Page images
PDF
EPUB

TEZUME (c); and Cusco (d,) in PERU (e), the

Brick or from Mexiti, the firft Fonuder of it under Mexi their Captain, about A. D. 720: Or from Mexitili, their grand Idol. The first Name of it was Tenuchitan, i. e. A Fruit out of a Stone; because it was first founded near a great Stone, and Tree bearing fweet Fruit, called Nuchtli, and by the Spa. niards Tunas; wherefore Mexico beareth for its Arms, a Tree fpringing out of a Stone. It ftandeth in the Middle of two Lakes, like Venice in the Adriatick Sea, and Mantua a fine City of Italy, in a Lake 5 Miles long; one is fresh, standing Water, and full of Fish; the other is faltish, bitter, ebbeth and floweth, but hath no Kind of Fish: One of them is 15 Miles long and as much broad, the other is 45 Miles in Circuit: It was taken, plundered and burnt by the cruel Hernando Cortez, Aug. 13. A. D. 1521, in the 140th Year from the Foundation of the Royal Seat there; who murdered above 1,000,000 of miferable Souls. God punished them by this cruel Scourge, for their abominable Idolatry: For they had 2000 Gods, to whom they offered hu man Sacrifiees; one Time 5000: They facrificed 20,000 Men ayear; fo that in the great Temple, human Blood dashed upon the Walls lay congealed above a Foot thick. This City giveth Name to the vaft Kingdom of Mexico in North America, and to the whole Northern Continent of it, weich is about 23,000

richer

Miles round. It offered much by an Inundation of the Lake, A. D. 1629, whereby 40,000 People perithed, and by another in 1634. But now it is the richcheft, nobleft, and most populous City in all North America, confifting of 70,000 Houses, befides ftately Churches, Courts of Judicature, Colleges, Palaces, &c. The People are of the Communion of the Church of Rome, the reft Pagans.

(c) Montezume, Motezume, Molezuma, or Molencama; American, i. e. A furly Prince; the 2d of that Name, and 9th King of Mexico; one of the mightiest Emperors upon Earth; he had 2000 tributary Kings; his Topac, i. e. Palace, was moft magnificent and immenfely rich, his Attendance and Grandeur incredibly noble; till Ferdinand Cortex with 9000 Spaniards, affifted with the People of Thafcala, (Amer. i. e. A Land of Bread, or A Lady of Bread, from Tecas, i. e. a Lady, and Tefcal, i. e. a Cake or Bread) vanquished his Army, confifting of 350,000 Men, from A. D. 1518 to 1521, and have poffeffed Mexico ever fince.

(d) Cusco, or Cuzco; Amer. A vaft Country of South Amerisa, from the capital and Royal City of their Inge or Yncas, i. e. Kings. The City ftands in a Plain among Hills, in a fine Air, a pleasant and fruitful Land, and is as beautiful as any City in Europe: The Walls are built of four-fquare Stone with wonder

fal

richer Seat of ATABALIPA (f); and GUIANA (g),

ful Art and Labour; tho' they had not an Iron Tool, but grinded them upon others, and covered them with Plates of folid Gold and Silver. It was divided into Hanan Cufco, i. e. the Higher Cufco; and Harin Cufco, i. e. the Lower Cufco; and fo vastly rich, that Francis Pizardus, who facked it, got fuch in

credible Treasures, that the 5th Part, which fell to the King of Spain, came to 400,000 Florins; for all the Gold and Silver of Peru was carried thither; but fince then it is very much impaired in every Refpect. It was ruined by an Earthquake, A.D. 1650.

(e) Peru or Perou; Amer. i. e. a Fisherman or Seaman; becaufe the Spaniards asked one of the Natives the Name of the Country, who answered Perou, which fignifies fo much in their Language. All the South of America, from the Streights of Magellan to the Ithmus of Darien or Panama, about 4000 Miles in Length, and 17,000 in Compaís, is called Peru; which is a large Peninfula, like Africa. Here, a particular Kingdom of it, the best of them all, and vaftly rich in Gold, Silver, and Diamonds. This is bounded on the North with Terra Firma, on the Eaft with the Country of the Amazons, and Rio de la Plata; on the South with Chili, and on the Weft with the South Sea; 1400 Miles in Length, and a

not

bout 400 in Breadth. It was
difcovered by Columbus, A. D.
1496. By Alaufa, by Vespuci-
us; and conquered by Francis
Pizarro, A. D. 1525.
fince that Time it is
decayed and ruinous.

very

But

much

(f) Atabalipa, or Atabaliba ; Amer. The last one of the moft magnificent and peaceable Emperors of Peru. Francis PiJarrus, with 150 Foot and a few Horie, conquered him with 25,000 Men, and many Millions of miferable People; but after the Prince had given him a Houfe full of refined Gold and 'Silver, valued at 15 Millions, to fave his Life, the cruel Villain ftrangled him, contrary to his Faith and Promife, A. D. 1533. The Seat of the Peruvian Emperors had been at Cufco for 400 Years; therefore all thefe immenfe Riches were amaffed therein; so that the Royal Palace, the Temple of the Sun, the Walls and Houses were covered with Gold and Silver; their Pots and other Utenfils were of the fame Metal; which Milton takes Notice of here.

(g) Gaiana, Gujana, or Guaiana; Amer. A large Coun. try of South America, under the Line, well watered, and the most fruitful and beautiful Place in the World; they have an everlafting Spring; and count a Man dies young, if he does not A a a live

not yet plundered and enflaved; whofe great City the Sons of GERYON (b) call EL DORADO (). But MICHAEL

live about 100 Years. It is It is called fo from the River Wia or Wiana; and by our Sailors the North Cape; because it is the moft remarkable Land on the North Coaft of Peru It is bounded on the North and Eart with the Atlantic Ocean, on the South with the River of the Amazons, and on the Weft with the River Oroonoko: It is about 400 Miles in Length, and 150 in Breadth. The Inhabitants are fill Cannibals, Lat. i. e. Men-Eaters, like Dogs, and very favage Pagans. It was difcovered A. D. 1541, by the Spaniards. When Milton wrote this, the Country had not been robbed and enslaved by them, as others of Mexico and Peru had been; but now it is inhabited by the English, French, Dutch, and other Europeans. The River Amazone is certainly the greatest, richeft, and moft fertile River upon the Face of the Earth; (if we may except Rio de la Plata, which is navigable for the greatest Ships, above 200 Leagues, and fixty Leagues wide at the Mouth.) It is about 1276, fome fay 1800 Spanish Leagues, i. e. about 5408 English Miles in Length. It runs from the Weit of Peru, to the Eastern Ocean, 84 Leagues broad at the Mouth, and is rcplenifhed with 1000 other Rivers thro' its Courfe, washing many rich Countries. The old Name of it was Pajan quiris, i. e. The great River; and Hobie, i. c.

The fair River: But the Europeans called it and the Country fo, at their firft difcovering of it; because they faw many warlike Women upon the Banks of it, oppofing their Landing and Conqueft, refembling the antient Amazons, B. IX. N. 1110. See a Survey of it, performed at the Order of the King of Spain, by M. Chrift. d'Acugna, tranflated into English, 1699.

(b) Geryon ; Gr. i. e. a Braswler. A King of Catalonia in Spain, who founded Granada, a City of Catalonia, and called it by his own Name. The Poets fay he had three Bodies, i. e. he was a gigantick Tyrant, and King of three Kingdoms, viz. Majorca, Minorca, and Ebufa; though he was rather a King of Epirus, as the learned Bechart proves; but Hercules flew him for his Cruelty. By Geryon's Sons Milton means the Spaniards.

(i) El Dorado, or Eiderado, The golden City; from Eldorador, i. e. a Gilder; Sp. from the Lat. Aurum, Gold; as Babylon is called the Golden City, becaufe of the vast Treasure therein, Ifa. xiv. 4. Manoa or Manhoa, the capital and Royal City of Guiana: The greateft of South America, and perhaps on Earth; for Diego Ordas, one of Cortex's Companions, enter'd it at Noon, and travelled 'till Night, before he came to the King's Palace; and there he faw fo much Gold in Coin, Plate,

Ar

MICHAEL for nobler Sights removed the Film from the Eyes of ADAM, which that falfe Fruit had occafioned, that had promised to give them clearer Sight; then the Angel purged the vifual Nerve with Eyebright and Rue, (for he had much to fee) and dropt three Drops of Water into his Eyes from the Well of Life. So great Power thefe Ingredients had over ADAM, that they pierced even to the utmoft Seat of his Mind; and he, not being longer able to refrain from clofing his Eyes, funk down, and all his Spirits became entranced; but the Angel foon raifed him up gently by the Hand, and thus recalled his Attention:

ADAM! now open thy Eyes; and firft behold the Effects, which thy Original Sin hath wrought on fome, who are to fpring from thee; who never touched the forbidden Fruit, nor confpired with the Serpent; nor committed Sin; yet from that Crime of thine derived Corruption, to bring forth more violent Deeds.

ADAM opened his Eyes, and beheld a Field, Part arable, and that had been tilled, whereon there lay Sheaves of Corn newly reaped, the other Part of the Field was Sheep-Walks and Sheep-Folds, and in the Midft there flood a plain Altar of green Turf, which was as a Land-mark between: Thither, after a while, a fweaty Reaper brought from his Tillage firft Fruits; the green Ear, and the yellow Sheaf, unchofen, as they came to Hand: Next came a Shepherd, with meeker Looks, bringing the Firstlings (k) of his Flock,

Aaa 2

Armour, and other Utenfils, that the Spaniards called it by this new Name: It ftands upon the West Shore of the great Lake of Parima. The Spaniards fay, the Peruvians built it, when they fled from their Cruelty and Tyranny. Others, it is

a Chimera, and the Philofopher's Stone of the Spaniards; for many have attempted to find it,

but in vain.

(k) Fittings; Sax. O. E. from First: The Young of Cattle, which were first brought forth. Here the first Fruits of

*every*

Flock, the choiceft and the best; then facrificing, laid the Entrails and the Fat of the Lambs, ftrewed with Incense, upon Wood that had been hewn, and performed all due Rites: His Offering was foon coníumed by Fire from Heaven; but the Offering of the former not, for his was not fincere: Whereat he inwardly raged, and as they talked, he rose up against him and flew him; ftriking him into the Midriff with a Stone: He fell down, and growing deadly pale, he groaned out his Soul with an Effufion of gufhing Blood. ADAM, much difmayed in his Heart at the Sight, in Haste cried out to the Angel:

O TEACHER! fome great Mischief hath happened to that meek Man, who had facrificed with a pure Heart Is Piety and true Devotion rewarded after this Manner?

To whom MICHAEL anfwered thus: (he being himfelf alfo moved) Thefe, A DA M, are two Brethren, and are to defcend immediately from thee: The unjuft hath for Envy flain the juft, because his Brother's Offering found Acceptance from Heaven, and his not; but the bloody Deed will be avenged, though here thou hast seen him die, rowling in Dust and Blood.

To which our firft Father made Anfwer: Alas! both for the Deed, and that which is the Caufe of it! But, is this that I have now feen DEATH? Is this the Way that I must return again to my native Duft? O Sight of Terror! foul and ugly only to fee, horrid to think of; then alas, how terrible muft it be to feel?

every Thing the Earth and the Flocks yielded, which were offered to God, as a Sacrifice of Thankfulness. This Custom was handed down among all Nations by Tradition. It was made a Law in Ifrael, 2000

Years after this, that none might eat young Lambs, Corn, Bread, or any Fruits, 'till they brought an Offering to God first, Levit. xxiii. 14. And fuch Laws were made long after that, among the Greeks, Latins, and other Nations.

Το

« PreviousContinue »