ARISTOTLE. 25 



that Keg-ion, which they call the burning Zone, was so ex- LlB - * 

 cessive, as it would not suffer any man, how venturous or 

 laborious so ever, to passe by sea or land from one Pole to 

 an other. For although these Philosophers have themselves 

 affirmed that the earth was round (as in effect it is), and 

 that vnder the 2 Poles there was habitable land, yet could 

 they not conceyve that the Region, containing all that 

 lyeth betwixt the two Tropickes (which is the greatest 

 of the five Zones or Regions by the which the Cosniogra- 

 phers and Astrologers divide the Woiide) might be inha 

 bited by man. The reason they give to maintaine this 

 Zone to be inhabitable was, for the heat of the Sunne, 

 which makes his course directly over this Region, and ap- 

 procheth so neere as it is set on fire, and so by consequence 

 causeth a want of waters and pastures. Aristotle was of 

 this opinion, who although he were a great Philosopher, 

 yet was hee deceyved in this poynt ; for the cleering 

 whereof it shall be good to observe his reasons, and to 

 note wherein he hath discoursed well, and wherein he hath 

 erred. This Philosopher makes a question of the Mori- Amt., , 

 dionall or Southerne winde, whether wee should beleeve it 5 - 

 takes his beginning from the South, or from the other 

 Pole contrary to the North, and writes in these termes : 

 &quot; Reason teacheth vs that the latitude and largenesse of 

 the habitable earth hath her boundes and limits, and yet 

 all this habitable earth cannot bee vnited and ioyned one to 

 the other, by reason the middle Region is so intemperate. 

 For it is certain that in her longitude, which is from East to 

 West, there is no immoderate cold nor heate, but in her 

 latitude and lieiglith, which is from the Pole to the Equi- 

 noctiall Line. So as we may well passe the whole earth in 

 her longitude, if the greatnesse of the Sea, which ioynes 

 lands together, were no hinderance.^ Hitherto there is no 

 contradicting of Aristotle, who hath great reason to affirme 

 that the earth in her longitude, which is from East to West, 



