before the floud; and therefore this Region of Eden may be now no such flourish∣ing Countrie, as it was when it was first created in his perfection. Yet this I finde written of it: First in Herodotus, who was an eye-witnesse, and speaketh of the very place it selfe, for the Ile of Eden is but twelue miles or thereabout from Niniue, and so from Mosal. Ex Euphrate exiens in Tigrim, alterum flumen, iuxta quod Vrbs Ninus sita erat, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 regio, omnium quas 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉, optima est, &c. Where Euphrates runneth out into Tigris, not farre from the place where Ninus is seated, This Region, of all that we haue seene, is most excellent; and he addeth afterward: Cereris autem fructu procreando 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ferax est, vtnunquàm non ferè ducentareddit, &c. (that is) It is so fruitfull in bring∣ing forth Corne, that it yeeldeth two hundred fold: The leaues of Wheate and Barley being [unspec 10] almost foure fingers broade: As for the height of Millet and Sesame, they are euen in length like vnto trees, which although I know to be true, yet I for beare to speake hereof, well know∣ing, that those things which are reported of this fruitfulnesse, will seeme very incredible to those, which neuer were in the Countrie of Babylon. They haue commonly in all the Countrie Palme-trees growing of their owne accord, the most of them bearing fruit, out of which they make both meates, and wine, and honny, ordering them as the Fig-trees. Thus farre Herodotus.
To this Palme tree so much admired in the East India, Strabo and Niger adde a fourth excellencie, which is, that it yeeldeth bread; Ex quibus panem, & mel, & vinum, & acetum conficiunt; Of which these people make bread, wine, honny, and vineger. But [unspec 20] Antonius the Eremite findeth a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 commoditie, not inferior to any of those foure, which is, that from this selfe-same Tree there is drawne a kind of fine flaxe, of which people make their garments, and with which in East India they prepare the cordage for their ships; and that this is true, Athanasius in the life of Antonius the Eremite, confesseth, saying: That he receiued a garment made thereof from the Eremite himselfe, which he brought with him out of this Region. So therefore those Trees, which the East Indies so highly esteeme and so much admire (as indeede the Earth yeeldeth no plant comparable to this) those Trees (I say) are in this vpper Babylon, or Region of Eden, as common as any Trees of the field. Sunt etiam (saith STRABO) passim per omnem regionem Palmae sua spontenascentes; There are of Palmes ouer all the whole Region, grow∣ing [unspec 30] of their owne accord. Of this place Quintus Curtius maketh this report: Euntibus a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Arabiae odorum fertilitate nobilis, regio campestris interest 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Tigrim & Eu∣phratem, iacens tam vbere & pingui solo, vt à pastu repelli pecora dicantur, ne satiet as peri∣mat; (that is) As you trauaile on the lest hand of Arabia (famous for plentie of sweet o∣dors) there lyeth a Champaine Countrie placed betweene Tigris and Euphrates, and so fruit∣full and fat a soile, that they are said to driue their Cattell from the pasture, lest they should perish by satietie. Bis in anno segetes Babylonij secant; The Babylonians cut their Corne twice a yeere (saith Niger.) And as Countries generally are more fruitfull to the South∣ward, then in the Northern parts: so we may iudge the excellencie of this by that re∣port which Strabo maketh of the South part of Armenia, which is the North border [unspec 40] of Eden, or a part thereof; his wordes be these in the Latine: Tota enim haec regio fru∣gibus & arboribus abundat mansuetis, item{que} semper virentibus; This Region aboundeth with pleasant fruits, and trees, alwaies greene: which witnesseth a perpetuall Spring, not found elsewhere but in the Indies only, by reason of the Sunnes neighbourhood, the life and stirrer vp of nature in a perpetuall actiuitie. In briefe, so great is the fertilitie of the ground, that the people are constrayned twice to mow downe their Corne∣fields, and a third time to eate them vp with sheep: which husbandrie the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wanting in the Valley of Mexico, for the first fortie yeeres, could not make our kind of Wheat beare seede, but it grew vp as high as the trees, and was fruitlesse. Besides, those fields are altogether without weedes (saith Plinie) who addeth this singulari∣tie [unspec 50] to that soile, That the second yeere the very stubble (or rather falling downe of the seedes againe) yeeldeth them a haruest of Corne without any further labour: his wordes are these: Vbertatis tantae sunt, vt sequentianno 〈◊〉〈◊〉 restibilis fiat seges.