New Atlantis
and they say, That the reverence of a man's self, is, next to religion,
the chiefest bridle of all vices."
And when he had said this, the good Jew paused a little; whereupon I,
far more willing to hear him speak on than to speak myself, yet
thinking it decent that upon his pause of speech I should not be
altogether silent, said only this; "That I would say to him, as the
widow of Sarepta said to Elias; that he was come to bring to memory our
sins; and that I confess the righteousness of Bensalem was greater than
the righteousness of Europe." At which speech he bowed his head, and
went on in this manner:
"They have also many wise and excellent laws touching marriage. They
allow no polygamy. They have ordained that none do intermarry or
contract, until a month be past from their first interview. Marriage
without consent of parents they do not make void, but they mulct it in
the inheritors: for the children of such marriages are not admitted to
inherit above a third part of their parents' inheritance. I have read
in a book of one of your men, of a Feigned Commonwealth, where the
married couple are permitted, before they contract, to see one another
naked. This they dislike; for they think it a scorn to give a refusal
after so familiar knowledge: but because of many hidden defects in men
and women's bodies, they have a more civil way; for they have near
every town a couple of pools, (which they call Adam and Eve's pools,)
where it is permitted to one of the friends of the men, and another of
the friends of the woman, to see them severally bathe naked."
And as we were thus in conference, there came one that seemed to be a
messenger, in a rich huke, that spake with the Jew: whereupon he turned
to me and said; "You will pardon me, for I am commanded away in haste."
The next morning he came to me again, joyful as it seemed, and said;
"There is word come to the Governor of the city, that one of the
Fathers of Salomon's House will be here this day seven-night: we have
seen none of them this dozen years. His coming is in state; but the
cause of his coming is secret. I will provide you and your fellows of
a good standing to see his entry." I thanked him, and told him, I was
most glad of the news.
The day being come, he made his entry. He was a man of middle stature
and age, comely of person, and had an aspect as if he pitied men. He
was clothed in a robe of fine black cloth, with wide sleeves and a
cape. His under garment was of excellent white linen down to the foot,
girt with a girdle of the same; and a sindon or tippet of the same
about his neck. He had gloves, that were curious,'' and set with
stone; and shoes of peach-coloured velvet. His neck was bare to the
shoulders. His hat was like a helmet, or Spanish montera; and his
locks curled below it decently: they were of colour brown. His beard
was cut round, and of the same colour with his hair, somewhat lighter.
He was carried in a rich chariot without wheels, litter-wise; with two
horses at either end, richly trapped in blue velvet embroidered; and
two footmen on each side in the like attire. The chariot was all of
cedar, gilt, and adorned with crystal; save that the fore-end had
panels of sapphires, set in borders of gold; and the hinder-end the
like of emeralds of the Peru colour. There was also a sun of gold,
radiant, upon the top, in the midst; and on the top before, a small
cherub of gold, with wings displayed. The chariot was covered with
cloth of gold tissued upon blue. He had before him fifty attendants,
young men all, in white satin loose coats to the mid leg; and stockings
of white silk; and shoes of blue velvet; and hats of blue velvet; with
fine plumes of diverse colours, set round like hat-bands. Next before
the chariot, went two men, bare-headed, in linen garments down the
foot, girt, and shoes of blue velvet; who carried, the one a crosier,
the other a pastoral staff like a sheep-hook; neither of them of metal,
but the crosier of balm-wood, the pastoral staff of cedar. Horsemen he
had none, neither before nor behind his chariot: as it seemeth, to
avoid all tumult and trouble. Behind his chariot went all the officers
and principals of the companies of the city. He sat alone, upon
cushions of a kind of excellent plush, blue; and under his foot curious
carpets of silk of diverse colours, like the Persian, but far finer.
He held up his bare hand as he went, as blessing the people, but in
silence. The street was wonderfully well kept: so that there was never
any army had their men stand in better battle-array than the people
stood. The windows likewise were not crowded, but every one stood in
them as if they had been placed.
When the shew was past, the Jew said to me; "I shall not be able to
attend you as I would, in regard of some charge the city hath laid upon
me, for the entertaining of this great person." Three days after the
Jew came to me again, and said; "Ye are happy men; for the Father of
Salomon's House taketh knowledge of your being here, and commanded me
to tell you that he will admit all your company to his presence, and
have private conference with one of you, that ye shall choose: and for
this hath appointed the next day after to-morrow. And because he
meaneth to give you his blessing, he hath appointed it in the forenoon."
We came at our day and hour, and I was chosen by my fellows for the
private access. We found him in a fair chamber, richly hanged, and
carpeted under foot without any degrees to the state. He was set upon
a low Throne richly adorned, and a rich cloth of state over his head,
of blue satin embroidered. He was alone, save that he had two pages of
honour, on either hand one, finely attired in white. His under
garments were the like that we saw him wear in the chariot; but instead
of his gown, he had on him a mantle with a cape, of the same fine
black, fastened about him. When we came in, as we were taught, we
bowed low at our first entrance; and when we were come near his chair,
he stood up, holding forth his hand ungloved, and in posture of
blessing; and we every one of us stooped down, and kissed the hem of
his tippet. That done, the rest departed, and I remained. Then he
warned the pages forth of the room, and caused me to sit down beside
him, and spake to me thus in the Spanish tongue.
"God bless thee, my son; I will give thee the greatest jewel I have.
For I will impart unto thee, for the love of God and men, a relation of
the true state of Salomon's House. Son, to make you know the true
state of Salomon's House, I will keep this order. First, I will set
forth unto you the end of our foundation. Secondly, the preparations
and instruments we have for our works. Thirdly, the several
employments and functions whereto our fellows are assigned. And
fourthly, the ordinances and rites which we observe.
"The end of our foundation is the knowledge of causes, and secret
motions of things; and the enlarging of the bounds of human empire, to
the effecting of all things possible.
"The Preparations and Instruments are these. We have large and deep
caves of several depths: the deepest are sunk six hundred fathom: and
some of them are digged and made under great hills and mountains: so
that if you reckon together the depth of the hill and the depth of the
cave, they are (some of them) above three miles deep. For we find,
that the depth of a hill, and the depth of a cave from the flat, is the
same thing; both remote alike, from the sun and heaven's beams, and
from the open air. These caves we call the Lower Region; and we use
them for all coagulations, indurations, refrigerations, and
conservations of bodies. We use them likewise for the imitation of
natural mines; and the producing also of new artificial metals, by
compositions and materials which we use, and lay there for many years.
We use them also sometimes, (which may seem strange,) for curing of
some diseases, and for prolongation of life in some hermits that choose
to live there, well accommodated of all things necessary, and indeed
live very long; by whom also we learn many things.
"We have burials in several earths, where we put diverse cements, as
the Chineses do their porcellain. But we have them in greater variety,
and some of them more fine. We have also great variety of composts and
soils, for the making of the earth fruitful.
"We have high towers; the highest about half a mile in height; and some
of them likewise set upon high mountains; so that the vantage of the
hill with the tower is in the highest of them three miles at least. And
these places we call the Upper Region; accounting the air between the
high places and the low, as a Middle Region. We use these towers,
according to their several heights, and situations, for insolation,
refrigeration, conservation; and for the view of divers meteors; as
winds, rain, snow, hail; and some of the fiery meteors also. And upon
them, in some places, are dwellings of hermits, whom we visit
sometimes, and instruct what to observe.
"We have great lakes, both salt, and fresh; whereof we have use for the
fish and fowl. We use them also for burials of some natural bodies:
for we find a difference in things buried in earth or in air below the
earth, and things buried in water. We have also pools, of which some
do strain fresh water out of salt; and others by art do turn fresh
water into salt. We have also some rocks in the midst of the sea, and
some bays upon the shore for some works, wherein is required the air
and vapor of the sea. We have likewise violent streams and cataracts,
which serve us for many motions: and likewise engines for multiplying
and enforcing of winds, to set also on going diverse motions.
"We have also a number of artificial wells and fountains, made in
imitation of the natural sources and baths; as tincted upon vitriol,
sulphur, steel, brass, lead, nitre, and other minerals. And again we
have little wells for infusions of many things, where the waters take
the virtue quicker and better, than in vessels or basins. And amongst
them we have a water which we call Water of Paradise, being, by that we
do to it made very sovereign for health, and prolongation of life.
"We have also great and spacious houses where we imitate and
demonstrate meteors; as snow, hail, rain, some artificial rains of
bodies and not of water, thunders, lightnings; also generations of
bodies in air; as frogs, flies, and divers others.
"We have also certain chambers, which we call Chambers of Health, where
we qualify the air as we think good and proper for the cure of divers
diseases, and preservation of health.
"We have also fair and large baths, of several mixtures, for the cure
of diseases, and the restoring of man's body from arefaction: and
others for the confirming of it in strength of sinewes, vital parts,
and the very juice and substance of the body.
"We have also large and various orchards and gardens; wherein we do not
so much respect beauty, as variety of ground and soil, proper for
divers trees and herbs: and some very spacious, where trees and berries
are set whereof we make divers kinds of drinks, besides the vineyards.
In these we practise likewise all conclusions of grafting, and
inoculating as well of wild-trees as fruit-trees, which produceth many
effects. And we make (by art) in the same orchards and gardens, trees
and flowers to come earlier or later than their seasons; and to come up
and bear more speedily than by their natural course they do. We make
them also by art greater much than their nature; and their fruit
greater and sweeter and of differing taste, smell, colour, and figure,
from their nature. And many of them we so order, as they become of
medicinal use.