FOEMER OPINIONS RESPECTING A NEW WORLD. 31 



summer, yet when it approached neere vnto them, at the LlB - r&amp;lt; 

 same season they felt great heate. Whereby they did 

 coniecture that if they had had the sunne so neere vnto 

 them as to go directly over their heads, the heate would 

 have bene so insupportable, as it would burne and consume 

 men with the vehemency thereof. The same reason moved 

 the Auncients to thinke that the middle region was not 

 habitable, and therefore they called it the burning zone. 

 And in truth, if visible experience did not vnfold this 

 doubt, we should yet confesse that this reason were very 

 peremptorie and Mathematicall j 1 whereby we may see how 

 weake our vnderstanding is, to comprehend these naturall 

 things. But wee may say, it is fallen out to the great 

 good and happiness of our age, to have the knowledge of 

 these two great wonders, that is, to know how easily we 

 may saile through the great Ocean, and that vnder the 

 burning zone men inioy a very temperate heaven, the which 

 the Auncients could never beleeve. Of the last of these 

 two wonders, touching the qualitie and habitation of the 

 burning zone, by the grace of God we will discourse amply 

 thereof in the next book. I thinke it therefore fit in this 

 booke to treat of the maner of sailing through the Ocean, 

 for that it imports vs much for the subiect of this worke. 

 But before wee come to this point, it shall be good to shew 

 what the Auncients thought of these new men, whoine we 

 call Indians. 



CHAP. xi. That in ancient Bookes we finde some knowledge of 

 this newe world. 



Let vs returne to that which hath beene formerly spoken. 

 Wee must necessarily conclude that the Ancients did be 

 leeve that eyther there were no men beyond the Tropicke 

 1 u Que era razon concluyente y Matematica.&quot; 



