The six books of a common-weale

HItherto we have treated of that which concernes the generall Estate of Commonweales; Let vs now shew what may be particular to some, through the diuersitie of peoples humors, to the end that wee may accommodat the publike weale to the nature of the place; and the ordinances of man to the laws of nature, wherof many have had small regard: but striuing to make nature obedient to their edicts, haue[*](The nature of the people is much to be regarded in the framing of a Commonweale.) oftentimes troubled, yea ruined great estates. And yet those which have written of a Commonweale, have not treated of this question. For euen as we see a great varietie in all sorts of beasts, and in every kind some notable alteration for the diuersitie of regions: in like sort we may say, that there is in a manner as great difference in the nature and disposition of men, as there is of countries: yea in the same climats the people of the East are found to differ much from them of the West: And in the same latitude and difference from the Equator, the people of the North differ from them of the South: And which is more, in the same climat, latitude, and longitude, and under the same degree, we find a difference betwixt a hilly countrey and the plaines: so at in the same citie, the diuersitie of hills and vallies forceth a diuersitie of humors and dispositions: And townes seated uppon vneuen[*](Townes vneuenly built uppon mountaines and vallies, are subiect to seditions.) places, are more subiect to seditions and chaunges, than those that are built uppon an equall and plaine ground. The citie of Rome, which hath seuen hils, was neuer long without sedition. And Plutarch (hauing not duely examined the cause) doth wonder why there were three factions in Athens of diuers humors: those of the high citie, which they called Astu, demaunded a Popular State; those of the base towne required Oligarchia, or the government of few; and the inhabitants of the Port Pjree, desired an Aristocraticall State, that is, a mixt government of the nobilitie and the people: whereof wee will soone shew you a naturall cause. And if Theophrastus find it strange that the people of Greece be so different in manners and dispositions, who would not admire to see such contrarie humors in one and the same citie? we cannot impute it to

the mixture of people which have come thither from all parts, seeing that Plutarch speaketh of Solons time, when as the Athenians were so little mingled with any other nations, as they held for certaine, that they were issued out of the land of Attica, wherin the Orator Aristides doth glorie. In lik sort we say the Swissers (hauing their originall out of Sweden) to be verie different in manners, nature, and government: for although they be more strictly allied than euer any nations were, yet the five small cantons of the mountaines, and the Grisons, are held more fierce and more warlike, and do gouerne wholy popularly: the rest are more tractable, and are gouerded by an Aristocratie, being more enclined thereunto, than to a Popular estate. It is needfull to have a speciall care to the nature and inclination of the people, if wee will chaunge an estate[*](To frame an estate, we must apply it to the nature of the subiects.) as it happened in Florence, about an hundred years since, when as the Commonweale by succession of time was almost chaunged into Aristocratia, the citisens beeing so encreased, as they were forced thrise to enlarge the compasse of their walles. For the preuention whereof the Senat was assembled, and the matter propunded: whereas the Senatour Vespucius did show by lively reasons, That an Aristocraticall estate was without all comparison the most sure, and farre better than a Popular government; giuing for an example the state of Venice, flourishing under the commaund of few gentle men: but Antonie Soderine maintained a Popular estate, and preuailed; saying, That[*](Guichardin.) the nature of the Venetians was proportionable to an Aristocratie, & the Florentines to a Popular estate. We will soone shew if his grounds were true. We read also, that the Ephesians, Milesians, and the Siracusians were almost of the Florentines humor: for they could not endure any but a Popular estate, nor allow any one to exceed his companions, banishing euen those that surmounted in vertue: and yet the Athenians, Ephesians, and Milesians, were much more mild and tractable; so were they much neerer the East: and contrariwise the Siracusians, Florentines, and Carthagineans, were[*](The humours of sundrie people.) much more fierce and rebellious, beeing more Westward. The people of the East have much more ostentation and many words, in the iudgement of all auntient writer, and euen of the ambassadour of the Rhodiots, excusing the fault of his maisters, upon their naturall inclination, making mention also of the naturall vices of other people, Gentes aliae (inquit) iracundae, aliae audaces, quaedam timidae, in vinum ac venerem proniores aliae sunt, Atheniensium populum fama est celerem & supra vires audacem ad conandum, Lacedemoniorum cunctatorem: non negauerim & totam Asiae regionem inaniora [*](Liuius lib. 4.) parere ingenia, & nostrorum tumidiorem sermonem esse, Some nations (said he) are cholerike, others bold; some fearfull, others prone to wine and women; the people of Athens are said to be sudden, and exceeding bold to attempt any thing; the Lacedemonians are slow and deliberat: I will not denie, but that all the region of Asia brings[*](Notable differences betweene the Atheniens, Romans, and Carthaginians.) forth vaine wits, and ours great talkers. The people of Athens (said Plutarch) were cholerike and pitifull, taking pleasure in flatteries, and enduring easily a scoffe: but those of Carthage were cruell and revengefull, humble to their superiours, and imperious to their subiects, faint hearted in aduersitie, and insolent in prosperitie. The people of Rome contrarie unto them were patient in their losses, constant in their victories, moderat in their passions, hating flatterers, and taking delight in graue and seuere men: so as the elder Cato demaunding the Censorship of the people, said, That they had need of a seuere Censor, threatning to punish vice with seueritie: yet the people desired rather to chuse him that threatned them, being but of a meane calling, than the greatest[*](Plut. in Calon Censorio.) noble men▪ that flattered them. The like they did to L. Torquatus, whome the people did chuse Consull without his priuitie: understanding of his election, he told the people, That his disposition was such, as he could not tollerat their vices, neither could the people endure his commaundements; and therefore if they were wise, they should make another choyce: yet was he chosen againe by the people. That which I say may be easily discerned by the difference of the Athenian and Roman Orators: for these did more respect the maiestie of the people, than those of Athens, who abused the people with such insolencie, as one of them hauing assembled the people for matters of state, after that he had made them to attend him long, in the end he came into the pleading place, with a garland of roses, saying unto them, That hee had resolued that day to feast his friends, and so departed: whereat the people laughed. Another time Alcibiades speaking to the people, let flie a quaile out of his bosome, and the people run after it, and brought it to him againe. If he had done this in Carthage (saith Plutarch) before the people, they would have stoned him: the Romans would not have suffered it vnpunished; for that a citisen of Rome was depriued of his Bourgeship, for that hee had yawned too lowd before a Censor, as Valerius Maximus doth testifie.

Therefore a wise gouernour of any Commonweale must know their humours, before he attempt any thing in the alteration of the state and lawes. For one of the greatest, and it may be the chiefest foundation of a Commonweale, is to accommodat the estate to the humor of the citisens; and the lawes and ordinanees to the nature of the place, persons, and time. For although Baldus saith, That reason and naturall equitie is not restrained nor limited to a certaine place: that is to bee vnderstood, when as the reason is vniuersall, and not whereas a particular reason of places and persons receiues[*](A good Architect fits his building according to the stuffe he finds upon the place.) a priuate consideration. For which cause wee must varie the estate of the Commonweale to the diuersitie of places; like unto a good Architect, which doth fit his building according to the stuffe hee finds upon the place: So should a wise Polititian doe, who may not chuse what people he will. As Isocrates said in the prayses of Busiris king of Aegypt, whome he esteemeth very much, for that hee could chuse a countrey and a people the fittest in all the world to gouerne. Let vs first speake of the nature of the people of the North and South, and then of the East, and West, and the difference betwixt the mountainers & those that live in vallies, or in moorish places, or that are subiect to violent winds: then will we shew how much discipline may change the nature and disposition of men, reiecting the opinions of Polybius, and Galen, who held, That the countrey and nature of the place did rule necessarily in the manners of men. And the better to vnderstand the infinit varietie which may be betwixt the people [*](A diuision of people.) of the North and South, we will diuide all the nations that inhabit the earth, or this side the Equator, into three parts: the first shal be of thirtie degrees on this side the Equator, which we will attribute to the burning Regions, and people of the South: & the thirtie degrees next, to those that inbabit the temperat regions, unto the sixtieth degree towards the Pole, and from thence unto the Pole shall bee the thirtie degrees of the nations of the North, and the regions that be exceeding cold. The like diuision may be made of regions beyond the Equator, towards the Antartike Pole: then wee will diuide the thirtie degrees of the burning regions into the moitie, the fifteene first[*](The heat is greater vnder the Tro pick, than under the Equator.) being more moderat, betwixt the Equator and the Tropickes; the other fifteene more burning, under the Tropicks: and by the same meanes we will take the fifteene degrees following of the temperat region, which stretcheth unto the 45 degree, which hold more of the South, and the other fifteene unto the sixtieth degree, the which are more distempered in cold, and incline more to the North: and in the fifteene following, unto the 75 degree, although that men bee much afflicted with cold, yet are there many nations and Commonweales. But as for the other fifteene adioyning to the Pole, wee must make no account of them; for that there are few men, which live in caues like unto brute beasts (as marchants do report, and histories have certified.) I[*]( and Saxo Grammaticus.) have giuen the reason of these diuisions in a particular booke of the Method of Histories,

and therefore need lesse now to enter any further into it. These points being concluded, it shall be more easie to iudge of the nature and disposition of the people. For it is not sufficient to say, that the people of the North have force, with bignesse & beautie of the bodie, and little wit: and contrariwise, that the Southerne nations are weake, little, blacke, and have great wits: for that experience doth teach vs, that those people which live in the extremities of the North, are little, leane, and tamed with cold; the which Hipocrates doth confesse, the which we must reconcile with the rest, in setting[*](Aristotle & Hipocrates agree herein.) the limits as I have said. And the saying of Hipocrates shall bee vnderstood of those nations that inhabit beyond the 70 degree towards the Poles. We will also allow of the opinion of Hippocrates, and after him of Aristotle, who have written, That the people of the North have a flaxen and fine haire. And yet Galen saith, That they have the haire red: the which we must vnderstand of those that are about the 60 degree, whereof there are many in England, whome the inhabitants say are issued from the Danes and Swedens, who inuaded England; noting them by their red haire. But from the Baltique sea unto the 45 degree, and on this side, the people have commonly flaxen haires. And in old times, when as nations were not so mingled as since they have bene, they did know a Northerne man by his flaxen haire and his greene eyes; as Plutarch, Tacitus, Iuuenal, and in our times the Baron of Herbestein have obserued: and[*](The difference of the people in the Northerne regions.) as I have discoursed in my booke of the Method of Histories, and shewed that Amiot in his translation of Plutarch, upon the towne of Marius, tearmes them red and chesnut eyes: wheras he should have called them greene eyes: the which is verie apparant. But those which are about the 60 degree, have in a manner all eyes like unto Owles, and the colour of the water lookes white in their eyes: they have a weake sight by day, and see better in the darke, like unto night Owles, which they call Nictalopes. Of this I was assured of the ambassadour Pruinski, a Lituanian, and of Holster Commissarie of the warres, borne at Ostolcome in Sweden, who is haired like a Kow, and eyed like an Owle: which colour, force, and bignesse, comes (as Aristotle saith) of the interiour heat: as the inhabitants of Affrike have blacke eyes, for the little heat they have in their interiour parts, being exhaled by the heat and drought of the sunne: whereas the cold doth keepe in the heat in the Northerne regions, if it be not so vehement as it doth in a maner quench it: for which cause those that inhabit beyond the 75 degree, are weake, little, and tamed with extreme cold, the which is so vehement, as many die; as the marchants report. And euen the baron of Heberstein writes, That the spittle freezeth[*](In the history of Moscouie.) sometimes before it falles to the ground, the which may seeme incredible. But it is most certaine that the Baltique sea freezeth in such sort, as whole armies passe from the maine land to the ilands; although the heat in sommer is sometimes so violent, as it burnes not onely the fruits of the earth, but also the houses and villages, as the same author writes that it hath happened in Moscouie, in the yeare 1524. The which also chanced in Polonia, in the yeare 1552, as Thomas Cromer writes. And the like chaunced in England, in the yeare 1556, as I have seene by letters from M. de Nouailles ambassador in England fot the French king: in the which he doth assure, That the heat had bene so vehement, as the flame kindled by the sunne, burnt the fruits and villages throughout a whole countrey. The which Aristotle doth affirme in his Problemes, That the heat[*](The heat more vehement in sommer in cold countries than in hoat.) is more violent in cold countries than in hoat: but that is to bee vnderstood in watry places. And whereas there is some mountaine which doubleth the heat by reuerberation; as it happened in the towne of Naim in Gascoine, the which was wholy burnt with the heat of the sunne at noone day, in the yeare 1540: and the towne of Montcornet neere unto Laon, the which was burnt in the moneth of May, in the yere 1574, after a straunge manner, the fire flying through the streets, and through places farre distant from the houses where it first began: for the situation thereof is waterish, as I have said; and the grossenesse of the vapour retaines the heat, the which the maisters of boat houses know full well; who to spare wood, cast water into their stoues. The Northerne parts then being full of waters, lakes, and fountaines, the vapors which are drawne up into the ayre, receiue and retaine the heat more violently: as in the Southerne parts it is more vehement upon the earth. For euen as the heat is more violent in mettall than in wood, and in great wood than in small brush: so the sun hath more[*](Why the sunne is hoater on the earth than in the ayre.) effect upon the earth than in the ayre; and in a vaporous ayre in moyst regions, than in a dry countrey, whereus the ayre is subtill, and without any sencible bodies: which may be the cause that God hath made the Southerne countries more rainie, and lesse waterish: and those places which are moist in the Southerne parts, lie commonly towards the North, and are couered with mountaines towards the South, as Aquitaine[*](What places in the South are most subiect to waters.) (which is so called for the aboundance of waters) hath the Pyrenean hilles. Barberie hath mount Atlas, which is wonderfully high, out of the which the springs and riuers rise all towards the North (as we read in Leo of Affrike) also the sun casting his beams perpendicularly upon the countrey, would make that inhabitable, the which is one of the most fruitfull and best peopled countries in the world. And euen as in winter the places under ground, and the inward parts of creatures, retaine the heat which doth euaporat in summer: euen so it fares with people that inhabit the Northerne parts, which have the inward heat more vehement than those of the Southerne regions: which heat causeth the forces and naturall powers to be greater in the one than in the other: and which also doth cause the one to eat more, and to disgest better than the other, for the coolenesse of the region which keeps in the naturall heat. So as those armies which come from the Southerne parts into the North, are more vigorous and lustie; as it was seene in the armie of Hannibal passing into Italy, and the armie of Moores and Arabians, which have come into Europe: and of seuen thousand Spaniards which passed into Germanie, under the emperour Charles the fift: and of fortie thousand Gascoines, which went to succour the king of Sweden, who obtained goodly victories. And contrariwise the armies that come out of the North, grow weake and languish, the more[*](Why the armies of the North languish when they go towards the South.) they goe towards the South, yea euen in sommer; as it appeared in the Cimbrians, of whome Plutarch witnesseth, That they were all molten with sweat, and languished with heat which they felt in Prouence, the which would soone have consumed them all, although they had not bene vanquished by the Romans: as it happened to the French before Naples, & to the Lansquenets which passed into Italie, under the commaund of Charles of Bourbon and of George Fronsperg, of the which after they had sackt Rome, there died ten thousand without any blow, before the yeare was expired, as Guichardine writes. This doth also plainely appeare in the troupes of cattell which goe out of the North into the South, they loose their fatnesse, and their milke, and fall away: the which Plinie hath noted, and the marchants find it true by daily experience. And euen as the Spaniard doubles his appetite and forces, comming out of Spaine into Fraunce; euen so the French loose their appetites and languish, going into Spaine: and if he will eat and drinke as he doth in Fraunce, he is in daunger not to continue it long. And euen the nations of the Northerne regions fall a languishing and fainting of the heart, when as the Southerne winds blow: the same reason doth teach vs, why that men and beasts, yea and birds which most suddenly feele this alteration, grow far in winter, and leane in sommer. If Leo of Affrike, and Francis of Aluares, (who haue[*](Why the people of the South be abstinent.) written the histories of Affrike and Ethiopia) had well obserued this reason, which is naturall, they had not so highly commended the abstinence of those people: for they cannot have any appetite, the interiour heat wanting in them. Neither must we blame the people of the North, for that they are more hungry, and deuoure more than they [*](Why the people of the North are more hungry.) of the South, considering the inward heat and greatnesse of the men. The same effects are found in the Antartike regions: for --- read in the Histories of the Indies, That Magellan found neere vnto the strait which he called by his own name Giants Patagenes, so great and mightie, that eight Spaniards armed were troubled to hold one; but otherwise verie simple. The people of the North get it by force, and they of the South by policie: so they of the middest participat of the one and the other, and are more fit for warre, by the iudgement of Vegetius and Vitruuius: and therefore they have erected great empires, the which have flourished in armes and lawes. And the wisedome of God hath so well distributed his graces, as he hath neuer ioined fo---ce with excellencie of wit, neither in men nor beasts: for there is nothing more cruell than i---iustice armed with power. The people therfore of the middle regions haue more force than they of[*](The people of the middle regions are better tempered in wit and bodie.) the South, & lesse pollicie: and more wit than they of the North, & lesse force; and are more fit to commaund and gouerne Commonweales, and more iust in their actions. And if we looke well into the histories of all nations, we shall find, That euen as great armies and mightie powers have come out of the North; euen so the hidden knowledge of Philosophie, the Mathematikes, and other contemplatiue sciences, are come out of the South: and the politike sciences, lawes, and the studie thereof, the grace of well speaking and discoursing, have had their beginning in the middle regions, and all[*](The greatest empires were in the middle regions.) great empires have bene there established; as the empire of the Assyrians, Medes, Persians, Perthians, Grecians, Romans, Celtes. And although that the Arabians & Moors had for a time ceised upon the empire of Persia, Syria, Aegypt, and Barbarie, & brought a good part of Spaine under subiection, yet could they not subdue Greece nor Italie. And whereas they would have subiected Fraunce, they were vanquished, and their armie of 300 thousand men (which they had brought) defeated. In like sort the Romans have stretched forth their power over all the nations of the South and East, but they preuailed little against them of the North and West: & although they were conquerors over all other people, yet they imploied all their forces, & had somewhat to do to make resistance against the Northerne nations, who neither had walled townes, fortresses, nor castles; as Tacitus saith, speaking of the Germans. And although that Traian had made an admirable bridge upon the riuer of Danow, and vanquished Decebalus king of Daciens; yet the emperour Adrian his successour, caused it to bee broken downe, fearing least the people of the North (hauing such a passage open) should enter into the heart of the Roman empire: as they did after that the emperour Constantine had discharged the Roman legions, which guarded the riuer of Rhine and Danow: For soone after the Almans, then the Gothes, Ostrogothes, Vandales, Francs,[*](The people of the North dispersed throughout all the Roman empire.) Bourguignons, Herules, Huns, Hongres, Lombards; and in succession of time, Normans, Tartars, Turkes, and other nations of Scithia, inuaded the Prouinces which the Romans had held. And although the English have had great victories over the French and conquered the country which lieth South to them, yet for these nine hundred yeres they could neuer expell the Scottish men out of the island; and yet it is well knowne how much more populous France is than England, and England than Scotland. We may obserue the like in the Turkes, a Northerne nation, who hath extended the greatnesse of their empire to the goodliest regions of Asia, Affrica, and Europe, hauing in a manner subdued all the ilands of the Mediterrannean sea; yet have they bene defeated by the Tartarians, & are much trouled to make head against the Moscouits. We read, that God did threaten his people by the oracles of his prophets with the nations of[*](Esai. 14. 41. Ezec. 16. 51. Dan. 8. 48. Zah. 11.) the North, foretelling that warre murder, and the ruine of Commonweales should come from thence. For although that men be much diminished in numbers, force, proportion, vigour, and age, in respect of the auntients (a complaint of most writers by the historie of Plinie) so hardly upon the face of the earth shall you now find a citie comparable to Capua (containing thirteene miles in circuit) much lesse matchable to the famous Babylon, which though it were situated foure square in a leuell soile, yet could a good foot man hardly trauell round about it in three dayes: but this notwithstanding in multitudes of people, in strength of bodies, and large proportion of members, the Northerne prouinces do at this day farre excell the Southerne. In regard whereof that militarie discipline of the Romans, which priuileged souldiours at fiftie yeares from future seruice, was not allowable amongst the Lacedemonians; who being nothing inferiour to the Romans, either for strength of bodie, or warlike experience, yet freed their people from the seruice thereof, at fortie: the reason being, for that they [*](Lacedemon more Southerly than Rome.) were so much the more vnable to hold out so long as the Romans, by how much the one nation approached more neere to the South than the other. So bring a Scithian from his natiue habitation to the South, and you shall find him presently to droop, and fall away with sweat and faintnesse. And therefore the pirats of the Mediterrannean finding by experience, that the English and Dutch captaines are vnfit for paines taking in those hoat countries, in their markets prize them at a verie low rate. For the people of the North are inwardly hoat, enioying a most dry aire, and therefore more thriftie than the Southerne, who inwardly are cold, according to the propertie of the South, a climat moist by nature. Wherein the Grecians deriuing, ---, i. ab humore, from moisture, are to be beleeued; experience teaching vs, That when the winds blow from the South, we expect showers; but when from the North, faire weather and cleere skies. For which reason the people of the North are and have alwaies bene great drinkers, witnesse the Greeke prouerbe, To drinke like a Scythian, the which Tacitus hath not forgotten, speaking of the manners of the Germans, Diem noctemque (inquit) continuare potando nulli probrū, ita vt craebrae inter vinolentos rixae fiebant, They held it no disgrace (saith he) to sit all day and night drinking: so as oftentimes there fell out iarres among these drunkards. The which is not the fault of the men, but of the region: For such as trauell from the South to the North, will eat and drinke no lesse than they that are home bred. But Tacitus was deceiued, in saying, That the Germans did drinke more and eat lesse, by reason of the coldnesse and barrennesse of the countrey. But contrariwise seeing that thirst is nothing else but an appetite of cold and moisture, and that hunger is an appetite of drought and heat; and that the people of the North have the interiour heat much more in comparison than those of the South, they[*](The reason why they of the North drinke more than in the South.) must of necessitie drinke more. In like sort the people of the Northerne regions have their skins softer, more hairie, and subiect to sweat than the people of the South; which have the skin hard, little haire and curled, and the skin withered with drinesse, enduring heat easile without sweating: but they cannot well beare with cold, not wet; as appeared in the Spaniards, which died of cold in great numbers uppon the high mountaines of Peruana. And no wonder, for men bred and brought up in hoat regions, in colder places inwardly waxe chill, whose bodies if any extraordinarie or sudden alteration of wether attache (an accident often happening in those Sotherly quarters, especially upon the tops of those high hils) it must needes follow, that their naturall heat, both inward and outward, do vtterly forsake them: the contrarie whereof betideth the Scythian, who by nature being inwardly hoat, by cold becommeth so much the more able and couragious, by how much the cold forceth the outward heat unto the heart, the true seat and center of lively heat. Yea the report, how subiect the Southerne people through want of inward heat are to loosenesse and the bloody flixe, almost passeth credit, albeit most true: Whereas on the contrarie the countries situated Northwards, abounding with riuers and lakes, do enure mens bodies to fogges & cold moistures, and that in such able manner, that Scythians do oftentimes defeat their enemies by their ambuscadoes hidden in deepe marishes; testified by Herodianus, who writeth, That the Germans infested the Romans with their missiue weapons, themselves standing safe in the middest of the waters. Which secret of nature Galen not well understanding, seemeth to wonder at, especially for bathing their new borne infants in cold ---unning riuers; a custome used in like manner by the Ausonij,

Natos ad flumina primùm,

Deferimus, saeuoque gelu dur---mus & vndis:

Our new-borne babes at first to springs we bring,

T'endure cold stormes their bodies so enuring.

The ground of which German custome Iulianus surnamed the Apostata writeth to be, that this people held an opinion, That the true borne children would flote upon the waters, but the base and bastards would sinke to the bottome. And euen as the people[*](Proofe to know the bastards from them that were lawfull.) of the North doe languish soone with heat, so are they soone wearied and tyred with labour in the Southerne parts, or in a hoat season. The which was first knowne at the battell of Plombin, whereas the Celtes being inuironed with two armies of the Romans, fought valiantly: but after they had spent their first furie, they were soone vanquished. Polybius saith, That to vanquish the Celtes, you must but ward their blows for a time, and yet they were held inuincible, Caesar holds the same opinion of the Gaules, That in the beginning of a battell they were more than men, but in the end lesse than women. The which is more naturall to the Germans, and other people of the North (as Tacitus saith) who had knowne them by long experience: For the Gaules, especially those of Languedouich, hold the middle region betwixt the cold and extreame heat, although the qualitie of the Westerne region makes the country more cold. And those which are in the middest are impatient of cold or heat: the which Caesar doth witnesse of the Gaules, who suffet cold more easily than the Spaniards, and heat than the Germans. And euen as the people of the middle regions hold of the two extreames in humor, so doe they agree with the one and the other in manners and [*](The middle region participats of both the extreames.) complexions: and as God by his admirable wisedome doth vnite all things by convenient meanes to their extremities. In like sort we see that hee hath obserued the same order betwixt the nations of the North and South, which can neuer concurre together for the contrarietie of manners and humors that is betwixt them. The which is a thing verie considerable, when there is any question to treat a peace, or to make a league betwixt two nations so contrarie, or to lead them both forth to the warre together; you must place that nation betwixt them that doth participat of both their natures, and that have their affections more moderat. As Galen saith, That the Germans and Arabians have not that commendable ciuilitie which is in them that are borne in Asia the lesse, the which is not onely betwixt the Pole and the Equator; but also betwixt the East Indies and Fraunce Westward: A countrey for this vertue so highly[*]( and humanitie comes from Asia.) commended by Tully, that he doubteth not to affirme, That therein not onely rested the mirror of ciuilitie, but that from thence it hath bin deriued to all forreine nations. But I am not of their opinions, who draw their arguments of ciuilitie and ba---barisme from the effects of heate and cold, finding every day by common experience, that the Southerne people go beyond al other nations in quicknes of wit, whereas barbarisme and rude behauiour proceede from ignorance and want of education, a lesson long ago verified by Herodotus, who for good wits and civill behauiour commendeth the

Aegyptians before all other people of what nation soeuer. And after him Caesar (in his Commentaries of the civill warres) gaue them the like priuilege, saying, That the Alexandrians did so artificially counterfeit the Roman engines of warre, as it seemed the Romans were but their apes, he vseth these words, Ipsi homines ingeniosissimi ac subtilissimi, The men themselves were verie wittie and politike: And yet Aegypt is partly under the Tropique, whereas the heat is more violent than under the Equator, by the iudgement of Possidonius and the Spaniards. The Romans held the like opinion of the people of Affrike, whom they called Paenos, who had often deceiued the Romans, and ouerthrowne their forces by policie. So Columella tearmes them Gentem acutissimam, A most subtill nation: But yet they had not such excellent wits as the Aegyptians, neither are they so neer the South. And without any further search we have the proofe therof in this realm, where the difference is apparent in regard of the English, who complained to Philip of Comines with admiration, for that the French lost most commonly in their warres against them, and won still in their treaties. Wee may write the like of the Spaniards, who neuer made treatie for these hundred yeares with the French,[*](The nature of the French.) but they had the aduantage: the which were long to repeate in particular. I will onely produce the treatie of Cambresis, made in the yeare 1559. It cannot bee denied but the forces of Fraunce were great and sufficient to withstand a mightie enemie, yet the Spaniard got more by this treatie, without striking stroke, than they had done before[*](The Spaniard alwayes circumuents the French by treacheries.) in fortie yeares, neuer hoping (as they confessed afterwards) to draw Sauoy no--- Piedmont out of the hands of the French: For although the duke of Sauoie, a vertuous and a generous prince, deserued much, as well for the equitie of his cause, as for the alliance of the house of Fraunce, yet he expected not so happie an issue of his affaires: the which was cunningly handled by the Spaniard, which reaped both thankes, and the greatest fruits of this treatie, hauing so much diminished the state of Fraunce (which stretched euen unto the gates of Milan) and set the duke of Sauoy as it were a barre betwixt Italie and Fraunce, to shut up the passage that the French might pretend no more in Italie. It cannot be denied, that such as had the charge to capitulat for the French, did not shew so great discretion, faith, and loyaltie, as they might: but I vnderstand from one of good credit, that it was resolued in the councell of Spaine, That they should prolong the treatie all they could; for that the nature of the French was so sudden and[*](The reason why the Spaniards circumuent the French.) actiue, as they would easily yeeld to that which was demanded, being tired with many iourneies, and the ordinarie tediousnesse of the Spaniard, the which was not forgotten in this treatie. It was also obserued, That in all the sittings and assemblies made by the deputies, alwaies the French were first come, and although they had set all their people to watch, that they might sometimes enter the last; yet were they still deceiued by the subtiltie of the Spaniards, and impatience of the French, who seemed by this meanes to sue for peace. This fault is not to bee imputed to them that had the charge to treat a peace, but unto nature, which is hardly vanquished. For we read the like of the ambassadours of Fraunce, conferring with the ambassadours of the emperour, of Venice, Spaine, and Ferrare, before Francis Sforce duke of Milan. Our manner (saith Philip de Comines) is not to speake treatably, as they doe: for wee speake sometimes two or three together, so as the Duke said, Ho, one to one. Whereby we may iudge as in any other obseruations, That the nature of the Spaniard (being much more miridionall[*](The nature of the Spaniard.) than we) is colder, more melancholike, more staied, more contemplatiue, and by consequence more ingenious than the French; who by nature cannot stay to contemplat, being cholerike and full of spleene, the which makes him more actiue and prompt, yea so sudden, as he seemes unto the Spaniard to run, when hee goes but his ordinarie pace: for which cause both the Spaniard and the Italian desire to have French men to serue them, for their diligence and quicknesse in all their actions: so as yerely there go infinit numbers into Spaine; as I have seene being at Narbone, especially out of A---uergne[*](The Spaniard heauy & slothful) and Limosin, to build, plant, till their lands, and doe all manuall workes, which the Spaniard cannot doe, but would rather die for hunger, he is so slothfull and heauie in al his actions. When as N. Strossie Prior of Capoua, attempted to surprise Valencia in Spaine, by meanes of the French gallies, whereof he was then Admirall: the practise being discouered, the Viceroy sought to expell all the French out of Valencia, which were found to be ten thousand: for whose loyaltie the Spaniards stood bound, rather than they should depart: which shewes how greatly that countrey is peopled with French. And without doubt those which are bred of the mixture of those two nations, are more accomplished than either of them: For in the Spaniard wee desire more viuacitie and cheerefulnesse, and to have the actions and passions of the French more moderat: and it seemes the Italian doth participat of the one and the other, Italie beeing in the most temperat situation that can be, betwixt the Pole and the Equator, and in the middest of Asia, Affrike, and Europe, bending a little towards the East & South. And euen as they which live at the extremities of the Poles, are Flegmatike, and at the South melancholie; euen so they which are thirtie degrees on this side the Pole, are more sanguin; and they which approach neerer unto the middest, more sanguin and cholerike; and then drawing towards the South, more sanguin and melancholike: so[*](Whence the varietie of complexions doth grow) their complexion is more blacke and yellow, blacke being the colour of melancholy, and yellow of choler. Galen confesseth, That flegme makes men heauie and dull; blood cheerefull and strong; choler, actiue and nimble; and melancholy, constant and graue:[*](The disposition of the foure complexions.) and according to the mixture of these foure humors, more or lesse, so many varieties there be, which Theodore Duca of the house of Lascare emperour of Constantinople hath laboured to comprehend in 92 kinds, not onely for the foure humors, but also for the three parts of the soule, Reason, Anger, & Appetite (or Desire:) but for that his opinions are not grounded upon the proofe of any example, nor upon necessarie reason; and for that he makes no distinction of the parts of the world, neither of moist places, hilly nor windie, from those that are drie, plaine, and temperat: neither for that he hath not denied those people which have bene brought up in civill discipline, from the rude and barbarous, in this varietie of soules and humors which he hath supposed, wee will follow that discipline which seemeth most agreeing to reason and nature, & hath beene confirmed by many examples. Auntient histories do agree, That the people of the North are not malitious nor craftie, as the nations of the South be. And Tacitus speaking[*](The people of the North not subtill.) of the Germans, saith, It is a nation that is neither subtill nor craftie, discouering their secrets as it were in jest, and then they goe easily from their promises. The like iudgement we find of the Scythians in Herodotus, Iustin, Strabo, Plinie, and Vegetius, & therefore auntient princes as well as at this day, had no other guards for their persons than Scythians, Thracians, Germans, Swissers, and Circassians. And euen the Seigne---rie of Rhaguse or of Genes, have no other guards but Germans and Swissers. And which is more, the kings of Affrike beyond mount Atlas, have none other guard but souldiours of Europe; who although they be Mahometans, yet had they rather trust in Christians that have abiured their faith, than in those of the countrey; the which was first put in practise by the great Mansor emperour of Affrike and of Spaine: and heretofore the king of Tunis had 1500 light horsemen of Christians renigadoes, and his guard of Turkish and Christian slaues, as Leo of Affrike saith; knowing well that the people of the North have more force than subtiltie, and hauing receiued entertainment of any prince, they alwayes remaine faithfull for the guard of his person, and to revenge his iniuries (although he be a tyrant) neuer aspiring to his estate. And therfore Chereas captaine of the guard to the emperour Caligula, hauing slaine the emperor, was [*](The people of the North faithful to the prince that entertaineth them) presently murdered by the guard, which were Germans, who could not (as Iosephus writeth) forbeare revenge. In like sort the antients have obserued a barbarous crueltie in the people of the North: for euen Thucidides son to Olorus king of Thrace, tearmes the Thracians a most cruell nation: and Taritus speaking of the Germans, They doe not (saith he) put the guiltie to death after order of law, but by crueltie, as enemies. I will let passe the auntient, and content my selfe with late examples. Wee have none more notable than that of George captaine of the rebels in Hungarie, beeing taken by them of Transiluania, they caused his souldiours and companions to fast three dayes, and then gaue them to eat their captaine halfe roasted, and his bowels boyled. I omit[*](Strange cruelties of the people of the North.) the straunge cruelties of Dracula duke of Transiluania, and of Otton Trucces, who caused the murtherer of his lieutenant to be roasted with a slow fire, during the commons ---: and of late Grombache a German, was condemned to have his heart pulled out being alive, and to have his face beaten therewithall, by Augustus duke of Saxonie in the castle of Goth. We find also, that the breaking upon the wheele was inuented in Germany, and the impaling or setting men upon stakes alive, in Tartaria. Neither is it lesse cruell in Tartaria, to force them that are condemned, to breake their owne neckes, or els to whip and torment them: Which makes men to thinke, that the cruelties of the king of Moscouie published and printed, are verie likely. For the lesse reason and iudgement men haue, the more they approach to the nature of brute beasts, who canno more yeeld to reason and gouerne their passions than brute beasts. And contrariwise, [*](Melancholike men cruell and revengefull.) the people of the South are cruell and revengefull, by reason of melancholie, which doth inflame the passions of the soule with an exceeding violence, the which is not easily suppressed. Polybius speaking of the wartes of the Speudians, and Carthagineans, people of Affrike, he saith, That there was neuer seene nor heard of any ---, where there was more treacherie and crueltie: and yet they are but toyes in respect of[*](Terrible cruelties of the people of the South.) the horrible treacheries mentioned by Leo of Affrike (and in our age) betwixt Muleasses and his owne children. And euen the king of Tenesme beeing solicited by Ioseph king of Marocco to submit himselfe under his obedience, which his grandfather had reiected, he slew his ambassadours; wherewith the king of Marocco beeing insenced, put a million of people to the sword in the realme of Tenesme, leauing him neither towne, castle, house, beast, nor tree. And speaking of Homar Essuein a minister to Mahomet, seeking to make himselfe king, after that he had forced the fort of Vngiasen, hee was not content to put all to the sword, but he cut & tare the children out of their mothers wombes. And the same author writes, That Isaak king of Tombut in Affrike, hauing taken the king of Gagao, he caused him presently to bee put to death, and his children to be guelt to serue him as slaues, doing the like vnto al the kings he takes. We read of the like cruelties or greater at the West▪Indies, newly discouered: for the Brasilians are not contented to eat the flesh of their enemies, but will bathe their children in their blood. But the crueltie is more remarkable, when as they doe execute any one that is condemned by law; the which should be done without passion, and free from revenge. Yet we read of punishments that were used in old time among the Persians, which exceed all crueltie: and in Aegypt at this day they flea them alive which rob by the high way, then they stuffe the skin full of hai--- and set it upon an Asse, by his side[*](The people betwixt both extreames, not subiect to crueltie.) that is so fleaed: Which cruelties the people that live betwixt both these extreames can neither see nor heate without horrour: and therefore it seemes, that for this cause the Romans suffred them that were condemned, to die of hunger, and the Greeks gaue them hemlocke (which is a sweet poison) to drinke: and those of Chio did temper it with water, and the Athenians with wine, to take away the bitternesse thereof, as Theophrastus saith. We may therefore note the difference of crueltie betwixt the people of the North and South: for that the first are transported with a brutish violence, like beasts without reason: and the other (like unto foxes) imploy all their wits to glut themselves with revenge: and euen as the bodie cannot bee purged of melancholy but with great difficultie, so the passions and perturbations of the mind, which grow by a setled melancholy, are not easily pacified. So as they which are possessed with this humor, are more subiect unto frensie than any others, if they find not wherewithall to satisfie[*](Why the people of the South are more revengefull then others, and more subiect to madnes.) their affections. And therefore there are more mad men in the Southerne regions, than towards the North. Leo of Affrike doth write, That in the kingdoms of Fez and Marocco there are great numbers: And euen in Grenado (which is more Southernly) there are many hospitals for mad men onely. The varietie of mad men shews the naturall humour of the people: for although there bee store of fooles and mad men in all places and of all sorts, yet those of the Southerne parts have many terrible visions, they preach and speake many languages without learning them, and are sometimes possest with euill spirits, hauing leane bodies, more like unto ghosts then those corpulent and sanguin men towards the North, which do nothing but dance,[*](Why musicke cures mad men, and expels diuels.) laugh and leape in their fooleries: and in Germanie it is called the disease of S. Victus, the which is cured by musick: whether that the sweet harmonie thereof doth recall the reason which was distempered, or whether that musick doth cure the infirmities of the bodie by the mind, as the phisick doth cure the mind by the bodie, or that euill spirits which do sometimes torment mad men are expelled with this diuine harmonie, delighting in nothing but in discords: or as we reade that the euill spirit hearing the sound of a harp fled, and left Saul in rest, which seemes to have been the cause why Elizeus when he would prophecie before the kings of Iuda and Samaria, he caused one to play of an Instrument. And when as Saul was encountred by the holie troupe of the Prophets playing upon instruments of musick, presently the spirit of God fell upon him. Oftentimes euill spirits doe applie themselves to the humor of mad men: for chollerike men strike in their furie, which happens not in those that are of a sanguin complexion, and much lesse in them that be flegmatike, which have a Lethargie, the which is a dull and sleeping furie. And for that the melancholike man is the wiser, if he chance to fall mad, his furie is the more incurable, for that a melancholike humor suffers not it selfe to be gouerned as the rest: those that be sanguin, although they be not so often furious, yet are they often mad, the which is neuer incident to wise men, for Tully sayth, Furor in sapientem cadere potest, insania non potest, & furioso curator datur, [*](The difference betwixt a furious and a mad man.) non insano; quia insanus dicitur, qui suis cupiditatibus imperare nescit: Furie may well fall into a wise man, but not madnes: a gouernor is giuen to a furious man, but not to a mad man, for he is called mad that cannot rule his owne desires. As touching that which we have said, that the people of the South are commonly more graue, more discreet, and more moderate in all their actions: it is plainely seene not only in diuers other nations, but also in this realme, which seemes to be the cause that those which have made the customes, have limited them to be of full age that live towards the North at 25. yeares, and the others at 19 or 20 yeares, except it bee in those countries which border upon the sea, whereas the people (by reason of their trafficke) are more politike. I cannot without the note of ingratitude to mine owne countrie forget the iudgement which the auncients have giuen of the citie of Angiers, as it is to be seene in the letters pattents of king Charles the 5 called the wise, the which he granted for the priuiledges of the Vniuersitie of the said citie in these words, Quod{que} inter regiones alias Regni nostri, ciuitas Andegauensis veluti fons scientiarum irriguus, viros alti consilij solet ab antiquo propagatione quasi naturali prouidere: For that among other prouinces of this our realme, the citie of Angers like unto a flowing spring of all sciences, is wont to send forth men of great knowledge and iudgement, as it were by a naturall propagation. These letters are dated the first of August in the yeare 1373.

We have yet another notable difference betwixt the people of the South and of the North, for that these are more chast and abstinent, and those of the South much giuen to lust, the which growes by reason of the spongious melancholie, so as all Monsters do commonly come from Affrike, which Ptolomie saith to be under Scorpio and[*](The people of the South much giuen to women.) Venus, adding moreouer, that all Affrike did worship Venus: and Titus Liuius speaking of the Numidians (who were the most Southerly of all the Romans subiects or allies) The Numidians (sayth he) were giuen to venerie more than all the other Barbarians. Wee read also that the kings of Affrike and Persia had alwaies great troupes of wiues and concubines, the which is not to be imputed to their depraued customes, for that at the West Indies king Alcazares had 400 wiues: and the father of Attabalipa the last king of Peru, (who was defeated by Pizarre) had 200 wiues, and fiftie children: and the king of Giolo had 600 children: so many had Hierotimus king of the Parthians, who had also a great number of wiues: and Surenus Generall of that armie of the Parthians which defeated Crassus, had ten thousand. The Scythians and Germaines have enough of one wife: and Caesar in his Commentaries sayth, that the Englishmen in his time had but one woman to ten or twelue men: and many men in[*](A strange manee of gelding of men, which they used in Scythia & low Germanie.) the North parts knowing their owne insufficiencies, geld themselves in despight, cutting the vaines Parotides under the eares, as Hippocrates sayth: who seeking out the cause of this disabilitie, concludes, that is for the coldnes of the bellie, and for that, they are commonly on horseback: wherein he is deceiued, for Aristotle holdeth, that agitation doth prouoke; and as for want of heate, it is most certaine that those which dwell in cold countries abound with heate inwardly, as it appeares by the corpulencie and strength of those Northen nations: and contrarywise those of the South are very cold. It is the nature of melancholie which abounds most in them of the South, the which being frothie, prouokes to lust, as Aristotle writes in his Problemes, where he[*](Melancholik men most giuen to lust.) demaunds why melancholike men are most lecherous: the which is notorious in the Hare, the which is the most melancholike of all other creatures, and which only conceiues being big with yong, as well the male as the female, as M. Varro, and other writers do witnesse, and experience hath taught vs; so as we may say they are much deceiued which have so much extolled the pudicitie and chastitie of the Scythians, Germaines, and other Northen nations, as Caesar writes in his Commentaries. Among the Germaines (sayth he) it is a dishonest and villanous thing for a man to know a woman before the age of 25 yeares, which thing they conceale not: and Tacitus sayth,[*](The people of the North enemies to women.) there are none but the Germaines among the barbarous nations that content themselves with one wife: yea sometimes they live in perpetuall chastetie, as the Emperour Henry 2. did, and Casimir 1. king of Poland, and Ladislaus king of Bohemia would neuer marrie; the which was not for that they were chaste, but rather through a naturall weakenes: and Ihon 2. great Duke of Muscouia, did so abhorre women, as he did euen sound at the very sight of them, as the Baron of Herbestein doth write, speaking of the Muscouites, They neuer see their wiues (saith he) vntill the day of their marriage. The people of the North are so little subiect to iealousie, as Alcomer a Germaine, and Irenicus do write in commendation of their countrie, that men and women throughout all Germanie doth bathe together pel mel, yea and with strangers, without any touch of iealousie, the which as Munster sayth, is not knowne in Germanie: whereas contrariwise those of the South are so passionate, as oftentimes they dye of that disease. Being[*](The people of the South much giuen to iealousie.) sent into England with an Ambassage, I heard Mendoza the spanish Ambassadour

say, That it was a shamefull thing to see men & women sit together at holie sermons: to whome Doctor Dale Master of Requests answered pleasantly, That it was a more shamefull thing for Spaniards to thinke of satisfying of their lusts euen in holie places, the which was far from Englishmens minds. We reade in the historie of the Indies that the king of Puna was so iealous, as he did cut off the priuie parts, with the noses and armes of those Eunukes that attended of his women. The people that inhabit the middle regions hold a mediocritie in all this, but the most part of them allow but one lawfull wife: and although that Iulius Caesar did persuade Helu---dius Cinna to publish the law of Poligamie (or manie wiues) to the end that Cesarion (whom he had by the Queene Cleopatr--- ) might be legitimate, yet this lawe was reiected: and the same lawe being reuiued by Ihon Leiden a cobler, hauing made himselfe king of Munster in Westphalia, did more trouble their estate than all the other lawes and alterations which he made. But the Romaine Emperours made a generall lawe to all nations without any distinction, noting him with infamie that had more than one wife: and since, that punishment of infamie hath been made capitall within this realme. But the Romane lawe hath been of no force in Affrike, for the inconueniences that happened; as it is incident to all those that seeke to applie the lawes of the people of the South to[*](All lawes agree not with all nations.) them of the North, making no difference of their dispositions, wherein many have beene much deceiued, and euen Cardan, who sayth, That man is wiser than all other creatures, for that he is more hote and moyst; the which is quite contrarie to the truth, being most apparant that the wisest beasts are colder than any other, in the opinion of Aristotle. In like sort among militarie punishments, one was, to let the souldier bloud that had offended, for that those which abound in bloud had the passions of the mind more violent and lesse obedient vnto reason. Of all beasts the Elephant is held to be the wisest, of the Antients, for that their bloud is coldest; and the most melancholike of all others, the which makes them leapers: and to this leprosie the people of the[*](Melancholy the cause of wisedom) South are much subiect, the which was called by the Antients Elephantiasis, a disease vnknowne in Greece before Plutarch, or in Italie before Pompey, as Plinie writes. But he deceiues himselfe to say, that it was proper to the Egyptians, for all the coast of Affrike abounds with them; and in Ethiopia it is so common, as the leapers are not separated from the sound. But Leprosie differs from Elephantiasis, the which is a great swelling in the thighes and legs, and leprosie is a canker or infection over the whole bodie. It may be this melancholie is the cause of long life, for all the Ancients consent, that the Elephant lives three and foure hundred yeares, and Rauens more, who have little[*](Melancholy the cause of long life.) bloud, and that very melancholie. Francis Aluarez reporteth, that he had seene Abuna Mare Bishop of Ethiopia who was 150 yeares old, and yet verie lustie, which was the greatest age that euer was found in the Censors registers at Rome. And we must not wonder if Homer sayth, that Memnon king of Ethiopia lived five hundred yeares, for Xenophon long after writes, that in the same countrie there were men that lived sixe hundred yeares: but those of the South have verie drie bodies, and are subiect to the falling sicknes, quartaine agues, and the Kings euill. Hereby we may iudge, that the people of the South are infected with great diseases of the bodie, and notorious vices of the minde: and contrarywise there are no people that have their bodies better disposed to live long, and their minds apter for great vertues. So Titus [*](The people of the South subiect to extreames.) Liuius hauing much commended Hannibal for his heroicall vertues, These great vertues (saied hee) were accompanied with as great vices, inhumane cruelty, treacherie, impietie, and contempt of all religion: for greatest spirits are subiect to greatest vertues and vices. Wherein the auntient writers have bene deceiued, commending so highly the vertue, integritie, and bountie of the Scythians, and other people of the North, and condemning the vices of the South: For he deserues no prayse for his bountie, that hath no wit, and that cannot be wicked, for that hee knoweth no euill;[*](Posse & noll nobile.) but he that knoweth euill, and how to put it in practise, and yet is an honest man. In like sort Machiauel was ouerseene, saying, That the Spaniards, Italians, and Frenchmen, were the wickedest people in the world; shewing thereby, that he had neuer read any good booke, nor knowne the disposition and differences of nations. But if wee shall looke more narrowly into the disposition of the people of the North, of the South, and of them that are betwixt both; we shall find that their natures are like unto young men, old men, and them of middle age, and to the qualities which are attributed unto them. In like sort euerie one of those three in the government of the Commonweale vseth that which he hath most at commaund: The nations of the North, by force; those in the middest, by equitie and iustice; and the Southerne parts, by religion. The[*](The manner of government in the three temperatures.) magistrat (saith Tacitus) commaunds nothing in Germanie, but with the sword in his hand. And Caesar writes in his Commentaries, That the Germans have no care of religion, and make no account of any thing but of warre and of hunting. And the Schythians (saith Solinus) did sticke a sword into the ground, the which they did worship, placing the end of all their actions, lawes, religions, and iudgements, in their force and armes. We find that combats came first from the people of the North, as wee have said elswhere: all the lawes of the Saliens, Francons, English, Ripuaries, and other Northerne nations are full of them: And the law of Fronton king of Denmarke would have all controuersies decided by single combat: Which lawes could neuer be abrogated, although that both popes and other princes have laboured much, not considering that the naturall disposition of them of the North, is quite contrarie to them of the South. And at this present in Germany they make great account of the Reisters law, the which is neither diuine, humane, nor canonicall; but the stronger commands the weaker: as Brennus captaine of the Gaules said unto the treasuror Sulpitius. The middle nations are more reasonable and lesse strong, they have recourse unto reason, unto judges, and unto suits. It is most certaine, that lawes and the manner of pleading are come from the people of the middle nations; as from Asia the lesse (whereas great Orators and Pleaders were in credit) from Greece, Italie, and Fraunce: whereof a certaine Poet speaketh, Gallia causidicos docuit facunda Britannos, Eloquent Fraunce hath taught the pleading Brittons. It is not at this day alone, that Fraunce hath beene full[*](The Frenchmen giuen by nature to pleading.) of suits and contentions, the which cannot be altered and taken away, vnlesse they change the nature and disposition of the people: and it is much better to decide all controuersies by law, than by the sword; the one is fit for reasonable creatures, the other for brute beasts: and to conclude, all great Orators, Law-makers, Lawyers, Historiographers, Poets, Comedians, and others which draw unto them the hearts of men with goodly discourses and sweet words, are in a manner all of the middle nations. We see in the histories both of the Greeks and Latins, before they attempted the least warre, the matter was debated with many solemne orations, denominations, and protestations: the which the people of the North do not vse, who presently fall to [*](The seuerall disposition of people according to the climas.) armes, and euen as the one vse force only like unto Lions, so they of the middest arme themselves with lawes and reasons. In like sort the people of the South have recourse unto craft and subtiltie, like unto Foxes; or unto religion: for eloquent discourses agree not with the grosse wits of the Northerne people, and they are too base for them of the South, who allow not of any legall reasons or rhetoricall suppositions, which hold truth and falshood in suspence, but they require certaine demonstrations or diuine oracles, which exceed any humaine discourse. So we see that the people of the South, the Aegyptians, Caldeans, and Arabians, haue brought to light the hidden sciences both naturall and mathematicall, which torment the greatest wits, and force them to confesse the truth: and all religions have in a manner taken their beginning from the people of the South, and from thence haue been dispersed over the whole earth: not that God hath any acception of places and persons, or that he doth not suffer his diuine light to shine upon all men; but euen as the Sunne is seene more easily in a cleere and still water than in that which is troubled and filthie, so in my opinion the heauenly light doth shine far more brighter in pure and cleane spirits, than in those which are poluted with base and earthly affections. And if it be so that the true purifying of the soule is by his heauenly light, and by the force of contemplation in the most perfect subiect; without doubt they shall soonest attaine unto it which have their soules rauished up into heauen; the which we see happen unto melancholike men, which have [*](Melancholike men most giuen to contemplation) their spirits setled and giuen to contemplation, the which is called by the Hebrewes and Accademiks a pretious death, for that it drawes the soule out of this earthlie bodie[*](Means to gouerne the people of the South.) unto spirituall things. It is no meruaile then if the people of the South be better gouerned by religion, than by force or reason, the which is a point verie considerable to draw the people, when as neither force nor reason can preuaile: as we reade in the historie of the Indies, that Christopher Colombus when he could not draw the people of[*](A fine policie of Colombus the Geneuois.) the West Indies unto humanitie by any flatterie or faire meanes, he shewed them the Moone the which they did worship, giuing them to vnderstand that she should soone lose her light: three dayes after seeing the Moone ecclipsed, they were so amazed, as they did what he commanded them. So the more we draw towards the South, the more deuout we finde men, and the more firme and constant in their religion, as in Spaine, and more in Affrike: whereas Francis Aluarez, and Leo of Affrike do say, that religion is much more reuerenced and honoured there than in Europe, where among other obseruatiōs Leo notes, That in one citie of Fez there are seauen hundred temples,[*](Religion most respected in the South.) and the greatest is 1500 paces in compasse, 31 gates, and within it 900 lamps, the yearely reuenue of which temple is 73000 ducates. But Aluarez reports far stranger things of the greatnes of temples, of the incredible fasts and deuotion of the people of Ethiopia, and that the greatest part of the nobilitie and the people make verie strict vowes of religion. The greatest reason that hath so long maintained Ethiopia in that goodlie and florishing estate, and that doth still hold the subiects in the obedience of their prince and gouernour, is the assured persuasion which they have (as Aluarez saith) That good and euill comes not unto them by their friends or enemies, but by the will of God. As for suites, there are fewer than in any part of the world: and which is more strange, they keepe no records in writing of any decrees, iudgements, testaments, or contracts, except the accounts of the receit and expences. Who so should seeke to gouerne those nations by the lawes and ordinances used in Turkie, Greece, Italie, France, and other midle regions, he should ruine their estate. In like sort he that should accustome the people of the North to the pleading of France and Italie, should finde himselfe much troubled, as it hapned to Mathias king of Hongarie, who sent for Iudges out of Italie to reforme the iurisdiction of Hongarie, but in a short time the people were so troubled with this canonicall pleading, as the king was constrained (at the request of his Estates) to send back his Italian Iudges into their countrie. So Ferdinand king of Spaine sending Pedrarias Viceroy to the West Indies, the which then were newly discouered, he did expresly forbid him to carrie any lawyer or aduocate with[*](The disposition of the people is greatly to be obserued in the government.) him, to the end he should not sow any seeds of sutes and pleading where as there was not yet any. But who so should seeke to roote out all sutes and processes in France and Italie, he should thrust the people into perpetuall seditions: for euen the Iudges themselves being vnable to determine and end sutes, for the difficultie and contrarietie of reasons that are of either side, they oftentimes depute arbitrators, or else they prolong the sute of purpose to giue the parties occasion to agree friendly, and to discharge their choller upon the Iudges and aduocates, else they would fall to armes, whereby it appeares that the people of the middle region are more capable to gouerne a commonweale, as hauing more naturall reason, the which is proper to humaine actions, and as it were the touchstone to destinguish the difference betwixt good and euill, betwixt right and wrong, and betwixt honest and dishonest things. Wisedome is fit to commaund, and force to execute, the which is proper to the people of the North, but[*](Three vertues proper to three nations of the North, South, & middle region.) they of the South being lesse capable of gouerment, giue themselves wholly to the contemplation of naturall and diuine sciences, and to discerne truth from falshood. And euen as the wisedome to know good and euill is greatest in the people of the middest, and the knowledge of truth and falshood in the people of the South, euen so those[*](Prudenti. Scienti. Ars.) arts which consist in handie works, are greater in the people of the North then in any other, and therefore the Spaniards and the Italians admire so many and so diuers kinds of works made with the hand, as are brought out of Germanie, Flanders, and England. And as there are three principall parts in the soule of man, that is to say, the imaginatiue or common sence, reason, and the intellectuall part, euen so in every well ordered Commonweale the Priests and Philosophers are imployed in the search of diuine and hidden sciences, being as it were the hart of the citie, the magistrates and officers to commaund, iudge, and prouide for the government of the State, being as it were the reason of the citie: and the common people applie themselves to labour and mechanicall arts, the which is conformable to common sence.

We may conclude the like of the vniuersall Commonweale of this world, the which God hath so ordained by his admirable wisedome: As the people of the South are[*](The disposition of the three nations in the gouerment of the world.) made and appointed for the search of hidden sciences, that they may instruct other nations: Those of the North for labour and manuall artes: and those of the middle betwixt the two extreames, to negotiat, traffique, iudge, plead, command, establish Commonweales; and to make lawes and ordinances for other nations: whereunto those of the North are not so apt for want of wisedome: neither are the people of the South, be it that they be too much giuen to diuine and naturall contemplations; or for want[*](Why those of the South are not fit to gouerne a state.) of that alacritie and promptnesse, which is required in humane actions; be it that hee cannot yeeld in his opinions, dissemble, nor endure the toyle which is necessarie for a man of state; or that he is soone wearie of publike affaires, or that hee is oftentimes expelied by ambitious courtiers: as it happened to the wise men of Persia, who were suddenly put from the government of the state, after the death of Cambises: and to the Pithagorians in Italie. And it seemes this was figured by the fable of Iupiter, who expelled his father Saturne out of his kingdome: that is to say, an ambitious and politike courtier dispossessed a Philosopher giuen to contemplation: For who so shall wel obserue the nature of Planets, he shall find in my opinion, that the diuision of them doth agree with the three regions aboue mentioned, according unto their naturall order, giuing the highest Planet, which is Saturne, to the Southerne region, Iupiter to the middle, [*](The proportion of the Planets to the people.) and Mars to the Septentrionall parts, the Sunne remaining in the middest, as the spring of light equally common to them all. Then followes Venus, proper to the people of the South, then Mercurie to them of the middle regions: and last of all is the Moone for the North parts, which sheweth the naturall inclination of the people of the North to warre and hunting, fit for Mars and Diana: and the people of the South to contemplation, besides their disposition to venerie. And the nations betwixt both the qualitie of Iupiter and Mercurie, fit for politike governments: the which hath a straunge sympathie in mans bodie, which is the image of the vniuersall world, and of a

well ordered Commonweale: for setting the right hand of man towards the North, going from the East into the West, according unto the naturall motion of the world,[*](In Method. hist. cap. 5.) and the true constitution thereof; as I have shewed in another place: the right part which is the more strong and masculine, hauing the lyuer and the gall, which the Hebrewes attribute to the Moone and Mars, sheweth plainely the nature of the people of the North to be sanguin and warlike. The left side, which is the feminine part (so called by the Philosophers) and the weaker, hauing the spleene and the melancholike humor, discouers the qualitie of the people of the South. Euen so we find more women in the Southerne parts, and more men in the North: for else it were impossible that euerie man in the South countries should have so many wiues.[*](More women in the South than men.)

And thus much as touching the generall qualities of all people: for as for the particular, there are in all places and in all countries men of all humors, and subiect to that which I have said more or lesse. Moreover the particular situation of places, doth much alter the nature of the countrey. For although there is not any certaine place, whereas we may distinguish the East from the West, as we may the South from the North: yet all auntients have held, That the people of the East are more mild, more courteous, more tractable, and more ingenious, than those of the West, and lesse warlike, Behold (saith Iulian the emperour) how the Persians and Syrians are mild and tractable. Who sees not the furie of the Celtes & Germans, & how iealous they are of libertie? the Romans are courteous and warlike, the Aegyptians wittie and subtill, and withall effeminat. The Spaniards have obserued, That the people of Sina (the whic--- [*](The people of the East more courteous, and more ingenious than those of the VVest.) are farthest Eastward) are the most ingenious and courteous people in the world: and those of Brezill, which are farre Westward, the most cruell and barbarous. To conclude, if we looke well into histories, we shall find, that the people of the West do participat much of the nature of the North; and the people of the East with them of the South in the same latitude. The naturall bountie of the ayre, and of the Easterly winds, is the cause that men are more faire, and of a bigger proportion: and it is straunge, if the plague or any other infectious disease comes from the West into the East, or from the North into the South, it continues not: whereas if they begin in the East, or in any part of the South, they are long and verie infectious: as it hath bene proued by experience in old times, and at this day the coniecture is infallible in the countrey of Languedoc, whereas the plague is ordinarie. I have noted many examples in another place, the which I omit now for breuitie sake: yet the difference of manners and dispositions of people, is much more notorious betwixt the North and the South, than betwixt the East and the West. But the greatest chaunge in particular, is the difference of hilly places from vallies: and of vallies turned towards the North or towards the South,[*](Remarkable particularities of places.) in the same climat or like latitude, yea in the same degree, which causeth a wonderfull difference betwixt the one and the other: as it is plainly seene in mountaines which stretch from the West to the East: as the Appenin, which diuideth in a manner all Italie in two, mount Saint Adrian in Spaine, the mountaines of Anuergne in Fraunce, and the Py---enees betwixt Fraunce and Spaine, mount Taurus in Asia, and Atlas in Affrike, which runs from the Atlantike sea unto the confines of Aegypt aboue six hundred leagues; mount Imaus, which diuides Tartarie from South Asia, the Alpes which begin in France, and continue unto Thrace: and mount Calphat, which diuides Polonia from Hungarie; the which causeth them of Tuscane to be of a contrarie humor to them of Lombardie, and farre more ingenious: as also wee see them of Arragon and Valence, and other people beyond the Pyrenean hilles, to bee of a different disposition to them of Gasconie and Languedoc, who hold much of the nature of the North; and the people on this side mount Atlas are farre lesse ingenious than the Numidians, and

other nations which are on the other side mount Atlas: for the one are very white, and the other exceeding blacke; the one subiect to many infirmities, the other sound, cheerefull, and of long life. We must not then maruell if the Florentine (who is towards the East and South, hauing the mountaines at his backe upon the North & West) be of more subtill spirit than the Venetians, and more aduised in his priuat affaires:[*](The cause or the diuersitie of humors in Italie.) and yet the Florentines in their assemblies spoile all through the subtiltie of their wits: whereas the Venetians in their councels resolue grauely, as wee have obserued for these two hundred yeres: for those that have least wit, yeeld to reason, change their opinions, and referre themselves to men of best iudgement: but so many great spirits being subtill and ambitious, are obstinat, and will hardly yeeld from their opinions: & for that euerie man holds himselfe able to commaund, they will have a Popular estate, the which they cannot maintaine without quarrels and civill dissentions, by reason of a naturall obstinacie, proper to the people of the South, which are melancholike, and to those which for the particular situation of the place, doe participat of the nature of the South. And euen as they which goe from Bouloigne to Florence, or from Car---assonne[*](A mountain causeth a great difference of people that live in opposit vallies.) to Valence, find a great alteration from cold to hoat, in the same degree of latitude, by reason of the diuersitie of the one vallie turning to the South, and the other to the North: in like sort shall they find a diuersitie of spirits. And therefore Plato gaue God thankes, That he was a Grecian, and not a Barbarian; an Athenian, & not a Theban; although there be not twentie leagues betwixt Thebes and Athens: but the situation of Athens was towards the south, inclining towards Pyrene, hauing a little mountaine behind it, and the riuer Asopus betwixth the two cities: so the one was giuen to learning and knowledge, and the other to armes. And although they had one kind of Popular government, yet was there no sedition in Thebes, whereas the Athenians had many quarrels and dissentions for the state. In like sort the Cantons of the Swissers have maintained their Popular estate verie wisely these foure hundred yeres: the which the Florentines and the Geneuois could neuer (with the excellencie of their wits) doe ten yeares together, without some mutines. For the people of the North, and those that live upon mountaines, being fierce and warlike, trusting in their force and strength, desire Popular estates, or at the least electiue Monarchies: neither can they easily endure [*](Why the people of the North have electiue kingdomes.) to be commaunded imperiously. So all their kings are electiue, whome they expell if they insult or tyrannize: as I have obserued of the kings of Sweden, Denmarke, Norway, Poland, Bohemia, and Tartarie, which are electiue.

That which I have spoken of the nature of the Northerne countries, agrees with the mountaines, the which are oftentimes more cold than the regions that are farre Northward: for in many places they have snow and yce perpetually: and euen under the Equator the mountaines of Peru are so high and cold, as many Spaniards died for cold, and lay long dead before they corrupted; as we read in the histories of the West Indies. Leo of Affrike hath no cause to wonder, why the inhabitants of the high mountaine of Megeza in Affrike are white, tall, and strong; and those of the vallie are little, weake, and blacke: for generally both the men, beasts, and the trees of the mountaine, are of a stronger constitution than the others. And old men upon mount Atlas of 100 yeres old, are vigorus, as Leo doth testifie. This force and vigour doth cause the mountainers[*](VVhy those that live upon mountaines loue Popular states.) to loue popular libertie, who cannot endure to be braued; as wee have said of the Swissers and Grisons. And in like sort the inhabitants of the mountaines of Bugia, Fez, Marocco, and Arabia, live in all libertie, without any commaunder: not through the assurance of any places that are fortified by nature, but for that they are sauage and cannot be reclaimed. The which should serue for an aunswere unto Plutarchs demand, Why the inhabitants of the high towne of Athens required a Popular estate, & those

of the low towne the government of few: considering the reason that I have giuen. He should therefore wrong himselfe verie much, that should seeke to chaunge the Popular estate of the Swissers, Grisons, and other mountainers, into a Monarchie: For although a Monarchie be farre better of it selfe, yet is it not so fit for that subiect.

We must therefore carefully obserue what euerie nation desires, and what they abhor---e; and first you must draw them to a milder kind of life, before you propound a royaltie unto them, the which is effected by quietnesse and ease, inuring them to the studies of sciences and musicke. And for this cause Polybius saith, That the auntient lawgiuers of Arcadia, had strictly bound the inhabitants of the mountaines of Arcadia, to learne musicke, upon great penalties: thereby to temper the naturall sauagnesse of that people. Titus Liuius also speaking of the Aetolians dwelling on mountaines, the most warlike and rebellious people of all Greece, he sayth, Ferociores Aetoli quam pro ingenijs Grecorum, The Aetolians were more fierce than was agreeable to the humor of the Greekes: They troubled the Romans more (although they had but three townes) than all the rest of the Greekes. In like sort, the inhabitants of the mountaine of Genes defeated the Roman armies, and continued warre against them one hundred yeares, neither could they euer bring them in subiection vntill they had transported them from the mountaines into the vallies, after which time they became good & quiet subiects; as we read in Titus Liuius. We must not then maruell, if by the Swissers[*](In Swisserland every one is boūd to we are a sword.) lawes euerie man is bound to weare a sword, and to have his house furnished with offensiue and defensiue armes: which other people forbad for the most part. And contrariwise the inhabitants of vallies are commonly effeminat and delicat: and euen the naturall fertilitie of the vallies, giue the inhabitants thereof occasion to glut themselves with pleasure.

As for the inhabitants upon the Sea coast, and of great townes of traffique, all writers[*](Inhabitants of vallies are effeinate.) have obserued, That they are more subtill, politike, and cunning, than those that lie farre from the sea and traffique. Therefore Caesar speaking of the inhabitants of Tournay, These men (saith he) for that they are farre from the ports of the sea, are not --- & effeminat with the marchandise and delights of straungers And to that end Tully said, That the inhabitants of the riuer of Genes, were called deceiuers and conseners; & those of the mountaines, rude and vncivill: for that these were not accustomed to traffique, to ---ell and to deceiue. Wherfore Ioseph speaking of the inhabitants of Ierusalem & Sparta, saith, That they were remote from the sea, & lesse corrupted than others. For which cause Plato forbids them to build his Commonweale neere unto the sea, saying, That such men are deceitfull and treacherous. And it seemeth that the prouerbe which saith, That Ilanders are commonly deceitfull; should be applied to this that we have spoken, for that they are more giuen to traffique, and by consequence to know the diuersitie of men and their humors, wherein the policie of trading doth consist, to dissemble his words and countenance, to deceiue, lie, and to cousen the simple for gaine, the which is[*](Merchants giuen to lie & deceiue.) the end of many marchants. And to this end the Hebrewes applie that text of Scripture, where it is said, Non eris mercator in populo tuo, There shall be no marchant among the people: which some do interpret a deceiuer or cousener; but the Hebrew word signifies Marchant.

There is also a great varietie for the difference of places subiect to violent winds, which makes people to differ much in manners, although they be in the same latitude and climat: For we see plainely, that those people are more graue and staied, when the[*](The violence of the wind breeds a great varietie in men.) ayre is calme and temperat, than those which live in regions beaten with violent winds: as Fraunce, and especially Languedoc, high Germanie, Hungarie, Thrace, Circassia, the countrey of Genes, Portugall, and Persia, whereas men have more turbulent spirits,

than those of Italie, Natolia, Assiria, and Aegypt, whereas the calmnesse of the ayre make men farre more mild. We doe also see in moorish places another difference of men, contrarie in humour to them of the mountaines. The barrennesse and fruitfulnesse of places doth in some sort chaunge the naturall inclination of the heauens: And[*](A fertill countrey breeds people.) therefore Titus Liuius said, That men of a fat and fertill soile, are most commonly effeminat and cowards; whereas contrariwise a barren countrey makes men temperat by necessitie, and by consequence careful, vigilant, and industrious: as the Athenians were, whereas idlenesse was punished capitally: Neither by Solons law were the children bound to relive the parents, if they had not taught them some meanes whereby to get their liuing. So as the barrennesse of the soyle doth not onely make men more temperat, apt to labour, and of a more subtill spirit; but also it makes townes more populous: for an enemie affects not a barren countrey, and the inhabitants liuing in safetie doe multiplie, and are forced to traffique or to labour. Such a one was the citie of Athens, the most populous of all Greece: and Nuremberg, which is seated in the most barren soyle that can be, yet is it one of the greatest cities of the empire, and full of the[*](A barren soyl makes the people .) best artisans in the world: and so are the cities of Limoges, Genes, and Gand. But those that dwell in vallies become soft and slothfull through the richnesse of the soyle. And as they that lie upon the sea for their traffique, and those of barren countries for their sobrietie, are industrious: in like sort those which make the frontiers of two estates beeing enemies, are more fierce and warlike than the rest, for that they are continually in warre, which makes men barbarous,, mutinous, and cruell; as peace makes men quiet, courteous, and tractable▪ And for this cause the English heretofore were held so mutinous and vnruly, as euen their princes could not keepe them in awe: yet since that they[*](People giuen to firce and sauag.) haue treated of peace and alliance with France & Scotland, & that they haue bene gouerned by a mild and peacefull princesse, they are growne verie civill and full of courtesie. Whereas contrariwise the French, which did not yeeld to any nation in courtesie and humanitie, are much chaunged in their dispositious, and are become fierce & barbarous since the civill warres: as it chaunced (as Plutarch saith) to the inhabitants of Sicilie, who by reason of their continuall wars, wete growne like vuro brute beasts.

But he that would see what force education, lawes, and customes, have to chaunge nature, let him looke into the people of Germanie, who in the time of Tacitus the Proconsull,[*](Education alter natur.) had neither lawes, religion, knowledge, nor any forme of a Commonweale; whereas now they seeme to exceed other nations in goodly cities, and well peopled, in armes, varietie of artes, and civill discipline: And the inhabitants of Bugia (which in old time was Carthage, the which in former times had contended with the Romans for the empire of the world, being the most warlike people of all Affrike) by the continuance of peace, and the practise of musike (wherewith they are much delighted) they are become so effeminat and timerous, that Peter of Nauarre comming thither with fourteene ships onely, the king with all the inhabitants fled, and without striking stroke abandoned the citie, whereas the Spaniards built goodly forts without any opposition. Therefore Plato maintained, That there were two arts necessarie in al cities, Wrestling,[*](Wrestling and Musike necessary in all Commonweales.) and Musicke; the one being the nurce of the mind, the other of the bodie. If they neglect wrestling, the force of the bodie must languish: if the studie of Musicke, they will become rude and barbarous: if both, then must both bodie and mind grow dull with idlenesse and sloth: For commonly we see those whose minds are delighted with the sweet sound of Musicke, to be verie mild and courteous. What should I speake of the Romans, & of that famous citie, which had so often triumphed over Europe, Asia, and Affrike, whilest that it flourished in armes and learning; which hath now lost the beautie and vertues of their fathers, through sloth, to the eternall infamie of their idle

prelats. Whereby it appeares how much education preuailes: whereof Licurgus made triall, hauing bred up two grayhounds of one litter, the one in hunting, the other to the pottage pot, and then made triall of them before all the people of Lacedemon, bringing forth a quick hare, and pots of meat; so as the one followed the hare, and the other ran to the meat. It is most certaine that if lawes and customes be not well maintained and kept, the people will soone returne to their naturall dispositions: and if they be transplanted into another countrey, they shall not be chaunged so soone, as plants which draw their nourishment from the earth: yet in the end they shall be altered, as we may see of the Gothes, which did inuade. Spaine, and high Languedoc; and the auntient Gaules which did people Germanie, about the blacke forrest and Francford, with their Collonies. Caesar saith, That in his time (which was some five hundred yeres after their passage) they had chaunged their manners and naturall disposition with that of Germany.

But it is needfull to purge an errour into the which many have fallen, hauing taxed the French of lightnesse, imitating therein Caesar, Tacitus, Trebellius, and Pollio. If they tearme a certaine alacritie and promptnesse in all their actions, Lightnesse; the iniurie pleaseth me, the which is common to all the people of the middle regions betwixt the Pole and the Equator: for euen in like sort Titus Liu---us doth call them of Asia, Greece, and Syria, Leuissima hominum genera, Light kind of men: the which the ambassadaur of the Rhodians did freely confesse in the open Senat at Rome. And Caesar himselfe doth interpret that which he would say, acknowledging that the Gaules have good wits, and prompt, and tractable. And Scaliger borne at Ve---ona, writes, That there is not any nation of a quicker & more lively spirit than the French; be it in armes or learning, be it in the trade of marchandise, or in well speaking: but aboue all, their hearts are generous and loyall, keeping their faith more constantly than any nation. And Baptista Mantuanus, the most excellent Poet of his age, writes thus of the French,

Hoat fierie spirits have the Gaules, their bodies passing white,

And of that white have they their names; a crimson colour bright

Their womans faces garnisheth, wherewith a comely grace

Being mixt, Nature out of two sundrie colours one doth raise:

Frolike they are, of cheerefull hew, delight in rounds and rime,

Prone unto Venus sports, to banqueting, and when they see their time

As prone unto Church seruice. They list not beare the yoke,

Hypocrisie they flie amaine, and what is falsly spoke:

Hating the sullen Saturnist, they giue themselves to game,

To hunting, hawking, hils and dales theile thorow them amaine.

I, they in warres delight them too, the barbed horse to ride;

Their brigantines, their bow, and speare, to vse it is their pride:

Whole nights abroad to sleepe on ground it is their chiefest ioy,

And to be slurd with sunne, and rust, th' account it nothing coy,

With dust to be orespred, to sweat under the weight of armes,

For countrey, kin, and eke for king, to under goe all harmes;

Yea death it selfe to them is sweet. Thus farre Mantuan.

The constancie of the French appeares plainely by the religion which hath bene receiued[*](The French held to be constant.) and allowed by our predecessors, for the which we have contended these threescore yeres with such obstinacie, as no nation in the world hath endured such burnings, spoylings, tortures, and civill wars, as we have caused unto our selues. Wherby Caesars

testimony appeares to be very true, writing, That all the nations of the Gauls was much giuen to religion, which is far from lighntesse and inconstancie. But that fierie vigour, as Veronensis sayth, which we see in the french, and the wonderfull alacritie in doing of things proceedes from choller: from thence grow the violent motions of the mind, from thence come murthers, when as from words they fall to blowes, and choller enclining unto rashnes breakes forth sodenly, the which if it be restrained within the bound of reason it doth greatly increase wisedome the gouernesse of mans life, as Galen sayth, writing of a chollerike humor, but if it be distempered, it turnes into rashnes,[*](Inconstancie incident to them of the North.) which properly we call lightnes, but this inconstancie is much more proper and incident to the people of the North. We have said (speaking in generall) that the people of the South are of a contrarie humour and disposition to them of the North: these are great and strong, they are little and weake: they of the north hot and moyst, the others cold and dry; the one hath a big voyce and greene eyes, the other hath a weake voyce and black eyes; the one hath a flaxen haire and a faire skin, the other hath both[*](The difference of humors betwixt them of the North and South.) haire and skin black; the one feareth cold, and the other heate; the one is ioyfull and pleasant, the other sad; the one is fearefull and peaceable, the other is hardie and mutinous; the one is sociable, the other solitarie; the one is giuen to drinke, the other sober; the one rude and grosse witted, the other aduised and ceremonious; the one is prodigall and greedie, the other is couetous and holds fast; the one is a souldier, the other a philosopher; the one fit for armes and labour, the other for knowledge and rest. If then the inhabitants of the South be wilfull and obstinate, as Plutarch sayth, speaking of the Affricans, maintaining his resolutions very wilfully, it is most certaine that the other is changeable, and hauing no cōstancie, those of the middle regions hold the vertue of the meane, betwixt wilfulnes and lightnes, not being changeable in their resolutions without reason, like unto the people of the North, nor yet so setled in their opinions, as they will not be altered without the ruine of an estate. Tacitus writing of the Germains, saith, that they hold it no dishonor to denie their word. The Eastgoths and Weastgoths being expelled by Attila, they required some land to inhabit from the Emperour Valens, swearing to imbrate the Christian religion, which hauing granted them, they treacherously seazed on Valens, and burnt him alive, and the people of Gronland which are neerest unto the Pole, being of an inconstant humor, as Munster [*](The people of the North carelesse of their faith.) saith, did easily imbrace the Christian religion, and then afterwards fell againe to their Idolatrie. And as for the Muscouites, the Baron of Heberstein saith in their historie, that he hath not knowne any nation more dis---oyall, which will have all men to keepe their faith with them, and they with no man. This falshood or treacherie comes from distrust, or from feare, and both the one and the other from want of spirit and wit: for a wise and considerate man as those of the middle region be, is not distrustfull, for that he foreseeth what may happen, and with courage and constancie doth execute what he hath resolued, the which the people of the South do not so well, being fearefull, nor they of the North which want wit. And to make it manifest how distrustfull and suspitious the people of the North be, looke into the realme of Denmarke and Sweden, whereas the magistrates do hide men in the Innes to heare what is spoken. The gouerment[*](The government of a state alters the peoples dispositions.) of every Citie is of great force in the alteration of the peoples natures and dispositions: if they be oppressed with tyrannie and seruitude, they grow faintharted and deiected: they which live in popular estates and enioy their liberties, must of necessitie be more bold and warlike, wherein not only the nature of the heauens and regions in generall are to be considered, but also the particularities of the regions. What may grow in the minds of men from the ayre, water, winds, hills and vallies, what from religion, lawes, customes, discipline, and from the state of every commonweale, and not to obserue the climate alone, for we see in climates that be alike and of the same eleuation foure notable differences of people in colour, without speaking of other qualities,[*](Great differences of people in colour in the same climats.) for that the West Indians are generallie of a duskish colour like unto a roasted quinze, vnlesse it be a handfull of men that are black, whom the tempest carried from the coast of Affrike: and in Siuill of Spaine the men are white, at Cape Bonne Esperance black, at the riuer of Plate of a chestnut colour, all being in like latitude, and like climates, as we reade in the histories of the Indies which the Spaniards have left in writing: the cause may be the change from one countrie to another, and that the Sunne in Capricorne is neerer unto the earth by all the eccentricall latitude, the which are aboue foure hundred thousand leagues. The transportation of Collonies works a great difference in men, but the nature of the heauens, winds, waters and earth, are of more force. The Colonie of the Saxons which Charlemaine brought into Flanders, differed much from all the French, but by little and little they were so changed as they retaine nothing of the Saxon but the language, the which is much altered, pronouncing their aspirations more lightly, and interlacing the vowels with the consonants: as the Saxon when he calles a horse Pferd, the Flemings say Perd, and so of many others. For alwaies the people of the North, or that dwell upon mountaines, hauing a more inward heate, deliver their words with greater vehemencie and more aspiration than the people of the East or South, who interlace their vowels sweetly, and auoid aspirations all they can (and for the same reason women who are of a colder complexion than men, speake more sweetly) the which was verified in one tribe of the people of Israell, for those of the tribe of Ephraim which remained in the mountaine and towards the North, which they called Gallaad, were not only more rough and audacious and bold than those that dwelt in the valies, of the same tribe, but did also pronounce the consonants and aspirations which the others could not pronounce; so as being vanquished, and flying from the battaile, not able to distinguish the one from the other being of one nation, they watched them at the passage of Iordain, demaunding of them how they called the passage or foord, which was named Schibolet, the which they pronounced Sibolet, which doth properly signifie an eare of corne, although that they be both oftentimes confounded, by which meanes there were 42000 men slaine. It is most certaine that at that time the Hebrewes held the purenes of bloud inuiolable, and that it was but one tribe. That which I have said, That the nature of the place doth greatly change the nature and pronunciation of men; may be generally obserued, and especially in Gasconie in the countrie which is called Labdac, for that the people put L. in stead of other consonants. We do also see the Polonia---s, which are more Eastward than Germanie, to pronounce much more sweetly: and the Geneuois being more Southerly than the Venetian these men pronounce Cabre, and the Geneuois say Crabe, whereby the Venetians distinguished them that fled, hauing gotten a great victorie[*](The nature of the place doth commonly change the language.) against the Geneuois, making them to pronounce Cabre, and killing all them that could not do it. The like did the inhabitants of Montpellier in a sedition which hapned in the time of king Charles the fift, seeking to kill the strangers, they shewed them beanes, which the strangers called Febues, and the inhabitants of the countrie called them Haues; like unto the Sabins, which did pronounce Fircus Faedus, for Hircus Haedus, as Marcus Varro sayth. And thus much touching the naturall inclination of people, the which notwithstanding carrie no necessitie as I have sayd, but are of great consequence for the setling of a Commonweale, lawes and customes, and to know in what manner to treat with the one and the other. Let vs now speake of other meanes to preuent the changes of Commonweales, which groweth through aboundance of riches.