We have many excellent havens, royal havens, Falmouth, Portsmouth,
Milford, &c. equivalent if not to be preferred to that Indian Havana,
old Brundusium in Italy, Aulis in Greece, Ambracia in Acarnia, Suda in
Crete, which have few ships in them, little or no traffic or trade,
which have scarce a village on them, able to bear great cities, sed
viderint politici. I could here justly tax many other neglects, abuses,
errors, defects among us, and in other countries, depopulations, riot,
drunkenness, &c. and many such, quae nunc in aurem susurrare, non
libet. But I must take heed, ne quid gravius dicam, that I do not
overshoot myself, Sus Minervam, I am forth of my element, as you
peradventure suppose; and sometimes veritas odium parit, as he said,
verjuice and oatmeal is good for a parrot. For as Lucian said of an
historian, I say of a politician. He that will freely speak and write,
must be for ever no subject, under no prince or law, but lay out the
matter truly as it is, not caring what any can, will, like or dislike.
We have good laws, I deny not, to rectify such enormities, and so in
all other countries, but it seems not always to good purpose. We had
need of some general visitor in our age, that should reform what is
amiss; a just army of Rosy-cross men, for they will amend all matters
(they say) religion, policy, manners, with arts, sciences, &c. Another
Attila, Tamerlane, Hercules, to strive with Achelous, Augeae stabulum
purgare, to subdue tyrants, as [596]he did Diomedes and Busiris: to
expel thieves, as he did Cacus and Lacinius: to vindicate poor
captives, as he did Hesione: to pass the torrid zone, the deserts of
Libya, and purge the world of monsters and Centaurs: or another Theban
Crates to reform our manners, to compose quarrels and controversies, as
in his time he did, and was therefore adored for a god in Athens. As
Hercules [597]purged the world of monsters, and subdued them, so did he
fight against envy, lust, anger, avarice, &c. and all those feral vices
and monsters of the mind. It were to be wished we had some such
visitor, or if wishing would serve, one had such a ring or rings, as
Timolaus desired in [598]Lucian, by virtue of which he should be as
strong as 10,000 men, or an army of giants, go invisible, open gates
and castle doors, have what treasure he would, transport himself in an
instant to what place he desired, alter affections, cure all manner of
diseases, that he might range over the world, and reform all distressed
states and persons, as he would himself. He might reduce those
wandering Tartars in order, that infest China on the one side, Muscovy,
Poland, on the other; and tame the vagabond Arabians that rob and spoil
those eastern countries, that they should never use more caravans, or
janissaries to conduct them. He might root out barbarism out of
America, and fully discover Terra Australis Incognita, find out the
north-east and north-west passages, drain those mighty Maeotian fens,
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account