Bacon, Francis, Sylva sylvarum : or, a natural history in ten centuries

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        <div xml:id="echoid-div1697" type="section" level="1" n="146">
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12704" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="14" file="0368" n="368" rhead="New Atlantis."/>
            fortune, if they had not met with enemies of greater clemency. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12705" xml:space="preserve">For the
              <lb/>
            King of this Iſland (by name Altabin) a wiſe Man, and a great Warrior,
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            knowing well both his own ſtrength, and that of his enemies, handled the
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            matter ſo, as he cut off their Land forces from their Ships, and entoiled
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            both their Navy and their Camp, with a greater power than theirs, both
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            by Sea and Land, and compelled them to render themſelves without
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            ſtriking ſtroke; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12706" xml:space="preserve">and after they were at his mercy, contenting himſelf one-
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            ly with their Oath, that they ſhould no more bear Arms againſt him, diſ-
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            miſſed them all in ſaſety. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12707" xml:space="preserve">But the Divine revenge overtook not long
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            after thoſe proud enterpriſes; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12708" xml:space="preserve">for within leſs then the ſpace of One hun-
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            dred years the Great Atlantis was utterly loſt and deſtroyed, not by a great
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            Earthquake, as your Man ſaith, (for that whole Tract is little ſubject to
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            Earthquakes) but by a particular Deluge or Inundation, thoſe Countreys
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            having at this day far greater Rivers, and far higher Mountains to pour
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            down Waters, than any part of the Old World. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12709" xml:space="preserve">But it is true, that the
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            ſame Inundation was not deep, not paſt forty ſoot in moſt places from
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            the ground; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12710" xml:space="preserve">ſo that although it deſtroyed Man and Beaſt generally,
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            yet ſome ſew wilde Inhabitants of the Wood eſcaped: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12711" xml:space="preserve">Birds alſo were
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            ſaved by flying to the high Trees and Woods. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12712" xml:space="preserve">For as for Men, although
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            they had Buildings in many places higher then the depth of the VVater;
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12713" xml:space="preserve">yet that Inundation, though it were ſhallow, had a long continuance,
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            whereby they of the Vale, that were not drowned, periſhed for want of
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            food, and other things neceſſary. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12714" xml:space="preserve">So as marvel you not at the thin Popu-
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            lation of America, nor at the Rudeneſs and Ignorance of the People; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12715" xml:space="preserve">for
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            you muſt account your Inhabitants of America as a young People,
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            younger a thouſand years at the leaſt than the reſt of the VVorld, for
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            that there was ſo much time between the Univerſal Flood, and their par-
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            ticular Inundation. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12716" xml:space="preserve">For the poor remnant of Humane Seed which re-
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            mained in their Mountains peopled the Countrey again ſlowly, by little
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            and little: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12717" xml:space="preserve">And being ſimple and a ſavage people (not like Noah and his
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            Sons, which was the chief Family of the Earth) they were not able to
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            leave Letters, Arts, and Civility to their Poſterity. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12718" xml:space="preserve">And having like wiſe
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            in their Mountainous Habitations been uſed (in reſpect of the extream
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            Cold of thoſe Regions) to cloath themſelves with the skins of Tigers,
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            Bears, and great Hairy Goats, that they have in thoſe parts; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12719" xml:space="preserve">when after
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            they came down into the Valley, and found the intole
              <unsure/>
            rable Heats which
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            are there, and knew no means of lighter Apparel, they were ſorced to
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            begin the cuſtom of going naked, which continueth at this day; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12720" xml:space="preserve">onely
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            they take great pride and delight in the Feathers of Birds: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12721" xml:space="preserve">And this alſo
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            they took from thoſe their Anceſtors of the Mountains, who were in-
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            vited unto it by the infinite flight of Birds that came up to the high
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            Grounds, while the Waters ſtood below. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12722" xml:space="preserve">So you ſee by this main
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            accident of time, we loſt our Traffick with the Americans, with whom,
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            of all others, in regard they lay neareſt to us, we had moſt commerce. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12723" xml:space="preserve">
              <lb/>
            As for the other parts of the World, it is moſt manifeſt, that in the
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            Ages following (whether it were in reſpect of VVars, or by a Natural
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            revolution of time) Navigation did every where greatly decay, and
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            eſpecially far voyages (the rather by theuſe of Gallies, and ſuch Veſſels
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            as could hardly brook the Ocean) were altogether left and omitted. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12724" xml:space="preserve">
              <lb/>
            So then, that part of entercourſe which could be from other Nations
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            to ſail to us, you ſee how it hath long ſince ceaſed, except it were by
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            ſome rare accident, as this of yours. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s12725" xml:space="preserve">But now of the ceſſation of </s>
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