The history of the world

§. VI. That GOMER also and his sonne TOGORMA of the posteritie of IAPHETH were first seated about Asia the lesse: and that from thence they spred Westward into Europe: and Northward into Sarmatia.

TO turne now to the sonnes of Noah, and the worlds plantation after the floud: therein I obserue, that as both reason and necessitie taught them; so, when they multiplyed in great numbers, and dispersed [unspec 10] themselues into the next Countries bordering to their first habitati∣ons, & from thence sent forth Colonies elsewhere, it was in such a man∣ner as that they might repaire to each other, and keep intelligence by Riuer: because the Land was yet Desart and ouer-prest with Woods, Reedes, Bogs, and rotten Ma∣rishes. As when Nimrod seated in Babylonia, Chus tooke the South part of Chaldaea, downe the Riuer of Gehon, by which he might passe to and fro from Babylon to his owne plantation: those also, which were of the race of Shem, inhabiting at Vr or Orchoa neere the Lakes of Chaldaea, might by the same Riuer get vp to Babylon, and receiue succour from thence. All which Tract of Land vpon 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Southward, Moses in the description of Paradise calleth the Land of Chush: because the Domini∣on [unspec 20] and Empire was then in the hands of Nimroda Cushite, by whom the children of Shem (which came into that Valley and stayed not in the East) were for a while op∣prest, till God afterward by the seede of Abraham made them his owne Nation and victorious. Hauilah, the brother of Nimrod, and sonne of Cush, tooke both bankes of Tigris, especially on the East side of the Riuer: by which Riuer his people might al∣so passe to and fro to Babel.

The Imperiall seate of which Region of Hauilah or Susian, was anciently called Chusian or Chusan, afterward Susa. Cush himselfe tooke the bankes of Gehon, and planted those Countries Westward, and Southwest-ward towards Arabia the Stony, and the Desart, where Ptolemie placeth the Citie of Chusidia, first Chusia.* 1.1 [unspec 30]

Seba, and Sheba with the rest that planted Arabia foelix, had Tigris to conuey them into the Persian Gulfe, which washeth the bankes of Arabia foelix on the East side: so as those sonnes of Cush might take Land downe the Riuer as they pleased. Also the Citie of Niniue was by Nimrod founded on the said Riuer of Tigris; and from thence a Colonie past to Charran, standing also vpon a nauigable branch of Euphrates. In like manner did Iapheths 〈◊〉〈◊〉 settle themselues together, and tooke their seates in Asia the lesse: from whence they might indifferently stretch themselues North∣ward, and Westward, into the next parts of Europe, called the Isles of the Gentiles. And it seemeth very agreeable to reason, that both Gomer, Magog, and Tubal, sate downe first of all in that part of Syria, to the North of Palestina and Phoenicia: and [unspec 40] from thence Gomer or his children past on into 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the lesse, as those of Magog and Tubal did; from whence the Tubalines spred themselues into Iberia: and the Mago∣gians more Northerly into Sarmatia. The first Gomerians, and first planters in Asia the lesse, held the Countrie of the Cymmerians (witnesse Herodotus) the same Re∣gion* 1.2 which was afterward by the Gallo-greekes called 〈◊〉〈◊〉, to whom S. Paul wrote his Epistle so intituled. This Nation of the Cymmerians (whom the inuincible Scy∣thians afterwards dispersed, and forced from their first plantations) gaue names to diuers places; as to the Mountaynes aboue Albania (called Cymmerini) and to the Citie of Cymmeris in Phrygia: also 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Cymmerius tooke appellation from this Nation, in the out-let whereof was also a Citie of that name, called Cymmerian: which [unspec 50] Plinie saith (mistaking the place) had sometime the name of Cerberion; but Cerbe∣rion was a Towne in Campania, so called of the vnhealthfull waters, sauouring of brimstone, which Augustus caused to be cleansed by letting in the water of the Lake Lucrinus.

The children of Tubal ranged as farre as Iberia, to whom the Moschici were neigh∣bours, which others write Meshech. The Prophet Ezechiel (coupling them toge∣ther) calleth Gog the Prince of Meschech and Tubal. For these Meschi (which Ptole∣mie calleth Moschi) inhabite Syracena a Prouince of Armenia, directly South from the Mountaynes Moschici, in the Valley betweene the Mountaynes Moschici, and the Mountaynes Paryardes: out of whose North part springeth the Riuer Phasis; from the East part Araxis; and from the West Euphrates: and of this Meschech are des∣cended also the Moscouians (saith Melanchton) and it may be, that in processe of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 some of them inhabited those Regions also: For Meshech (saith Melanchton) 〈◊〉〈◊〉 extendens, enlarging or stretching forth. Togorma also at first did inhabite a∣mongst [unspec 10] his parents and kindred. The Togormians were also called 〈◊〉〈◊〉, a people neighbouring the Sydonians in Gabala, a Tetrarchie of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, the same which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 calleth Gaben: from whence Salomon had his most excellent Masons, which hewed* 1.3 stones for the Temple of 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Thence the Togormians stretched into the lesse Armenia, whose Kings were hence called Tigranes, and their Cities 〈◊〉〈◊〉:* 1.4 of which Cities Tigranes subdued by Lucullus the Roman, built one. Hierosolymita∣nus hath planted the Togormians in Barbarie: forgetting the prophecie of Ezechiel a∣gainst the Tyrians. They of the house of TOGORMA, brought to thy Fayres horses, and* 1.5 horse-men, and mules, which could not well be driuen ouer the whole length of the Mediterran Sea, but from the neighbour Countries by land. But Iosephus takes them [unspec 20] for the parents of the Phrygians; which I doe not denie, but they might be in the en∣suing ages: and so might the Tubalines be of the Spaniards; but it was from Iberia, and many hundred yeeres after the twelfth of Nimrods reigne. The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 conceiue that the Turkes came of those Togormians, because their Emperor is called Togar. The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 make them the Fathers of the Germanes. But 〈◊〉〈◊〉 affirmes, that the Turkes descended of the Crim Tartar, which borders 〈◊〉〈◊〉. But for these sub∣deriuations it were infinite to examine them. Only of the first and second planta∣tion, and of the first Nations after the floud is the matter which I labour to discouer; and therein to open the ignorance of some, and the corruption of other fabulous Writers. And this we must Note, that those grand-children of Noah which were* 1.6 [unspec 30] of a more quiet, or (perchance) of lesse vnderstanding, and had not therefore the leading of Colonies sent out, their proper habitations can be hardly knowne: onely reason hath taught vs, that they dwelt among the rest, and were couered with the fame of others, who tooke on them the Conduction and Dominion ouer the rest.

From Madai the third sonne of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, were the Medes. The Grecians bring them (as before) from Medus the sonne of Medea.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ptol. 〈◊〉〈◊〉, tab. 4
• * 1.2

  Lib. 4.
• * 1.3

  1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1. v. 18.
• * 1.4

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. in Gen. 10. vers. 3.
• * 1.5

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. c. 7. 14.
• * 1.6

  Note.