The Datura! and Moratt 



Bilbo, the which be did by that part which we now 

 call maine land, where it gro wes narrow , and the two 

 feas approach foneere the one to the other, that there 

 is but leaven leagues of diftance: for although they 

 make the way eighteene from 'N&nttrtdi Dios, toPa- 

 #amA,y& is it with turning to fecke the oommoditie of 

 the way, but drawing a dired line, the one fea (hall not 

 be found more diftan t from the other. Some have diC 

 courfed and propounded to cut through this paflage 

 of feavcn leagues , and toioyne one fea to the other, 

 to make the paffige from Peru more commodiousand 

 cafie, for that thefe eighteene leagues of land betwixt 

 Nomhre dt Dies and Panama js> tuorepainefull and char 

 geable then 2 joo. by fea, whercvpon fomc would fay, 

 it were a meancsto drowne the land , one fea bdng 

 lower then another. As in times pad we finde it writ- 

 ten,that for the fame confideration, they gave over the 

 enterprize to win the red fea intoAfafe , in thetimc of 

 King Sefetfris,znd fincejn the Empire of the Ottomans. 

 Butformypart, Iholdfuch difcourfes and propofiti- 

 onsforvaine, altliongh this inconvenient fhould not 

 happen,the which I will not hold for afftired. I beleeve 

 there is no humaine power able to beat and breakc 

 downe thofe ftrong and impenetrable mountaines, 

 whkh God hath placed betwixt the two feas,and hath 

 made them moft hard rockes , to withftand the furie of 

 two feas. And although it were poffible to men , yet 

 in my opinion they fliould fearc punifliment from hea- 

 ven,in feeking to correct the workes , which the Crea 

 tor by his great providence hath ordained and di r pofed 

 in the framing of this vniverfall world. Leaving this 

 difcotirfe of opening the land , and ioyning both feas 

 together 3 there is yet another leflc ralh 5 but very diffi 

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