380 NEW ATLANTIS. 



lay nearest to us, we had most commerce. As for the 

 Pother parts of the world, it is most manifest that in the 

 ages following (whether it were in respect of wars, or 

 by a natural revolution of time,) navigation did every 

 where greatly decay ; and specially far voyages (the 

 rather by the use of galleys, 1 and such vessels as could 

 i hardly brook the ocean,) were altogether left and 

 upmitted. So then, that part of intercourse 2 which 

 could be from other nations to sail to us, you see how 

 it hath long since ceased ; except it were by some rare 

 accident, as this of yours. But now of the cessation 

 of that other part of intercourse, which might be by 

 our sailing to other nations, I must yield you some 

 other cause. For I cannot say (if I shall say truly,) 

 but our shipping, for number, strength, mariners, 

 pilots, and all things that appertain to navigation, is as 

 great as ever: and therefore why we should sit at 

 home, I shall now give you an account by itself: and 

 it will draw nearer to give you satisfaction to your 

 principal question. 



&quot; There reigned in this island, about nineteen hun 

 dred years ago, a King, whose memory of all others 

 we most adore ; not superstitiously, but as a divine 

 instrument, though a mortal man : his name was Sol- 



7 O 3 



amona : and we esteem him as the lawgiver of our 

 nation. This king had a large heart, inscrutable for 

 good ; and was wholly bent to make his kingdom and 

 people happy. He therefore, taking into consideration 

 how sufficient and substantive this land was to main 

 tain itself without any aid at all of the foreigner ; 

 being five thousand six hundred miles in circuit, and 



1 proplerea quod triremes . . . in usum venire cceperunt. 



2 entercourse in orig. 



