OPHIE WAS IN THE EAST INDIES. 39 



20 chapter of the second booke of Paralipomenon, for that LlB - r - 

 in the booke of the Kings, it is said that losaphat prepared 

 a fleete of shippes in Asiongaber to fetch golde at Ophir ; 

 and in Paralipomenon, it is written, that the same fleete was 

 furnished to go vnto Tharsis. Whereby it may be supposed 

 that in these fore- said bookes, where the scripture speakes 

 of Tharsis and Ophir, that it meanes one thing. Some one 

 may demaund what region or Province that Ophir was, 

 whether Solomons fleete went with the Mariners of Hyram 

 King of Tyre and Sidon to fetch gold. And whether King Jjj^ * 

 losaphats fleete, pretending to go, did suffer shipwracke 

 and perish in Asiongaber, as the holy scripture doth testifie. 

 In this I do willingly agree with the opinion of losephus, in 

 his books of Antiquities, where he saith that it is a Province 

 of the East Indies, the which was found by that Ophir the 

 sonne of lectan, whereof mention is made in the 10 of GGn - x - 

 Genesis; and that Province did abound with most fine 

 gold. Thereof it comes, they did so much extol the gold of 

 Ophir or of Ophas, or as some wil say, this word of Obrise, 

 is the same with Ophrise, for finding there seven sortes or 

 kindes of gold, as S. lerome reportes, that of Ophir was 

 held for the most fine, as heere we esteem e the gold of 

 Yaldivia and Caravaya. The chiefest reason which moves 

 me to thinke that Ophir is at the East Indies and not in the 

 West, is, for that Solomons fleete could not come hither 

 without passing the East Indies, all China, and a great part of 

 the sea ; being vnlikely they would passe all over the world 

 to come thither for gold, that continent especially lying in 

 that sort, as they could not come to the knowledge thereof 

 by any voiage by land. And hereafter we wil shew that the 

 Ancients had never knowledge in the arte of Navigation, 

 without the which they could not runne so farce into the 

 sea. Finally, in these matters (when as there appeares 

 no certaine proofes, but onely light coniectures) we are not 

 bound to beleevc but what we shall thinke 



