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4 8 HISTORY OF THE ROSICRUCIANS.
seas in a little wooden vessel, which caused the ancient
Romans, not to mention any other nations,
to mine other
men's affairs and discompose their own, not being satisfied
with their dominion over the whole of Italy. The true
remedy, then, for so great disorder is, first to force every
nation to return to their own countreys, and then, to pre-
vent the like confusion in future, I am of opinion that all
bridges built for the more commodious passing of rivers
should be absolutely broken down, that the ways over the
mountains should be quite destroyed, and the mountains
made more inaccessible by man's industry then originally
by nature ; and I would have all navigation forbidden upon
severest penalty, not allowing so much a the least boats to
pass over rivers."
Bias his opinion was regarded with unusual attention,
but after being well examined by the best wits of the
Assembly, it was found not to be good, for all those philoso-
phers knew that the greatest
enmities between nation and
nation are not national, but occasioned by cunning princes,
who are great masters in the proverb, Divide et impera, and
that that perfection of manners being found in all nations
joyned together which was not to be had in any particular
one, travel is necessary to acquire the complete wisdom
which adorned the Great Ulysses. Now, this is a benefit
entirely owing to navigation, which is very necessary to man-
kind, were it onely for that God, having
created this world
of an almost incomprehensible greatness, having filled it
with pretious things, and endowed every province with
somewhat of particular navigation, 'tis by that wonderful
art reduced to so small an extent that the aromatics of
Molucca, though above fifteen thousand miles from Italy,
seem to the Italians to grow in their own gardens.