154 THE KING'S MIRROR 



[I-g as well as the northern jBut I hear it said by all men 

 who come from the regions to the south that the farther 

 south one travels, the hotter the lands are. Likewise all 

 the winds that come from the south are both moister 

 and milder than other winds. In the winter those winds 

 always bring a good thaw, while other winds are so cold 

 that they bring frost, and ice is formed. And during the 

 summer the south wind is still warmer than other winds. 

 Now if my questions do not tire you and I do not seem 

 to ask too much, I should like to have you answer this 

 question too. 



Father. When I told you that in the skies three belts 

 are traced under which it is difficult to cross, one torrid 

 and two frigid, I added that the hot belt curves from 

 east to west. But if I have stated this correctly, it will 

 be evident that the cold must be as severe in the south- 



(ern parts as in the northern.* I believe, however, that 

 all the regions lying near the hot belt, whether on the 

 south side or on the north, are also hot; but I believe 

 those lands to be frigid which lie very far in either di- 

 rection*. You have stated that all men tell us that the 

 farther south one travels, the greater the heat; but that, 

 [ I believe, is due to the fact that you have never found 

 any one who has traveled as far south of the hot belt as 

 ; those lands which we have now talked of lie to the north. 

 You have also said that the winds which come from a 

 southerly direction are warmer than the rest. But it is 

 reasonable that the south wind should be warm when it 



* Cf. Macrobius, 601. "... for both the northern and the southern extrem- 

 ities lie stiff with perpetual frost, and they are like two zones with which the 

 earth is girdled, but narrow as if they were circlets drawn about the farthest 

 regions." 



