to the end that if the other ship should chance to arrive there they should have newes of their Generall and follow They passed the Straight in a favourable time without difficultie and passing into the north sea they came to certaine vnknowne Ilandes where they tooke in fresh water and other refreshings From thence they tooke their course towardes Cape de Vert from whence the Pilote maior returned to Peru by the way of Carthagene and Panama carrying a discourse of the Straight to the Viceroy and of all their successe of whom he was well rewarded for his good service But Captaine Peter Sarmiento sailed from Cape Vert to Seville in the same ship wherewith he had passed the Straight and went to Court where his Maiestie rewarded him and at his instance gave commaundement to prepare a great army which he sent vnder the commaund of Diego Flores de Valdes to people and fortifie this Straight But this army after variable successe spent much and profited little Returning now to the Viceadmiralles shippe which went in company of the Generall having lost him in the storme they tooke the sea but the wind being contrary and stormy they looked all to perish so as they confessed themselves and prepared for death This tempest continued three dayes without intermission and hourely they feared to runne on ground but it fel out contrary for they went still from land vntill the ende of the third day that the storme ceased and then taking the height they found themselves in fiftie sixe degrees but seeing they had not crossed and yet were farre from land they were amazed whereby they surmized as Hernando Lamero tolde me that the land which is on the other side of the Straight as wee goe by the south sea runnes not the same o romer that it doth to the Straight but that it turneth to the East for else it were impossible but they shoulde have touched land having runne so long time with this crosse winde but they passed on no further neyther coulde they discover the lands end which some holde to be there whether it were an Iland on the other side of the Straight where the two seas of North and South doe ioyne together or that it did runne vppe towardes the East and ioyne with the land of Vesta as they call it which answers to the Cape of Good Hope as it is the opinion of some The trueth hereof is not to this day well knowne neither is there any one found that hath discovered that land The Viceroy Don Martin Henrique saâ—de vnto me that he held this report for an â—nvention of the English that the Straight should prâ—senâ—lie make an Iland and that the two seas did ioyne together for that beeing Viceroy of New Spaine hee had diligently examined the Portugall Pilote who had bin left there by Francis Drake and yet had no knowledge of any such matter by him But that was a very Straight and a maine land on either side Returning then to the saide Viceadmirall they discovered this Straight as the saide Hernando Lamero reported vnto mee but by another mouth or entrie and in a greater height by reason of a certaine great Iland which is at the entrie of the Straight which they call the Bell for the forme it carries And as he saide hee woulde have passed it but the Captaine and souldiers woulde not yeelde therevnto supposing that the time was too farre spent and that they were in great daunger And so they returned to Chille and Peru without passing it Of the Straight which some holde to be in Florida CHAP. 12. EVen as Magellan found out this Straight vppon the South so some have pretended to discover another Straight which they say is in the north and suppose it to be in Florida whose coast runs in such sort as they knowe no end thereof Peter Melendez the Adelantade a man very expert at sea affirmeth for certaine that there is a Straight and that the King had commanded him to discover it wherein he shewed a great desire he propounded his reasons to proove his opinion saying that they have seene some remainders of shippes in the North sea like vnto those the which the Chinois vse which had beene impossible if there were no passage from one sea vnto another Moreover he reported that in a certaine great Bay in Florida the which runnes 300. leagues within the land they see Whales in some season of the yeere which come from the other sea Shewing moreover other likelihood he concludes that it was a thing agreeing with the wisedome of the Creator and the goodly order of nature that as there was communication and a passage betwixt the two seas at the Pole Antartike so there should in like sort be one at the Pole Artike which is the principall Pole Some will say that Drake had knowledge of this Straight and that he gave occasion so to iudge whenas he passed along the coast of new Spaine by the South sea Yea they hold opinion that other Englishmen which this yeere 1587. tooke a shippe comming from the Philippines with great quantitie of gold and other riches did passe this straight which prize they made neere to the Calliphornes which course the ships returning from the Philippines and China to new Spaine do vsually observe They confidently beleeve that as the courage of man is great and his desire infinite to finde new meanes to inrich himselfe so within few yeeres this secret will be discovered And truly it is a thing worthie admiration that as the Ants do alwaies follow the trace of other so men in the knowledge and search of new things never stay vntill they have attained the desired end for the content and glorie of men And the high and eternall wisedome of the Creator vseth this curiositie of men to communicate the light of his holy Gospell to people that alwaies live in the obscure darkenesse of their errors But to conclude the straight of the Artike Pole if there be any hath not been yet discovered It shall not therefore be from the purpose to speake what we know of the particularities of the Antartike straight already discovered and knowne by the report of such as have seene and observed it Of the properties of the Straight of Magellan CHAP. 13. THis Straight as I have said is iust fiftie degrees to the South and from one sea to another fourscore and ten or a hundred leagues in the narrowest place it is a league and little lesse wherâ— it was intended the King should build a Fort to defend the passage It is so deepe in some places that it cannot be sounded and in some places they finde grovnd at 18. yea at 15. fadomes Of these hundred leagues which it containes in length from one sea vnto the other it is plainely seene that the waves of the South sea runne 30. leagues and the other 70. are possessed with the billowes and waves of the North sea But there is this difference
vttermost bounds of the earth And in another place they say that the Gospell did flourish and increase through the vniversall world For the holy Scripture by an vsuall phrase calleth all the worlde that which is the greatest part thereof and was at that time discovered and knowne And the Ancients were ignorant that the East Indian Sea and that of the West were navigable wherin they have generally agreed By reason whereof Plinie writes as a certaine trueth that the seas which are betwixt two lands takes from vs a iust moitie of the habitable earth For saith he we cannot passe thither neyther they come hither Finally Tullie Macrobius Pomponius Mela and the ancient Writers hold the same opinion Of Aristotles opinion touching the new Worlde and what abused him to make him deny it CHAP. 9. BEsides all the former reasons there was yet an other which mooved the Ancients to beleeve it to be impossible for men to passe to this new world the which they held for that besides the vastnesse of the great Ocean the heate of that Region which they call the burning Zone was so excessive as it would not suffer any man how venturous or laborious so-ever to passe by sea or land from one Pole to an other For although these Philosophers have themselves affirmed that the earth was round as in effect it is and that vnder the 2. Poles there was habitable land yet could they not conceyve that the Region containing all that lyeth betwixt the two Tropickes which is the greatest of the five Zones or Regions by the which the Cosmographers and Astrologers divide the Worlde might be inhabited by man The reason they give to maintaine this Zone to be inhabitable was for the heat of the Sunne which makes his course directly over this Region and approcheth so neere as it is set on fire and so by consequence causeth a want of waters and pastures Aristotle was of this opinion who although he were a great Philosopher yet was hee deceyved in this poynt for the cleering whereof it shall be good to observe his reasons and to note wherein he hath discoursed well and wherein he hath erred This Philosopher makes a question of the Meridionall or Southerne winde whether wee should beleeve it takes his beginning from the South or from the other Pole contrary to the North and writes in these termes Reason teacheth vs that the latitude and largenesse of the habitable earth hath her boundes and limits and yet all this habitable earth cannot bee vnited and ioyned one to the other by reason the middle Region is so intemperate For it is certaine that in her longitude which is from East to West there is no immoderate cold nor heate but in her latitude and heigth which is from the Pole to the Equinoctiall Line So as we may well passe the whole earth in her longitude if the greatnesse of the Sea which ioynes lands together were no hinderance Hitherto there is no contradicting of Aristotle who hath great reason to affirme that the earth in her longitude which is from East to West runnes more equally is more proper for the life and habitation of man then in her latitude from North to South The which is true not onely for this foresaid reason of Aristotle that there is alwayes one temperature of the Heavens from East to West being equally distant both from the Northerne colde and the Southerne heate But also for an other reason for that travelling alwayes in longitude we see the dayes and nights succed one another by course the which falleth not out going in her latitude for of necessitie wee must come to that Region vnder the Pole whereas there is continuall night for sixe Moneths a very inconvenient thing for the life of man The Philosopher passeth on further râ—prooving the Geographers which described the earth in his time and saith thus Wee may discerne the trueth of that which I have sayd by the passages which may be made by land and the navigations by sea for there is a great difference betwixt the longitude and the latitude for the distance from the pillars of Hercules at the Straight of Gibraltar vnto the East Indies exceeds the proportion of above five to three the passage which is from Ethiopia to the lake of Meotis in the farthest confines of Scythia the which is confirmed by the account of iourneyes by land by sayling as we do now know by experience we have also knowledge of the habitable earth even vnto those partes which are inhabitable And truely in this point wee must pardon Aristotle seeing that in his time they had not discovered beyond the first Ethiopia called the exterior ioyning to Arabia and Affricke the other Ethiopia being wholy vnknowne in his age Yea all that great Land which we now call the Land of Prete Ian neyther had they any knowledge of the rest that lyes vnder the Equinoctiall and runnes beyond the Tropicke of Capricorne vnto the Cape of good Hope so famous and well knowne by the navigation of Portugals so as if wee measure the Land from this Cape vnto Scythia and Tartaria there is no doubt but this distance and latitude will proove as great as the longitude which is from Gibraltar vnto the East Indies It is certaine the Ancients had no knowledge of the springs of Nilus nor of the ende of Ethiopia and therefore Lucan reprooves the curiositie of Iulius Caesar searching out the springs of Nilus in these verses O Romaine what availes thee so much travell In search of Niles first source thy selfe to gravell And the same Poet speaking to Nile sayth Since thy first source is yet so vnrevealed Nile what thou art is from the world concealed But by the holy scripture we may conceive that this land is habitable for if it were not the Prophet Sophonias would not say speaking of these nations called to the Gospell The children of my dispersed so he calleth the Apostles shall bring me presents from beyond the bancks of Ethiopia Yet as I have said there is reason to pardon the Philosopher who beleeved the writers and Cosmographers of his time Let vs continue and examine what followes of the same Aristotle One part of the world saith he which lieth towards the North beyond the temperate zone is inhabitable for the exceeding cold the other part vpon the South is likewise inhabitable beyond the Tropicke for the extreame heate But the partes of the world lying beyond India on the one side and the pillers of Hercules on the other without doubt cannot bee ioyned and continued one with the other so as all the habitable earth is not conteined in one continent by reason of the sea which divides it In this last point he speakes truth then hee continues touching the other partes of the world saying It is necessarie the earth should have the same proportion with the Pole Antarticke as this our part which is habitable hath with the North and there
say this word of Obrise is thesame with Ophrise for finding there seven sortes or kindes of gold as S. Ierome reportes that of Ophir was held for the most fine as heere we esteeme the gold of Valdivia and Caramaya The chiefest reason which moves me to thinke that Ophir is at the East Indies and not in the West is for that Solomons fleete could not come hither without passing the East Indies all China and a great part of the sea being vnlikely they would passe over all the world to come thither for gold that continent especially lying in that sort as they could not come to the knowledge thereof by any voiage by land And hereafter we wil shew that the Ancients had never knowledge in thearte of Navigation without the which they could not runne so farre into the sea Finally in these matters when as there appeares no certaine proofes but onely light coniectures wee are not bound to beleeve but what we shall thinke good What Tharsis and Ophir signifie in the holy Scripture CHAP. 14. IF every mans coniecture and opinion may be allowed for my part I hold that in the holy scripture these words of Tharsis and Ophir most commonly do not signifie any certaine place but it is a word and signification generall to the Hebrewes as in our vulgar tongue this word of Indies is generall vnto vs in our vsuall maner ofspeech for wee meane by the Indies those rich countries which are farre off and strange vnto vs. So we Spaniards do indifferently call Indies the countries of Peru Mexico China Malaca and Bresil and from what parts soever of these any letters come wee say they bee from the Indies which countries be farre distant and different one from another Yet we cannot denie but that name of Indies is properly to be vnderstood of the East Indies And for that in olde time they did speake of these Indies as of a countrie farre off so likewise in the discoverie of other remote lands they have given them the names of Indies being distant from the rest and held as the end of the world Even so in my iudgement Tharsis in the holy scripture doth not signifie any certaine and determined place but onely regions a farre off and according to the vulgar opinion very rich and strange for that which Iosephus and some others would affirme that Tharsis is Tarso according to the meaning of the scripture in my opinion hath bene well refuted by S. Ierome not onely for that these wordes are written with divers letters the one with an aspiration the other without but also that many things are written of Tharsis which cannot agree with Tarso a Citie in Cilicia It is true that in some places of the scripture Tharsis is said to be in Cilicia the which you shall find in the booke of Iudith speaking of Holophernes who having passed the limits of Assyria he came to the great mountaines of Ange which perchance is Taurus which hilles be on the left hand of Cilicia and that he entred into all the Castells where he assembled all his forces having destroyed that famous Citie of Melothi he ruined all the children of Tharsis and of Israell which were ioyning vnto the desart and those which were in the South towards the land of Cellon and from thence passed Euphrates but as I have saide that which is so written of Tharsis cannot be applied to the Citie of Tharso Theodoret and some others following the interpretation of the 70. in some places they set Tharsis in Affrike saying it was the same Citie which was aunciently called Carthage and is now the kingdome of Thunis and they say that Ionas ment to go thether when as the scripture reports that hefled from the Lord into Tharsis Others pretend that Tharsis is a certaine countrie of the Indies wherevnto it seemes that S. Ierome is inclined I will not now decide these opinions but I holde that in this case the scripture doth not alwaies signifie one region or certaine part of the world It is true that the wise men or Kings that came to worshippe Christ were of the East and the scripture saith they were of Saba Epha and Madiem And some learned men holde that they were of Ethiopia Arabia and Persia and yet the Psalmist and the Church sings of them The Kings of Tharsis shall bring presents Wee agree then with S. Ierome that Tharsis is a word that hath many and divers significations in the scripture Sometimes it signifies the Crisolite or Iacinth stone sometimes a certaine region of the Indies sometimes the sea which is of the colour of a Iacinth by the reverberation of the sunne But the same Doctor doth with reason deny that Tharsis is any region of the Indies whether Ionas would fly seeing that parting from Ioppa it had beene impossible to saile vnto the Indies by that sea for that Ioppa which at this day wee call Iaffe is no port of the red Sea ioyning to the East Indian Sea but of the Mediterranean Sea which hath no issue into the Indian Whereby it doeth plainely appeare that the voyage which Solomons Fleet made parting from Asiongaber whereas the shippes of king Iosaphat were lost went by the redde Sea to Tharsis and Ophir the which is directly testified in the Scripture The which voyage was very different from that which Ionas pretended to Tharsis seeing that Asiongaber is the port of a Cittie of Idumea seated vpon the Straight whereas the red sea ioynes with the great Ocean From this Ophir they brought to Salomon gold silver Elephants teeth Monkies Indian Cocks and their voyage was of three yeeres all which without doubt ought to bee vnderstood of the East Indies which is fruitfull and aboundant of all these thinges as Plinie testifieth and our owne experience doth witnes From our Peru doubtlesse they could not bring any Elephants teeth those beastes beeing vnknowne there but they might well bring gold silver and pleasant monkies Finally the holy Scripture in my opinion doth commonly vnderstand by this word of Tharsis eyther the great Sea or farre and strange Regions So as he supposeth that the prophecies which speake of Tharsis seeing the spirit of prophecie may comprehend all things may often be applied to things of our new world Of the Prophecie of Abdias which some doe interpret to be the Indies CHAP. 15. MAny say and affirme that in the holy Scripture it was foretold long before that this new worlde should be converted to Iesus Christ by the Spanish nation and to this purpose they expound the text of the Prophecie of Abdias which sayth thus At the transmigration of this Oâ—t the children of Israel shall possesse all the the dwellings of the Cananites vnto Sarepte and the transmigration of Ierusalem which is at Bosphorus shall possesse the Citties of the South and they that shall save shall come vp to the hill of Sion to iudge the mount of Esau and the
land makes restitution casting his capes points and tongues farre into the sea piercing into the bowelles thereof In some partes one element ends and another beginnes yeelding by degrees one vnto another In some places where they ioyne it is exceeding deepe as in the Ilands of the South Sea and in those of the North whereas the shippes ride close to the land and although they sound three score and tenne yea foure score fadomes yet do they finde no bottome which makes men coniecture that these are pikes or poynts of land which rise vp from the bottome a matter woorthy of great admiration Heerevpon a very expert Pilote said vnto me that the Ilands which they call of Woolves and others that lie at the entry of the coast of New Spaine beeing called Cocos were of this manner Moreover there is a place in the midst of the great Ocean without the view of land and many leagues from it where are seene as it were two towers or pikes of a very high elevated rocke rising out of the middest of the sea and yet ioyning vnto it they finde no bottome No man can yet perfectly comprehend nor conceive the full and perfect forme of the land at the Indies the boundes being not wholy discovered to this day yet wee may ghesse that it is proportioned like a heart with the lungs The broadest of this heart is from Bresill to Peru the poynt at the straight of Magellan and the top where it ends is the firme land and there the continent begins by little and litle to extend itselfe vntill wee come to the height of Florida and the vpper landes which are not yet well discovered We may vnderstand other particularities of this land at the Indies by the Commentaries which the Spaniards have written of their successe and discoveries and amongest the rest of the Peregrination which I have written which in trueth is strange and may give a great light This in my opinion may suffice at this time to give som knowledge of things at the Indies touching the common elements of the which all parts of the worlde are famed THE FOVRTH BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies Of three kindes of mixtures or compounds of the which I must intreate in this Historie CHAP. 1. HAving intreated in the former booke of that which concernes the Elements and the simples of the Indies in this present booke we will discourse of mixtures and compounds seeming fit for the subiect we shall treate of And although there be many other sundrie kindes yet we will reduce this matter into three which are Mettalls Plants and Beasts Mettalls are as plants hidden and buried in the bowels of the earth which have some conformitie in themselves in the forme and maner of their production for that wee see and discover even in them branches and as it were a bodie from whence they grow and proceede which are the greater veines and the lesse so as they have a knitting in themselves and it seemes properly that these minerales grow like vnto plants not that they have any inward vegitative life being onely proper to plants but they are engendered in the bowels of the earth by the vertue and force of the Sunne and other planets and in long continuance of time they increase and multiply after the maner of plants And even as mettalls be plants hidden in the earth so we may say that plants be living creatures fixed in one place whose life is maintained by the nourishment which Nature furnisheth from their first begnning But living creatures surpasse plants in that they have a more perfect being and therefore have neede of a more perfect foode and nourishment for the search whereof Nature hath given them a moving and feeling to discover and discerne it So as the rough and barren earth is as a substance and nutriment for mettalls and that which is fertile and better seasoned a nourishment for plants The same plants serve as a nourishment for living creatures and the plants and living creatures together as a nourishment for men the inferiour nature alwaies serving for the maintenance and sustentation of the superiour and the lesse perfect yeelding vnto the more perfect whereby we may see how much it wants that gold and silver and other things which men so much esteeme by their covetousnesse should be the happines of man wherevnto he should tend seeing they be so many degrees in qualitie inferior to man who hath been created and made onely to be a subiect to serve the vniversall Creator of all things as his proper end and perfect rest and to which man all other things in this world were not propounded or left but to gaine this last end Who so would consider of things created and discourse according to this Philosophie might draw some fruite from the knowledge and consideration thereof making vse of them to know and glorifie their Author But he that would passe on farther to the knowledge of their properties and profits and would curiously search them out hee shall finde in these creatures that which the Wiseman saies that they are snares and pitfalles to the feete of fooles ignorant into the which they fall and loose themselves daily To this intent therefore and that the Creator may be glorified in his creatures I pretend to speake of some things in this Booke whereof there are many at the Indies worth the report touching mettalls plants and beasts which are proper and peculiar in those parts But for that it were a great worke to treate thereof exactly and requires greater learning and knowledge yea much more leisure then I have my intent is only to treate of some things succinctly the which I have observed as well by experience as the report of men of credite touching these three things which I have propounded leaving to men more curious and diligent to treate more amply of these matters Of the aboundance and great quantitie of Mettall at the West Indies CHAP. 2. THe wisedome of God hath made mettalls for phisicke and for defence for ornament and for instruments for the worke of men of which foure things we may easily yeelde examples but the principall end of mettalls and the last thereof is for that the life of man hath not onely neede of nourishment as the beasts but also he must worke and labour according vnto the reason and capacitie which the Creator hath given him And as mans vnderstanding doth apply it selfe to divers artes and faculties so the same Author hath given order that hee should finde matter and subiect to diverse artes for the conservation reparation suretie ornament and exaltation of his workes The diversitie therefore of mettalls which the Creator hath shut vp in the closets and concavities of the earth is such and so great that man drawes profit and commoditie from everie one of them Some serve for curing of diseases others for armes and for defence against the enemies some are for ornament
Châ—lle beare good wine 296 Vines of the vallie of Yâ—a which doe growe and are never watered with any raine and how ibid Vines that carry grapes every moneth in the yeere ibid. Viracoâ—hâ— the name which the Indians gave to their supreme god with others of great power 333 Vuziliputzli the chiefe idoll of Mexico and his ornaments 352 Vittells set vppon the tombes of dead men to feede them 347 Voyce heard foretelling the ruine of Moteçuma 565 Volcan of Guatâ—mala more admirable than all the rest 194 Volcans how entertained 196 Voyage of Hannon the Carthaginâ—an admirable in his time 36 Vros bruâ—ish people which esteeme not themselves 94 Vtilitie of all naturall histories 117 Vnction of Vuzilovitli the second king of Mexico 521 W. WAy by which the Spaniards go to the Indies and their returne 128 Waters of Guayaquil most soveraigne for the French disease 174 Warres of the Mexicans most commonly to take prisoners 483 Westerne windes hurtefull to silke-wormes 144 Westerne windes blowe not in the burning zone 126 Whales how taken by the Indians and how they eate them 167 Windes very daungerous which kill and preserve the dead bodies without corruption 147 Windes called Brises in the burning zone which come from the east 127 Windes how many and their names 133 Windes of the land in the burning zone blow rather by night than by day and those of the sea contrary and why 142 Winde corrupts yron 144 Windes that blowe southerly make the coast habitable 125 One Winde hath diverse properties according to the place where it raignes and the cause 120 Winde doth cause strange diversities of temperature 112 Wisedome of this world weake in divine yea in humane things 31 Winter and summeâ— and the cause 90 Woods rare and sweete at the Indies 292 Words of a man which had his heart pulled out 390 Writing of the Chinois was from the toppe downeward and the Mexicans from the foote vpward 447 X. XAmabusis pilgrimes forced to confesse their sinnes vpon the toppe of a rocke 400 Y. YCa and Arica and their manner of sayling in skinnes 63 Yearâ— at the Indies divided into eighteene moneths 432 Youth very carefully instructed in Mexico 489 Yeare at Peru approaching neerer to ours than that of Mexico 437 Ytu a great feast at the Indies which they made in their necessitie 416 Yupanguâ— Ingua was in Peru like to an other Numa in Rome for the making of Lawes 261 Z. ZEphiruâ— a pleasant and wholesome winde 126 Zone which they call burning the Antients held inhabitable 30 Burning zone in some partes temperate in others colde and in others hote 101 Burning Zone peopled and pleasaunt contrary to the opinion of Philosophers 86 Burning Zone why temperate 105 In the burning Zone they saile easily from east to weast and not contrarie and why 132 In the burning Zone the neerenesse of the Sunne dooth not alwaies cause raine 100 The end of the Table Errata 111.22 for Paraguen reade Paraguay 120.30 for River reade Region 135.32 for to reade in 141.28 for the motion reade without any â—otion 148.33 for inhabited reade not inhabited 164.17 for greene reade great 198.23 for hundred reade five hundred 213.21 for Curuma reade Cucuma 229.17 for to reade and 235.11 for it reade that 241.8 for it reade his 253.12 for maces reade markes 274.8 for little reade like 278.19 for is no reade is a 351.25 for many reade in many 368.2 for possession reade profession 397.14 for to the communion reade to the people in manner of a communion 514.21 for partiall reade particular 324.32 for convenient in a maner reade in a convenient manner 335.3 for of reade to 347.25 for neither reade in their Gentle Reader from the folio 225. line 14 16 19 20. where you finde peeces reade pezoes till you come to folio 322. line 22. THE FIRST BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the East and West Indies Of the opinions of some Authors which supposed that the Heavens did not extend to the new-found world The first Chapter THE Ancients were so farre from conceypt that this new-found world was peopled by any Nation that many of them could not imagine there was any land on that part and which is more worthie of admiration some have flatly denyed that the Heavens which we now beholde could extend thither For although the greatest part yea the most famous among the Philosophers have well knowne that the Heaven was round as in effect it is and by that meanes did compasse and comprehend within it self the whole earth yet many yea of the holy doctors of greatest authoritie have disagreed in opinion vpon this point supposing the frame of this vniversall world to bee fashioned like vnto a house whereas the roofe that covers it invirons onely the vpper part and not the rest inferring by their reasons that the earth should else hang in the middest of the ayre the which seemed vnto them voyd of sense For as we see in every building the ground-worke and foundation on the one side and the cover opposite vnto it even so in this great building of the world the Heaven should remaine above on the one part and the earth vnder it The glorious Chrysostome a man better seene in the studie of holy Scriptures then in the knowledge of Philosophie seemes to be of this opinion when in his Commentaries vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes he doth laugh at those which hold the heavens to be round And it seemes the holy Scripture doth inferre as much terming the Heavens a Tabernacle or Frame built by the hand of God And hee passeth farther vpon this point saying that which mooves and goes is not the Heaven but the Sunne Moone and Starres which moove in the heaven even as Sparrowes and other birds moove in the ayre contrary to that which the Philosophers hold that they turne with the Heaven itselfe as the armes of a wheele doe with the wheele Theodoret a very grave Authour followes Chrysostome in this opinion and Theophilus likewise as hee is accustomed almost in all thinges But Lactantius Firmian above all the rest holding the same opinion doth mocke the Peripatetickes and Academickes which give the heaven a round forme placing the earth in the middest thereof for that it seemeth ridiculous vnto him that the earth should hang in the ayre as is before sayde By which his opinion hee is conformable vnto Epicurus who holdeth that on the other part of the earth there is nothing but a Chaos and infinite gulph And it seemeth that S. Ierome draweth neere to this opinion writing vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians in these wordes The naturall Philosopher by his contemplation pierceth to the height of heaven and on the other part he findeth a great vast in the depth and bowels of the earth Some likewise say that Procopius affirmes the which I have not seene vpon the booke of Genesis that the opinion of Aristotle touching the forme and
kingdome shall bee the Lordes This hath beene set downe acording to the letter but the hebrew Authors reade it thus And the transmigration of this Oâ—t of the childrens which be the Cananites vnto Zarphat which is France and the transmigration of Ierusalem which is in Sapharad vnderstood for Spaine shall possesse for inheritance the Cities of the South and those which procure salvation shall mount vp to the hill of Sion to iudge the mount of Esau and the kingdome shall be the Lords Yet some of them doe not produce any sufficient testimony of the Ancients nor pertinent reasons to proove that Sapharad which S. Ierome doth interpret the Bosphor or Straight and the 70. Interpreters Euphrates should signifie Spaine but their onely opinion Others alleage the Caldean Paraphrase which is of this opinion and the ancient Rabbins which expound it on this sort as also that Zarphat is France which the vulgar and the 70 Interpreters call Sarepte But leaving this dispute which belongs to men of more leisure what necessitie is there to beleeve that the citties of the South or of Mageb as the 70 write be those of this new world Moreover what need is there to beleeve and to take the Spanish Nation for the transmigration from Ierusalem to Sapharad vnlesse we will vnderstand Ierusalem spiritually and thereby the Church So as by the transmigration from Ierusalem to Sapharad the holy spirite shewes vs the children of the holy Church which inhabit the ends of the earth the banks of the Sea for so is Sapharad vnderstood in the Syrian tongue and doth well agree with our Spaine which according to the Ancients is the ende of the earth beeing in a manner all invironed with Sea And by the Citties of the South we may well vnderstand these Indies seeing the greatest parte of this newe worlde is seated in the South and the better part looks to the Pole Antartike That which followeth is easie to interpret viz. They which procure Salvation shall ascend the hill of Sion to iudge the mount of Esau. For wee may say they vnite themselves to the doctrine and strength of the holy Church which seeke to breake and disperse the prophane errors of the Gentiles for that may be interpreted to iudge the mount of Esau whereby it followes that in those daies the Realme shall neyther bee for the Spaniards nor for them of Europe but for Iesus Christ our Saviour Whosoever shall expound the Prophecie of Abdias in this sort ought not to be blamed being most certaine that the holy Spirit did vnderstand all secrets long before And it seemes there is great reason to beleeve that mention is made in the holy Scripture of a matter of such importance as the discoverie of the Indies of the new world and their conversion to the faith Isay saith in these wordes Oh the wings of ships which come from the other part of Ethiopia Many learned Authors hold that al this Chapter is vnderstood of the Indies and that same Prophet in an other place saith Those which shall escape out of Israel shal goe farre off to Tharsis and to remote Ilands where they shal convert many Nations vnto the Lorde Amongest the which hee names Greece Italie Affricke with many others the which without doubt may well bee applied vnto the conversion of the Indies Being most certaine that the Gospel shall be preached generally throughout the world as our Saviour hath promised and then the ende of the world shall come It followes then and so we ought to vnderstand it that there be many Nations vpon the face of the earth to whom Iesus Christ hath not yet been preached Whereby we may gather that there remained a great part of the world vnknowne to the Ancients and that yet at this day there is a good part to discover By what meanes the first men might come to the Indies the which was not willingly nor of set purpose CHAP. 16. NOw it is time to make answer to such as say there are no Antipodes and that this region where we live cannot bee inhabited The huge greatnes of the Ocean did so amaze S. Augustine as he could not conceive how mankinde could passe to this new-found world But seeing on the one side wee know for certaine that many yeeres agoe there were men inhabiting in these parts so likewise we cannot deny but the scripture doth teach vs cleerely that all men are come from the first man without doubt we shall be forced to beleeve and confesse that men have passed hither from Europe Asia or Affricke yet must wee discover by what meanes they could passe It is not likely that there was an other Noes Arke by the which men might be transported into the Indies and much lesse any Angell to carie the first man to this new world holding him by the haire of the head like to the Prophet Abacâ—c for we intreat not of the mightie power of God but only of that which is conformable vnto reason the order and disposition of humane things Wherefore these two things ought to be held for wonderfull and worthie of admiration yea to bee numbred among the secrets of God The one is how man could passe so huge a passage by Sea and Lande The other is that there beeing such multitudes of people they have yet beene vnknowne so many ages For this cause I demaund by what resolution force or industrie the Indians could passe so large a Sea and who might be the Inventer of so strange a passage Truely I have often times considered thereof with my selfe as many others have done but never could I finde any thing to satisfie mee Yet will I say what I have conceived and what comes presently into my minde seeing that testimonies faile mee whom I might follow suffering my selfe to be guided by the rule of reason although it be very subtill It is most certaine that the first men came to this land of Peru by one of these two meanes either by land or by sea If they came by sea it was casually and by chance or willingly of purpose I vnderstand by chance being cast by force of some storme or tempest as it happens in tempestuous times I meane done of purpose when they prepared fleetes to discover new lands Besides these two meanes I see it is not possible to find out any other if wee will follow the course of humane things and not devise fabulous and poeticall fictions for no man may thinke to finde another Eagle as that of Ganimede or a flying Horse like vnto Perseuâ— that should carie the Indians through the aire or that peradventure these first men haue vsed fishes as Mir-maides or the fish called a Nicholas to passe them thither But laying aside these imaginations and fopperies let vs examine these two meanes the which will bee both pleasant and profitable First in my iudgement it were not farre from reason to say that the first and auncient people of these