Holinshed Chronicles: England, Scotland, and Ireland. Volume 1, CompleteHolinshed, Raphael
History
Holinshed Chronicles: England, Scotland, and Ireland. Volume 1, Complete
Holinshed, Raphael
Great Britain -- History -- To 1485; Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603
were not able to stur and remooue out of the place: but I passe it
ouer, and diuerse of the like, concluding that these huge blocks were
ordeined and created by God: first for a testimonie vnto vs of his
power and might; and secondlie for a confirmation, that hugenes of
bodie is not to be accompted of as a part of our felicitie, sith they
which possessed the same, were not onelie tyrants, doltish, & euill
men, but also oftentimes ouercome euen by the weake & feeble. Finallie
they were such indéed as in whom the Lord delited not, according to
[Sidenote: _Cap._ 3, 36.]
the saieng of the prophet Baruch; "Ibi fuerunt gigantes nominati, illi
qui ab initio fuerunt statura magna, scientes bellum, hos non elegit
Dominus, neque illis viam disciplinæ dedit, propterea perierunt, et
quoniam non habuerunt sapientiam, interierunt propter suam
insipientiam, &c." that is, "There were the giants famous from the
beginning, that were of great stature and expert in warre, those did
not the Lord choose, neither gaue he the waie of knowledge vnto them,
but they were destroied, because they had no wisedome, and perished
through their owne foolishnesse." That the bodies of men also doo
[Sidenote: 4. _Esd. cap._ 5.]
dailie decaie in stature, beside Plinie lib. 7. Esdras likewise
confesseth lib. 4. cap. 5. whose authoritie is so good herein as that
of Homer or Plinie, who doo affirme so much, whereas Goropius still
continuing his woonted pertinacitie also in this behalfe, maketh his
proportion first by the old Romane foot, and then by his owne, &
therevpon concludeth that men in these daies be fullie so great as
euer they were, whereby as in the former dealing he thinketh it
nothing to conclude against the scriptures, chosen writers and
testimonies of the oldest pagans. But see how he would salue all at
last in the end of his Gigantomachia, where he saith, I denie not but
that od huge personages haue bene seene, as a woman of ten, and a man
of nine foot long, which I my selfe also haue beholden, but as now so
in old time the common sort did so much woonder at the like as we doo
at these, because they were seldome séene, and not commonlie to be
heard of.
OF THE LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN THIS ILAND.
CAP. VI.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account