Sir Thomas Browne on America

Sir Thomas Browne on America

In seventeenth century England there was a great interest in reports from America. Each and every one of Sir Thomas Browne of Norwich's major writings makes significant mention of the newly-colonised continent. As a keen geographer, botanist and zoologist Browne wrote on America in his encyclopedia Pseudodoxia Epidemica. He also employed the proper-place name America as a symbol of the new, the unknown and the exotic.

Browne deep study of nature led him to raise the query in his first book Religio Medici (1643) the zoological puzzle-

How America abounded with beasts of prey, and noxious Animals, yet contained not in it that necessary creature, a Horse, is very strange

It is however in his Encyclopaedia Pseudodoxia Epidemica that the most frequent references to America can be found. Indeed its opening address entitled To the Reader describes his efforts to determine truth in compiling an encyclopaedia-

but oft-times fain to wander in the America and untravelled parts of truth.

Throughout his encylopaedia also known as Vulgar Errors Browne includes speculations and reports from America including mention of the giant phalanges spider, speculation as to why American natives skin-pigmentation differs from African natives, makes a geographical comparison of the proportions of the Gulf of California to the Red Sea and collated sundry notes upon its vegetation. He also noted that the Swiss alchemist-physician Paracelsus equated America as representing the rear of the world stating -

... of the Geography of Paracelsus, who according to the Cardinal points of the World, divideth the body of man; and therefore working upon humane ordure, and by long preparation rendring it odiferous, he terms it Zibeta Occidentalis, Western Civet; making the face the East, but the posteriours the America or Western part of his Microcosm.

Also in Pseudodoxia Browne debates upon the folk-lore belief that it is good for one's health to be drunk once a month, ever the moralist he concluded-

But as for dementation, sopition of reason, and the diviner particle from drinke, though American religion approve, and Pagan piety of old hath practised it, even at their sacrifices; Christian morality and the Doctrine of Christ will not allow.

The dedicatory epistle of the Discourse The Garden of Cyrus (1658) humourously makes light of the great volume of printed information available upon the botany of America thus-

(you) who know that three full Folio's are yet too little, and how New Herballs fly from America upon us, from persevering enquirers.

whilst the concluding lines of the Discourse drowsily contemplates the fact that the world consists of time-zones thus-

The Huntsmen are up in America, and they are already past their first sleep in Persia.

As a medical man Browne was appreciative of William Harvey's discovery of the circulation of the blood (1628). In correspondence he advised

be sure you make yourself master of Dr Harvey's piece De Circul. Sang; which discovery I prefer to that of Columbus, (i.e. that of America).

Browne is credited as the first English author to write upon archaeology. The opening lines of his Discourse, Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial compares the 'discovery' of America to that of an archaeological find.

That great antiquity America lay buried for a thousand years ; and a large part of the earth is still in the Urn unto us.

It was when introduced to the prophecies of Nostradamus sometime in the 1670's that Browne duly wrote a parody of the Lyons physician's verses. His miscellaneous tract,'A prophecy concerning the future State of Several Nations' makes several remarkable 'predictions' based upon reason of America's future. In quasi-oracular style Browne challenges the wisdom of the humanity of the growing Slave-trade.

When Africa shall no longer sell out its Blacks to be Slaves and drudges to the American Tracts.

Browne 'predicted' that sometime in the distant future America would protect its wealth and be a land pursuing happiness, employing the highly-original phrase, American Pleasure.

When America shall cease to send out its treasure but employ it instead in American Pleasure.

adding the explanatory note-

That is when America shall be better civilized, new policied and divided between great Princes, it may come to pass that they will no longer suffer their Treasure of Gold and Silver to be sent out to maintain the Luxury of Europe and other parts: but rather employ it to their own advantages, in great Exploits and Undertakings, magnificent Structure, Wars, or Expeditions of their own.

He also prognosticated America to become the economic equal of Europe-

When the New World shall the old invade nor count them their Lords but their Fellows in Trade.

adding the explanatory note-

That is, When America shall be so well peopled, civilized and divided into Kingdoms, they are likely to have so little regard of their Originals, as to acknowledge no subjection unto them: they may also have a distinct commerce between themselves, or but independentlt with those of Europe, and may hostilely and pyratically assault them, even as the Greek and Roman Colonies after a long time dealt with their Original Countries.

These examples of reports upon America's botany, zoology and geography are remarkable for their very earliness in American history for in Browne's day (1605-82) America was a fledging colony; in literary terms his usage of the proper place-name of America as a symbol must also be noted; however, more importantly, it was from reports of the superabundance of America's natural resources, its geographical size and the determination of its founding settlers led one seventeenth century European thinker to perceive America as an exotic continent with great future potential.