— New Atlantis. 
\ hath Tables on the fides for the Guefts that are bidden, who are ferved 
with grear and comely order ¢ and toward the endof Dinner (which ia 
the greareft Feafts with them, lafteth never above an hour and a half) 
| there is an Hymn (ung, varied according tothe Invention of him that corm- 
pofed it, (for they have excellent Poefie;) bur the fubje& of ic is (always) 
the praifes of eAdam, and Noah, and csbraham; whereof the formertwo 
| peopicd the World, andthe laft was the Father of the Faithful ; concluaing 
ever with a Thank(giving for the Nativity of our Saviour, in whofe Birth 
the Births of a!lareoncly Bleffed. Dinner being done, the Tirfan retireth 
again, and having withdrawn himfelf alone into a place, where hemaketh 
(ome private Prayers, he cometh forth the third time to give the Blefling » 
with all his Defcendants, who ftand about him as at the frit. Then he 
calleth them forth, by one and by one, by name, as he pleafeth, though 
| feldomthe orderof age be inverted. The perfon that is called (the Table 
being beforeremoyed) kneeleth down beforethe Chair, and the Father lay 
eth his hand upon his head, or her head, and giveth the Bleffing in thee 
| words ; Son of Benfzlem (or Daughter of Benfalem) thy Father faith it, the 
| Man by whom thou haft breath andlife (peaketh the word: The Blefing of the Ever- 
lifting Father, the Prince of Peace, and the Holy Doye be upon thee, awd make the 
| days of thy Pilgrimage good and many. “This he faith to every of them}; and rhat 
| done, if there be any of his Sons of eminent Merit and Vertue, (fo they 
| be not aboye two) he callethforthem again, and faith, laying his arm over 
_\their fhoulders, they ftanding, Sons, it i well you ave born; give God the praife, 
and perfevere to tke end. And withal delivereth ro either of them a Jewel, 
| made in thefigure of an Ear of Wheat, which they ever after wear in the 
| front of their Turbantor Hat. This done, they fallto Mufick and Dances. 
} and other Recreations after their manner forthercftof theday. This is the 
| full order of that Feaft. 
| __ By thar time fix or feven days were fpent, I was faln into ftraight ac- 
} quaintance witha Merchant of that'Cirv, whofe name was Foabin; he Was 
a Jew, and circumcifed : For they have fome few ftirps of Jews yet re- 
| maining among them, whom they leave to their own Religion 5 which 
|they may the berterdo, becaufe they are of a far differing difpofition from 
the jews in other parts. For whcreastey hate the Nameof CHRIST, 
and havea feerer inbred rancor againft the people, among whom they 
live: Thefe (contrariwi(e) give unico our SAVIOUR many high Attri-. 
-jbu-es, and love the Nation of Benfalem extreamly. Surely thisMan, of 
whom Ifpeak, wouldever acknowledge that CHRIST was born of a 
Virgin, and that he was more thena Man; and he would tell how GOD 
-jmade him Kuler of the Scraphims which guard his Throne 3 and they 
‘\call him alfo the cMilken way, and the Eliah of the CWefiah, and many 
other high Names ; Which though they be inferior to his Divine Mujefy, 
jyet they arefarfrom the Langu>ge of other Jews. And for the Countrey 
of Benfalem , this Manwou'd make no end of commending ir, being de- 
firous, by Tradition among the jews there, to have it believed, that the 
people thereof were of the Generations of ~Zbraham by another Son, 
‘| whom they call Nachoran; ani that Abfes by afecret Cabala ordained the 
| Laws of Benfalem, which they now ufe; and that when the Mefiah fhould 
}come and fit in his Throne at Ferafalew, the King of Benfalem thould fir 
‘jat his Beer, whereas other Kings fhould keep agreat diftance. But yct 
fetting afide thefe Jéwifh Dreams, the Man was a wife man and learned, 
and of great policy, and excellently feen in the Laws and Cuttoms of that 
Nation. 
_ 
