſo probably told. And he perceiving, that we
were willing to ſay ſome what, but had it not ready, in |great courteſie,
took us off, and deſcended to ask us Queſtions of our Voyage and Fortunes;
“part that was not under his Crown, he made nevertheleſs this Ordinance,
“That every twelve years there ſhould be ſet forth out of this Kingdom
“two Ships appointed to ſeveral Voyages; that in either of theſe Ships,
“there ſhould be a Miſſion of three of the Fellows or Brethren of Solomons
“Houſe, whoſe errand was onely to give us knowledge of the affairs and
“ſtate of thoſe Countreys, to which they were deſigned, and eſpecially of the
“Sciences, Arts, Manufactures and Inventions of all the World; and withal
“to bring unto us Books, Inſtruments, and Patterns in every kinde. That
“the Ships after they had landed the Brethren ſhould return, and that the
“Brethren ſhould ſtay abroad till the new Miſſion. The Ships are not other-
“wiſe fraught than with ſtore of Victuals, and good quantity of Treaſure,
“to remain with the Brethren for the buying of ſuch things, and rewarding
“of ſuch perlons as they ſhould think fit. Now for me to tell you how the
“vulgar ſort of Mariners are contained from being diſcovered at Land,
“and how they that muſt be put on ſhore for any time colour themſelves
“under the names of other Nations, and to what places theſe Voyages have
“been deſigned, and what places of Rendezvous are appointed for the new
“Miſſions, and the like circumſtances of the practick, I may not do it, neither
“is it much to your deſire. But thus you ſee we maintain a Trade, not for
“Gold, Silver, or Jewels, nor for Silks, nor for Spices, nor any other com-
“modity of Matter, but onely for Gods firſt Creature, which was Light; to
“have Light (I ſay) of the growth of all parts of the World. And when he
had ſaid this, he was ſilent, and ſo were we all; for indeed, we were all aſtoniſh-
ed to hear ſo ſtrange things ſo probably told. And he perceiving, that we
were willing to ſay ſome what, but had it not ready, in |great courteſie,
took us off, and deſcended to ask us Queſtions of our Voyage and Fortunes;