The fevetith Books of 



othet foittcito wlt32iM.T.jn. the force of ail which letters we acknowledge and fee evidently ex- G 

 prefled in our Latine AIphaphet.//r/y?tf//<? is rather of mind^that there Vvcreeighceene letters in 

 the Greeke Alphaphet from the beginning3natr.cly_jA.B,r.A.E,EJ.K.A.M .N.o.p,p.s,T.Y.<f3and 

 that the other two ©♦ and x. were fet too by Bpkharmu-s^^nd tiot by PakmedisjL^nticlida wri- 

 tcthjThat one in iEgypt named Meniftt^ms the inventor ofiettersafifteene yeers before the time 

 of Fhorcfseu^fthQ moft auncient king of Greece : and he goeth aboutio prove thefame by aun- 

 Cient records and moniiments out of hiftories.GontrariwifejEp/^^wd'jjan auihour as renowmedj 

 and of as good credite as any other, ftewcthj that among the Babylonians there were found E- 

 phemerides containining theobfervatioh of the rtars, for 720 yecres, written in brickes & tiles: 

 and they that ipcake of the leaft, to wit^ Bercfm and CyitcdemmyiCTpon the like for 480 yeeres. 

 Whereby it appeareth evidenilyjthat letters were alwaies in ufestime out of mind.The firff that H 

 brought the Alphabet into Latium or Italic, were the Pelafgians* Enryalf^mdUyperlfimj two 

 breti^Ait AthenSjCaufed the firflbricke and tile kilsjycajandhoufestherof to be made:whcr- 

 asbJ^their time men dwelt in holes and caves within the ground. Gell/us is of opinion, that 

 X)f?Ar///^,thefonne o^C(elu^, devifed the fitfl houfes that were made of earth and cley : taking his 

 patterne from fwallowes and Martines neafts. Cf^;-^/'^ founded the firfttowne that ever was, and 

 called it after his own name Gecropiarwiiich at this day is thecaftle or citadell in Aihens.Somc 

 will have that Argos was built before it, by king and others againe5thaiSycione was - 



before them both. And the Egyptians affirme,That long before that, their citie Diofpolis was 

 founded. C/»;r4,theronne of /^^r/V/'^Xjdevifed tiling andilatingof houfes firfl, as alfo found out 

 the brafle mincs:both,wiihin the Ifle Cyprus.Hc invented befides pinfers,hammers,yron crows, | 

 and the Anvil or Stithe, DammCuvk the firfl pits for wels in Greece,which then was called Ar- 

 gos Dipiion:& failed out of -^gypt thitherjfor that purpole.C4<3f/»«tf St Thebes(or-jas Tkofhra- 

 J///^ faith)in Phoenice,found out ftone quarries firfl. Thrfifon was the firil builder of towne walls : 

 of towers andfortreifes, theCyclopes,as ^r//?i?//^thinketh : but theTyrinthians,according to 

 ThcDphr^iflm^ Weaving was the invention of the i£gyptians:and dying wooll,of the Lydians 

 in Sardis, Ckfletthc fonneof Arachmuw^x. the firft making of the fpindle for woollen yearne ; 

 Snd Ariichm her felfe was the firfl fpinner of Baji thre%the weaver of iinnenjand of netSi 1^c(ds 

 thcMegarean devifed the fullers craft: 5^'^/^//^ Chewed the art of fowing, as well fortailors.as 

 Corviners and iTioemakers. The ^Egyptians would have the skill of phyficke to have beene firfl 

 among them : but others atfirme,That ArabusyXhQ fon of BAbjion ^ Jpo'.lo^ms the author there- ^ 

 of.The firfl: Herbarift and Apothec2tie,renowmed for the knowledge offimples,& Compofition 

 of medicines,was Chitronjion oiScimne arid Phjliira. Ariptle thinketh,tbat L;jdm the Scythian 

 taught thefeat of calling and melting braffe,witli the tempering alfo ofthe fame ihowbeiij^'^^f- 

 phr aHm faith it was BeUs the Phrygi'an . As for the forges and furnaces of brafre,fomc think the 

 Chalypes devifed,others attribute that to the Cyclopes. The difcoverie of the yron and fleele 

 iiiines,as alfo the working in themjwas the invention (as Hefiodm faith) of ihofe in Greet, who 

 were called Dactyli Idsei, Likewife of filver, 'Erichthonhis the Athenian beareth the namC;jOr(af- 

 tec fome) ^eacm J^hc gold mines,togcther with the melting S^trying thereof,C a^imu^ the Phoe- 

 nician firflfoundoutneerethemountainePangsus;but there be that givethc praife hereof to 

 Thoas and Jeaclis in Pancbaia : or els to Sol the ibnnc of Oceanm^wnio whom Gellim attributeth It 

 the ii^ention of Phificke,and making honx\y, M/dacrims was the firfl man that brought lead out 

 JfthelflandCaffiteris. And the Cyclopes invented firfl the yron-fmiths forge. Or^^^^^the A- 

 the^an devifed the potters craft,fhewing hot^ to caft earthen vcfTels in moulds, and bake thera 

 in furnaces. And therin, Anacharfu the Scythian,or after Come^Hyperhos the Corinthian^inven- 

 ted the cafl: of turning the roundell or glo'be.Carpenters art was the invention of X>Mf/^,as al- 

 fo the toolcs thereto belonging, to wit, the faw,the chip^aoie, and hatchet,theplumbe line, the 

 augoer and wimble, the if rong glew,as alfo fifh- glcw,and ftone- Saudre. As for the rule & fquire, 

 the levdjjthe turners inftrument, and the key, Thtodorm Samim devifed them. Phidon the Ar- 

 give,or PaUmedes asGellm rather thinketh,found out meafurcs and weights. Pyrodes the fonnc 

 of a//A?,devifed the way to flrike fire firfl out of the ffintiand Pr met hem ^iho, meanes to pre ferve M 

 ^nd keepe it in a ftalke oiFcrulapt Fennell geant. ThePhrygians invented firil the waggon and 

 charrioE with foure wheeles. As for trafficke and mcrchandife, the Carthaginians had the fiifl 

 honour rhereof£fl?»i^//'^/ the Athenian was of n^mefor planting, pruning^and cutting vines : 



5ilfo for fetting and gtaffing trees. Stalky Im the foime of Siknm taught men bow to delay wine 



