With us, navigable rivers are most part neglected; our streams are not great, I confesse, by reason of the narrownesse of the Iland, yet they run smoothly and even, not headlong, swift, or amongst rocks and shelves, as foming Rhodanus and Loyre in France, Tygris in Mesopotamia, violent Durius in Spain, with cataracts and whirl-pools, as the Rhine, and Danubius, about Shaphausen, Laufenburgh, Linz, and Cremmes, to endanger navigators; or broad shallow, as Neckar in the Palatinat, Tibris in Italy;

but calm and fair as Arar in France, Hebrus in Macedonia, Eurotes in Laconia, they gently slide along, and might as well be repaired many of them (I mean Wie, Trent, Ouse, Thamisis at Oxford, the defect of which we feel in the mean time) as the river of Lee from Ware to London.

B. Atwater of old, or as some will Henry 1. made a channel from Trent to Lincoln, navigable; which now, saith Mr. Camden is decayed, and much mention is made of anchors, & such like monuments found about old Verulamium, good ships have formerly come to Exeter, and many such places, whose Chanels, Havens, Ports are now barred and rejected.

We contemn this benefit of carriage by waters, & are therefore compelled in the inner parts of this Iland, because portage is so dear, to eat up our commodities our selves, & live like so many boars in a sty, for want of vent and utterance.

We have many excellent havens, royal havens, Falmouth, Portsmouth, Milford, &c. equivalent, if not to be preferred to that Indian Havana, old Brundusium in Italy, Aulis in Greece, Ambracia in Acarnania, Suda in Crete, which have few ships in them, little or no traffick or trade, which have scarce a village on them, able to bear great cities, sed viderint politici.

I could here justly tax many other neglects, abuses, errors, defects among us, and in other countries, depopulations, riot, drunkennesse, &c. & many such, quæ nunc in aurem susurrare non libet. But I must take heed, ne quid gravius dicam, that I do not overshoot my self, Sus Minervam, I am forth of my element, as you peradventure suppose; and sometimes veritas odium parit, as he said, verjuice and oatmeal is good for a Parret.

For as Lucian said of an Historian, I say of a Politician. He that will freely speak and write, must be for ever no subject, under no prince or law, but lay out the matter truly as it is, not caring what any can, will, like or dislike.

We have good laws, I deny not, to rectifie such enormities, and so in all other countries, but it seems not alwayes to good purpose. We had need of some general visitor in our age, that should reform what is amisse; a just army of Rosie crosse men, for they wil amend all matters, (they say) religion, policy, maners, with arts, sciences, &c.

Another Attila, Tamberlane, Hercules, to strive with Achelous, Augeæ stabulum purgare, to subdue tyrants, as he did Diomedes and Busiris: to expel theeves, as he did Cacus and Lacinius: to vindicate poor captives, as he did Hesione: to passe the Torrid Zone, the deserts of Lybia, and purge the world of monsters and Centaures:

Or another Theban Crates to reform our maners, to compose quarrels and controversies, as in his time he did, and was therefore adored for a god in Athens. As Hercules purged the world of Monsters, & subdued them, so did he fight against envy, lust, anger, avarice, &c. and al those feral vices and monsters of the minde.

It were to be wished we had some such visitor, or if wishing would serve, one had such a ring or rings, as Timolaus desired in Lucian, by vertue of which he should be as strong as 10000 men, or an army of gyants, go invisible, open gates & castle doors, have what treasure he would, transport himself in an instant, to what place he desired, alter affections, cure all maner of diseases, that he might range over the world, and reform all distressed states and persons, as he would himself.

He might reduce those wandring Tartars in order, that infest China on the one side, Muscovy, Poland on the other; and tame the vagabond Arabians that rob and spoil those Eastern countries, that they should never use more Caravans, or Janisaries to conduct them.

He might root out Barbarism out of America, and fully discover Terra Australis Incognita, find out the North-east, and North-west passages, drean those mighty Mæotian fens, cut down those vast Hircinian woods, irrigate those barren Arabian deserts, &c. cure us of our Epidemical diseases, Scorbutum, Plica, morbus Neapolitanus, &c. end all our idle controversies, cut off our tumultuous desires, inordinate lusts, root out athiesm, impiety, heresie, schism and superstition, which now so crucifie the world,

catechise grosse ignorance, purge Italy of luxury and riot; Spain of superstition and jealousie, Germany of drunkennesse, all our Northern country of gluttony and intemperance, castigate our heard-hearted parents, masters, tutors; lash disobedient children, negligent servants, correct these spendthrifts and prodigall sons, enforce idle persons to work, drive drunkards off the alehouse, represse theeves, visit corrupt and tyrannizing magistrates, &c.

But as L. Licinius taxed Timolaus, you may us. These are vain, absurd and ridiculous wishes not to be hoped: all must be as it is, Bocchalinus may cite Common-wealths to come before Apollo, and seek to reform the world it self by Commissioners, but there is no remedy, it may not be redressed, desinent homines tum demum stultescere quando esse desinent, so long as they can wag their beards, they will play the knaves and fools.

Because therefore it is a thing so difficult, impossible, and far beyond Hercules labours to be performed; let them be rude, stupid, ignorant, incult, lapis super lapidem sedeat, and as the Apologist will, Resp. tussi, & graveolentia laboret, mundus vitio, let them be barbarous as they are,

let them tyrannize, epicurize, oppresse, luxuriate, consume themselves with factions, superstitions, law-suits, wars and contentions, live in riot, poverty, want, misery; rebel, wallow as so many swine in their own dung, with Ulysses companions, stultos jubeo esse libenter.

I wil yet to satisfie and please my self, make an Utopia of mine own, a new Atlantis, a poetical Common-wealth of mine own, in which I will freely domineer, build cities, make laws, statutes, as I list my self. And why may I not?

— Pictoribus atque Poetis, &c. You know what liberty Poets ever had, and besides, my predecessor Democritus was a Politician, a Recorder of Abdera, a law-maker as some say, and why may not I presume so much as he did? Howsoever I will adventure.