II 



DefubtiUtattl.', 



Gentbrad. Cbron. 



Chap. II. A M E%I C A. 



motion. And although the Anticnts found out many Secrets of Nature, 

 amongft which this of the Load'Stone, Attracting Iron, as being its proper Food; 

 and the three forts of the Magnet, of which fome will not draw Steel, found by 

 Tbeamedes a Greek Author, and other fince, well known Properties : Yet they 

 never attain'd that knowledge, that the Load-Stone would eafe Pain , and flop strange operation* of 

 the effufion of Blood, though the edge piercing the Skin, opeh'd the Vein : as thcLc ^ onc - 

 Hteronimus Cardanus experienced on himfelf and others, which he had from Lau- 

 rentius Guafcus, a great Chyrurgeon. Much lefs, that the Needle of the Comfafs 

 being touch'd by the Load-Stone on the Northfide of the Equinox, refpects the 

 North j but depre/fing the Artick, and railing the Antartick Pole, it looks as fted- 

 faftly towards the South : But far lefs dreamt they of its feveral variations, variance of the com- 

 according to the Coafts that are ncareft ; as when you come from the Ifland del pafs ' 

 CuerV9 f the Point varies more Weft; but Sailing towards the Equinox, it varies 

 Eaftward- by which we may abfolutely conclude, that without this ufeof the 

 Loadstone, firft found by Flavius Mefoius a "Neapolitan, in the Year ijoj. it was al- 

 together impoffible to reach America. So that Jofep h de Acofla miftakes, who when, and b y whom the 

 gives the honor of the finding fo great a benefit to Navigation, to (ome Mahu- ° mp 

 metan Sea*men which Vajques de Gama met with near Mo/ambique, who had Sail'd 

 thofe Seas by the ufe thereof; whereas Gamas Expedition was above a hun* 

 dred years after Melfim , who liv'd in fuch a juncture of time for Mathema* 

 tical Learning, that few Ages boafted the like : For then flourifh'd in England, 

 and were Contemporaries, befides others abroad, %ichard Wallingjord, TSlicolas de 

 Lynna, John Halifax, Walter Britte, John Duns , an'd John de Lignarys , all eminent 

 in Aftronomical Arts, belonging to Navigation, and doubtlefs, no fmall helps 

 to Melfius in this his happy Invention. 



Laftly, We will relate what hath been held as a feeming Teftimdny, (that 

 America was known to the Europeans before the Birth of our Saviour) by an an- 

 tique Meddal of the Emperor Augujlus, digg'd out of the Ground in <Peru, and 

 fent to his Holinefs at ^ome , which may well be rcckon'd with the like 

 Cheat contrived by Hermicus Cajadus, Anno 1505. near Syntra, a Town in Portu- 

 gal, where three Marbles Ingraven with antient Characters, concerning a Pro- 

 phecy of difcovering the Eajl'hdies by the Tortuguefe, in the Reign of King Ema* 

 nuel, were privately bury'd under Ground^ and not long after, by a pretended 

 accident digg'd out, which made fuch abuftle amongft the Learned, that fe- 

 veral tired themfelves about the explanation of the fuppos'd Sibylline Pre- 

 diction. 



CHAP- II. 



Of the Original of the Americans , whence they cdme , when> 

 how , and from what Teople Planted. 



A Bout the Original of the Americans , the Learned Difpute fo much, that « M Jmuchdifputed e o»r 

 they find nothing more difficult in Story, than to clear that 

 Point; for whether inquiry be made after the time, when the Amer'u 

 cans firft fettled themfelves where they now inhabit, or after what manner 

 they came thither, either by Shipping or by Land; on purpofe, or accidental- 

 ly; driven by Storm, or elfe fore'dby a more powerful People, to remove 



G i from 



