74 HEAT OF THE EQUINOCTIAL. 



CHAP. IT. For what reason the Ancients held that the burning 

 Zone was not inhabitable. 



LIB. n. Examining this subiect from the beginning, no man can 

 dome that which we plainely see, that the Sunne when it 

 drawes neere doth heate, and when it retyres, groweth cold. 

 The daies and nightes, with the Winter and Summer, be 

 witnesses heereof, whose varietie with the heate and cold 

 growes by the neerenes and distance of the Sunne. More 

 over it is certaine the more the Sunne approacheth and 

 casteth his beames perpendicularly, the more the earth is 

 scorched and burnt, the which we see plainely in the heate 

 of the South, and in the force of Summer, whereby we may 

 iudge, in my opinion, that the farther a Countrie is distant 

 from the course of the Sunne, the more cold it is. So wo 

 iinde by experience that the Countries and Regions which 

 approach neerest to the North are coldest; and contrari 

 wise, those that lie neere the Zodiake, where the Sunne 

 kcepes his course, are most hot. For this cause Ethiopia 

 passeth Af frike and Barbaric in heate, Barbarie exceedes 

 Andalousia, Audalousia Castile, and Arragoii surpasses 

 Biscaie and Fraunce. And the more they decline to the 

 North the colder they are ; and so by consequence, those 

 which approach neerest to the Sunne, and are beaten per 

 pendicularly with his beanies, they do most feele the heate 

 thereof. Some vrge another reason to this effect, which is 

 that the motion of the heaven is very sodaine and light 

 towards the Tropikes, but neere the Poles it is slow and 

 heavie, whereby they conclude that the region which the 

 Zodiake circles and conteines, is set on fire with heate for 

 three causes and reasons ; the one for the neerenes of the 

 Sunne, the other for that his beames reflect directly, and the 

 third for that it doth participate and feele this swift and 

 soJaine motion of the heaven. See what reason und dis- 



