s. For whereas they hate the name of
Christ; and have a secret inbred rancour against the people among whom
they live: these (contrariwise) give unto our Saviour many high
attributes, and love the nation of Bensalem extremely. Surely this man
of whom I speak would ever acknowledge that Christ was born of a virgin
and that he was more than a man; and he would tell how God made him
ruler of the seraphims which guard his throne; and they call him also
the Milken Way, and the Eliah of the Messiah; and many other high
names; which though they be inferior to his divine majesty, yet they
are far from the language of other Jews.

And for the country of Bensalem, this man would make no end of
commending it; being desirous, by tradition among the Jews there, to
have it believed that the people thereof were of the generations of
Abraham, by another son, whom they call Nachoran; and that Moses by a
secret Cabala ordained the Laws of Bensalem which they now use; and
that when the Messiah should come, and sit in his throne at Hierusalem,
the king of Bensalem should sit at his feet, whereas other kings should
keep a great distance. But yet setting aside these Jewish dreams, the
man was a wise man, and learned, and of great policy, and excellently
seen in the laws and customs of that nation.

Amongst other discourses, one day I told him I was much affected with
the relation I had, from some of the company, of their custom, in
holding the Feast of the Family; for that (methought) I had never heard
of a solemnity wherein nature did so much preside. And because
propagation of families proceedeth from the nuptial copulation, I
desired to know of him what laws and customs they had concerning
marriage; and whether they kept marriage well and whether they were
tied to one wife; for that where population is so much affected,' and
such as with them it seemed to be, there is commonly permission of
plurality of wives.

To this he said, "You have reason for to commend that excellent
institution of the Feast of the Family. And indeed we have experience
that those families that are partakers of the blessing of that feast do
flourish and prosper ever after in an extraordinary manner. But hear
me now, and I will tell you what I know. You shall understand that
there is not under the heavens so chaste a nation as this of Bensalem;
nor so free from all pollution or foulness. It is the virgin of the
world. I remember I have read in one of your