KNOWLEDGE OP THE ANCIENTS. 33 



Straight of Gibraltar, coasting alongst the land, even vnto LlB - T - 

 the confines of Arabia, and that hee left this his Naviga- pim.,m&amp;gt;. ii, 



c 67 



tion in writing. If it bee as Plinie writes, it followes that 

 Hannon sayled as farre as the Portugals do at this day, 

 passing twice vnder the Equinoctiall, which is a feare- 

 full thing. And the same Plinie reports of Cornelius 

 Nepos a very grave Authour, who saith, that the same 

 course hath beene sayled by an other man, called Eudoxus, 

 but by contrary wayes, for this Eudoxus, flying from the 

 King of Latyros, passed by the redde sea into the Ocean ; 

 and turning backe, came to the Straight of Gibraltar, the 

 which Cornelius Nepos affirmes to have happened in his 

 time. And also other grave Authors do write, that a ship 

 of Carthage driven by force of winde into the Ocean, came 

 to a Land which vntill then was vnknowne ; and returning 

 to Carthage, kindled a great desire in the Citizens to dis 

 cover and people this land ; the which the Senate per- 

 ceyving, did forbid this navigation by a rigorous decree, 

 fearing that with the desire of new lands they should leave 

 to love their owne Countrie. By all this wee may gather 

 that the Ancients had some knowledge of the new world, 

 yet shall you hardly finde in the bookes of Ancient writers 

 any thing written of our America and all the West Indies ; 

 but of the East Indies, I say, there is sufficient testirnonie, 

 not only of that on the other side, but also of that on this 

 side, which then was farthest off, going thither by a contrary 

 way to that at this day. Is it not easie to find Malaca in 

 ancient bookes, which they called the golden Chersonese ; 

 the Cape of Comorin, which was called the Promontorie of 

 Cori, and that great and famous Hand of Sumatra, so well 

 knowne by the ancient name of Taprobana. What shall 

 wee say of the two Ethiopias, the Brachmanes, and that 

 great Land of the Chinas ? Who doubtes, but there was 

 often mention made thereof in ancient bookes ; But of the 

 West Indies, we find not in Plinie, that in this navigation V i, cap. 32, 



