38 



ancient bookes ? But of the Weft Indies, we find not 

 in Plinie> that in this navigation they pafled the Hands 

 ^ t ' ie Ca}Jar * es -> which he calleth Fortunate: the prin 

 cipal! whereof is fayd to be called Canariefot the mul 

 titude of dogs which are in it. But there is fcarce any 

 mention in ancient books of the voyages which are 

 made at this day beyond the Canaries , by the Gulph 

 which with reaion they call great. Yet many hold o- 

 pinion,that Seneca the Tragedian did prophecie of the 

 Weft Indies,in his Tragedie of c*flfflfa*,which tranfla- 

 ted, faith thus- 



When our Sea fane andneereorfrctf^ 

 H is Jlmrefoall farther yet extend. 



Deftryedthcnfhall a Urge Land be, 

 By this profound Se<u navigation, 

 An other World, an other 'Ration, 

 All men ft all then discovered fee. 



Th ule accounted heretofore 

 The worlds* extreme, the < ^ortherne bound, 

 Shall be when Southwttt farts be found, 

 A merer Jjle, a neighbour fhoare. 

 This Seneca reports in thefe verfes 5 & we cannot we! 

 deny, but ( vnderftanding it litterally ) it is very true: 

 for if we reckon the many yeeres he fpeakes of^ begin- 

 ning from the time of the Tragedian , it is above a 

 thoufand and foure hundred yeeres paft:and if it were 

 from the time of CMedea, it is above two thousand 

 yeeres, the which we fee plainely now accomplished: 

 fecine the pafTage of theOceanfo long time hidden, 

 hath beene found out, and that they have difcovcred a 

 great land and a new world inhabited, more fpatious 



then 



