44 7& ^aturall and Moral! 



of Antiquities, where he faith , that it is a Province of 

 the Eaft Indies, the which was found by that Ofhir 

 thefonne ofjeffav, whereof mention is made in the 

 10. of Geneffis : and that Province did abound with 

 moft fine gold.Thereof it comes, they did fo much ex 

 tol the gold ofopbir or of Opbas,mas fbme vvil $y 5 this 

 word ofobrife is thefame with OfhrtfeJiQi finding there 

 (even fortes or kindes of gold (asS. lerome reportes,) 

 that of Ofhir was held for the moft fine, as heere we 

 efteeme the gold ofrattivia and Caramaya. The chie- 

 feftreafbn which moves me to thinke thato^/r is at 

 the Eaft Indies, and not in the Weft, is, for that Solo 

 mons fleete could not come hither , without paffing 

 the Eaft Indies, all China , and a great part of the fea: 

 being vnlikely they would paile over all the world 

 to come thither for gold, that continent efpecially ly 

 ing in that fort, as they could not come to the know 

 ledge thereof by any voiagebyland. And hereafter 

 we willhew that the Ancients had never knowledge in 

 thearte of Navigation 5 without the which they could 

 not runne fo farre into the fea . Finally , in thefe matters 

 (when as there appeares no certaineproofes,butonely 

 light conie&ures,) wee are not bound to beleeve but 

 what we (hall thinke good. 



What Tbarfis tndOfhirfignijiein the My Scripture. 

 CHAP. 14, 



IF every mans conie<hire and opinion maybe allovv- 

 ed/or my part I hold,that in the holy fcripture thefe 

 words of Tharfis md Ofhir, moft commonly do not 

 fignifieany certaine place : but it is a word and figni- 



fication 



