WHETHER OPHIR IS PERU. 37 



CHAP. xiu. That some have held opinion that in places of 



holy Scripture, whereas they speake of Ophir, is to 



l&amp;gt;e vnderstood of our Peru. 



Some hold opinion that mention is made of the West LlB - 

 Indies in the holy scripture, taking the region of Peru for 

 that Ophir which they make so famous. Eoberto Stefano, or 

 to say more truely Francisco Batablo, a man well scene in the 

 Hebrew toug (as I have heard our master report, who was his 

 disciple) saith in his annotations vpon the 9 chapter of the 3 

 booke of Kings, that the Hand of Hispaniola which Christo 

 pher Colornbus found out, was that of Ophir, from whence 

 Solomon caused to bee brought foure hundred and twentie ^J 1 -; 1 &quot; lib - 

 or foure hundred and 50 talents of most fine and pure golde, 

 for that the golde of Cibao which our men bring from Arias Mon- 



** tanus in 



Hispaniola, is of the same fashion and qualitie. And there p2g!; uin 



are many others which affirme that our Peru is Ophir, ca - 9 - 



deriving one name from another, who beleeve that when as 



the booke of Paralipomenon 1 was written, they called it ^Paraiip., 



Peru, grounding it vpon that which the holy scripture saith, 3 



that they brought from Ophir pure gold, precious stones, 



and wood which was rare and goodly which things abound 



in Peru, as they say. But in my opinion it is farre from 



the truth, that Peru should be Ophir so famous in the 



Bible. For although in this Peru there be good store of 



gold, yet is there not yet such aboundance as it may be 



equalled with the fame of the riches that was in auncient 



time at the East Indies. I finde not that in Peru there are 2 Para.,. 



4 Reg., xxii. 



such precious stones, or such exquisite woods, as the like 3 Re s-, ix - 

 have not been seene at lerusalem. For although there be ex 

 quisite Emeralds, and some hard trees of Aromaticall wood, 

 yet do I not finde any thing of so great commendation as 

 the scripture giueth vnto Ophir. Moreover it seemes not 



1 Chronicles. 



