The Colonies of Bartas VVith the Commentarie of S. G. S. in diuerse places corrected and enlarged by the Translatour [i.e. William Lisle] |
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[But all this other world, that Spaine hath new found out] |
 | The Colonies of Bartas |  |
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[But all this other world, that Spaine hath new found out]
But all this other world, that Spaine hath new found outBy floting Delos like the Westerne Seas about,
And raised now of late from out the tombe of Leath,
And giu'n it (as it were) the Being by the death;
How was't inhabited? if long agone, how is't
Nor Persians, nor Greeks, nor Romans euer wist,
Or inckling heard thereof, whose euer-conquering hoasts
Haue spred abroad so far and troad so many coasts?
Or if it were of late, how could it swarme so thick
In euery towne, and haue such works of stone and brick,
As passe the tow'rs of Rome, th'antike Ægyptian Pyramis,
The King Mausolus Tombe, the walles of Queene Semiramis?
What then alas? belike these men fell from the skie
All readie-shap'd, as do the Frogs rebounding frie,
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Are powred on the meades by some warme April shower:
And entertouch themselues, and swarme amid the dust
About the gaping clifts that former drought had brust:
Or grew of tender slips and were in earthy lap
(Instead of cradle) nurst, and had for milk the sap:
Or as the Mousherom, the Sowbred, or the Blite
Among the fatter clots they start-vp in a night:
Or, as the Serpents teeth sow'n by the Duke of Thebes,
They brauely sprong all arm'd out of the broken glebes.
Indeed this mightie ground, that call'd is Americk,
Was not inhabited so soone as Afferick;
Nor as that learned soyle tow'r-bearing, louing-right,
That after Iupiter his deer-beloued hight;
Nor as that other part which from cold Bosphors head
Doth reach the pearly dew of Tithons saffran bed.
For they much more approach the diaprized ridges
And fair endented banks of Tegil bursting-bridges,
From whence our ancestors discamp'd astonished,
And like to Partridges were all-to-scattered;
Then doth that newfound world whereto Columbus bore
First vnder Ferdinand the Castile armes and lore.
But there the buildings are so huge and brauely dight
So differing the States, the wealth so infinite,
That long agon it seemes some people thither came,
Although not all at once, nor all by waies the same.
Some by the clowdy drift of tempest raging-sore
Perhaps with broken barks were cast vpon the shore:
Some other much anoyd with famin, plague and warre,
Their ancient Seates forsooke, and sought for new so farre;
Some by some Captaine led, that bore a searching minde,
With wearie ships arriu'd vpon the Westerne Inde.
Nay could not long ere this the Quinsay vessels finde
Away by th' Anian straight fro th'one to th'other Inde?
As short a cut it is, as that of Hellespont
From Asia to Greece; or that wher-ore they wont,
Sayle from the Spanish hil vnto the Realme of Fesse,
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So from the wastes of Tolm and Quiuir (where the kine
Bring calues with weathers fleece, and camels bunchy chine,
and hair of Courserots) they peopled Azasie,
Coss, Toua, Caliquas, Topira, Terlichi,
The slow'r-entitled Soile, Auacal Hochilega,
Saguenai, Baccalos, Canada, Norumbega,
And those white Labour-lands, about whose bleachy shore
The sweeter waterd seas are most-anon befrore.
They soa'd athother side the land of Xalisco,
Mechuacan, Cusule, and founded Mexico
Like Venise ore the wat'r, and saw astonished
The greenest growing trees become all withered
As soone as euer touch'd; and eck a mountaine found
Vesenus-like enflam'd about Nicargua ground.
So passing foorth along the straight of Panama,
Vpon the better hand they first Oucanama,
Then Quito, then Cusco, then Caxamalca built,
And in Peruvi-land, a countrie thorow-guilt,
They wondred at the Lake that waters Colochim,
Al vnder-paued salt, and fresh about the brim:
And at the springs of Chinck, whose water strongly good
Makes pebble stones of chalk, and sandy stones of mood.
Then Chili they possest, whose Riuers cold and bright
Run all the day a pace, and slumber all the night:
Quinteat, Patagonie, and all those lower seates,
Whereon the fomy Brack of Magellanus beats.
Upon the left they spred along by Darien side,
Where Huo them refresht, then in Vraba spide
How Zenu's wealthie waues down vnto Neptune rould
As big as Pullets egges fair massie graines of gould;
And in Grenada saw mount Emeraudy shine:
But on Cumana banks hoodwinked were their eyne
With shadie thickned mist: so quickly from Cumana
They on to Parie went, Omagu, Caribana:
Then by Maragnon dwelt, then entred fierce Bresile,
Then Plata's leuell fields, where flowes another Nile.
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The Land of Labour was by Brittish Izerland
Replenished with men; as eck by Terminan,
By Tombut and Melli the shore of Corican.
| The Colonies of Bartas | |