Hiflorieof the Indies liB.r.^ 3? 



and Mathematicall : whereby we may fee how weake 

 our vnderftanding is, to comprehend thefe naturall 

 things. But wee may (ay, it is fallen out to the great 

 good and happines of our age , to have the knowledge 

 of theft two great wonders, that is, to know how ear 

 fily we mayiaile through the great Ocean, and that 

 vnder the burning zone men inioy avery temperate 

 heaven, the which the Auncients could never beleeve. 

 Of thelaft of thefe two wonders 3 touching the qualitie 

 and habitation of the burning zone , by the grace of 

 God we will difcourfe amply thereof in the next book. 

 I thinke it therefore fit in this booke to treat of the 

 maner of failing through theOcean, for that it imports 

 vs much for the fubie<S of this worke. But before wee 

 come to this point, it (hall be good to (hew what the 

 Auncients thought of thefe new men, whome we call 

 Indians. 



Tbri in ancient Bookcswefndefomc knowledge oftbU 

 nave world. CHAP- j i . 



LEtvs returne to that which hath beene formerly 

 fpoken. Wee muft neceflarily conclude, that the 

 Ancients did beleeve , that ey ther there were no men ^ 



, . _ . t r _ J , Plutarch. 



beyond the Tropicke of Cancer ( as S.^uguJiine and 

 Lattanthts doe affirme) or if there were any , at the 

 leaft they did not inhabite betwixt the two Tropicks, 

 (as o/r/T/tf//(?and Plinie have maintained , and before 

 them the Philofopher Parmenides ) the contrarie 

 whereof is before fufficiently'prooved, both for the 



D 2 OKC 



