Hiftorie of the Indies, lib. u 



earth fhould hang in the ayre,asisbeforefayde. By 

 which his opinion, hee is conformable vnto Epicurus. 

 who holdeth, that on the other part of the earth, there 

 is nothing but a Chaos and infinite gulph. And it fee- 

 meth that SJtnmej^^ opinion, wri-, ler!tt ifl ^ 



tinf vpon tlielipiftle to the Ephefians inthefewordes. tfiefM.L +. 

 The n At wall Philofiphcr by his contemplation pierceth to 

 the height of heaven y and on the other fart hefndeth a great 

 vattin the depth and bowels of the earth. Some likewise 

 fliy that Procopiw affirmes ( the which I have not feene) sm*, s fnen f. 

 vpon the booke of Gencjis> thauhcopinion of ^^n-J^^i^.^ 

 ^^^jouchingriie FormeandrircBBr mononrofth^^ *** 

 Heaven, is contrarie and repugnant to the holy Scrip 

 tures. But whatsoever the Ancients fiy or holde tou 

 ching this point, it muft not trouble vs, for that it is vvel 

 knowne and verified, that they have not beene fo ftu- 

 dious in the knowledge and demonftrations of Philo- 

 fophie , beeing bufied in other ftudies of farrc greater 

 importance. But that which is more to be admired 5 is, 

 thatjlixf ugustine himfelfe , fo wgjjfcgpe ^ n all natural! ^gMt>.*.h 

 SciencesTj^a, very learned in Artrologrfand Phyficke, <**** u**.* 

 remaynes yet ftill in doubt,not able to refolvc, whether 

 the Heaven did compafle in the earth on all parts. What id.Tf*i.n. 

 carel (faith hc)ifwefaf>pofe_ the Heaven doth invir on the 

 earth on all parts like vnte a bowle, beeing m the mtddefl of 

 the world, as a bottome is compared with three d : or that we 

 fay it is notfo, and that the Heaven cover eth the earth of one 

 part onely,<tsa$reatBa(in that hangs over it. In thefame 

 place he feemeth to (hew, ( nay,hee fpeakcth plainely) 

 that there is no certaine demonftration , to proove the 

 figure of the world to be round , but oncly by fimplc 

 coniedures. In \yhich places cited and others 5 they 

 hold the circular motion of the Heaven very doubt- 



B z full. 



