A.D. 

 1576. 



3 By the 



Northeast. 



Ortel. tab. 

 A sice 3. 



4 By the 



Northeast. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



The third way by the Northeast, beyond all Europe 

 and Asia, that worthy and renowmed knight sir Hugh 

 Willoughbie sought to his perill, enforced there to ende 

 his life for colde, congealed and frozen to death. And 

 truely this way consisteth rather in the imagination of 

 Geographers, then allowable either in reason, or approved 

 by experience, as well it may appeare by the dangerous 

 trending of the Scythish Cape set by Ortelius under 

 the 80 degree North, by the unlikely sailing in that 

 Northerne sea alwayes clad with yce and snow, or at the 

 least continually pestred therewith, if happily it be at any 

 time dissolved : besides bayes and shelfes, the water 

 waxing more shallow toward the East, that we say nothing 

 of the foule mists and darke fogs in the cold clime, of 

 the litle power of the Sunne to cleare the aire, of the un- 

 comfortable nights, so neere the Pole, five moneths long. 

 A fourth way to go unto these aforesaid happy Islands 

 Moluccas sir Humphrey Gilbert a learned and valiant 

 knight discourseth of at large in his new passage to 

 Cathayo. The enterprise of it selfe being vertuous, the 

 fact must doubtlesse deserve high praise, and whensoever 

 it shal be finished, the fruits thereof cannot be smal : 

 where vertue is guide, there is fame a follower, & fortune 

 a companion. But the way is dangerous, the passage 

 doubtfull, the voiage not throughly knowen, and there- 

 fore gainesaid by many, after this maner. 

 Ob. 1. First, who can assure us of any passage rather by the 



[III. 25.] Northwest, then by the Northeast? doe not both wayes 

 lye in equall distance from the North Pole ? Stand not 

 the North Capes of eyther continent under like elevation ? 

 Is not the Ocean sea beyond America farther distant from 

 our Meridian by 30. or 40. degrees West, then the 

 extreame poyntes of Cathayo Eastward, if Ortelius 

 InTheatro. generall Carde of the world be true? In the Northeast 

 that noble Knight Syr Hugh Willoughbie perished for 

 colde : and can you then promise a passenger any better 

 happe by the Northwest ? Who hath gone for triall sake 

 at any time this way out of Europe to Cathayo ? 



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