The foreste or Collection of histories no lesse profitable, then pleasant and necessarie, dooen out of Frenche into Englishe, by Thomas Fortescue.

¶ What speache was vsed in the beginninge of the Worlde, and how firste began the diuersitie of Languages. Chap. 10.

IN the firste Age, or beginninge of the Worlde, euen vntill the Fludde, and many yéeres afterwarde, men generally throughout had féelinge but of one Lan∣guage, al diuersitie then hidde, and vnknowen man∣ner of speakinge. No man then spake with tongue, or straunge, or lesse familier, no voice was from other in any thinge then different, no newe deuise in speakinge was then knowen, or thought on. The diuersitie then firste, or confusion of tongues, the Mother of eche mis∣chiefe, & cause of all annoye, the sole Nurse of litigious, and impacable debates, was for mans sinne and pryde (as a iuste scourge) on him layde. Moyses in the Historie of Genesis recordeth, that Nemrod Nephewe to Noë, by the lyne of Cain, with others more lyke proude, and of like ambitious nature, were then borne, when firste a∣monge * 1.1 men, presumption and malice raigned without al reason. At that time this Nemrod, with his vnaduised companye, determined togeather, to frame or builde a Tower, whiche from the Earth might reache to the face of Heauen it selfe. Whiche thinge they onely did, ha∣uing in memory yet the late forepassed Fludde, to escape the hande of God, if he at any other time shoulde washe the Earth againe. Iosephus in the first Booke of his An∣tiquities, * 1.2 saithe: that he from all partes had sutch syéedy healpe, for the erection of his buildinges, that in shorte time it grewe bothe marueilous prowde and pompous. And againe he saithe, that they layde the Fundations thereof so déepe and so broade, that though it were of so incredible height, as the Scriptures make plaine men∣tion, yet by all coniectures possible, the breadth thereof was more. But God who iustly chastised this prowde presumptuous enterprise, though not with payne deser∣ued, gaue in that presente instante, so many diuerse tongues, so straunge, and so unknowen, that these who all before spake one, and the same Language, spake then thréescoare and twelue, so farre and differente from the

firste, that fewe amonge them had féelinge, or meanings of the others minde. By meanes whereof, sutch enmitie, and presente discorde grewe, that not onely this worke then rested there vnperfecte, but euery man with those, that vnderstoode his speache, retyred to possesse somme place aparte, or Countrie to them selues. For whiche cause it euer afterward was called the Tower of Babell, whiche is to say, of confusion. Isidorus affirmeth that * 1.3 it was highe fiue thousand one hundred, thrée scoare and foure pases, all of Bricke, layde with claye, or ••lime in stéede of Morter, of whiche in that Countrie great plen∣tie was eche where founde. In the said selfe place, wher∣as this Tower was builte, as hath Iosephus, Isidorus, S. * 1.4 Augustine, and Orosus, was builte also that moste aun∣cient, and most famous Cittie, of whiche so woorthy & so great maters are yet reported, called Babylon, situate or seated on the Riuer of Euphrates, of which the Coūtries, or Territories adiacent, tooke their firste or principal de∣nominatiō, as Chaldea, & Mesopotamia. The Scriptures * 1.5 also recorde, that the beginninge of y^e raigne of Nemrod was also in Babylon, wherfore it is reason that wée be of y^e said minde with the aboue remembred Authours, that Nemrod also built this famous Cittie of Babylon, which afterwarde was walled, became Riche, and Honorable, by the carefull payne and industrie of Semiramis, & Ny∣nus. But to retourne to our pourpose of Tongues, or Languages, it might here be a question disputable, what Tongue it was, that was that firste, so common and ge∣nerall, whiche onely and alone was knowen, before the diuision, and confusion of the others. S. Augustine dis∣coursinge in many, vpon this matter concludeth, that it was the Hebrew, the very same that the Iewes speake yet at this daie, whiche, as farre as it maye be gathered, by any meane possible out of the Scriptures, and as S. Au∣gustine also déemeth, was conserued in Heber, of whom descended Abraham, and the Hebrewes: for that neither

he, nor any of his kinred, would healpe at all any thinge in erectinge this Tower. By meanes wherof, him selfe, and his family, whiche woulde not condescende to this sinfull, and prowde attempte, felte not thereof the due deserued paine. Wherefore wée maye presume that in Heber, and his family, the auncient, and firste Tongue remained perfect, and entire, without any corruption or confusion of the same, in that Linage onely pure, and no∣where els in the Worlde: whence it came to passe, that of Heber, it had his denomination Hebrewe. Sundry Hebrewes his Successours affirme, that this Language was that same, that was firste spoken by Adam, as also of all the others, of that Auncient and firste Age, conser∣ued in Heber, and those that followed him, Abraham & Iacob. In this same also wrote Moyses his Lawes. This then is the opinion of S. Augustine, & Isidorus, to whome wée should geue more assured credite, then to those that affirme, the Chaldean Tongue the first, which notwith∣stāding may be of parte excused, for that these twoo Lan∣guages haue a marueilous vicinitie, their Characters al∣moste vniforme and lyke, as also well agreynge in other thinges many. Notwithstandinge, in this matter, some curious haue doubted, if twoo children, or a greater num∣ber, fostred in place secrete voyde of all company, where they neuer mighte heare the voyce of any other, what woordes they woulde frame, or Language in the ende. Somme haue thought that they firste would speake He∣brewe: others somme the Chaldean Tongue. But He∣rodotus saithe, that on a time experience in this case was * 1.6 made, by meane of a contention, or emulation then growen betwixte the Aegyptians, and Frigians: eche na∣tion pretendinge by antiquitie of their Language, pre∣eminency aboue the other. For determination of which differente in fine they concluded, that twoo Children should be nourished in manner aboue rehearsed, in sutch sorte that they shoulde neuer heare any woorde spoken at

all, and that Language, that these children firste began to profite in, should be reputed the firste, and most Aun∣cient, and they that spake that, by consequent of moste antiquitie. He addeth againe afterward, that a certaine Kinge of Aegypte, caused to be fostered twoo children in a deserte, to which no man euer spake in any sorte in the worlde, whiche when they were full foure yéeres olde, he caused them without more, to be brought into his pre∣sence, where they eftsoones vttered this onely woorde Ber, whiche dothe in the Frigian tongue signifie Breade: for whiche cause the Frigians were of all men reputed as moste Ancient. This writeth Herodotus, whom many herein approue, & alleage for authoritie. Notwithstan∣dinge were it (as he reporteth it) a truth, yet might it be that these Children by happe, some where shoulde learne it, as by somme Beaste, Birde, or Shéepe in the Fielde, whiche might frame the same, or some sutche like voyce, they doinge their paine to frame the same after them. But as for my parte, I reste of this minde, that twoo Children in this sorte fostered, would speake none other but the firste Language, Hebrewe: although I also durst in manner semblable to affirme, that to them selues they would shape somme newe, and straunge Tongue, ge∣uinge to all thinges their names vnknowen & vnheard, as wée sée, that Children of them selues naturally: geue names lesse knowen, to thinges of them desired, so that of parte assuredly it appeareth, that nature would learne them a Language all newe, before they should be perfect in any their Fathers. In this case experience may suf∣ficiently schoole vs, if any very curious, desire to knowe the effect hereof. In the meane time eche man may here reste, of what opinion it beste liketh him, nothing aboue, saide withstandinge the contrary.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Genesis. II.
• * 1.2

  Iosephus.
• * 1.3

  Isidorus li. 15. of Etimologes.
• * 1.4

  Iosephus. Isidorus. S. August. Orosus.
• * 1.5

  Genesis. 7.
• * 1.6

  Herodotus.