Three Early Modern Utopias: Thomas More: Utopia / Francis Bacon: New Atlantis / Henry Neville: The Isle of Pines

by Thomas More

  ‘We have three that bend themselves, looking into the experiments of their fellows, and cast about how to draw out of them things of use and practice for man’s life, and knowledge as well for works as for plain demonstration of causes, means of natural divinations, and the easy and clear discovery of the virtues and parts of bodies.* These we call Dowry-men or Benefactors.

  ‘Then after divers meetings and consults of our whole number, to consider of the former labours and collections, we have three that take care, out of them, to direct new experiments, of a higher light,* more penetrating into nature than the former. These we call Lamps.

  ‘We have three others that do execute the experiments so directed, and report them. These we call Inoculators.

  ‘Lastly, we have three that raise the former discoveries by experiments into greater observations, axioms, and aphorisms. These we call Interpreters of Nature.

  ‘We have also, as you must think, novices and apprentices, that the succession of the former employed men do not fail; besides a great number of servants and attendants, men and women. And this we do also: we have consultations, which of the inventions and experiences which we have discovered shall be published, and which not: and take all an oath of secrecy, for the concealing of those which we think fit to keep secret: though some of those we do reveal sometimes to the state, and some not.

  ‘For our ordinances and rites: we have two very long and fair galleries: in one of these we place patterns and samples of all manner of the more rare and excellent inventions: in the other we place the statues of all principal inventors. There we have the statue of your Columbus, that discovered the West Indies: also the inventor of ships: your monk that was the inventor of ordnance and of gunpowder:* the inventor of music: the inventor of letters: the inventor of printing: the inventor of observations of astronomy: the inventor of works in metal: the inventor of glass: the inventor of silk of the worm: the inventor of wine: the inventor of corn and bread: the inventor of sugars:* and all these by more certain tradition than you have. Then have we divers inventors of our own, of excellent works; which since you have not seen, it were too long to make descriptions of them; and besides, in the right understanding of those descriptions you might easily err. For upon every invention of value, we erect a statue to the inventor, and give him a liberal and honourable reward. These statues are some of brass; some of marble and touchstone; some of cedar and other special woods gilt and adorned: some of iron; some of silver; some of gold.

  ‘We have certain hymns and services, which we say daily, of laud and thanks to God for his marvellous works: and forms of prayers, imploring his aid and blessing for the illumination of our labours, and the turning of them into good and holy uses.

  ‘Lastly, we have circuits or visits of divers principal cities of the kingdom; where, as it cometh to pass, we do publish such new profitable inventions as we think good. And we do also declare natural divinations* of diseases, plagues, swarms of hurtful creatures, scarcity, tempests, earthquakes, great inundations, comets, temperature of the year,* and divers other things; and we give counsel thereupon what the people shall do for the prevention and remedy of them.’

  And when he had said this, he stood up; and I, as I had been taught, kneeled down; and he laid his right hand upon my head, and said; ‘God bless thee, my son, and God bless this relation which I have made. I give thee leave to publish it for the good of other nations; for we here are in God’s bosom, a land unknown.’ And so he left me; having assigned a value of about two thousand ducats, for a bounty to me and my fellows. For they give great largesses where they come upon all occasions.

  [The rest was not perfected.]*

  MAGNALIA NATURAE, PRAECIPUE QUAD USUS HUMANOS.*

  The prolongation of life.

  The restitution of youth in some degree.

  The retardation of age.

  The curing of diseases counted incurable.

  The mitigation of pain.

  More easy and less loathsome purgings.

  The increasing of strength and activity.

  The increasing of ability to suffer torture or pain.

  The altering of complexions, and fatness and leanness.

  The altering of statures.

  The altering of features.

  The increasing and exalting of the intellectual parts.

  Versions of bodies into other bodies.

  Making of new species.

  Transplanting of one species into another.

  Instruments of destruction, as of war and poison.

  Exhilaration of the spirits, and putting them in good disposition.

  Force of the imagination, either upon another body, or upon the body itself.

  Acceleration of time in maturations.

  Acceleration of time in clarifications.

  Acceleration of putrefaction.

  Acceleration of decoction.

  Acceleration of germination.

  Making rich composts for the earth.

  Impressions of the air, and raising of tempests.

  Great alteration; as in induration, emollition, &c.

  Turning crude and watery substances into oily and unctuous substances.

  Drawing of new foods out of substances not now in use.

  Making new threads for apparel; and new stuffs; such as paper, glass, &c.

  Natural divinations.

  Deceptions of the senses.

  Greater pleasure of the senses.

  Artificial minerals and cements.

  HENRY NEVILLE

  THE ISLE OF PINES

  Two Letters Concerning the Island of Pines* to a Credible Person in Covent Garden

  Amsterdam, June the 29th, 1668

  It is written by the last post from Rochelle,* to a merchant in this city, that there was a French ship arrived, the Master and Company of which reports that about two or three hundred leagues northwest from Cape Finis Terre,* they fell in with an Island, where they went on shore and found about 2000 English people without clothes, only some small coverings about their middle, and that they related to them that at their first coming to this Island (which was in Queen Elizabeth’s time) they were but five in number, men and women, being cast ashore by distress or otherwise, and had there remained ever since, without having any correspondence with any other people, or any ship coming to them. This story seems very fabulous, yet the letter is come to a known merchant, and from a good hand in France, so that I thought fit to mention it. It may be that there may be some mistake in the number of the leagues, as also of the exact point of the compass, from Cape Finis Terre; I shall enquire more particularly about it. Some English here suppose is may be the Island of Brasile* which have been so oft sought for, southwest from Ireland: if true, we shall hear further about it.

  Your friend and brother,

  Abraham Keek.

  Amsterdam, July the 6th, 1668

  It is said that the ship that discovered the Island of which I hinted to you in my last is departed from Rochelle on her way to Zealand:* several persons here have writ thither to enquire for the said vessel, to know the truth of this business. I was promised a copy of the letter that came from France, advising the discovery of the island above-said, but it’s not yet come to my hand; when it cometh, or any further news about this Island, I shall acquaint you with it.

  Your friend and brother,

  A. Keek.

  THE ISLE OF PINES

  Discovered near to the coast of Terra Australis Incognita*

  by Henry Cornelius Van Sloetten,* in a letter to a

  friend on London declaring the truth of his voyage

  to the East Indies.*

  Sir,

  I received your letter of this second instant, wherein you desire me to give you a further account concerning the Land of Pines, on which we were driven by distress of weather the last summer. I also perused the printed book thereof you sent me, the copy of which was surreptitiously taken out of my hands, else should I have given you a more fuller account upon wha
t occasion we came thither, how we were entertained, with some other circumstances of note wherein that relation is defective. To satisfy therefore your desires I shall briefly yet fully give you a particular account thereof, with a true copy of the relation itself, desiring you to bear with my blunt phrases, as being more a seaman than a scholar.

  April the 26th 1667. We set sail from Amsterdam intending for the East Indies; our ship had to name the place from whence we came: the ‘Amsterdam’, burthen 350 tun. And having a fair gale of wind, on the 27 of May following we had a sight of the high peak of Tenerife belonging to the Canaries. We have touched at the island Palma, but having endeavoured it twice, and finding the winds contrary, we steered on our course by the isles of Cape Verd, or Insulae Capitis Veridis,* where at St James’s we took in fresh water, with some few goats and hens, wherewith that island doth plentifully abound.

  June the 14 we had sight of Madagascar, or the island of St Lawrence, an island of 4000 miles in compass, and situate under the Southern Tropic.* Thither we steered our course, and trafficked with the inhabitants for knives, beads, glasses and the like, having exchanged thereof cloves and silver. Departing from thence we were encountered with a violent storm, and the winds holding contrary for the space of a fortnight brought us back almost as far as the Isle del Principe;* during which time many of our men fell sick, and some died, but at the end of that time it pleased God the wind favoured us again, and we steered on our course merrily for the space of ten days, when on a sudden we were encountered with such a violent storm as if all the four winds together had conspired for our destruction, so that the stoutest spirit of all of us quailed, expecting every hour to be devoured by that merciless element of water. Sixteen days together did this storm continue, though not with such violence as at the first, the weather being so dark all the while and the sea so rough that we knew not in what place we were. At length all on a sudden the wind ceased and the air cleared, the clouds were all dispersed and a very serene sky followed, for which we gave hearty thanks to the Almighty, it being beyond our expectation that we should have escaped the violence of that storm.

  At length one of our men, mounting the main mast, espied fire, an evident sign of some country near adjoining, which presently after we apparently discovered, and steering our course more nigher, we saw several persons promiscuously running about the shore, as it were wondering and admiring at what they saw. Being now near to the land, we manned out our long boat with ten persons, who, approaching the shore, asked them in our Dutch tongue, ‘Wat Eylant is dit?’* To which they returned this answer in English: ‘that they knew not what we said.’ One of our company named Jeremiah Hanzen who understood English very well, hearing their words discoursed to them in their own language, so that in fine we were very kindly invited on shore, great numbers of them flocking about us, admiring at our cloths which we did wear, as we on the other side did to find in such a strange place so many that could speak English and yet to go naked.

  Four of our men returning back in the long boat to our ship’s company could hardly make them believe the truth of what they had seen and heard, but when we had brought our ship into harbour you would have blessed yourself to see how the naked islanders flocked unto us, so wondering at our ship as if it have been the greatest miracle of nature in [the] whole world.

  We were very courteously entertained by them, presenting us with such food as that country afforded, which indeed was not to be despised: we ate of the flesh both of beasts and fowls (which they had cleanly dressed, though with no great curiosity as wanting materials wherewithal to do it); and for bread we had the inside or kernel of a great nut as big as an apple,* which was very wholesome and sound for the body and tasted to the palate very delicious.

  Having refreshed ourselves, they invited us to the palace of their prince or chief ruler, some two miles distant off from the place where we landed, which we found to be about the bigness of one of our ordinary village houses. It was supported with rough unhewn pieces of timber, and covered very artificially with boughs so that it would keep out the greatest showers of rain. The sides thereof were adorned with several sorts of flowers which the fragrant fields there do yield in great variety. The Prince himself (whose name was William Pine, the grandchild of George Pine that was first on shore on this island) came to his palace door and saluted us very courteously, for though he had nothing of majesty in him, yet he had a courteous, noble and debonair spirit, wherewith your English nation (especially those of the gentry) are very much indued.

  Scarce had he done saluting us when his lady or wife came likewise forth of their house or palace attended on by two maid servants. She was a woman of an exquisite beauty, and had on her head, as it were, a chaplet of flowers, which being intermixed with several variety of colours became her admirably. Her privities were hid with some pieces of old garments, the relicts of those cloths (I suppose) of them which first came hither, and yet being adorned with flowers those rags seemeth beautiful. And indeed modesty so far prevaileth all over the female sex of that island that with grass and flowers interwoven and made strong by the peelings of young elms (which grow there in plenty) they do plant together so many of them as serve to cover those parts which nature would have hidden.

  We carried him as a present some few knives (of which we thought they had great need), an axe or hatchet to fell wood (which was very acceptable unto him, the old one which was cast on shore at the first, and the only one which they ever had, being now so quite blunt and dulled that it would not cut at all. Some other things we also gave him which he very thankfully accepted, inviting us into his house or palace, and causing us to sit down with him, where we refreshed our selves again with some more country viands which were no other than such we had tasted before, prince and peasant here faring alike. Nor is there any difference betwixt their drink, being only fresh sweet water, which the rivers yield them in great abundance.

  After some little pause our companion who could speak English by our request desired to know of him something concerning their original, and how that people speaking the language of such a remote country should come to inhabit there, having not, as we could see, any ships or boats amongst them the means to bring them thither, and which was more, altogether ignorant and mere strangers to ships or shipping, the main thing conducible to that means. To which request of ours, the courteous Prince thus replied: ‘Friends (for so your actions declare you to be, and shall by ours find no less), know that we are inhabitants of this island of no great standing, my grandfather being the first that ever set foot on this shore, whose native country was a place called England, far distant from this our land, as he led us to understand. He came from that place upon the waters in a thing called a ship, of which no question but you may have heard. Several other persons were in his company, not intending to have come hither (as he said), but to a place called India, when tempestuous weather brought him and his company upon this coast, where falling among the rocks his ship split all in pieces, the whole company perishing in the waters, saving only him and four women, which by means of a broken piece of that ship, by Divine assistance got on land.

  ‘What after passed’, said he, ‘during my Grandfather’s life, I shall show you in a relation thereof written by his own hand which he delivered to my Father (being his eldest Son), charging him to have a special care thereof, and assuring him that time would bring some people or other thither to whom he would have him to impart it, that the truth of our first planting here might not be quite lost. Which his commands my Father dutifully obeyed, but no one coming, he at his death delivered the same with the like charge to me. And you being the first people which (besides ourselves) ever set footing in this island, I shall therefore, in obedience to my Grandfather’s and Father’s commands, willingly impart the same unto you.’

  Then stepping into a kind of inner room, which as we conceived was his lodging chamber, he brought forth two sheets of paper fairly written in English (being the same relation which you had printed wit
h you at London) and very distinctly read the same over unto us, which we harkened unto with great delight and admiration, freely proffering us a copy of the same, which we afterward took and brought away along with us: which copy hereafter followeth.*

  A way to the East Indies being lately discovered by sea, to the south of Affric, by certain Portugals,* far more safe and profitable than had been heretofore, certain English merchants were encouraged by the great advantages arising from the Eastern commodities, to settle a factory there to the advantage of trade. And having to that purpose obtained the Queen’s Royal Licence,* Anno Dom. 1589, 11 or 12 Eliz., furnished out for those parts four ships. My master being sent as a factor to deal and negotiate for them, and to settle there, took with him his whole family, that is to say, his wife, and one son of about twelve years of age, and one daughter of about fourteen years, two maidservants, one negro female slave, and myself, who went under him as his bookkeeper. With this company, on Monday the third of April next following, having all necessaries for housekeeping when we should come there, we embarked ourselves in the good ship called the India Merchant, of about four hundred and fifty tons burthen; and having a good wind, we on the fourteenth of May had sight of the Canaries, and not long after of the Isles of Cape Vert or Verd, where taking in such things as were necessary for our voyage, and some fresh provisions, we steering our course south, and a point east, about the first of August came within sight of the Island of St Helen,* where we took in some fresh water. We then set our faces for the Cape of Good Hope, where by God’s blessing [we arrived,] after some sickness, whereof some of our company died, though none of our family. And hitherto we had met with none but calm weather, yet so it pleased God, when we were almost in sight of St Lawrence,* an island so called (one of the greatest in the world, as mariners say), we were overtaken and dispersed by a great storm of wind, which continued with such violence many days, that losing all hope of safety, being out of our own knowledge, and whether we should fall on flats or rocks, uncertain in the night, not having the least benefit of the light, we feared most, always wishing for day, and then for land: but it came too soon for our good. For about the first of October, our fears having made us forget how the time passed to a certainty, we about the break of day discerned land, but what we knew not. The land seemed high and rocky, and the sea continued still very stormy and tempestuous, insomuch as there seemed no hope of safety, but looked suddenly to perish.