5.4- The Shatura H and Moral I 



the knowledge of the compafle to faile by, we fhallea- 

 fily iudge ho\v impoffible it was for them to paflc the 

 great Ocean. Such as haue any knowledge of the fca > 

 vnderftand me well.-for thatitis as eafie to beleeve that 

 a Mariner in full fea can direct his courfe where hee 

 pleafe,without a compafle, as for a blinde man to fliew 

 with his finger any thing, be it neereor farre off. And 

 it is ftrange 3 that the Ancients have bene fo long igno- 

 rant of this excellent propertie of the Adamantftone: 

 f r p i*ff* e > vv ho vvas f curious in naturall caufcs , wri- 

 ting of this Adamant flone^fpeakes nothing of that ver- 

 tue and propertie it hath , alvvaies to turnethe iron 

 which it toucheth towards the North : the which is 

 the mod admirable vertue it hath. AnHotle y Theofhra- 

 fes>E>iofcoridMyLucretiw, nor any other Writers,or na- 

 10. turall Philofophers , that I have feeue, make any mcn- 



t j on ^ercof , although they treate of the Adamant 

 ftone. Saint Augustine writing many and fundrypro- 

 . it cult, perries and excellencies of the Adamant ftone , in his 



bookes of the Citie of God ' f P eakes nothin g therc - 

 ete. of. And without doubt, all the excellencies fpoken 



of this ftone, are nothing in refpeft of this ftrange 

 propertie, looking ahvaies towards the North , which 

 is a great wonder of nature . There is yet an other ar- 

 9i(.i&.7. f .i* g Ument? or plwj treating of the firft invemers of No:- 

 vigation,and naming all theinftruments,yct he fpeakcs 

 nothing of tlie compaiTe to faile by , nor of the Ada 

 mant ftone. I fay onely,that the art to know the ftarres, 

 was invented by the Pb&niciens. And there is no doubt, 

 butwhatfbever the Ancients knew of the Art of Na 

 vigation , was onely in regard of the ftarres , and ob- 

 ferving theShoares, Capes, and differences oflandes. 

 And if they hadonceloft the fight of land , they knew 



not 



