Socrates being demanded what Country man heehe was, answered a -
Citizen of the world: by which his intention was to signify, that though
heehe was borneborn at Athens as to person, yet in mind heehe freely beheld -
the whole world, as his Country, and the things therein contained, -
the whole earth being a wise mans Country, where heehe lives well: -
SoeSo if any one askeask the Philosophers what Countryman their -
Hermaphrodite is, they answer, heehe belongs to the world, or is in all -
corners of the world, where the Elements can be found, as the SonneSon
of the wise, who hathhas a country coḿoncommon with them: But seingseeing that
it happens not that any man is borneborn twice or oftener, nor first enters
this light in severallseveral but in one place, as Socrates is owned to be an -
Athenian, soeso is Rebis reputed an inhabiter of two mountains, that is,
Mercury and Venus, from whence allsoalso the name of Hermaphrodite -
given him by both parents; a noble and large country is indeed noeno -
small helpehelp to doedo things excellently well, in which Citizens are præ=
ferrdpreferred before forreignersforeigners, and promoted to publickepublic offices, that they
may not lyelie in obscurity (as it happens in a meanemean place, and soeso
something of light come to them from the country) but ShewShow them=
selves rather with their owneown virtues, even in the small affairesaffairs of
a house, and give light themselves to their owneown country: After this
manner these mountains unknowneunknown to many men doedo acquire fame
from the Hermaphrodite by reason of his illustrious actions, and name
famous throughout the whole world. For who though never soeso -
little versed in the Philosophers bookesbooks hathhas not knowneknown Rebis? -
Who hathhas not seen or beheld AndrogynusAndrogynous with two heads? HeeHe verily
has been knowneknown to the IndyesIndies themselves, and his fame hathhas been -
dispersed farther, than the fame even of King Alexander: Many -
men doedo travelltravel out of farrefar countryescountries to see and discourse some
learned man, or otherwise remarkeableremarkable for singular military in=
dustry, art or science, but many more will betake themselves to -
the saydsaid Mountains of Rebis, provided they can learnelearn where -
they may be found: With how great study and care did Morienus -
being departed from Rome seekeseek and at length find Adferus Alexan=
drinus, heehe himselfehimself declares in his bookebook, and therefore was to be -
esteemed more happy, and acceptable to God, in that heehe had from a -
living teacher, and not from dumbedumb masters learnt, and beheld this
thing, that is, the native place of Rebis;

noeno lesseless assiduity and -
diligence ought they to use, who seekeseek the country of Rebis by -
themselves, being informed by reason, and the documents of books:
But though some books may sometimes seem to be clear and conspi=
cuous, yet they are soeso veildveiled and clouded with intricacy and ob=
scurity, that by reason thereof it is very difficult to make distinction:
Wherefore weewe must cautiously proceed with them, that they, which are
præpardprepared for remedy, may not be usdused for poysonpoison: They are certainly -
a vast ocean, in which expert mariners saylingsailing may by Astronomi=
callAstronomical instruments know the latitude, or elevation of the ÆquatorEquator above
the Horizon, the Magnet ShewingShowing the North pole, but by noeno means
the longitude, or how great an internallinternal of degrees they are distant -
from the first Meridian, which is next to the fortunate Islands; soeso -
that they are uncertaineuncertain in what place they may be between west -
and east: What therefore is here to be done? That which the same -
Mariners use to doedo, consult experience with reason, and thereby -
learnelearn how to determine a long voyage by particular signs, promon=
toryespromontories, Islands, and other things, that they may not for want of consi=
deration fall upon Sands and rocks: But here is lesseless danger, if the
thing prosper not, but if soeso, greater gainegain, than there, where goods -
and life are lost in an hourehour: But the mountainemountain of the Philoso=
phicallPhilosophical Mercury is not Nonacris, nor Atlas, where sometimes it is reported
to be brought forth, but Parnassus with two tops, in one of which -
Hermes, in the other Venus resides: Here allsoalso is Apollo with the Mu=
ses, and Hippocrene, the fountainefountain of Pegasus, with laurelllaurel allwayesalways
green: it is one mountainemountain by name, but really two, as Hermaphro=
ditus is beheld with two heads, and two members in one body: But -
what man of a thousand persists in ascending to the top of this -
mountainemountain? Who dosdoes not begin to hæsitatehesitate at the bottomebottom being -
impeded by I know not what obstacles? Whoever attainesattains to the -
midlemiddle of it? for
Wherefore it is noeno strange thing, if onelyonly one of tenneten thousand un=
dertake these Herculean labourslabors, soeso as to settset foot on the top of the
mountainemountain, and enjoy the immortallimmortal reward of a laurelllaurel garland,
which that all those that are upright, docible, and addicted to vir=
tue and learning may receive with joy, but the vainevain and envi=
ous depriv'ddeprived thereof, is much to be desired . . . . . . .