Chap. I. . AMERICA. 



ward Naked, his nether parts cover'd with long Silken Skirts, a Golden Arm- 

 let on his left Arm, athwart his Shoulders hung a Horfes Tail, their Badr» e c f 

 Royal Dignity : Cano humbly laid the Prefents down at the Kings Feet, amcmgft 

 which was a Gilded Flag , or Pennon with a Crofs , which Pope Innocent the 

 Eighth had Confecrated with great Ceremony. After this , many of that Na- 

 tion became Chriftians J and the King himielf received Baptifm. But in fliort 

 time, by the Inftigations of their Diabolical Priefts , and others, Cfiriftiani- 

 ty loofing ground, grew out of countenance : Mean while, King John the 

 Second vigoroufly Profecuted the bufinefs of Difcovery, fending Jews and ChrU 

 Jlians by Land from Alexandria and other parts of Egypt to India ,znd from thence 

 to explore the Coafts on the Eaftern fide of Africa, to the Great-Cape . if fo a way 

 might be found fit for Navigators, having doubled that Point, to Traffick with 

 the Oriental parts of the World. 



After this Princes Death the Work lay ftill a while, but in fhort time, King 

 Bm&melhis Succeflor frelhly undertook the bufinefs once more, fending Vafykts 

 de Gama with four Ships , who paffing through many Dangers with great Diffi* 

 cultics,Anchor'd at laft before Calecut^nd was the firft of the Europeans that found 

 a way to the Eaft-Indies* 



But Qrijlopher Columbus, five Years before Gamas Expedition to the Eaft, had 

 been employed in Weftern Difcoveries , whichprov'd fo very fuccefsful, that 

 he found no lefs thari another World ■ which foon after , from Americus Vefyu- 

 tim, was called Jmerica : So that the Divifion of the World by the Antients, 

 ( concerning which they had fo long err'd , and were utterly miftaken ) was 

 now made manifeft by Experience, and undifputable Demonstration; for 

 formerly the whole World was known by no other names than Afia, Jfrica, 

 and Europe, but now, thofe three are found to make but one Part of what in- 

 circles the Univerfal Globe . becaufe in the South lies a fecond, known no fur- 

 ther than by its Coaftings and Superficial Margents • the third part being the 

 New* World, our America. 



Here it will not feem amifs , haviiig prov'd that Africa was more than 

 Coafted by the Ancients, to ingage and fearch with fome fcrutiny concern, 

 ing this America 5 Firft * Whether at any time 'twas known by the Anci- 

 ents ? And next , by what People , and when firft Inhabited ? About the 

 former, the Learned of thefe later times Jangle amongft themfelves , for 

 fome of them will needs afcribe fo much Honor to Antiquity, declining the 

 Worthy Praife of thofe that made fo wonderful a Difcovery, as if they of old, 

 and many Ages before, had done the fame, or at leaft, that this NewAVorld to 

 them was not unknown, maintaining this their bold Aflertion from the Au- 

 thority of what they find , both in Ancient Greek , and Latin Authors : Firft, 

 cfpecially in the Learned <Plat* , who, as you know at large, defcribes a New 

 Atlantis, lying beyond the Straights of Gibraltar . whofe Coaft is furrounded with 

 two vaft Seas that are Sow'd thick with fcatter'd Iflands. By thefe Seas they 

 underftand the Atlantick and Southern-Sea, by the many Ifles, Cuba, Hilpaniola, 

 Jamaica, California, and others, which lie fprinkled along the Coafts of America. 

 But it cannot be made out, that Wato defcribes ought but a Fancy , his own 

 Idea, not a Countrey that ever was, is, or fhall be,though he lets it forth fo Ac- 

 curately, and with fuch Judgments if he had taken a Survey of the place, and 

 found fuch a Land indeed. 



In like manner, Viodorus Siculus undertakes to prove,That America was known 

 to the Antients 5 telling a Story , how the fhenicians were driven by a Storm 



from 



* 



Diiccvcry of C6n«it 



John the Secwvl. feelct to 

 cUfcover India by water, 



Vafims dt G*mn hh tir> 



Chr'.fttphtr ColttwhMU 



Dividing of the earth, 



A query, if ifromVa was 

 known to the Ancients. 



Atlantic*. Phto in Criih 

 C? Timao. 





Difd.Sic.kh.G. 



