NEW ENGLISH CANAAN,

I

OR

NEW CANAAN.

The Authors Prologue.

F art & industry should doe as much

As Nature hath for Canaan, not such
Another place, for benefit and rest,
In all the universe can be possest,
The more we proove it by discovery,
The more delight each object to the eye
Procures, as if the elements had here
Bin reconcil'd, and pleas'd it should appeare,
Like a faire virgin, longing to be sped,
And meete her lover in a Nuptiall bed,
Deck'd in rich ornaments t' advaunce her state

And excellence, being most fortunate,
When most enjoy'd, so would our Canaan be
If well employ'd by art and industry

Whose offspring, now shewes that her fruitfull wombe
Not being enjoy'd, is like a glorious tombe,
Admired things producing which there dye,
And ly fast bound in darck obscurity,
The worth of which in each particuler,
Who list to know, this abstract will declare.

Containing the originall of the Natives, their manners, & Customes, with their tractable nature and love towards the English.

CHAP. I.

Prooving New England the principall part of all America, and most commodious and fitt for

· habitation.

T

He wise Creator of the universall Globe, hath placed a golden meane betwixt two extreames: I meane the temperate Zones, betwixt the hote and cold; and every Creature, that participates of Heavens blessings, with in the Compasse of that golden meane, is made most apt and fit, for man to use, who likewise by that wisedome is ordained to be the Lord of all. This globe may be his glasse, to teach him how to use moderation, and discretion, both in his actions and intentions. The wise man sayes, give mee neither riches nor poverty; why? Riches might make him proud like Nebuchadnezar, and poverty despaire,

Vse of vegeta

tives.

like Iobs wife, but a meane betweene both. So it is likewise in the use of Vegetatives, that which hath too much Heate or too much Colde, is said to be venenum, so in the use of sensitives, all those Animals, of what genus or species soever they be, if they participate of heate or cold, in the superlative, are said to be Inimica naturæ, as Fish poysonous about the Isle of in some Fishes about the Isle of Sall, and those Ilandes adjoyninge, betweene the Tropickes, their participatinge of heate and cold, in, the superlative is made most manifest, one of which, poysoned a whole Ships company that eate of it. And so it is in Vipers, Toades, and Snakes, that have heate or cold in the superlative degree.

Sall.

Zona temperata,

Therefore the Creatures that participate of heate and cold in a meane, are best and holsomest: And so it is in the choyse of love, the middell Zone betweene the two extreames is best, and it is therefore called Zona temperata, and is in the the Golden meane. golden meane; and all those Lands lying under that Zone, most requisite and fitt for babitation. In Cosmography, the two extreames are called, the one Torrida Zona, lying betweene the Tropickes, the other Frigida Zona, lying neare the Poles: all the landes lying under, either of these Zones, by reason, they doe participate too much of heate or cold, are very inconvenient, and are accompanied with many evils. And allthough I am not of opinion with Aristotle, that the landes under Torrida Zona, are alltogether uninhabited, I my selfe having beene so neare the equinoctiall line, that I have had the Sunn for my Zenith, and seene proofe to the contrary, yet cannot I deny, but that it is accompanied with many inconveniences, as that Fish and Flesh both will taint in those partes, notwithstanding the use of Salt which cannot be wanting there,

Salt aboundeth under the Tropicks.

༄༔༔སྠཽ*

ordained by natures hande-worke. And that is a great hinderance to the settinge forth and supply of navigation, the very Sinewes of a flourishing Commonwealth. Then barrennesse, caused through want of raines, for in most of those partes of the world it is seldome accustomed to raine, untill the time of the Tornathees (as the Portingals phrase is, who lived there) and then it will Raine 40. dayes raine about 40. dayes together, which moisture tweene Cancerand serveth to fructify the earth for all the yeare after the Line. duringe which time is seene no raine at all: the heate and cold, and length of day and night, being much alike, with little difference. And these raines are caused by the turning of the windes, which else betweene the Tropickes, doe blow Trade, that is allwayes one way. For next the Tropicke of Cancer it is constantly North-East, and next the Tropicke of

about August "be

Capricorne it is Southwest; so that the windes comming from the Poles, do keepe the aire in those partes coole, and make it temperate and the partes habitable, were it not for those and other inconveniences.

This Torrida Zona is good for Grashoppers: and Zona Temperata for the Ant and Bee. But Frigida Zona good for neither, as by lamentable experience of Captaine Capt. Davis froze Davis Fate, is manifest, who in his inquest of the to death.

Northwest passage for the East India trade was frozen to death.' And therefore for Frigida Zona, I agree with Aristotle, that it is unfit for habitation: and I know by the Course of the cælestiall globe, that in Groeneland many Degrees short of Groene Land too the Pole Articke, the place is too cold, by reason cold for habitaof the Sunns absence almost six monthes, and the land under the continuall power of the frost; which thinge many more Navigators have prooved with pittifull experience of their wintringe there, as appeareth by the history, I thinke, they will not venture to winter there againe for an India mine.

tion.

And as it is found by our Nation under the Pole Articke, so it is likewise to be found under the Antarticke Pole, yet what hazard will not an industrious minde, and couragious spirit undergoe, according to that of the Poet. Impiger extremos currit Mercator ad Indos per mare pauperiem fugiens, per saxa, per ignes. And all to gett and hord up like the Ant and the Bee, and yet as Salomon saith, he cannot tell whether a foole or a wise man shall enjoy it. Therefore let us leave these two extreames, with their inconveniences, and indeavour to finde out this golden meane, so free from any one of them. Behold the secret wisedome of Allmighty God, and love unto, our Salomon to raise a man of a lardge hart, full of worthy abilities to be the Index or Loadstarre, that doth point out unto the English Nation, with ease and comfort how to finde it out. And this the noble minded Gentleman, Sir Ferdinando Gorges Knight, zealous for the glory of God, the honor of Gorges the origi his Majesty, and the benefit of the weale publicke, tinge New Engnall cause of planhath done a great worke for the good of his Coun- land. try.

Sir Ferdinando

And herein this, the wondrous wisedome and love of God, is shewne, by sending to the place his Minister, to The Salvages sweepe away by heapes the Salvages, and also dyed of the plague giving him length of dayes, to see the same performed after his enterprise was begunne, for the propagation of the Church of Christ.

This judicious Gentleman, hath found this golden meane, to be scituated about the middle of those two extreames, and for

directions you may proove it thus: Counting the space betweene the Line and either of the Poles, in true proportion, you shall finde it to be 90. Degrees: then must we finde the meane, to be neare unto the Center of 90. and that is about 45. Degrees, and then incline unto the Sotherne side of that Center, properly for the benefit of heate, remembringe that Sol & Homo generat hominem; and then keepe us on that same side, and see what Land is to be found there, and we shall easily discerne that new England is on the South side of that Center.

New England is

en meane.

New England 10.

Degrees neerer

For that Country doth beginne her boundes at 40. Degrees of Northerne latitude, and ends at 45. Degrees of placed in the gold the same latitude, and doth participate of heate and cold indifferently, but is oppressed with neither: and therefore may be truly sayd to be within the compasse of that golden meane, most apt and fit for habitation and generation, being placed by Allmighty God the great Creator, under that Zone, called Zona temperata, and is therefore most fitt for the generation and habitation of our English nation, of all other, who are more neere neighbours to the Northerne Pole, whose Land lyeth betweene 50. and 54 Degrees of the selfesame latitude: now this new England though it be nearer to the line, then that old England by 10. Degrees of latitude, yet doth not this exceede that other in the line then old heate or cold, by reason of the cituation of it; for England. as the Coast lyeth, being circularly Northeast and Southwest, opposite towards the Sunnes risinge, which makes his course over the Ocean, it can have litle or no reflecting, heat of the Sunbeames, by reason of the continuall motion of the waters, makinge the aire there the cooler and the constanter; so that for the temperature of the Climent, sweetnesse of the aire, fertility of the Soile, and small number of the Salvages (which might seeme a rubb in the way of an effeminate minde,) this Country of new England is by all judicious men, accounted the principall part of all America, for habitation and the commodiousnesse of the Sea, Ships there not being subject to wormes, as in Virginea and other places, and not to be The Massachus- paraleld in all Christendome. The Massachussets sets in the middel being the middell part thereof, is a very beautifull of New England. Land not mountany, nor inclininge to mountany, lyeth in 42. Degrees, and 30. minutes, and has as yet the greatest number of inhabitants, and hath a very large bay to it, divided by Islands into 4 great bayes, where shippinge may safely ride The Windes not all windes and weathers in those partes being not so so violent in New violent as in England by many Degrees, for there

England.