Cadamustus, &c.? Those accurate diaries of Portuguese,
Hollanders, of Bartison, Oliver a Nort, &c. Hakluyt’s
voyages, Pet. Martyr’s Decades, Benzo,
Lerius, Linschoten’s relations, those Hodoeporicons
of Jod. a Meggen, Brocard the monk, Bredenbachius,
Jo. Dublinius, Sands, &c., to Jerusalem, Egypt,
and other remote places of the world? those pleasant
itineraries of Paulus Hentzerus, Jodocus Sincerus,
Dux Polonus, &c., to read Bellonius’ observations,
P. Gillius his surveys; those parts of America, set
out, and curiously cut in pictures, by Fratres a Bry.
To see a well-cut herbal, herbs, trees, flowers, plants,
all vegetables expressed in their proper colours to
the life, as that of Matthiolus upon Dioscorides,
Delacampius, Lobel, Bauhinus, and that last voluminous
and mighty herbal of Beslar of Nuremberg, wherein almost
every plant is to his own bigness. To see birds,
beasts, and fishes of the sea, spiders, gnats, serpents,
flies, &c., all creatures set out by the same art,
and truly expressed in lively colours, with an exact
description of their natures, virtues, qualities,
&c., as hath been accurately performed by Aelian,
Gesner, Ulysses Aldrovandus, Bellonius, Rondoletius,
Hippolitus Salvianus, &c. [3326]_Arcana coeli, naturae
secreta, ordinem universi scire majoris felicitatis
et dulcedinis est, quam cogitatione quis assequi possit,
aut mortalis sperare_. What more pleasing studies
can there be than the mathematics, theoretical or
practical parts? as to survey land, make maps, models,
dials, &c., with which I was ever much delighted myself.
Tails est Mathematum pulchritudo (saith [3327]
Plutarch) ut his indignum sit divitiarum phaleras
istas et bullas, et puellaria spectacula comparari;
such is the excellency of these studies, that all those
ornaments and childish bubbles of wealth, are not worthy
to be compared to them: credi mihi ( [3328]saith
one) extingui dulce erit Mathematicarum artium
studio, I could even live and die with such meditation,
[3329]and take more delight, true content of mind
in them, than thou hast in all thy wealth and sport,
how rich soever thou art. And as [3330]Cardan
well seconds me, Honorificum magis est et gloriosum
haec intelligere, quam provinciis praeesse, formosum
aut ditem juvenem esse. [3331]The like pleasure
there is in all other studies, to such as are truly
addicted to them, [3332]_ea suavitas_ (one holds)
ut cum quis ea degustaverit, quasi poculis Circeis
captus, non possit unquam ab illis divelli; the
like sweetness, which as Circe’s cup bewitcheth
a student, he cannot leave off, as well may witness
those many laborious hours, days and nights, spent
in the voluminous treatises written by them; the same
content. [3333]Julius Scaliger was so much affected
with poetry, that he brake out into a pathetical protestation,
he had rather be the author of twelve verses in Lucan,
or such an ode in [3334]Horace, than emperor of Germany.
[3335]Nicholas Gerbelius, that good old man, was so