9 
ledge of the art of navigation, to discover it, imagined it lost in the 
ocean ; while those, who thought it for their interest that it should 
be concealed, did not set them right. 
To the testimonies of ancient authors to a fact, which the history 
of ancient navigation shows not to have been impossible, let us now 
add the opinion of modern writers; some of whom have entertained 
the subject as one of general literature, while others have discussed 
it as one of theological importance. 
“ Nullus tamen dubito, quin veteres aliquid crediderunt vel sci- 
verunt, sed quasi per nebulam et caliginem, de America ; partim ex 
antiqua traditione, ab Agyptiis et Carthageniensibus accepta, partim 
e raticionatione de forma et situ orbis terrarum, unde colligebant 
superesse in hoc orbe, etiam terras alias preter Asiam, Africam, et 
Europam. Disertissime Aristoteles de Mundo, Chap. 3tio—Ter- 
ram habitatam pleraque Historia in insulas et continentes divisit, 
ignorans hance esse unam Insulam Atlantico mari circumdatam. 
Probabile autem multas etiam alias huic obversas (avriroghxs) pro- 
cul sttas fuere, quasdam hac nostra majores quasdam minores ; 
nobis autem omnes preter hancce ignotas vel invisitatas.”—Not. in 
fBliam var. Hist. a Perizonio. Lib. 2dus.—chap. 18. 
“ Priscis quoque scriptoribus nostris, cogniti fuerunt ultra oceanum 
orbes alios; de quibus Clemens Alexandrinus in Epistola quadam, 
teste Hieronymo, in cap. 2ndo. Epis. ad Ephesios. Nihil nunc de 
Atlantide Platonis dicam, res notior est quam ut referanda sit. 
Memorabile est quod Alianus III. Histor. refert Silenum Mide na- 
rasse : Ewropam, Asiam, Lybiam, insulas Oceano circumfusas esse ; 
extra eas continentem quandam infinite magnitudinis que nutrit 
grandia animalia, et homines duplo majores et longeviores quam 
nostri sint.” .. . . “ Adjecit: hanc terram possidere grandem vim 
auri et argenti, ita ut inter illos populos minoris pretic sit quam 
VOL. XIV. c 
