Hfilorieofthe Indies, lib. i. 



beginning! from the South, or from the other Pole 

 contrary to the North, and writes in thefe termes. Rea- 

 fe# teacheth vs, that the, latitude andlargenefie of the habi 

 table earthy hath her boundes And limits, and jet all this h&- 

 tit Me earth cannot bee vnited andioyned one to the other \ 

 by reafon the middle Region is fe intemperate. For it u cer- 

 uine, that in her longitude, which is from EatitoWett, 

 there is no immoderate coldnorheate,butin her latitude and 

 hcigth, which Is from the Pole to the Eqttino&iall Line. So 

 of we m*y wellfaffe the whole earth in her longitude , if the 

 great wjfe of the Sea , which ioynes lands together, were n* 

 biiitlerance. Hitherto there is no contradicting of uxf ri~ 

 ttotle , who hath great reafon to affirme , that the earth 

 in her longitude , which is from Eaft to Weft , runncs 

 more equally, & is more proper for the life andhabita- 

 tion of man, then in her latitude from North to South. 

 The which is true>not onely for this forefaid reafon of 

 Arittotle , that there is alwayes one temperature of the 

 Heavens from Eaft to Weft, being equally diftant both 

 from the Northernecoldeand the Southerne heate. 

 But alfofor an other reafon, for that travelling alwayes 

 in longitude, we fee the day es and nights fucceed one 

 another by courfe, the which Meth not out going in 

 her latitude : for of neeeflitie weernuftcome to that 

 Region vnder the Pole , whereas there is continual! 

 night for fixe Moncths, a very inconvenient thing for 

 the life of man. The Philofopher pafleth on further, 

 reprooving the Geographers , which dcfcribed die 

 earth in his time , andlaith thus : Wee may difcerne the 

 trneth of that which I hdveftyd, by the fajpiges which may 

 be made by land , and the mvi^atiotts byfea , for there is a ' 

 great difference betwixt the longitude and the latitude , for 

 the dtifancefrom thtfillars of Hercules,^ the Straight of 



Gibraltar,, 



