1.5. Whether it be likely that there were euer any Gyaunts inhabiting in this Iſle or not. Cap. 4.
Whether it be likely that there were euer any Gyaunts inhabiting in this Iſle or not. Cap. 4.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 BEſides theſe aforeſayde nations, which haue crept as you haue hearde into our Iſlande, we reade of ſundry Gyaunts that ſhoulde inhabite here, which report as it is not altogither incredible, ſith the poſterities of diuers princes were called by ye name: ſo vnto ſome mens eares it ſéemeth ſo ſtraunge a rehearſall, that for the ſame onely they ſu|ſpect the credite of our whole hyſtorie and reiect it as a fable, vnwoorthy to be read. For this cauſe therefore I haue nowe taken vpon me to make thys briefe diſcourſe inſuing, therby to prooue, that the opiniõ of Gyaunts is not altogether grounded vpon vayne & fa|bulous narrations, inuented only to delite the eates of the hearer [...] with the report of mar|veilous things. But that there haue bene ſuch men in déede, as for their hugeneſſe of perſon haue reſembled ratherEſay. 30. verſ. 25. highe towers then [...]etall men, although their poſterities are now conſumed, and their monſtruous races vtterly worne out of knowledge.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 A doe not meane herin to diſpute, whether EEBO page image 12 this name was giuen vnto them, rather for their tyrannie and oppreſſion of the people, then for their greateneſſe of bodie, or whe|ther the worde Gygas dooeth onelye ſignifie Indigenas, or homelinges, borne in the lande or not, neyther whether all men were of like quantitie in ſtature and farre more greater in olde tyme then at this preſent they be, and yet abſolutely I denie neyther of theſe, ſith very probable reaſons may be brought for eche of thẽ, but eſpecially the laſt rehearſed, whoſe confirmation dependeth vpon the au|thorityes of ſundrie auncient writers, who make diuers of Noble race, equall to the Gyauntes in ſtrength, and manhoode, and yet doe not gyue the ſame name vnto them, by|cauſe their quarels were iuſt, and commonly taken in hande, for defence of the oppreſſed. Example hereof, alſo we may take of Hercu|les and Antheus, Antheus. whoſe wreſtling declareth that they were equall in ſtature & ſtomacke, ſuch alſo was the courage of Antheus, that being often ouercome, and as it were vtter|ly vanquiſhed by the ſayde Hercules, yet if he did eftſoones returne agayne into his king|dome, he furthwt recouered his force, retur|ned & helde Hercules tacke, till he gate at the laſt betwéene him & home, ſo cutting of the farder hope of the reſtoring of his army, and killing finally his aduerſarie in the field. The like doe our hiſtories report of Corineus and Gomagot, Corineus. Gomagot. who fought a combate hande to hande, till one of them was ſlayne, & yet for all this no man reputeth Corineus for a Gy|aunt. But ſith I ſaye it is not my purpoſe to ſtande vppon theſe pointes, I paſſe ouer to ſpeake any more of them, and where as alſo I might haue procéeded in ſuch order, that I ſhoulde firſt ſet downe by many circumſtan|ces, whether any Gyauntes were, then whe|ther they were of ſuch huge & incredible ſta|ture, as the authours doe remember, and fi|nally whether any of them haue béene in this our ylande or not, I proteſt playnly that my minde is not nowe bent to deale in any ſuch maner, but rather generally to confirme and by ſufficient authoritie that there haue bene mightye men of ſtature, and ſome of them alſo in Britaine, as by particular examples ſhalbe manifeſtly confirmed without ye obſer|uation of any methode, or ſuch diuiſiõ in the rehearſal hereof as ſound order doth require.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 Moſes the Prophet of the Lord, writing of the ſtate of things before the flood hath theſe wordes in his booke of generations.Cap. 6. ver. 4. In theſe daies ſaith he, there were Giaũts vpõ ye erth, Beroſus, Antidi. 1. alſo the Chalde, writeth that néere vnto Libanus there was a city called Denon (which I take to be Henoch, builded ſomtime by Cham) wherein Gyauntes dyd inhabit, who truſting to the ſtrength and hugeneſſe of their bodies, dyd verye great oppreſſion and miſchiefe in the worlde. The Hebrues called them generally by the name of Enach per|aduenture of Henoch the ſonne of Cain, frõ whom that peſtilẽt race at the firſt deſcẽded.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 And of theſe mõſters alſo ſome families re|mained vnto the time of Moſes, in compari|ſon of whom the children of Iſraell confeſſed themſelues to be but Graſhoppers,Nu. cap verſ. 3 [...] 34. which is one noble teſtimonie that the word Gygas or Enach is ſo well taken for a man of huge ſtature, as for an homeborne childe, wicked tyraunt, and oppreſſour of the people.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 Furthermore, there is mention made alſo of Og, ſometyme king of Baſan,Deut. 3 [...] verſ. [...] Og [...] Baſa [...]. who was the laſt of the race of the Gyaunts, that was left in the lande of promiſe to be ouercome by the Iſraelites, whoſe bedde was afterwarde ſhewed for a woonder at Rabbath (a citie of the Ammonites) and conteyned 9. cubites in length and 4. in bredth, which cubites I take to be geometricall, that is, eache one ſixe of the ſmaller as dyd thoſe alſo whereof the Arke was made, as our Diuines affirme.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 In the firſt of Samuell you ſhall reade of Goliath a philiſtine,Cap. [...] ver. 4.5 Goliath the weight of whoſe Ta|berde or iacke was of fiue hundreth ſicles, or ſo many ounces, that is, 312. pounde after the rate of a ſicle to an ounce, his ſpeare was like a weauers beame, the onelye head whereof weighed 600. ounces of yron, or 37. pounde and a halfe engliſh, his height alſo was mea|ſured at 6. cubites and an hande bredth, all which do importe that he was a notable Gy|aunt, and a man of great ſtrength to weare ſuch an armour & beweld ſo heauy a launce.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 In the ſecond of Samuell,Cap. 21. ver. 16.17. &c. I finde report of 4. Gyaunts borne in Geth, of which the third was like vnto Goliath, & the fourth had 24. fingers and toes, whereby it is euident, that the generation of Gyaunts were not extin|guiſhed in Paleſtine, vntill the tyme of Da|uid, which was 2890. after the floude, nor vt|terly conſumed in Og, as ſome of our expoſi|tours woulde haue it.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 Now to come vnto our chriſten writers, for although the authorities already alleged out of the worde, are ſufficient to confirme my purpoſe at the full, yet will I not let to ſet downe ſuch other notes as experience hath reuealed, onelye to the ende that the reader ſhall not thinke the name of Gyaunts, with their quantities, and other circumſtaunces, mentioned in the ſcriptures, rather to haue ſome miſticall interpretation, depending vp|pon them, then that the ſence of the text in this behalfe is to be taken ſimple as it lyeth EEBO page image 4 S. Auguſtine noteth how he ſaw the tooth of a man, [...]e ciuitate [...]i lib. 15. p. 9. wherof he tooke good aduiſement & pro|nounced in the ende that it would haue made 100. of his owne, or any other mans that ly|ued in his tyme. The like hereof alſo doeth Iohn Bocaſe ſet downe, [...]hannes [...]ccatius. in the 48. Chapter of his fift booke, ſaying that in ye caue of a moũ|tayne, not farre from Drepanum, (a towne of Sicilia) the body of an excéeding high Gyaunt was diſcouered, thrée of whoſe téeth did weigh 100. ounces, which being conuerted into En|gliſh poiſe, doth yéelde 8. pounde and 4. oun|ces, after twelue ounces to the pounde.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 3 4 5 [...]at. Weſt|on.The bodye of Pallas was founde in Italy, in the yeare of grace. 1038. and being mea|ſured it conteined 20. foote in lẽgth, this Pallas was cõpanion with Aeneas. There was a car|caſe alſo laid bare in England vpõ the ſhore, [...]hannes [...]land. [...]aſſeus. [...]. (where the beating of the ſea had waſhed a|way ye yearth from the ſtone wherein it lay) & when it was taken vp, it conteined, 50. foote in meaſure, as our hiſtories doe reporte. The lyke was ſéene in Wales, in the yeare. 1087. of 14. foote. I [...] Perth moreouer a village in Scotlande another was taken vp, which to this day they ſhewe in a Church, vnder the name of little Iohn, being alſo 14. foote in length as diuers doe affirme which haue be|holden the ſame. In the yeare of grace. 1475. the bodye of Tulliola daughter vnto Cicero, was taken vp and found higher by not a fewe féete then the common ſorte of women liuing in thoſe dayes. Geruaſius Tilberienſis, hedde Marſhall to the King of Arles writeth,Geruaſius Tilberien|ſis. in his Chronicle dedicated to Otho. 4. howe that at Iſoretum, in the ſuburbes of Paris, he ſawe the bodye of a man that was twentye foote long, beſide the heade and necke, which was miſſing and not founde, the owner ha|uing peraduenture bene beheadded for ſome notable treſpaſſe committed in times paſt.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 Thomas [...]liot.A carkaſſe was taken vp at Iuye Church nere Saliſburye but of late to ſpeake of, al|moſt 14 foote long.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 [...]eland.In Gilleſland in Come Whitton paroche not far from the chappell of the Moore, ſixe miles by Eaſt from Carleill, a coffin of ſtone was founde, and therein the bones of a man, of more then incredible greatnes.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 Richarde Grafton, in his Manuell telleth of one whoſe ſhinne bone conteined ſixe foote,Richard Grafton. &. his ſcul ſo great that it was able to receiue 5. pe [...]kes of wheate, wherefore by coniecturall ſymmetrye of theſe partes, his bodye muſt néedes be of 28. foote, or rather more, if it were diligently diſcuſſed.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 [...]ilueſter [...]yraldus.The body of king Arthur being found in the yere 1189. was two foote higher than any man that came to behold ye ſame, finally the carcas of William conquerour was ſéene not many yeares ſince, in the Citie of Cane,Conſtans fama Ga|lorum. twelue yn|ches longer, by ye iudgment of ſuch as ſaw it, thã any man which dwelled in the countrey, all which teſtimonies I note togither bicauſe they procéede from Chriſtian writers, from whome nothing ſhoulde bée farther or more diſtant, then of ſet purpoſe to lie, & féede the world with Fables. Nowe it reſteth further|more yt I ſet downe, what I haue read therof in Pagane writers, who had alwayes great regarde of their credit, and ſo ought all men that dedicate any thing vnto poſteritie, leaſt in going about otherwiſe to reape renowme and praiſe, they doe procure vnto themſelues in the ende nothing elſe but méere contempt and infamy: for my part I will touch rare thinges, and ſuch as to my ſelfe doe ſéeme almoſt incredible: howbeitas I find them, ſo I note them, requiring your Honour in rea|ding hereof, to let euerye Author beare hys owne burden, and euery Oxe his bundle.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 Plutarche telleth howe Sertorius being in Libia, néere vnto the ſtréetes of Maroco, In vita Ser|torij de Antheo. cau|ſed the Sepulchre of Antheus, afore remem|bred to be opened, for heareing by cõmon re|port that the ſaide Gyaunt lay buryed there, whoſe corps was 50. cubits long at the leaſt, he was ſo far of frõ crediting the ſame, that he would not beleue it, vntil he ſaw the coffin o|pen wherein the bones of the aforeſaid prince did reſt. To be ſhort therefore, he cauſed his ſouldiers to caſt downe the hil made ſomtime ouer the tombe, and finding the bodie in the bottome, after the meaſure thereof taken, he ſawe it manifeſtly, to be 60. cubits in length, which were ten more then the people made accompt of.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 Philoſtrate in Heroices ſayth,Philoſtrate how he ſawe the body of a Gyant 30. cubits in length, alſo the carkaſſe of another of 22. and the thirde, of 12.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 Plinie telleth of an Earthquake at Creta, Lib. 7. which diſcouered the body of a Gyant, which was 46. cubits in length after the Romaine ſtanderde, and by dyuers ſuppoſed to be the bodye of Orion or Aetion.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 3 4 Trallianus writeth howe the Athenienſes digging on a time in the grounde to laye the foundatiõ of their new walles in the dayes of an Emperour, Trallianus. did finde the bones of Macro|ſyris in a coffin of harde ſtone, of 10. cubites in length after the accompt of the Romaine cubite, which was then a foote and an halfe & not much diffrence from halfe a yarde of our meaſure nowe in Englande. In the time of Hadriane themperour the body of a Gyaunt was take vp at Meſſana conteining 20. foote in length, & hauing a double row of téeth, yet EEBO page image 13 ſtanding whole in his chaps, In Dalmatia, manye graues were ſhaken open with an earthquake, in one of which aboue the reſt, a carcaſſe was found whoſe ribbe conteined 16. elles, after the Romaine meaſure, whereby ye whole body was iudged to be 64. ſith ye lõgeſt rib is cõmonly about ye fourth part of a man, as ſome Simmetriciẽs affirme, Arrhian ſaith that in the time of Alexander the bodies of ye Aſianes were generally of huge ſtature, and commonly of 5. cubits, ſuch was the height of Porus of Inde, whome Alexander vanqui|ſhed and ouerthrew in battaile. Sudas ſpea|keth in like maner of Ganges, killed likewiſe by the ſayd prince, who farre excéeded Porus for he was 10. cubits lõg. But of al theſe this one example ſhall paſſe, which I doe reade alſo in Trallianus & he ſetteth downe in forme and manner following.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 I mouth of 16. foote wide.In the daies of Tiberius themperor ſaith he a corps was left bare or layde open after an erthquake of which eche tooth cõteined 12. yn|ches ouer at ye leſt, now foraſmuch as in ſuch as bée full mouthed eche chap hath 16. teeth at the leaſt, which is 32. in ye whole, néedes muſt the wydeneſſe of this mannes chappes be ſixetéene foote, and the opening of his lippes 10. A large mouth in mine opinion and not to féede with Ladies of my time, beſides that if occaſion ſerued, it was able to receiue the whole bodye of a man, I meane of ſuch as flouriſh in our daies. Whẽ this careaſſe was thus founde, euery man marueyled at it and good cauſe why, a meſſenger alſo was ſente vnto Tiberius themperour to know his plea|ſure,A coũter|feete made of a mon|ſtrous car|caſſe by one tooth taken out of ye head. whether he wold haue the ſame brought euer vnto Rome or not, but he forbade them, willing his Legate not to remooue the deade out of his reſting place, but rather to ſende him a tooth out of his head, which being done, he gaue the ſame to a cunning workeman, commanding him to ſhape a carcaſſe of light matter, after the proporcion of the tooth, that at the leaſt by ſuch meanes he might ſatiſfie his curious minde, and the fantaſies of ſuch as are delited with newes.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 This man was more fauorable to this mõ|ſter then our pa|piſts were to the bo|dies of the dead who tare them in péeces to make mo|ney of thẽ.To be ſhort whẽ the ymage was once made and ſet vp an end, it appeared rather an huge colloſſy then the true repreſentation of the carcaſſe of a man, and when it had ſtande in Rome vntill the people were wearye of it and thorowly ſatiſfied with the ſight thereof, he cauſed it to bée broken all to péeces, and the tooth ſent againe to the carcaſſe from whence it came, willing them moreouer to couer it diligently, & in any wiſe not to diſmẽ|ber the corps, nor from thencefoorth to bée ſo hardie as to open the ſepulchre any more. I could rehearſe many mo examples of the bo|dies of ſuch men, out of Solinus, Sabellicus Cooper, and other, but theſe here ſhall ſuffiſe to prooue my purpoſe with all. I might tell you in like ſorts of the ſtone which Turnus threwe at Aeneas, which was ſuch as that 12. choſen and picked men
(Qualia nunc hominum producit corpora tellus. Vis vnit [...] fortior eſt eadem di [...]+perſa.)were not able to ſturre and remooue out of the place, but I paſſe it ouer, & diuers of the like, concluding that theſe huge blockes were ordeined and created by God: firſt for a teſti|monie vnto vs, of his power and myght, ſe|condly for a confirmation that hugeneſſe of bodye is not to be accompted, of as a part of our felicitie, ſith they which poſſeſſed ye ſame, were not onely tyrauntes, doltyſh, and euyll men, but alſo oftentimes ouercome euen by the weake and féeble. Finally they were ſuch in déede as in whome the Lorde delited not, according to the ſaying of the Prophet Ba|ruch.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 Ibi fuerunt gigantes nominati, illi qui ab ini|tio fuerunt ſtatura magna, ſcientes bellum,Cap. 3. [...] hos non elegit dominus, neque illis viam diſciplinae dedit, propterea perierunt, & quoniam nõ ha|buerunt ſapientiam, interierunt propter ſuam inſipientiam. &c.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 There were the Gyants, famous from the beginning, that were of ſo great ſtature & ſo expert in warre. Thoſe did not the Lorde chooſe neither gaue he the way of knowledge vnto them. But they were deſtroied, becauſe they had no wiſedome, and periſhed through their owne fooliſhneſſe.