The xxvth Chapitre.
NYCOSTRATA, WHICHE WAS surnamede Carmewta emongste the Italianes, was doughter of Yonius, the Kynge of Arcadia, as sum wryte, and was maryede to Pallawtes, which lady not onely was decorate with the name of a quene, but also she was moste cunnyng in the Greke letters. So exellente a wytte had she in lemynge, and she was so vigilant in study theron, that she became a notable prophete. And sumtyme to thos that demaundyd questiones of hyr she tolde theym thynges to cum and wrote also true thynges that folowed many yeres after, and for that the Latyns, abolyshywg hyr fyrste name, callede hyr Carmenta. Thys woman was mother to Euander, the Kynge of Archadia, whiche the olde tales affyrme, because he was eloquent, to be sonne of Mercurye. But as sume saye, yet it fortunede by chaunce he slewe hys oune father, and sum other wryteth that it was by the sedicione of the people. Whether it wer the tone or the tother, he was expulsyde owte of hys realme and by the counsell and prophecying of hys mother toke shyppynge and saylede so longe that at the last he arryuyde at the mouthe of Tyber, and by hyr counsell, by the hyll called Pallantes, whiche had that name by hys sonne Pallas, he reedyfyede ther a towne, where niter the greate Rome was buyldyd, and namede the towne after the hyll Pallantes. Now when Cannent a was comen thyther, she founde the people ther all rude and barbarouse and muche lyke to wylde men. All thoughe that Satume a lytle tofore had taught theym how to sowe and to eare, yet they knewe noo letters as the Grekys dyd. Wherfore thys lady, perseyuynge in hyr mynde the pleasure of the grownde and forseynge what a cyte that sumtyme shulde be made ther, she taughte and deuysed emonge theym carecters and letters discrepant frome other nationes. To whiche godly purpose Goddes helpe lackyde not, soo that by Hys grace she sett forth onely sexten lettres, as Cadmus, the buylder of Thebes, had doone to the Grecians, whiche we call vnto thys present tyme the Latyn lettres. Whiche inuentione semyde to be suche to the Latyns that they beleuyde hyr rather to be a goddesse then a mortall woman ande for a perpetuall memorye buyldyde vndre the Capitoll an oratory, callede Carmenta. And Rome, when he was moste greateste, woldnot chaynge it, but the gate of the cytie, whiche by necessite then buyldyde they namede it Carmenta, of the name of thys woman Carmenta. Italy in olde tyme aboue other regyones florysshede in hononr and vertue, shynynge as a celestiall lyghte. Nor soo renomyde a countrye hath not bene vndre the heuen. For frame Asya came ryches and sumptuousnes of howsholde, mete for kynges, and nobilyte of bloode procedynge frome the Grecians, fyrste had of Troyanes. The Egyptiens gaue vs arsmetryke and geometry; and philozophy and eloquens and wellnere all mecanicall craftes descendyd frome the Grekes; Saturnns the outelawe founde fyrste husbondrye, knowne but to a few men; comune lawes descendyde frome the Athenens, and the Cesars stableysshede the scenates; Simon Petrus was the fyrst that brought and stablyshede the true feyth frome Jherusalem, but the knyghtly prowyse the noble Romayns taught, so that with theyr valyaunte deades they subduede the hoole worlde. The Latyn fygures, it appeareth by that afore rehersyde that it came frome Carmenta, whiche, cumynge frome Archadia into Italy, it is to be beleuyde that she taught fyrst the gramer rules — a fortunate seede, to growe in tyme to cum to rype corne. Wherevnto God was so fauorable that the glory therby, aswell of the Grekes tunge as of the Hebrewe tunge, in parte is abaytede, for the moste parte of Europe vse oone tunge. Whereby the gestes and actes of prynces and the workes of God with a perpetuall memory be seruyde, in so muche that the thynges we neuer sawe with oure eyes, by the wrytynges we knowe theym; by thys we sende oure myndes frome afarr to oure freandes and haue frome oure freandes aunswere agayne. Nor ther is nothynge possible to be sowght, but that by thys we may fynde it, and breuely, what so euer the mynde cannot kepe, by wrytynge may be surely fownde and kepte. And thys is so muche to the Italian honour that nother the rapyne of the Germaynes, nor the Frenshe fury, nor the pollicy of the Englishe men, nor the Spanyshe rage, nor noone other barbarouse countrey coulde let but that they theimselffes ar glad to leme thies oure letters and neuer durste take the glory of this tunge a way frome the Latyns, but allways in other greate wrytynges they sett the carrectes of that exellent tunge in all causys. Wherby the further the tonge is admytted, the more glorye is it to the speche, and for that we wyllnot be accountyde so ingrate nor vnkynde, but that, asmuche as in vs is, we wyll make it to be prased and laudyde for euer.