36410New Atlantis.
“their Language.)
have this, That by means of our ſolitary ſituatior, and of
“the Laws of Secrecy which we have for our Travellers, and our rare
“admiſſion of ſtrangers, we know well moſt part of the Habitable World,
“and are our ſelves unkrown. Therefore, becauſe he that knoweth leaſt,
“is fitteſt to ask Queſtions, it is more reaſon, for the entertainment of the
“time, that ye ask me Queſtions, than that I ask you. We anſvvered, That
“we humbly thanked him, that he would give us leave ſo to do, and that
“we conceived by the taſte we had already, that there was no worldly thing
“on Earth, more worthy to be known, then the ſtate of that happy Land.
“But above all (vve ſaid) ſince that vve vvere met from the ſeveral Ends of
“the World, and hoped aſſuredly, that vve ſhould meet one day in the
“Kingdom of Heaven, (for that vve vvere both parts Chriſtians) vve deſired
“to knovv (in reſpect that Land vvas ſo remote, and ſo divided by vaſt and
“unknovvn Seas, from the Land vvhere our Saviour vvalked on Earth)
“vvho vvas the Apoſtle of that Nation, and hovv it vvas converted to the
“Faith. It appeared in his face, that he took great contentment in this our Queſtion. He
ſaid, “Ye knit my heart to you by asking this Queſtion in the firſt place,
“for it ſhevveth that you firſt ſeek the Kingdom of Heaven; and I ſhill gladly and
“briefly ſatisfie your demand.
“the Laws of Secrecy which we have for our Travellers, and our rare
“admiſſion of ſtrangers, we know well moſt part of the Habitable World,
“and are our ſelves unkrown. Therefore, becauſe he that knoweth leaſt,
“is fitteſt to ask Queſtions, it is more reaſon, for the entertainment of the
“time, that ye ask me Queſtions, than that I ask you. We anſvvered, That
“we humbly thanked him, that he would give us leave ſo to do, and that
“we conceived by the taſte we had already, that there was no worldly thing
“on Earth, more worthy to be known, then the ſtate of that happy Land.
“But above all (vve ſaid) ſince that vve vvere met from the ſeveral Ends of
“the World, and hoped aſſuredly, that vve ſhould meet one day in the
“Kingdom of Heaven, (for that vve vvere both parts Chriſtians) vve deſired
“to knovv (in reſpect that Land vvas ſo remote, and ſo divided by vaſt and
“unknovvn Seas, from the Land vvhere our Saviour vvalked on Earth)
“vvho vvas the Apoſtle of that Nation, and hovv it vvas converted to the
“Faith. It appeared in his face, that he took great contentment in this our Queſtion. He
ſaid, “Ye knit my heart to you by asking this Queſtion in the firſt place,
“for it ſhevveth that you firſt ſeek the Kingdom of Heaven; and I ſhill gladly and
“briefly ſatisfie your demand.
About tvventy years after the Aſcenſion of our Saviour, it came to
paſs, that there vvas ſeen by the people of Renfuſa (a City upon the
Eaſtern Coaſt of our lſland) vvithin night (the night vvas cloudy and
calm) as it might be ſome mile in the Sea, a great Pillar of Light, not ſharp,
but in form of a Column or Cylinder, riſing from the Sea a great vvay up
to vvards Heaven, and on the top of it was ſeen a large Croß of Light, more
bright and reſplendent then the Body of the Pillar: Upon which ſo
ſtrange a ſpectacle the people of the City gathered apace to gether upon
the Sands to wonder, and ſo after put themſelves into a number of ſmall
Boats to go nearer to this marvellous ſight. But when the Boats were
come within (about) ſixty yards of the Pillar, they found themſelves all
bound, and could go no further, yet ſo as they might move to go about,
but might not approach nearer; ſo as the Boats ſtood all as in a Theatre,
beholding this Light as an Heavenly Sign. It ſo ſell out, that there was in
one of the Boats, one of the wiſe Men of the Society of Solomens Houſe,
(which Houſe or College (my good Brethren) is the very Eye of this King-
dom) who having a while attentively and devoutly viewed and contem-
plated this Pillar and Croſs, fell down upon his face, and then raiſed him-
ſelf upon his knees, and liſting up his hands to Heaven made his Prayers
in this manner.
paſs, that there vvas ſeen by the people of Renfuſa (a City upon the
Eaſtern Coaſt of our lſland) vvithin night (the night vvas cloudy and
calm) as it might be ſome mile in the Sea, a great Pillar of Light, not ſharp,
but in form of a Column or Cylinder, riſing from the Sea a great vvay up
to vvards Heaven, and on the top of it was ſeen a large Croß of Light, more
bright and reſplendent then the Body of the Pillar: Upon which ſo
ſtrange a ſpectacle the people of the City gathered apace to gether upon
the Sands to wonder, and ſo after put themſelves into a number of ſmall
Boats to go nearer to this marvellous ſight. But when the Boats were
come within (about) ſixty yards of the Pillar, they found themſelves all
bound, and could go no further, yet ſo as they might move to go about,
but might not approach nearer; ſo as the Boats ſtood all as in a Theatre,
beholding this Light as an Heavenly Sign. It ſo ſell out, that there was in
one of the Boats, one of the wiſe Men of the Society of Solomens Houſe,
(which Houſe or College (my good Brethren) is the very Eye of this King-
dom) who having a while attentively and devoutly viewed and contem-
plated this Pillar and Croſs, fell down upon his face, and then raiſed him-
ſelf upon his knees, and liſting up his hands to Heaven made his Prayers
in this manner.
LOrd God of Heaven and Earth, thou haſt vouch-
ſafed of thy Grace to thoſe of our Order, to know thy
Works of Creation, and true Secrets of them, and to
diſcern (as far as appertaineth to the Generations of Men)
between Divine Miracles, VVorks of Nature, VVorks
of Art, and Impoſtures and Illuſions of all ſorts. I do here
acknowledge and teſtifie before this People, that the
ſafed of thy Grace to thoſe of our Order, to know thy
Works of Creation, and true Secrets of them, and to
diſcern (as far as appertaineth to the Generations of Men)
between Divine Miracles, VVorks of Nature, VVorks
of Art, and Impoſtures and Illuſions of all ſorts. I do here
acknowledge and teſtifie before this People, that the
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