And to the Right Honourable the Councell of State, Menaffeh Ben Ifrael, prayes God to give Health, and all Happinese:

T is not one caufe alone (moft renowned Fathers) which ufeth to move thofe, who defire by their Meditations to benefit Mankind, and to make them come forth in publique, to dedicate their Books to great Men; for fome, and thofe the moft, are incited by Covetoufnesse, that they may get money by fo doing, or fome peece of Plate of gold, or Silver; fometimes alfo that they may obtaine their Votes, and fuffrages to get fome place for themselves, or their friends. But fome are moved thereto by meere and pure friendship, that fo they may publickly teftifie that love and affection, which they bear them, whofe names they prefixe to their Books; let the one, and the other, please themselves, according as they delight in the reafon of the Dedication, whether it be good or bad; for my part, I beft like them, who do it upon this ground, that they may not commend themfelves, or theirs, but what is for publick good.

As for me (moft renowned Fathers) in my dedicating

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this Difcourfe to you, I can truly affirm, that I am induced to it upon no other ground then this, that I may gain your favour and good will to our Nation, now fcattered almost all over the earth; neither think that I do this, as if I were ignorant how much you have hitherto favored our Nation; for it is made known to me, and to others of our Nation, by them who are so happy as near at hand, to observe your apprehenfions, that you do vouchfafe to help us, not onely by your prayers; yea, this hath compelled me to speak to you publickly, and to give you thanks for that your charitable affection towards us, and not fuch thanks which come only from the tongue, but as are conceived by a grateful mind.

Give me leave therefore (most renowned Fathers) to fupplicate you, that you would stil favor our good, and farther love us. Truly, we men doe draw fo much the nearer to Divine nature, when by how much we increase, by fo much we cherish, and defend the small, and weak ones; and with how much diligence doe you performe this, most renowned Fathers? who though you seem to be arrived to the highest top of felicity, yet you do not only not defpife inferior men, but you fo wish well to them, that you feem fenfible of their calamity; you knowing how acceptable to God you are by so doing, who loves to do good to them who doe good. And truly it is from hence, that of late you have done fo great things valiantly, and by an unufuall attempt, and things much to be observed among the Nations. The whole world stands amazed at these things, and the eies of all are turned upon you, that they may fee whither all these things do tend, which the great Governour of all things feems to bring upon the world by fo great changes, fo famously remarkable, of fo many Nations; and fo all thofe things which God is pleased to have

have fore-told by the Prophets, do, and shall obtain their accomplishment. All which things of neceffity muft bee fulfilled, that fo Ifrael at last being brought back to his owne place; peace which is promifed under the Meffiah, may be restored to the world; and concord, which is the only Mother of al good things. These things I handle more largely in this Treatife, which I dedicate to you (most renowned Fathers) you cannot be ignorant, that it is not only not unprofitable, but very useful for States and Statefmen, to fore-fee the iffue (which yet is ever in Gods hand) of humaine Councells, that so they may observe, and understand from Divine truth, the events of things to come, which God hath determined by his Spirit in his holy Prophets. I know that this my labour will not be unacceptable to you, how mean foever it be, which I trust you will chearfully receive, because that you love our Nation, and as part of it, the Author of this Difcourfe. But I intreat you be certain, that I pour out continual prayers to God for your happineffe. Farewell, moft renowned Fathers, and flourish most prosperously.

Menaffeh Ben Ifrael,

To the Courteous Reader.

Here are as many minds as men, about the originall of the people of America and of the firft Inhabitants of the new World, and of the Weft Indyes; for how many men foever they were or are, they came of thofe two, Adam, and Eve; and confequently of Noah, after the Flood, but that new Worlddothfeem wholly feparated from the old, therefore it must be that fome did paffe thither out of one (at least) of the three parts of the world fc. Europe, Afia, and Africa; but the doubt is, what people were thofe, and out of what place they went. Truly, the truth of that must be gathered, partly out of the ancient Hyories, and partly from conjectures; as their Habit, their Language, their Manners, which yet doe vary according to mens dif pofitions; fo that it is hard to finde out the certainty. Almost all who have veiwed thofe Countryes, with great diligence, have been of different judgements: Some would have the praife of finding out America, to be due to the Carthaginians, others to the Phenicians, or the Canaanites; others to the Indians, or people of China; others to them of Norway, others to the Inhabitants of the Atlantick Islands, others to the Tartarians, others to the ten Tribes. Indeed, every one grounds his opinion not upon probable arguments, but high conjeAures, as will appeare farther by this Booke. But I having curiously examined what ever hath hitherto been writ upon this fubjet doe finde no opinion more probable, nor agreeable to reafon, then that of our Montezinus, who faith, that the firft inhabitants of America, were the ten Tribes of the Ifraelites, whom the Tartarians conquered, and drove away; who after that (as God would have it) hid themselves behind the Mountaines Cordillera. I also fhew, that as they were not driven out at once from their Country, fo alfo they were fcattered into divers Provinces, fc. into America, into Tartary, into China, into Media, to the Sabbaticall River, and into Ethiopia. I prove that the ten Tribes never returned to the Second Temple, that they yet keepe the Law of Mofes, and our fa

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