53 



how farre and how much. For my part I would gladly LlB - r - 

 know, of such as presume to knowe all thinges, what should 

 bee the cause of this effect, and for what reason a little yron 

 touched with the Adamant stone receyves such vertue as to 

 looke alwayes towards the North, and with such dexteritie, 

 that it vnderstandeth the sundry Climates and scituations 

 of the world; and which way it should turn and incline, as 

 well as any Philosopher or Cosmographer whatsoever. And 

 seeing wee cannot well discover the causes and reasons of 

 these thinges which wee see dayly, without doubt they were 

 very hard to beleeve if they were not apparent. Herein we 

 discover our follie and vanitie, to make ourselves iudges 

 and to subiect divine and high things to our reason and 

 discourse. It is therefore better, as S. Gregorie the divine 

 sayth, to subiect reason vnto faith, for that in her owne 

 mansion she hath no governernent. But this shall suffice. 

 Let vs returne to our purpose, and conclude that the vse of 

 the needle to sayle by was vnknowne to the Ancients, 

 whereby we may resolve that it was impossible to make a 

 determined voyage, parting from the other world, to come 

 to this by the Ocean, 



CHAP. xvin. Wherein an answer e is made to them that say 



tJtat in times passed they have sayled through the 



Ocean as at this day. 



That which is alleaged to the contrary of that which hath 

 beene spoken, that Salomans Fleet sayled in three yeeres, 

 is no sufficient proofe, seeing the holy Scripture doth not 

 directly affirrne, that this voyage continued three yeeres, 

 but that it was made once in three yeeres. And although 

 wee graunt that the voyage lasted three yeeres, it might 

 bee, as it is likely, that this Fleet sayling towards the 

 East Indies was stayed in their course? by the diversitie of 



