Varieties: or, A surveigh of rare and excellent matters necessary and delectable for all sorts of persons. Wherein the principall heads of diverse sciences are illustrated, rare secrets of naturall things unfoulded, &c. Digested into five bookes, whose severall chapters with their contents are to be seene in the table after the epistle dedicatory. By David Person, of Loghlands in Scotland, Gentleman.

Section 11.

Of Christopher Columbus his Practicall Curiosity in his discovery of the new World or America.

NOw lastly, to conclude this treatise with Practi∣call curiosity, instead of many, I will onely touch that so fortunate and so much famed one of Columbus in the discovery of America; He was an Italian, borne in Genoa, whose most pregnant, curious and searching wit, farre excelled all that ever were before him, in the like attempts;* 1.1 This worthy Columbus (I say) imagin∣ing, that since the Globe of the universe, the celestiall Spheares, Aire, Waters, and all superior bodies were round, concluded with himselfe that the earth could not bee triangular, as in a manner it then was when hee knew no other lands, but Europe, Africk, Asia, but cir∣cular and round also; as the rest of the Elements; and so consequently that there behooved to be some vaste tract of land, yet unknowne, which should extend it selfe from South West to North West; Which con∣ception of his he thus fortified.

That seeing of three hundred and sixty degrees,* 1.2 which the world containeth in longitude, there being onely one hundred eighty filled up with land; that the Almighty Creator would not have suffered from

all beginning the waters to overflow all the rest.

But not content with this contemplation onely, he never gave over till he put the tryall of it in practise; wherefore in the yeere of God, 1492. aided and there∣fore furthered by the King of Spaine, he set to sea, di∣recting his course to the Canary-Islands (whereat from Spaine he first arrived) towards the Southwest:* 1.3 but having spent many dayes upon the Sea without sight of land, to the great toile, labour, and anguish of his men, who began to mutine amongst themselves and despaire of ever returning home, much lesse of attaining their adventure; he was driven to his wits end, whereupon politickly, (and as it were propheti∣cally) he strove with all probabilities to assure them that within two or three dayes, at furthest, they should discover land;* 1.4 which the more confidently he undertooke, because (saith my Author) he had per∣ceived the colour of the clouds then tending towards him, to bee more white and more purified like land∣clouds, from whence they behoved to come, then those that meerely proceeded from the seas; which conjecture of his proved true;* 1.5 for it pleased God, that the third day thereafter they discovered this land they sought for, of which, with its length, bredth, nature, &c. there are whole volumes extant; and from this countrey it is, that the gold, money and ware be transported, which hath caused our dearths; all things in the dayes of our forefathers, being barte∣red one for another as common merchandises.

This mans spirit (no question) was warmed with a more celestiall fire than ordinary; who first of all be∣fore

him, did both invent and execute so glorious a designe, and profitable an enterprise, as the discovery of a new world. Neverthelesse, there hath not wan∣ted some; who, to bereave him of this honour, doe gather out of Plato's dialogue twixt Critias and Solon,* 1.6 that there was some knowledge of this world in for∣mer times; because so it is, that the Aegyptian Priests of the City Sais reported unto him, that they had found in ancient Monuments, some mention of a terrible great Island, called Atlantida, which was op∣posit, or went off and on, with the straits of Gibaltar, of old called Hercules Pillars; but that it was taken away by Deucalions deluge, as we reade of Sicily to have beene rent from Italy.

Which admit were true:* 1.7 yet who, amongst the sonnes of men, before Columbus, did ever adventure to discover it? nay who so thinketh it to be an Island, mistaketh farre: for our moderne navigators have found it to be continent almost, and firme land; as joyning to the East-Indies on the one hand, and to those Lands under the two Poles on the other: more∣over, whereas Sicily is removed from Italy but a very few miles (if ever they were conjoyned) as Ireland is from Britanne; this America, or, as they would have it, Atlantida, is distant from the mouth of the straights, where (they say) it was taken away, some thousands of miles.

I know too, how Peter Martyr, cap. 1. and first de∣cade, attributeth the first discovery of this to a Spa∣niard, to defraud Columbus of his due praise and ho∣nour: and how some have gone about, to take away

from him the denomination of that Countrey,* 1.8 attri∣buting it to Vespucius, calling him Americus, because he entered farther in the firme land than Columbus; who glad of his first discovery, made no long stay there: so that at the second setting out of a new Na∣vie,* 1.9 this Vespucius went further in, Egregiam verò lau∣dem: as if the honour were not the first attempters: so Sheepe beare wooll, and Oxen plough, although not for themselves. Some too, say, that Columbus, being a learned man, gathered this enterprize from some verses in Seneca in his Medea,* 1.10

Venient annis secula seris. Quibus oceanus vincula rerum Laxet, & ingens pateat Tellus, Tiphis que novos deteget orbes, Nec sit terris ultima Thule, &c.

And why not? for this same (if it so was) argued the sublimity of his spirit; for who, I pray you, be∣fore him, ever marked or gathered the like from them to put that Theory and contemplation in practise? Then, sure it is, that none of the ancients, Greeke or Roman whatsoever, can in this be compared or balan∣ced with him.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Columbus first intention, and motive to his voyage.
• * 1.2

  Columbus his reason.
• * 1.3

  His voyage.
• * 1.4

  His policy.
• * 1.5

  The cause of dearth since Columbus voy∣age.
• * 1.6

  Columbus's worth depra∣ved.
• * 1.7

  His vindica∣tion.
• * 1.8

  Columbus de∣nomination of Americus con∣ferred on Ves∣pucius.
• * 1.9

  Here againe vindicated.
• * 1.10

  Another asper∣sion on him.