The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
At another time thei passe the daye likewyse, standing one while on one
legge, another while on another in the broilinge sande of that contrie.
Froste nor snowe, nor firie heate greued not them.
Amonge these, is ther a people called Brachmanes, whiche (as Didimus their
king wrate vnto Alexandre when he went aboute to subdue them) liue a pure
and simple life, led with no likerous lustes of other mennes vanities. This
people longeth for no more then nature requyreth naturallye. Thei are
content with suche foode as commeth to hande, desiryng no suche as other
menne tourne the worlde almoste vpside downe to haue, leauing no element
vnransaked to gette a gowbin [Footnote: A large mouthful. From the old
French, _Gobeau_.] for their glotenous gorge: but suche as the earth
vnploughed, or vndoluen, yeldeth of her self. And because thei acqueinte
not their table with surfet, in dede thei know not so many kindes of
sickenesses, ne so many names of diseases as we doe: but thei bettre knowe
what sounde healthe meaneth, and staied continuaunce of the same then euer
we are like.
Thei haue no neide to craue one anothers helpe and reliefe, wher no manne
maketh clayme by (thine) and by (myne) but euery manne taketh what he
lusteth and lusteth no more then he niedeth. Enuie cannot dwelle ther, ne
none of her impes, wher all be equalle, and none aboue other, and all alike
poore, maketh all alike riche. Thei haue no officers of Iustice among them,
because thei do nothing that ought to be punisshed. Ther can no lawe
appiere, because none offence appeareth.
The whole people hath one onely lawe, to do nothinge against lawe that
nature prescribeth. To cherishe labour, to barre out ydlenes, and banis all
[Transcriber's note: 'colle' in original] couetyse. That lechery licke not
away the vigour of their spirites, and strength: nor lacke throwe menne in
desperate doompes. That euery manne hath enoughe, wher no manne couettes
more. That neuer content, is of all other the moste cruell restles plague.
For whome she catcheth, she throweth a foote beneth beggery, whilest thei
canne finde none ende of their scrattinge, but the more thei haue, the
fellier gnaweth their longing.
Thei warme by the Sonne, the deawe is their moisture, the riuer is their
drinke, the faire grounde their bedde. Care breaketh not their sleape,
Compassing of vanities wearieth not their minde. Pride hath no stroke ouer
them, among whom ther is no diuersite. Neither is their any kinde of bonde
knowen amonge them: but the bondage of the body to the minde whiche they
onely allowe to be iuste.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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