374 NEW ATLANTIS. 



of our number said, after a little pause ; &quot; That there 

 was a matter we were no less desirous to know, than 

 fearful to ask, lest we might presume too far. But 

 encouraged by his rare humanity towards us, (that 

 could scarce think ourselves strangers, being his vowed 

 and professed servants,) we would take the hardiness 

 to propound it : humbly beseeching him, if he thought 

 it not fit to be answered, that he would pardon it, 

 though he rejected it.&quot; We said ; &quot; We well observed 

 those his words, which he formerly spake, that this 

 happy island where we now stood was known to few, 

 and yet knew most of the nations of the world ; which 

 we found to be true, considering they had the lan 

 guages of Europe, and knew much of our state and 

 business; and yet we in Europe (notwithstanding all 

 the remote discoveries and navigations of this last age,) 

 never heard any of the least inkling or glimpse of this 

 island. This we found wonderful strange ; for that all 

 nations have inter-knowledge T one of another either by 

 voyage into foreign parts, or by strangers that come to 

 them : and though the traveller into a foreign country 

 doth commonly know more by the eye, than he that 

 stayeth at home can by relation of the traveller ; yet 

 both ways suffice to make a mutual knowledge, in 

 some degree, on both parts. But for this island, we 

 never heard tell of any ship of theirs that had been 

 seen to arrive upon any shore of Europe ; no, nor of 

 either the East or West Indies ; nor yet of any ship 

 of any other part of the world that had made return 

 from them. And yet the marvel rested not in this. 

 For the situation of it (as his lordship said) in the 

 secret conclave of such a vast sea might cause it. But 



1 enterknowledge in the original. 



