The Spanish Mandeuile of miracles. Or The garden of curious flowers VVherin are handled sundry points of humanity, philosophy, diuinitie, and geography, beautified with many strange and pleasant histories. First written in Spanish, by Anthonio De Torquemeda, and out of that tongue translated into English. It was dedicated by the author, to the right honourable and reuerent prelate, Don Diego Sarmento de soto Maior, Bishop of Astorga. &c. It is deuided into sixe treatises, composed in manner of a dialogue, as in the next page shall appeare.

The fifth Discourse, entreating of the Septentrionall Countries, and of the lengthe∣ning and decreasing of the dayes and nights, till they come to be sixe moneths long a peece: and how the Sunne and the Moone riseth and setteth with them, in a dif∣ferent sort then heere with vs, with many other things pleasant and worthy to be knowne. (Book 5)

* Interlocutores. ANTHONIO. LVDOVICO. BERNARDO.

LV.

SEeing our busines is nor great, and this place where wee are so fitte and commodious, to passe our time in good conuersation: I cannot choose Signior Antho∣nio, but challenge you of the ac∣complishment of your promise, made vnto vs in these our for∣mer cōuersations, touching the declaration of certaine doubts, which we then lest in suspence, remitting them till some other time, that we should meete together, which now (seeing our oportunity, the fit and delightfull pleasure of this place, and the sweete temperature of the weather, inuiteth vs to enter∣taine our selues in some recreatiue discourse) I pray you make vs vnderstand, especially those touching Geography & Cos∣mography, wherein my ignorance is such, that I should ac∣count my selfe very happy to be instructed in some know∣ledge thereof, whereby I might be able to discourse my selfe, or at least to vnderstand others when they discourse therein: I say this, because I heard you say the other day, that you were laughed at by certaine Gentlemen, for saying, that there was a part of the worlde, where the day endured the whole space of sixe moneths together without night; and the night like∣wise as long without day, which to me seemeth a matter so meruailous and strange, that how true so euer it be, I cannot choose but greatly wonder thereat; and therefore you shall

doe me a great fauour to declare it somwhat more particuler∣lie in plaine and euident reasons, whereby I may the better comprehend the same.

BER.

You haue preuented me, for in truth I came with the same purpose and intention, and I know not howe vvee may spend the time better, for thereby (seeing with our eyes we cannot view, nor with our bodies trauell the whole world thorough) yet shall we vnderstand the particularities thereof, at the least those which in this matter we require to know, if it shal please Signior Anthonio to make vs participant of some part of his knowledge therein.

AN.

I coulde haue beene contented that you had forgotten this matter, into the deepe Sea of which, if I once engulfe my selfe, I see not how I shall be able to auoyd the danger of drowning: for to debate and declare one particularitie well, of force there must concurre many others weaued and enchained as it were together, one with another: yet if you will promise mee to take in good part that little which I shall say, and to which my knowledge extendeth, I will proue how farre I can reach, and when I am at the farthest, I will make an end, though in truth, were it not for giuing you contentment, I should do best in holding my peace, least I seeme to take vpon me to be an Astronomer, a Phylosopher, and a Cosmographer, whereas indeede I haue knowledge in no part of any one of them.

BER.

Wee re∣quire heerein no more of you then you knowe, which howe little so euer it be, I am sure it is farre aboue ours, and therfore seeing you haue audience so intentiuely bent to heare you, you haue no reason to vse such excuses, & finally, if you con∣discend not willingly to our request, we are resolutely bent to vse force.

AN.

Nay, rather then you should doe so, I will doe the best I can with a free and good will, & though I en∣treate not but of that part of the world which is towards the North, because it so chiefely serueth for our purpose: yet can not I chuse but touch diuers others, for the better vnderstan∣ding of our matter, and this will be with so great a difficultie, that I may with great reason say as Pomponius Mela did, whose words are these: I begin, sayth he, to write the situati∣on of the Vniuerse, a worke truly very combersome, and of

which my tongue and eloquence is no way capable, the same consisting of so great a diuersitie of people & places. &c. This therefore is likely to be a matter more tedious then pleasant: prouided alwaies before hand, that you account mee not so arrogant, as that I should attribute any thing of that vvhich I will say herein vnto my selfe, assuring you that I wil alledge nothing but that which hath been written by Authors of cre∣dit, both auncient and moderne: and in fine, nothing can be said which hath not beene said before, as Solinus confesseth, saying: What thing may we properly terme to be our owne, seeing there hath not been till this our time, any one thing left vnintreated of.

The opinions of those that write of this part of the earth, are so different and disagreeing, that there can be no greater confusion in the world: at which I wonder not, if they som∣times erre in many things touching those parts of the worlde, distant so infinite a number of miles from vs, (and separated from vs by so many Mountaines, Valleyes, Rocks, Cragges, vnenhabited Deserts, Riuers, Lakes, Forrests, sandes & seas, which barre vs from giuing assured testimony and witnesse of them) seeing wee beeing heere in Europe, which as euerie one knoweth that hath but a little smacke in Geography is the least of the three old parts of the VVorld, cannot truelie tell where she endeth her bounds and limits, and throughlie proue the same with sufficient reasons, but onely that we fol∣low heerein the opinion of the Auncients, who wrote there∣of according to their owne fancie, and as they list themselues: for some of them comming to distinguish the bounds of Eu∣rope on the North-side, content themselues in setting the Ri∣uer Tanais, and the Lake Maeolis for limits therof: others the Ryphean mountaines, without vnderstanding what they say, or yeelding any reason therfore: but they neuer talke of that Land which runneth on in length by the sea coast on the left hand towards the West passing by the kingdome of Norway and many other Prouinces and Countries, for they know not what Land it is, neither whether it goeth, nor where it endeth, nor where it turneth to ioyne with those parts of which they haue notice.

LV.

By this meanes then it may be, that they are deceaued which say that Europe is the least part of the three olde diui∣ded parts of the world, & yet some say, that on the other side of the bounds of Asia also, there is much vnknowne Lande.

AN.

You haue reason, for this Land of which I speak, stret∣ching out along the Occident, commeth turning to the Sep∣tentrion, euen till vnder the Northern Pole, which is the same that we here see, from which forward on the other side, what Lande there is, or howe it extendeth it selfe, wee knowe not, though perchaunce the same be very great and spacious. But let vs leaue this matter till hereafter, where I will declare it more particulerly, & let vs return to entreate of som grounds and principles which are necessary for the facility of vnder∣standing that which wee will speake of: for otherwise, in al∣leaging euery particuler, wee should bring in all the Astrolo∣gie and cosmography of the world: and therfore ommitting to declare what thing the Sphaere is, and in what sort it is vn∣derstood that the earth is the Center of the worlde, and then how the Center of the Earth is to be vnderstood, with infinit other the like, I will onelie alleadge that which is necessarie for our discourse.

First therefore, all Astronomers and Cosmographers de∣uide * 1.1 the heauen into fiue Zones, which are fiue parts or fiue gyrdings about, according to which also the Earth is deuided into other fiue parts. The one hath in the midst thereof the Pole Artick, or North-pole, which is the same that wee see: the other hath the South or Pole Antartick, directly contra∣ry on the other side of the Heauen. These 2. Poles are as two Axeltrees, vpon which the whole Heauen turneth about, they still standing firme in one selfe place, in the midst betweene them both is the same which we call Torrida Zona, and of the other two Colaterall Zones, the one is between Torrida Zo∣na & the North-pole, beeing the same in which we inhabite, cōtaining Asia, Affrick, & Europe, & it hath not bin known or vnderstood til these our times, that any other of the Zones or parts of the earth, hath been enhabited; and so saith Ouid * 1.2 in his Metamorphosis, that as the heauen is deuided into fiue Zones, two one the right hand, and two on the left, and that

in the midst more fierie then any of the rest: so hath the di∣uine Prouidence deuided the Earth into other fiue parts, of which that in the midst is through the great heate vninhabi∣table, and the two vtmost in respect of their exceeding cold. The selfe same opinion holdeth Macrobius in his seconde * 1.3 booke of the Dreame of Scipio, & Virgill in his Georgiques, and the most part of all the auncient Authors, whose autho∣rities it serueth to no purpose to rehearse, because in these our tymes we haue seene and vnderstood by experience the con∣trary as touching Torrida Zona, seeing it is as well to be en∣habited as any of the others, and euery day it is past vnder frō one part to another, as wee the other day discoursed. And trulie the ignoraunce of the Auncients must bee verie great, * 1.4 seeing they know not that Arabia faelix, Aethiopia, the coast of Guyne, Calecut, Malaca, Taprobana, Elgatigara, & ma∣ny other Countries then in notice, were vnder Torrida zona, beeing a thing so notorious & manifest, that I maruaile how they coulde so deceaue themselues, and not onely they, but diuers moderne Writers also, which though one way they confesse it, yet another way they seeme to stande in doubt, as may be seene by the Cosmography of Petrus Appianus aug∣mented by Gemmafrigius, a man in that Science very fa∣mous, whose wordes are these: The fiue zones of the Hea∣uen, constitute so many parts in the Earth, of which the two vtmost in respect of theyr extreame cold, are vnenhabitable, the middlemost, through the continuall course of the Sunne, and perpendiculer beames thereof, is so singed, that by rea∣son it seemeth not at all, or very hardly to be habitable.

The Greeke Commendador likewise, a man of great fame & estimation in Spayne, deceaued himselfe in his glosse * 1.5 vvhich hee vvrote vpon Iohn De Meno, wherein hee main∣tayneth thys auncient opinion by these vvordes: The Ma∣thematitians, (sayth hee) deuide the Earth into fiue Zones, of which the two vtmost next the Poles, through theyr great extreamitie of colde, are not enhabitable, neyther that in the midst through extreame heate, the other two of each side participating of the heate of the middle, and the colde of the vtter Zones are temperate and inhabitable. Of these two, the

one is enhabited by those Nations of which we haue notice, and is deuided into three parts, Affrica, Asia, and Europa: the other is enhabited by those whom we call Antypodes, of whom we neuer had, nor neuer shall haue any knowledge at * 1.6 all, by reason of the Torrida or burned Zone, which is vnin∣habitable, the fierie heate of which stoppeth the passage be∣tweene them and vs, so that neyther they can come at vs nor we at them. &c. Though heere the Comendador confesse that there are Antypodes, with whom wee cannot conuerse nor traffique, yet the Auncients accounting the Torrida Zo∣na as vninhabitable, doubted whether there could be of the other side therof any people; seeming vnto them vnpossible, for any man since the creation of Adam, which was created in this second Zone of the Pole Articke, to passe ouer the burning Zone and there to generate and spred mankind. Of this opinion seemeth to be S. Austine, when he saith, Those which fabulously affirme that there are Antypodes, which is * 1.7 to say, men of the contrary part, where the Sunne riseth when it setteth with vs, and which goe on the ground with theyr feete right against ours, are by no meanes to be beleeued: and Lactantius Firmianus in his third booke of Diuine Instituti∣ons, laugheth and iesteth at those, which make the earth and * 1.8 the water to be a body sphaericall and round, at which error of his, being a man so wise and prudent, I cannot choose but much meruaile in denying a principle so notoriously known, as though the world being round, those people which are op∣posite to vs vnderneath, should fall downe backwards. The grosnes of which ignorance being nowe so manifestly disco∣uered, I will spend no more time in rehearsing his wordes: so that they deny that there are Antypodes, and that the world is enhabitable at all the Zones, the contrary whereof is mani∣fest. Pliny handleth this matter in the sixty fiue Chapter of his second booke: but in the end, he resolueth not whether * 1.9 there are Antypodes or no, neither can it out of his words be gathered, what he thinketh thereof.

LU.

What is the meaning of this word Antipodes?

AN.

I will briefely declare it vnto you, though mee thinkes you should haue vnderstood the same, by that which I haue sayd

before: Antypodes are they which are on the other part of the world, contrary in opposite vnto vs, going with their feete against ours, so that they which vnderstand it not, thinke that they goe with their heads downward, whereas they goe in the selfe same sort with their heads as wee doe; for the world being round, in what part thereof soeuer a man standeth ey∣ther vnder or aboue, or on the sides, his head standeth vpright towards heauen, and his feete directly towards the Center of the earth, so that it cannot be saide, that the one standeth vp∣ward and an other downward, for so the same which wee should say of them, they might say of vs, meruailing how wee could stay our selues without falling, because it should seeme to them that they stand vpward and we downward: and the right Antypodes are as I said, those which are in contrary and * 1.10 opposite Zones, as they of the North-pole, to those of the South-pole; and we being in this second Zone, haue for our Antypodes those of the other second Zone, which is on the other side of Torrida Zona: but those in Torrida Zona it selfe, cannot holde any for theyr right Antypodes, but those which are of one side thereof, directly to those that are on the other vnder them or aboue them, or howe you list to vnder∣stand it.

BER.

I vnderstand you well, but we being in this Zone which is round winding, as you say about the earth; how shall we terme those that are directly vnder vs, who by all likelihoods must be onely vpon one side of the world, for if there were a line drawne betweene them and vs through the earth, the same line should not come to passe through the Center and middle of the earth.

AN.

These the Cosmo∣graphers call in a manner Antypodes, which in such sort as they haue different places one frō an other, so doe they terme them by different names, as Perioscaei, Etheroscaei, and Amphi∣oscaei, being Greeke wordes, by which their manner of stan∣ding is declared and signified. Perioscaei are those whose sha∣dowes * 1.11 goe round about; and these as you shall heereafter vn∣derstand, cannot bee but those which are vnder the Poles. Amphioscaei, are those which haue their shadow of both sides * 1.12 towards Aquilo and Auster, according as the Sunne is with them. Etheroscaei, are those which haue their shadow alwayes * 1.13

on one side: but what distinction soeuer these words seeme to make, yet Antypodes is common to them all, for it is suffici∣ent that they are contrary, though not so directly that they writhe not of one side nor other: for facility of vnderstan∣ding this, take an Orenge or any other round fruite, & thrust it of all sides full of needles, and there you shall see howe the points of the needles are one against another by diuers waies, of which those that passe through the sides, are as well oppo∣site as those which passe through the very Center and middle of the Orenge: But this being a matter so notorious, and all men now knowing that the whole world is enhabitable, and * 1.14 that the same being round, one part must needes be opposite to another: it were to no purpose to discourse any farther therein.

LU.

This is no small matter which you say, that the whole world is enhabitable, for (leauing aside that you should say, this generality is to be vnderstood, that there is in all parts of the world habitation; notwithstanding, that there are ma∣nie Deserts, Rocks, and Mountaines, which for some particu∣ler causes are not enhabited) me thinks you can by no meanes say, that the two vtmost Zones in which the North & South∣pole is contained, are enhabited, seeing the common opinion of all men to the contrary.

AN.

I confesse that all the old Astrologians, Cosmographers, and Geographers, speaking of these two Zones, doe terme them vninhabitable, the same proceeding, as they say, through the intollerable rigour and sharpnes of the cold; of which they affirme the cause to be, because they are farther off from the Sunne then any other part of the earth: and so sayth Pliny in the 70. Chapter of his second booke by these words: Heauen is the cause of depri∣uing vs the vse of three parts of the earth, which are the three vninhabitable Zones, for as that in the midst, is through ex∣treame heate not any way habitable, so of the two vtmost is the cold vntollerable, being perpetually frosen with ice, whose whitenes is the onely light they haue, so that there is in them a continuall obscurity: as for that part which is on the other side of Torrida Zona, though it be temperate as ours is, yet is it not habitable, because there is no way to get into it, &c. And here-vpon he inferreth, that there is no part of the world

enhabited, nor where people is, but onely this Zone or part of the earth in which wee are; an opinion truly for so graue an Author, farre from reason and vnderstanding: That ther∣fore which I intend euidently to make manifest vnto you, is, that they were not onely deceaued in those Zones, wherein eyther Pole is contayned, but in Torrida Zona also: for as this is found not to be so vntemperate, nor the heate and Ar∣dor so raging as they supposed; so also is the cold of the Po∣lar Zones nothing so rigorous and sharpe, as they described * 1.15 it, but sufferable and very well to be endured and enhabited, as by proofe we find, that all those cold Regions are peopled. But the Auncients are to be excused, who though they were great Cosmographers and Geographers, yet they neuer knew nor discouered so much of the earth, as the Modernes haue done, which by painefull and industrious Nauigation haue discouered many Regions, Countries, and Prouinces before vnknowne: not onely in the Occidentall Indies (the which wee will leaue apart) but in the Orientall also, and in the farre partes of the Septentrion: for proofe whereof, reade Ptolo∣me, which is the most esteemed Geographer, and to whom is giuen in those thinges which he wrote, the greatest credite, and you shall finde that hee confesseth himselfe to be igno∣rant of many Countries nowe discouered, which he termeth vnknowne and vnfound Landes, saying: That the first part of Europe beginneth in the Iland of * 1.16 Hybernia, whereas there are many other farther North, that enter also into Eu∣rope: and also a great quantity of firme Land, which is on the * 1.17 same part towards the North-pole, where he might haue ta∣ken his beginning: and in his eight Table of Europe, spea∣king of Sarmacia Europaea, hee sayeth, that there lyeth of the one side thereof a Country vnknowne: and in his second Table of Asia, entreating of Sarmacia Asiatica, hee sayth the same, not acknowledging for discouered all that vvhich is forthward betweene these two Prouinces & the Sea North∣ward: Of Scithia hee sayth the same, in his seauenth Table of Asia, that on the North-side it hath vnknowne Lande: & in his third Table, that all that part of the Mountaynes to∣wardes the North is vndiscouered; and in comming to India

to the kingdome of Chyna, hee hath no knowledge at all of that which is thence forwarde to the East, where is so great a multitude and diuersitie of Countries, Prouinces and King∣doms, as in a manner remaineth behind on this side: yet truly there was neuer any man equall vnto Ptolomie in that which he knew, and all both Auncients and Moderns doe follovve him, as the truest Geographer, though hee were many tymes deceaued, as in saying that the Indian Sea is wholy closed and separated from the Ocean, it beeing afterwards founde, that from the Cape of Bona Speranza to Calycut, there is more then a thousand leagues of water, the which, according to his opinion, should be enuironed with firme land.

Strabo also in his seauenth booke saith, that the same Regi∣on which turneth towards the Aquylon, pertayneth to the Ocean sea, for they are sufficiently known who take their be∣ginning from the rising of the riuer of Rheyne, forth to the riuer of Albis, of which the most famous are the Sugambij & the Cymbri, but the stripe that reacheth out on the other side of the riuer Albis, to vs is wholy vndiscouered & vnknowne, and a little farther, Those (saith he) which will goe to the ry∣sing of the Riuer Boristhenes, & to those parts from whence the winde Boreas commeth, all those Regions are mani∣fest by the Clymes and Paraleils, but what Countries & peo∣ple those are which are on the other side of Almania, and in what sort they are placed which are nowe called Bastarni, as many doe suppose, or Intermedij, or Lasigae, or Raxaili, or others that vse the couerings of Wagons for the roofes of theyr houses, I cannot easily say, neither whetheir their coun∣try extendeth it selfe to the Ocean, or whether through the extreame cold it be vnenhabitable, or whether there be anie other linage of men between the sea & those Almaines which are towards the part of the Ponyent.

By these authorities you may vnderstande, that Strabo (though hee were so great a Cosmographer) had no know∣ledge of all those Countries which are on the other side of Almaine towards the Septentryon or North-pole. But you must vnderstand, that they made Almaine extende it selfe much farther, then we now adayes doe, bringing within the

limits thereof, all those Countries euen vnto Scithia, in which seeing Strabo was ignorant, it is not much if the other Cos∣mographers were ignorant of that which is vnder the vtmost Zone it selfe. As for Strabo, he confesseth not only his igno∣rance in those parts, but also in speaking of the Getes, There are, saith he, certaine mountaines which reach Northward, e∣uen to the Tyrregetes, to the knowledge of whose bounds & ends we cannot attaine, the ignorance of which hath made vs admit many fables that are reported of the Hiperbores and Ryphaean mountaines: But let vs leaue these men, yea, and Pytheas Marsiliensis also with his lyes, which he wrote of the Ocean Sea: and if Sophocles saide any thing in his tragicall verses of Oricia, that she was carried of the wind Boreas ouer the whole Sea, and transported to the vtmost bounds of the whole world, to the fountaines of the Night, & to the height of the Heauen, and to the old Garden of Apollo: let vs leaue him also, and come to the trueth of that, which is in deede knowne in this our age.

BER.

Strabo hath cleerely giuen to vnderstand in these speeches, the small knowledge he had of those Countries, which are towards the North; and of the other side of the Hiperborean and Ryphaean mountaines, which being included in the vtmost Zone, where as you say, vnknowne to all the Auncients: but I wonder at nothing more, then that the vvorld hauing dured so many yeeres be∣fore them, there was neuer any that could attaine to the light and cleare certainty thereof.

AN.

There hath not wanted some, which in som sort though doubtingly haue roued ther∣at, as Pliny, who though he denied, as I said a little before the vtmost Zones to be enhabited; yet comming to speake of the mountaines of Rypheus, hee discouereth the contrary of that which hee had saide before, turning to vse these wordes. The Arimasps being past, there are straight at hand the Ry∣phaean * 1.18 mountaines, and a Country through the continuall falling of snow like feathers, called Pterophoros, the which is a part of the world condemned of Nature, beeing seated in a place of obscurity & darknes: we cannot place these moun∣tains any where, then in the very rigour of Nature it selfe, and in the very seate and bowels of the Aquilon: on the other

side of the Aquilon, liueth (if we wil beleeue it) a verie happy people, whom they call Hyperboreans, whose life they say, lasteth many yeres, and of whom are reported many fabulous miracles: it is thought that there are the vtmost barres of the world, and the farthest compasse of the starres, it is 6. months light with them, & one only day of the Sun contrary: not as som ignorantly say, from the Winter Equinoctiall to the Au∣tumne, only once a yere doth the sunne rise vnto them in the Solstitio, and only once a yere set in the Winter. Their region is warme, of a wholsome temprature without any noysome * 1.19 ayres: the mountaines & woods serue them for houses, they worship their gods in troupes, ioyntly flocking together, there is neuer amongst them any discord, debate, sicknes or infirmi∣ty. Death neuer ouertaketh them til being through olde age weary of liuing they throw themselues from the top of some high Rock down headlong into the sea: this they account the happiest sepulchre that may be. Some writers haue placed thē in the first part of Asia and not of Europe, because there are some in situation & likenes resembling them, called Attacori, others haue placed them in the midst betweene either Sunne, which is Sun-setting of the Antypodes, and the rising thereof with vs, which can by no way be so, beeing so great and huge a sea between. Those who place them there, where they haue but one day in the yere continuing sixe months, say that they sow their corne in the morning, and reape it at midday, and that when the Sunne forsaketh them, they gather the fruit of their trees, and during the space of theyr night they hide thē∣selues in Caues. This people is not to be doubted of, seeing so many Authors haue written that they were wont to sende their first fruites to the Temple of Apollo in Delos, vvhom they cheefely adored. All this is out of Plinie, who as you see discourseth confessing and denying, for one while he sayth, if we will beleeue it, making it ambiguous, and then presentlie he turneth to say that it is not to be doubted of.

LVD.

I alwayes vnderstood that the Hiperborians shold be those who dwell on those Mountaines which are on the end of Asia, towards the North, and me thinkes that Plinie and those Auncients, beeing ignorant in the rest concerning

them, call those also Hyperboreans which dwell on the other side, though there be a great quantity of Land betweene, see∣ing hee calleth also by that name those which are vnder the Pole Artick, or on the other side thereof.

AN.

It is so, for if they were there abouts, we could not haue so litle knowledge of them as wee haue, and in truth as I vnderstand, there must needes be a great quantitie of Lande betweene those moun∣taines and the people whom he termeth by that name. Soli∣nus also entreateth of this matter in the verie selfe same man∣ner, * 1.20 which though it be somewhat prolixe, I will let you vn∣derstand what he saith, First, talking of the Land which is on the other side of the Rephaean mountaines and of the Ary∣masps, he vseth these words: Vpon these mountaines & the height of Ryphaeus, there is a Region couered with continu∣all clowdes and Ise, and in some places of exceeding height, it is a part of the world condemned of Nature, and seated in a perpetuall obscure myst, in the very entrance of the Aquy∣lon, whereby it is most rigorously cold. This onelie amongst all other Lands, knoweth not all the courses of time, & of the heauens, neither tasteth it any other thing then cruell Win∣ter, and sempiternall cold. And farther, speaking in another chapter of the Hyperborean mountaines, he saith, that there was a fable of the Hyperboreans & a rumor, of which to be∣lieue any thing was accounted temerity, but seeing, saith he, so many approued Authors & men of great sufficiency cōfirme them, let no man doubt of thē, or hold thē for fabulous, being approued with such authorities: cōming therfore to speak of them, they are on the other side of Pterophoros, which we haue heard say is on the other side of Aquilo, it is a blessed nation. Some will situat the same rather in Asia thē Europe, & others in the midst betwixt the one & th'other sun, there as it setteth with Antipodes & riseth with vs, the which is contrary to rea∣son, there being so great a sea, which runneth between the 2. rotundities. They are therfore in Europe, & neer them as it is thought, are the bars of the world, and the last compassing or circuit of the stars, they haue one only day in the yere. There want not some who say that the sunne is not there as we haue him here, but that he riseth in the Equinoctiall of the winter,

and setteth in the Autumne, so that the day continueth sixe monthes together, and the night as much. The heauens are fauourable, the ayre sweet, the winds breathe gently & com∣fortably, there is amongst them nothing noysome or hurtful. The woods are their houses, in the day the trees yeelde them victuals, they know not what discord is, they are not troubled with infirmities, they liue innocently, theyr will is equall, and opinions agreeing, in olde age death is welcome vnto them, which if it be tardife in cōming, they preuent it in bereauing themselues of life: for being wearie of liuing, after hauing banqueted with theyr friendes, they let themselues fall from the top of a high Rocke into the depth of the Sea, and this is among them the most esteemed Sepulchre. It is said that they were wont to sende by vnspotted virgins theyr first fruites to Apollo in Delos, who beeing once by the wickednes of their hostes that harboured them defiled, they since that time haue euer vsed to offer them vp within the bounds of theyr ovvne Countrie, &c. And Pomponius Mela ending to entreate of Sarmanica, and beginning with Scithia, from thence, saith he, * 1.21 follow the confines of Asia, and vnlesse it be where the Win∣ter is perpetuall, and the cold not to be suffred, doe enhabite the peoples of Scithia, who in a manner all do call themselues Sagae, and on the edge of Asia, the first are the Hyperbore∣ans vpon the Aquylon and the Ryphaean mountaines, vnder the vtmost cyrcling of the starres, where the Sunne not euery day, as he doth with vs, but rysing in the Equynoctiall of the Winter, setteth in Autumne, so that theyr day and night suc∣cessiuely continueth sixe monthes long apeece.

LU.

Me thinkes these three Authors say in a manner one thing, and in like words, differing onely a little about the ha∣bitation of this people, the one placing them by the Ryphaean mountaines, and the other by the Hyperboreans, betweene the which, as I take it, there is a great distance: but afore you passe any farder, I pray you declare vnto vs the meaning of these two words lately by you mentioned, Pterophoras & Hy∣perbore. * 1.22

AN.

Pterophoras in Greeke is as much to say as a Region of feathers, because the furie of the windes is there so violent, that they seeme to flie with winges, and the snovve

which continually falleth, resembleth great feathers. Hiper∣boreans is as much to say, as those that dwell vnder the wind Boreas, which is the same that wee heere call * 1.23 Circius, the which as it seemeth, engendereth it selfe, and riseth of the cold of those mountaines; and this is the opinion of Diodorus Siculus, though Festus Pompeius say that they are so called, because they passe the common maner of men in their liuing and yeeres: and Macrobius in his comment De somno Scipto∣nis, interpreteth it saying, that they are people which entring within the Land, passed on the other side of the wind Bore∣as: but whether it be as the one or the other sayes, the matter makes not much.

BER.

Let vs passe forward, and seeing these Authors seeme heerein to confesse, that there are Lands and Prouin∣ces vnder the Zones of the Poles which are enhabited: I pray you tell vs what the Modernes doe thinke thereof, who haue seene and discouered more then those of times past.

AN.

The Modernes entreate very differently heereof, though they be few: for Countries so sharpe and so farre out of the way, haue beene viewed or passed into by few, whereby their par∣ticularities might be discouered; though wee may say that heerein is fulfilled the saying of our Sauiour Christ that there is nothing so secrete but commeth to be reuealed and so there haue not wanted curious and industrious persons which haue verified the same, discouering this secrete: but afore we come to entreate of the particularities of this Country, heare what Iacobus Ziglerus an Almaigne Author sayth. The Aunci∣ents, sayth hee, perswaded by a naked imagination, spake of * 1.24 those places by estimation of the heauens, deeming thē not to be sufferable or enhabitable without great difficulty, for those men which were borne or conuersant in Aegipt or Greece, tooke an argument thereby to speake of the whole enhabi∣table world, & to affirme those parts vnder the North-pole not to be enhabited: But to declare that the Lands how cold so euer they be, are not therefore vninhabitable, he bringeth for example the aboundance of mettals & minerals of siluer, which grow in Swethland and Norway, being Countries ex∣ceedingly colde, whence hee maketh an argument, that the

heauens are not so vntemperate in those parts or any others how cold so euer, but that they may be enhabited, yea, and in such sort that men liue there very long, & in great health and strength, as by experience of those Countries we finde it to be true, which could not be, vnlesse the heauen were tempe∣rate and fauourable in correcting that domage which by the cold might be caused: Afterwards handling this matter a lit∣tle more at large, he turneth to say; I write not this to the end you should thinke that those who goe thither out of Aethio∣pia or Aegipt, should agree so well with that climate, as those which are naturall of the same; for vndoubtedly they would hardly endure the cold, and be in great danger of their liues: vvhich may be considered by those of the Land of Babilon, for those of them which went towards the North, did not by and by penetrate into the vtmost bounds of the earth in those parts, but seated them selues in the middle thereof, and as they enured themselues to suffer the colds, so by little & little they pearced farther in, cōming in time to be so accustomed to the cold, that they endured the Snow and Ice, as well as the hote Countries doe the continuall heat & parching of the Sunne: and if there be perchaunce in those parts any thing ouersharp & rigorous, Nature hath amended the same with other helps; * 1.25 for on the Sea shore she hath ordained Caues that runne vn∣der the mountains, where the fiercer that the cold is, the grea∣ter is the heate & warmenes that gathereth it selfe therein, and Landward shee hath made Valleyes contrary to the North, wherein they might harbor & shroud themselues against the cold; as for their Cattell and wild Beastes, she hath cloathed them with such thicke skins, that the nipping of the cold can no whit at al anoy them, & therfore those furres of those parts are more precious, then those of warmer Countries.

BER.

We haue well vnderstoode all these authorities and opinions, but we vnderstand not what you will inferre by them.

AN.

It is easily vnderstood, if you looke vnto that which we at the beginning discoursed, as touching the opinion of all auncient Authors & Geographers, who thought that the two vtmost Zones of the Poles were not enhabitable through their ex∣treame cold, whereas by that which I haue said, and wil heere∣after

say, the contrary appeareth: And so we will goe on veri∣fying that our Europe is not so little or the least part of the earth, as many will haue it to be, seeing we know not the ends thereof, of one side extending it selfe, & following the whole Coast of the Sea, seeming to guide it towards the Occident, then giuing a turne to the Septentrion, & by another way pas∣sing and trauersing the Riphaean mountaines, following the same Land which reacheth euen to the Septentrion it selfe, or vnder the North-pole.

LV.

That Coast which you say goeth towards the Occident, as I haue heard say, is not nauigable, be∣cause of the frozen Sea, which hindereth the passage of the ships.

AN.

There is a great Coast of the Sea, which for the same reason you giue, according to many of the Cosmogra∣phers is not nauigable; and of this, the Auncients yeeld not so good reason, neither haue they so good experience thereof as the Moderns haue, though Gemma Frigius a very graue Au∣thor, be very short in handling this matter, for comming to speake of the Prouinces of Curlandia and Liuonia, hee sayth, that they are the last of Sarmatia, and that Liuonia stretcheth towards the Septentrion, & cōmeth to ioyne it selfe with the Hiperboreans, whose peoples are Parigitae and Carcotae, which goe following that part of the Septentrion that passeth on the other side of Circulus Articus, & that they are great and wide Regions, & most extremely cold, and that the men which en∣habit them, are of a strong constitution of body, & very faire of cōplexion, but somwhat grosse of vnderstanding; and that there are places of ice so hard frosen, that great troups of hors∣men may therevpon make their fights & encounters, whereto they vse the winter more then the somer, & that like vnto these Countries are those of Escarmia & Dacia; and a little farther speaking of the Prouince of Swethland, which he calleth Go∣tia Occidentalis, (because there is another called Meridionalis) & of Norway which stretcheth it self by the Coast of the Oc∣cident towardes the Iland of Thule, and ioyneth it selfe with * 1.26 Groneland, he saith, that without the circle Artick, are the pro∣uinces of Pilapia & Vilapiae, the coldest countries of the world, because they reach vnto the very North-pole, in which their day cōtinueth the space of a whole month, & that those parts * 1.27

are not till this day throughly discouered because the enhabi∣tants of them are most wicked & cruell, and persecute Chri∣stians within their limits, and that euill Spirits doe there pre∣sent themselues many times before the eyes of men, in bodies formed of ayre, with a fearefull and terrible aspect: and af∣terwards he saith, that in those Countries towards the Occi∣dent, it is said, though their place and seate be vncertaine, that the Pigmees doe enhabite men of a cubite high, the trueth whereof is vncertaine, but only that a ship of leather through the violence of the winds, being driuen on the shore, was ta∣ken with many of these Pigmees in it: All this you must vn∣derstand he saith, in speaking of that Coast, which as I sayde * 1.28 goeth out Westward, for from thence all that which turneth compassing about the Land towards the East, passing the vt∣most Zone, euen till it come to meete with ours, is vnknown, neither hath any ship made that voyage, neither is there any Nation that can giue vs notice thereof, the reason is, because of the frozen Sea of which you spake, through which, that Coast is by no meanes nauigable, whereof Gemma Frigius maketh no mention in this place, neither afterwards also, whē he commeth to speake of the Scithians, where hee saith, that in the farthest Scithia, which extendeth it selfe farre beyond the Hiperboreans: there are many Nations whom he nameth by their names, without comming in one part or other to the Sea-coast, in sort that heereby may be inferred, that hee left much Land in those parts for vndiscouered and vnknowne: and in his Map (which cannot be denied to be one of the best and surest, that hath beene hetherto made by any man) com∣ming to the Country of Swethland, he setteth the same sim∣ply with an Epitaph, saying, That of those Septentrial Lands he will there-after more particulerly entreate: and so sayeth Iohn Andraeas Valuasor in his.

LU.

It seemeth vnto me, that in this matter they cannot so agree one with another, but that they must differ and discord in many points because the most of them, or in a manner all, speake by heare-say and con∣iecture, who though they bring apparant reasons, yet are they not so sufficient, that we are bound absolutly to beleeue them, without thinking that in many of them we may be deceaued.

AN.

It is true in part, though they haue also many rea∣sons which cannot be reprooued, as those which the same Gemma Frigius giueth, to make vs vnderstand that beyond these Landes farther Northwardes, the dayes and nights en∣crease successiuely, as I said before, till they come to be sixe monthes long apeece, which seeing the Batchiler Encisus re∣hearseth also in his Cosmography, discoursing more plainlie * 1.29 and cleerely of them, I will let you vnderstand what he wry∣teth. Entreating howe that the dayes and nights are alvvayes equall, and of one length, to those that dwell vnder the Equi∣noctiall, he passeth forward, telling how they goe increasing and decreasing in length, according to the degrees that they apart themselues from the Sunne: so comming to say, that those which dwell in 67. degrees, haue their longest day of 24. houres, so that one day is 24. houres, and one night as much more, which is day without night, and night without day. Those which dwell in 69. degrees, haue a whole month together day without night, and another whole month night without day. Those which dwell in 71. degrees, haue two months of day without any night, and two months of night without anie day. Those which dwell in 73. degrees, haue three months of day, and other three of night. Those which dwell in 75. degrees, haue four months of continuall day, and other foure of continuall night. And those which dwel in 79. and 80. degrees, haue sixe months of day without night, and other sixe months of night without day: so that in the whole yeere they haue no more then one day, & one night.

BER.

By this computation it seemeth, that they which are in 80. de∣grees, and enioy the day and night sixe months long apeece, should be vnder the very Pole.

AN.

Nay rather they reach not so farre as to be vnder it, as the same Encisus saith a little after by these words, From thence forward to the Pole, the difference is little, whether it be day or night: for the great∣nes of the Sunne exceeding the roundnes of the world, yeel∣deth to those parts of the Poles a continuall brightnesse, be∣cause the compasse of the earth beeing inferior to that of the Sunne, is not able to make shaddowe, or to hinder that the cleerenesse thereof shine not ouer those parts.

LU.

This is maruailous strange, that there shoulde be anie Lande where it is neuer night.

AN.

You must not vnder∣stand but that it waxeth night (which is when the Sunne set∣teth) but yet the same in such sort, that there neuer vvanteth sufficient light and brightnes, to see any worke whatsoeuer is to be doone, and if you will be attentife, I will make you vn∣derstand it more plainlie. With those that are vnder the Poles and haue there their habitation, the Sunne neither riseth, ney∣ther setteth as it doth heere with vs, but verie differently: for * 1.30 with vs the Sunne riseth in the East, and passing ouer our heads (or missing little thereof) goeth to hide it selfe and set in the West, and giuing a compasse about vnder the earth, turneth the next day to appeare in the same place, making in this course very little difference in a yeere: and our shad∣dowe vvhen the Sunne riseth, falleth to the West, and vvhen it setteth, towards the East: but to those who are at the Poles, which according to the rising of the Sunne, are the sides of the world, it is not so: and therefore consider, that when the Sunne is in the midst betweene them both, and from thence goeth declining to one side, the more he declineth, the more he lightneth that side, and hideth himselfe from the other, & because in going and turning to the same place, he deteyneth himselfe halfe a yeere, he causeth that those which are vnder the Pole of that side, haue the day halfe a yeere long, and contrarie, vvhen returning to the mydst of his iourney, hee goeth declyning to the other side, hee vvorketh the same ef∣fect vvith those of the other Pole, and so they repart the yeere one with another, the one hauing mid-daie vvhen the other hath mid-night, and so by contrarie.

And if you desire to vnderstand this well, and to see it by experience, take any round thing that is somewhat great, and causing it to be hanged vp in the ayre, light a Candle when it is darke, and lyfting it vp a little, bring it rounde about by the midst, and beginne thence to goe declining vvith it to * 1.31 one side, and you shall see that the more you decline, the more you shall lighten the poynt which is on that side, and the more obscure will that be on the other side, & then com∣ming to turne againe, giuing a compasse by the midst, and

thence discending on the other part towards the other side, the same will presenlie beginne to goe lightning, and the o∣ther obscuring, and if as I say it is a Candle, it were a Torch, the brightnesse vvould be greater, and though declining to one side, it obscure the other, yet should it neuer be so much, but that there woulde remaine some lyght of that which doth reuerberate from the flame and greatest brightnesse of the Torch: and so fares it with those inhabitants vvhich are at the Poles, or in the Land vnder them: which as the Sunne is so much greater then the vvhole Earth, so cannot he chuse but cast from one side some light vnto the other, vvhich though it be not with his proper beames, yet is it of the fla∣shing and excellent brightnesse which dooth reuerberate from them, as we haue heere with vs an example of the like when the Sunne is going downe. Besides, the cleerenesse of the Moone and Starres shyning there, helpeth verie much that the obscuritie of the Night can neuer be there so great, but that men may see one another doe theyr businesse, and as Nature hath prouided a remedie for all thinges, so hath shee heereby taken away that tediousnesse, which otherwise the length of so long a night should haue caused.

BER.

I haue very well vnderstood all that which you haue sayde, according to vvhich, the Sunne riseth and setteth with them, farre differently from that hee doth with all the world besides.

AN.

I will tell you: with vs, as I saide before, the Sunne passeth aboue ouer vs, and maketh our shadowes on one side at his rising, and on another at his setting, but if you will vn∣derstand me well, you must vse attention: and first you must know that this word Orizon signified the Heauen which we see, wheresoeuer we are in turning our eyes rounde about the * 1.32 earth, so that euery Prouince and Country hath an Orizon, which is that part of Heauen which they discouer in circling or compassing it about with theyr sight: And as in our Ori∣zon we discouer the Sunne by little and little when he riseth, to take his course through the heauen ouer vs, and so at last to set himselfe in the contrary place: so with those which are vnder the Poles in his rising, & afterwards his setting, in a far

different sort: For the first day that he riseth, there appeareth but a point of him, which can scarcely be discouered, and go∣eth so round about their Orizon, in which going about hee sheweth himselfe alwaies in one sort, without encreasing, vn∣lesse it be a very little, casting all alike brightnes forth: At the second turne he goeth discouering himselfe a little more, and so at the third and fourth, and all the rest, encreasing from de∣gree in degree, and giuing turnes round about the heauen vp∣wards, in which he continueth three moneths, and the sha∣dow of all that vppon which his beames doe strike, goeth round about, and is when he beginneth to rise very great, and the higher he mounteth, the shorter it waxeth: and afterward when he turneth to come downward, in which he dureth o∣ther three moneths, it is contrary, euen till hee come to hide himselfe vnder the earth, at which time, as hee goeth hiding himselfe to those of the one pole, so goeth hee shewing and discouering himselfe to those of the other.

LV.

The vnder∣standing of this mistery is not without some difficulty, espe∣cially to vs, which till this time haue not had thereof any no∣tice: yet I now begin by little and little to comprehend the same, onely one doubt remaineth which somwhat troubleth mee, which is, if the whole Land from that place where the dayes are of 24. houres length (which according as I vnder∣stand, is from the Ile of Thule, and the other Prouinces that are on firme Land, till you come to that which you say is vn∣der the Pole) be enhabited of men, or Desert without habi∣tation.

AN.

I make no doubt but that all this Land is enhabi∣ted in parts, though not so populously in all places as this of * 1.33 ours: & in this the Authors doe not so plainly declare them∣selues, that we may thereby receaue cleare and particuler vn∣derstanding thereof, though some of them goe on setting vs in the right way to knowe the same. For Encisus following the discouery of the Coast, which goeth towards the Sunne∣setting, giuing a turne to the North, he goeth discouering by the same many Prouinces, amongst which, I remember hee speaketh of two, the one called Pyla Pylanter, and the other * 1.34 which is somwhat farther Euge Velanter, in which he saith the

dayes encrease to two moneths and a halfe, and the night as much, which though it be a Land enhabited, yet through the extreame and terrible cold thereof, the Riuers and Waters are in such sort frozen, that the enhabitants haue much adoe to get any vvater: for their Ices are so thicke, strong, and hard, that they cannot be broken without infinite paine & trauaile. They waite many times til the Ice be opened by certaine wild Beasts, which they haue amongst them, white of colour, and * 1.35 proportioned much like vnto Beares, whose nature is as well to liue by water as by land: whose feete are armed with such terrible sharpe, great, and strong nailes, that they breake there∣with the Ice how thicke so euer it be, vnder the which plun∣ging themselues, they swim along the water, and pray vpon such fishes as they finde, leauing the holes whereat they en∣tred open, at which the enhabitants come incontinently to draw water, endeuouring with all dilligence to keepe them o∣pen, least otherwise they freeze and close together againe as fast as they were before. They hang in at them their baits and Angling hookes, with the which also they take fish for their sustenance: As for me I assuredly thinke that these Prouin∣ces are those which Gemma Frigius calleth Pilapia and Vila∣pia, though he say that the dayes in them encrease no farther then to a moneth, & the nights as much. But let vs not won∣der if in such things as these so farre distant & seperated from vs, we finde no witnesses of such conformity, but that they differ in somwhat. Olaus Magnus, giueth vs, though in briefe words, some neerer notice of this matter: for before he come to discourse more particulerly of the Prouinces vnder the same Pole, he vseth these words. Those of Laponia, saith he, of Bothnya, Byarmya, and the Ifladians, haue their dayes and nights halfe a yeere long a peece: Those of Elsingia, Anger∣mania, and part of Swethland haue them fiue moneths long, and those of Gothland, Muscouia, Russia, and Liuonia, haue them three moneths long: Which Author being naturall of Gothland and Bishop of Vpsala, it is to be thought that hee knew the truth thereof: But these Countries being so neere vnto ours, I meruaile that there is no greater notice of them, and that there are not many more Authors that doe write of

them: Truth it is as I vnderstand, that this encreasing of daies and nights should not bee generall throughout the vvhole Country, but onely in part thereof, which may be gathered out of that which he sayth, of the Kingdome of Norway, that in the entry and first parts of the same, the dayes are as they are heere with vs: But going on forth to the blacke Castell, and from thence forwarde, there is so great a change as you haue heard before, & the like may also be in other Countries. By these before rehearsed authorities, we may vnderstand the resolution of the doubt by you proposed, that all the Lande betweene vs and the North is enhabited, at least in parts ther∣of heere and there, so that it may be trauailed through ouer all.

BER.

My head is greatly troubled, about this encreasing & decreasing of the dayes and nights so much, because the far∣ther we goe from the Aequinoctial, the longer we find them: yet the common opinion of all Cosmographers, is, that in one degree are reckoned sixteene leagues and a halfe or somwhat more, which being so, it seemeth meruailous, that in two de∣grees * 1.36 which are but 23. leagues or very little more, the day and successiuely the night should encrease so much time as is a moneth, according to your former computation; and that when it were day in the one part, it should be night in the o∣ther, they being so neere together.

AN.

You haue some reason to doubt, but as these Lands goe alwaies downehill or slopewise in respect of the course of the Sun, so in little space the same both hideth & discouereth it selfe vnto them in great quantity; this you may partly vnderstand by that which hap∣peneth to trauailers, who hauing the Sunne in their eye, a lit∣tle before the setting thereof, in passing ouer a Plaine and champaine place, lose presently the sight thereof in comming to the foote of a hill, as though he were sodainly set, yet if they make hast, when they get vp to the top of the hill, they finde him not fully downe, recouering againe day though but a lit∣tle yet somwhat longer: But for all this, I blame you not in wondring at a thing so strange, which for the true proofe and vnderstanding whereof, were necessary to be seene with our eyes: for confirmation whereof, though there be many most sufficient reasons and proofes, yet I haue not reade heerein

any Author which auoucheth his own knowledge and sight, whereas me thinkes if these Regions were so short, as by this computation of degrees the Authors seeme to make them, there should not haue wanted curious men to discouer the particularities of them, howe great so euer the difficulty or danger had beene in doing the same, which if they had done, they should perchaunce haue found many things farre other∣wise then they deemed, at least touching some particularities, of which some later Writers vaunt to haue in part experi∣ence: of which seeing we our selues are able to giue no assu∣red testimony of sight; I thinke it best that we leaue them to those whose curious industry wil omit no paine to attaine vn∣to the perfect searching out of things so worthy to be known: and seeing the Auncients which went sifting out these mat∣ters, confesse that from the same Land came Virgins to bring their first fruits to the temple of Apollo in Delos, belike there was then some known way, & the passage betweene nothing so difficill as it nowe seemeth vnto vs, which beeing to vs vn∣knowne, and the manner howe to trauaile and passe through those cold Regions beset with deepe Snow, thicke Ice, wide Riuers, painefull high Hils, fearefull low Valleyes, vnaccessi∣ble Desarts, and all kinds of cruell wild Beasts: we leaue them vnuoyaged, not seeking any way whereby we may penetrate into them, and attaine the cognition of their particulers in a manner concealed and hidden from vs, of which though some fewe of the hether parts thereof were knowne by relati∣on of some painefull and industrious men, who affirmed that they had seene them: yet the greatest part was by coniectures, considerations, and probable argumentes, though the curi∣osity of our times hath passed a little farther, because as I haue sayde, they are eye-witnesses of part of that which wee haue discouered of, as I will tell you straight, but all shall be little to giue vs such perfect and particuler knowledge of this part of the worlde, that we may discourse thereof as of the others which we know. Some Authors will haue this Land to be in Asia, others in Europe, but in whether it be, the matter is not great: alwayes if it be in Europe then is Europe not so little a part of the earth as they make it, of vvhich if they will

set the limits there as the Auncients say it finished, then must these Regions before time vndiscouered, be another nevve part of the world, and so they should make foure parts ther∣of or fiue, with that which is newly discouered thereof in the West Indies.

BER.

I vvonder not much if men haue not so good notice of those partes of which wee haue discoursed neere the one and neere the other Pole, and of that vvhich runneth out by the Coast of the North towardes the West, because besides the great sharpnes and rigour of the cold, we haue no cōuersation at all with the enhabitants of those parts, nor they with vs, neither is there any cause to mooue eyther them or vs thereunto, vnlesse it be the curiositie of some that thirst after the vniuersal knowledge of all things in the world, as did Marcus Paulus Venetus, who for this cause only tra∣uailed so great a part of the worlde, as any man that euer I heard of till this day. Truth it is that some Kings and Princes through couetous desire of enlarging their dominions, as you shall hereafter vnderstand, haue entered so far as they could, conquering into these parts, which they found neyther ouer all enhabited, neyther yet so desert, but that it was in manie places and the greater part therof peopled, and not so far one from another, but that they had knowledge, conuersation, & traffique together. And as in these Countries and Prouinces of ours, we finde one soyle, plaine, temperate and pleasant, and another quite contrary, sharpe, barren and vnfruitfull, subiect to boystrous winds, harsh ayres, and continuall snow, wherewith some mountaines are all the yeere long couered, so that no man will frame in them his habitation: So likewise in these extreame Regions of the North, no doubt but there are some parts of them vninhabited, as those which Pliny, So∣line, and the before remembred Authors terme condemned of Nature: yet there want not wayes and compasses in cyr∣cling about them, to discouer that which is enhabited on the other side, and though with difficultie, yet in fine, Nature would not leaue to prouide an open way, to the end that this Land should not remaine perpetually hidden and vnknown.

LV.

I remember I haue seene in Paulus Iouius in a chapter which hee made of Cosmography abbreuiated in the begin∣ning

of his History these words, speaking of the Kingdomes of Denmarke and Norway, and the Landes beyond them: Of the Nature, saith he, of these Lands, & of the peoples that liue beyond them called Pigmaei, & Ictiophagi, which are those that liue by fishes, now newly discouered, in whose Country * 1.37 by a certaine order of the Heauen of that constellation, the dayes and nights are equall, which I will make mention in their place.

AN.

Mee thinkes there are many that touch this matter, promising to write largely thereof without doing it, and if they doe it, it is euen as they list themselues, because there is no man to controle them: and as for Paulus Iouius himselfe, all that he wrote of this Country, was by the relati∣on of a Muscouian Embassadour in Rome. In one place hee saith, that the Muscouites border vpon the Tartaryans, and that towards the North they are accounted the vtmost dwel∣lers of the worlde, and that towardes the West, they confine with the Danske Sea. And in another place, the Muscouites, sayth he, who are seated betweene Polonia and Tartaria, con∣fine with the Ryphaean mountaines, & enhabite towards the Septentryon in the vtmost bounds of Europe and Asia, ex∣tending themselues ouer the Lakes of the Riuer Tanays, euē to the Hyperborean mountaines, and that part of the Ocean which they call the Frozen Sea. These are his wordes, in which truly he hath little reason, for the vtmost Land that the Muscouites possesse, is where the day and night continue 3. months long a peece, so that they cannot be called the last enhabitants of the earth, for those whose day and night is of sixe months, are farder North, and neerer the Pole then they, so that in fine, as I sayd before, touching these matters which cannot be seene without such difficultie, those that entreat of them, goe by gesse, coniecturing thereat by the probabilitie of reasons & considerations.

LU.

As I imagine, this coun∣trey must be very great, where the daies are so long in encrea∣sing, and decreasing: and more, if there be on the other side of the North before you come at the Sea, so much other land, of force it must haue the same encrease and decrease, for the selfe same cause and reason, as is of the other side, and if the same goe lengthning on inwards, it must be greater, then it

hath seemed vnto vs.

AN.

Whether this land extend it selfe on the other side of the North forward, or whether the Sea be straight at hande, I cannot resolue you: for there is not any Author that writeth it, neither do I thinke is there any that knoweth it, the cause wherof as I said is, that in passing by the coast of the West, beyond the Iles of * 1.38 Thule, the coldes are so bitterly sharpe, that no ship dareth to aduenture farder, by reason of the huge floting Rockes and flakes of Ise, vvhich encomber that Sea, threatning eminent danger and vnauoy∣dable destruction to those that attempt to saile thereinto. Of the other side of the East, giuing a turne about to the very same North, is discouered so far as the Prouince of Agana∣gora, which is the last of all the knowne Countries on that * 1.39 side, the Gulfe being past which is called Mare magnum, for by land they say it is not to be trauailed, by reason of the great Deserts, & the earth in many places full of Quagmyres, with many other inconueniences which Nature seemeth to haue there ordained. Some say that earthly Paradise standeth there, and that therefore no earthly man in the world hath know∣ledge thereof: but of this we haue before sufficiently entrea∣ted, with the opinions of those, that haue written thereupon. Some there are also who write, that in this Lande are certaine great mountains, amongst the which are enclosed many peo∣ples of India, from which they haue no issue, nor meanes at all to come out, but I rather beleeue this to be a fiction, be∣cause I find the same confirmed by no graue & allowed Au∣thour. But howsoeuer it be, beyond this Countrey called A∣ganagora, is much vnknowne and vndiscouered Land, ney∣ther by sea thence Northward hath there been any nauigation or discouery, of which also the extreame cold and the sea cō∣tinually frozen and choked vp with heapes of Ise, may be the cause, the feare of which hath hindred men from attempting the discouery therof onely that which we may hereby vnder∣stand, is that there is a most great quantity of Land from the coast which goeth by the west & turneth towards the North, and that which compasseth about the East, and turneth like∣wise to the North, of which till this time there is not anie man * 1.40 that can giue direct notice, in midst of all which, is that which

we intreated of, which is vnder the North, whose daie and night is reparted into a yeere.

BER.

I knowe not in vvhat sort the moderne Geographers doe measure or compasse the world, but I know that they say, that the whole Rotundity of all the Land and water in the worlde, containeth not aboue sixe thousand leagues, of which are discouered 4350. recko∣ning from the Hauen of Hygueras in the Occident or West * 1.41 Indies, to Gatigara, where the Prouince of Aganagora is cō∣tayned, which is in the Orient, so that there are yet to discouer 1650. leagues, in discouering of which, the ende and vtmost boundes of the Indies shoulde be knowne, as well as that of this part of the earth which we inhabite.

AN.

To those that will measure the world in this maner, may be answered, as a Boy in Seuilla to those that would de∣uide the conquest thereof between the King of Castile and * 1.42 the King of Portugale, who in mockage of theyr folly, puld downe his breeches, and shewing them his buttocks, badde them draw the line there along if they would needes deuide the world in the midst by measure: & as for those which me∣sure in such sort the worlde, they take but the length of the earth, fetching their way by the midst of the Equinoctiall, and so the Astronomers and Cosmographers may goe neere the mark, reckoning by degrees, and giuing to euery degree 16. leagues & a halfe, & a minute of way as they do: but though they discouer this, yet they can hardly come to discouer the many parts & nookes that are of one side and another of the world, being so wide, that in one corner thereof may lye hyd∣den many thousands of miles and Countries, which beeing seene & known, wold perchance seem to be some new world, & so lieth this part of which I speake on the coast of the Sea, quite without notice or knowledge.

BER.

Some will say, that the shippe called Victoria (which is yet as a thing of ad∣miration * 1.43 in the Bay of Seuilia) went round about the world, in the voyage which she made of fourteen thousand leagues.

AN.

Though she did compasse the world round about in one part, yet it is not said that she compast the same about in all parts, which are so many, that to thinke onely of them, is sufficient to amaze a mans vnderstanding.

Amongst the rest, we neuer heard that the Coast from the West to the East, by the way of the North, or at least the grea∣ter part thereof, hath beene compassed about, as yet by any ship, neither haue we knowledge of any thing at all, neither by Sea nor Land, nauigating from thence forward.

LV.

If you reade Pomponius Mela in his Chapter of Scithia, where he discourseth of this matter, you shall finde that he bringeth the authority of Cornelius Nepos, alleadging for witnesse Quintus Metellus, whom he had heard say, that when he was Proconsull of the Gaules, the King of Swethland gaue him * 1.44 certaine Indians, of whom, demanding which way they came into those Countries, they aunswered, that through the terri∣ble force of a great tempest, they were so furiously driuen from the streame of the Indian Sea, that after long attending nothing else, thē to be swallowed vp of the waues; they came at last violently to bee striken into a Riuer on the Coast of Germany: which being true, then they made that nauigati∣on, by those partes which you say are vndiscouered from the West to the East, by the way of the North, whereby it is to be thought, that the Sea is not so frozen as they say, but that it is nauigable.

AN.

Truth it is that Mela saith so, though it be doubted whether the Indians came this way or no, and Mela himselfe in the ende of the Chapter turneth to say, that all the same Septentrionall side is hardened with Ice, and therefore vnin∣habitable and desert: but as I haue said, all this is not directly proued and confirmed by sound experience & exact know∣ledge, seeing we know not howe farre the Land extendeth it selfe on the other side of the North without comming to the Sea, and if we would seeke to sift this secrete out, and aspire to the knowledge of that which might be found in nauigating that Sea, fetching a compasse about the world from North to North, God knoweth what Lands would be found and dis∣couered?

BER.

The likeliest to beleeue in this matter, in my iudgement is, that the same Sea of the North though be∣ing frozen the greatest part of the yeare, yet that the same, at such time as the Sunne mounteth high, and their day of such length, should through the heate of the Sunne thaw and be∣come

nauigable, and so in that season the Indians might be driuen through the same with a tempest; all which though it be so, yet the people assuredly knowing that the same Sea freezeth in such sort euery yeere, will not dare or aduenture to saile therein, or to make any voyage on that side, so that we come not to the knowledge of such thinges as are in that Sea and Land, vnlesse wee will beleeue the fictions that Sylenus told to King Mydas.

LV.

Of all friendship, tell vs them I pray you, for in so diffuse a matter any man may lye by au∣thority without controlement.

BER.

That which I will tell you is out of Theopompus, alleaged by Aelianus in his book * 1.45 De varia Historia. This Sylenus, saith he, was the Sonne of a Nimph, and accounted as inferiour to the Gods, but as supe∣riour vnto men, who in one communication, among many others that hee had with King Mydas, discoursed vnto him, that out of this Land or world in which wee liue, called com∣monly, Asia, Affrique, and Europe, whom he termeth Ilands, enuironed rounde about with the Ocean: there is another Land so great, that it is infinite and without measure, in the same are bred Beastes and Fowles of admirable hugenes, and the men which dwell therein are twise so great as we are, and their life twice as long: They haue many and goodly Citties, in which they liue by reason, hauing lawes quite contrary vn∣to ours: among their Citties there are two that exceede the rest in greatnes, in customes no whit at all resembling, for the * 1.46 one is called Machino, which signifieth warlike, and the other Euaesus, which signifieth pittifull, the enhabitants of which are alwayes in continuall peace, and plentifully abounding in great quantity of riches, in whose Prouince the fruites of the earth are gathered without being sowed or planted. They are alwayes free from infirmities, spending their whole time in mirth, pleasure, and solace, they maintaine iustice so inuiola∣bly, that many times the immortall Gods disdaine not to vse their friendship and company: but on the contrary, the en∣habitants of Machino are altogether warlike, continually in Armes and Warre, seeking to subdue the bordering Nati∣ons: This people doth dominate and commaund ouer many other proud Citties and mighty Prouinces. The Cittizens

of this Towne are at least 200000. in number, they sildome die of infirmity, but in the Warres, wounded with stones and great staues: Iron nor steele hurtes them not, for they haue none: Siluer & gold they possesse in such quantity, that they esteeme lesse therof, then we doe of Copper; Once, as he said, they determined to come conquer these Ilands of ours, and hauing past the Ocean with many thousandes of men; and comming to the Hiperborean mountaines, hearing there, & vnderstanding that our people were so ill obseruers of Reli∣gion, and of so wicked manners, they disdained to passe any farther, accounting it an vnwoorthy thing to meddle with so corrupt a people, and so they returned backe againe. He ad∣ded heere-vnto many other meruailous things, as that there were in other Prouinces thereof certaine people called Me∣ropes, who enhabited many and great Citties, within the * 1.47 bounds of whose Country there was a place called Anostum, which worde signifieth, a place whence there is no returne: * 1.48 this Country, saith he, is not cleare and light, neither yet alto∣gether darke, but betweene both, through the same runne two Riuers, the one of delight, the other of greefe, vppon the shore both of the one and the other, are planted trees about the bignes of Poplar-trees; those that are on the banks of the Riuer of griefe, bring forth a fruite of the same nature & qua∣lity, * 1.49 causing him that eateth thereof, to spend the whole time of his life in sad and melancholly dumps, bitter teares, & per∣petuall weeping. The fruite of those that grow on the banks of the other Riuer, haue a contrary effect and vertue, yeelding to the eater thereof a blessed course of life, abounding in all ioy recreation and pleasure, without any one moment of sad∣nes: When they are in yeeres, by little and little they waxe young againe, recouering their former vigour and force, and thence they turne still backward euen to their first infancie, becomming little babes againe, & then they die.

LV.

These things were very strange if they were true, but be howe they will, they carry some smell of that of which we entreated, con∣cerning the Land which is on the other side of the Riphaean and Hiperborean mountaines; seeing he saith that determi∣ning to conquer this our world which he calleth Ilands, they

returned backe after they came to those mountaines: and so it is to be vnderstoode, that they came from the other part of the North-pole; as for that Land which he saith to be so te∣nebrous & obscure, it may be the same which as we sayd hath continuall obscurity, and is a condemned part of the world, & I doe not wonder at all, if amongst the other works of Na∣ture, she made this part of the earth with so strange proper∣ties, (I meane not that which Silenus spake, but the other by vs entreated of before) the ayre of which by reason of som con∣stellation or other thing we comprehend not, is so troubled that it is not onely vninhabitable, but also not to be passed through wherby the secreets therein contained, remaine con∣cealed, though perchance on the other side therof, the time & temperature may be such and so contrary, that it may excell these very Countries wherein we now liue.

AN.

You haue reason, for without doubt the Land which is in those parts vndiscouered, must be very great, and containe in it many things of admiration vtterly vnknowne to vs: But comming now to particularize somewhat more of that which is now in these our times known & discouered, I wil tell you what some very new & moderne Authors doe say thereof, and principal∣lie Iohn Zygler, whom I alleadged before, who in person vi∣sited & viewed some part of these Septentrionall Countries, * 1.50 though hee passed neither the Hiperborean, neyther the Ri∣phaean mountains, who meruaileth greatly at that which sun∣dry Authors haue left written of these parts, for he found ma∣ny things so different and contrary, that theirs conformed in no one poynt with the truth, as well touching the situation of mountaynes and heads of Riuers, as the sundry properties and qualities of the Regions and Prouinces, for hee sayeth, that he was in that part where they all affirme the mountaines Ryphaeus to be; and hee found there no mountaynes at all, neyther in a great space of Lande round about it, but all a plaine and leuell Country: the selfe same is affirmed by Si∣gismund Herberstain, in his voyage; so that if they erre in the seate of a thing so common and notorious, as are these * 1.51 mountaines, being situated in a Country of Christians, or at least confining there-vpon (for the Country where the Aun∣cients

desribing them, is nowe called Muscouia) hardly can they write truly of other thinges which are farther off, and in Countries of which we haue not so great knowledge as wee haue of this.

But turning to that which we entreated of, I say that those thinges can hardly be verified which are written by the Aun∣cients concerning these Northern Lands, not so much for the small notice we haue of them, as for that the names are altered of Kingdoms, Prouinces, Citties, mountaines and Riuers, in such sort, that it is hard to know which is the one, and which is the other, for you shall scarcely finde any one that retaineth his olde name, and though by signes and coniectures wee hit right vpon some of thē, yet it is impossible but that we should * 1.52 erre in many, in taking one for another, the experience wher∣of we may see here in our owne Country of Spayne, the prin∣cipall townes of which, are by Ptolomie and Plinie, vvhich write particulerly of them, called by names to vs now vtterlie vnknowne, neyther doe we vnderstand which is which, they are so altred & changed. So fareth it with the auncient Geo∣graphy, which though there be many that do practise & vn∣derstand according to the antique, yet if you aske them many things according to that now in vre with the moderns (so are things in these our times altered and innouated) they cannot yeeld you a reason thereof, & if they doe, it shall be such, that thereout will result greater doubts.

But leauing this, I will, as touching the Lands of which we entreate, conclude with that which some Historiographers of our time, haue made mention, namely, Iohan. Magnus Go∣thus, Albertus Cranzius, Iohan. Saxo, Polonius Muscouita, and chiefely Olaus Magnus, Archbishop of Vpsala, of whō we haue made heere before often mention, who in a Chroni∣cle of those lands of the North, & the particularities of them, (though beeing borne and brought vp in those Regions, should seeme to haue great knowledge of such thinges as are in the same) yet is he meruailous briefe cōcerning that which is vnder the same Pole. He saith that there is a Prouince cal∣led Byarmia, whose Orizon is the Equinoctiall circle it selfe, and as this circle deuideth the heauen in the midst, so vvhen

the Sunne declineth to this part of the Pole, the day is halfe a yeere long, and when he turneth to decline on the side of the other Pole, he causeth the contrary effect: the night endu∣ring as much. This Prouince of Byarmya deuideth it selfe * 1.53 into two parts, the one high, and the other low, in the lower are many hills perpetually couered with Snow, neuer feeling any warmth: yet in the valleys below there are many Woods and Fields, full of hearbes and pastures, and in them great a∣boundance of wild Beasts, and high swelling Riuers, as well through the Springs whence they rise, as through the Snow that tumbleth downe from the hills. In the higher Byarmya, he saith, there are strange and admirable nouelties, to enter in∣to which, there is not any knowne way, for the passages are all closed vp, to attempt through which, hee termeth it a danger and difficulty insuperable, so that no man can come to haue knowledge thereof, without the greatest ieopardy that may possibly be deuised or imagined. For the greater part of the way is continually couered with deepe Snow by no meanes * 1.54 passable, vnlesse it be vpon Beasts like vnto Stags, called Ran∣gifery, so abounding in those Regions that many doe nourish and tame them. Their lightnes (though it seeme incredible) is such, that they runne vpon the frozen Snow vnto the top of high hills, & downe againe into the deepe Valleyes. Iohn Saxon saith, that there was a King of Swethland called Ha∣therus, * 1.55 who being aduertised that there dwelt in a Valley be∣tweene those mountaines a Satire called Memingus, that pos∣sessed infinite riches, with many other resolute men in his company, all mounted vpon Rangifers & domesticall Ona∣gres, made a Roade into his Valley, and returned laden with * 1.56 rich and inestimable spoiles.

BER.

Was he a right Satire indeede, or else a man so called?

AN.

The Author expla∣neth it not, but by that which he saith a little after, that in that Country are many Satires & Faunes; we may gather that hee was a right Satire, and that the Satires are men of reason, and not vnreasonable creatures, according to our disputation the other day: and in a Country full of such nouelties, such a thing as this, is not to be wondred at. But returning to our commenced purpose, I say that this superiour Byarmya of

which Olaus Magnus speaketh, to vs so vnknowne, by all likelyhoode should be that blessed soile mentioned by Pliny, Soline, & Pomponius Mela, whose Clymate is so temperate, whose ayre so wholesome, and whose enhabitants doe liue so long, that they willingly receaue death by casting themselues into the Sea; of which Land being so meruailous, and being as it seemeth seated on the farther side of the Pole, the proper∣ties are not so particulerly knowne, and so he saith, that there are many strange people, nouelties, and wonders: But lea∣uing this, & comming to the lower, Olaus saith, that the Val∣leyes * 1.57 thereof, if they were sowed, are very apt and ready to bring foorth fruite, but the enhabitants doe not giue them∣selues to tillage, because the fieldes and Forrests are repleni∣shed with Beasts, & the Riuers with Fishes, so that with hun∣ting and fishing they maintaine their lyues, hauing no vse of bread, neyther scarcely knowledge thereof. When they are at warre or difference with any of their neighbours, they sildom vse Armes, for they are so great Negromancers & Enchaun∣ters, that with wordes onely when they list they will make it * 1.58 raine, thunder, and lighten, so impetuously, as though heauen and earth should goe together; and with their Witchcraftes and Charmes they binde and entangle men in such sort, that they bereaue them of all power to doe them any harme, yea, and many times of their sences also and lyues making them to dye mad. Iohn Saxon writeth, that there was once a King of Denmarke called Rogumer, who purposing to subdue the * 1.59 Byarmyans, went against them with a mighty and puissant Army, which they vnderstanding, had recourse to no other defence then to their Enchantments, raising such terrible tem∣pests, winds, and waters, that through the violent fury thereof, the Riuers ouerflowed and became vnpassable; vpon which of a sodaine they caused such an vnkindly heat, that the King and all his Army were fryed almost to death, so that the same was farre more greeuous to suffer then the cold, and through the distemperature and corruption thereof, there ensued such a mortality, that the King was forced to returne: but he kno∣wing that this happened, not through the nature of the Land, but through coniuration and sorcerie, came vpon them ano∣ther

time so sodainly, that hee was amongst them before they heard any newes of his comming: yet vniting themselues so well as time permitted them, with the ayde of theyr neigh∣bours, arming themselues with bowes and arrowes, and fly∣ing, fighting, and retiring with incredible swiftnes through the Snowes, they disconfited the King and chased him away, who in his dayes was accounted a puissant Prince, and had triumphed of many warlike Nations. Comming out of these Prouinces of Byarmya, there is presently another which hee calleth Fynlande, of which a great part was according to the Author before named in times past, subiect to the King of * 1.60 Norway. This Land, though very colde, yet is in some parts laboured, and yeeldeth fruites of all sorts vnto the enhabitants, who are in proportion of body mighty and strong, and in fight agaynst theyr Enemies of great valour and courage. Though the ayre be cold, yet it is pure and well tempered, in so much that their fishes cutte vp onely, and laide in the ayre, doe endure many dayes without corrupting: In Sommer it rayneth with them very sildome or neuer; theyr day is so long, that it continueth from the Kalendes of Aprill, till the sixth of the Ides of September, which is more then fiue mo∣neths, and the night againe as much: the darknes of which is neuer so great, but that you may well see to reade a Letter in the same: it is distant from the Aequinoctiall in threescore degrees: There are no starres seene from the beginning of May, till the beginning of August, but onely the Moone which goeth wheeling round about a little aboue the earth, resembling a great Oake, burning and casting out beames of fire, with a brightnesse somewhat dimme and troubled, in such sort, that it causeth great admiration and astonishment to those that neuer sawe it before: and which is more, hee sayeth, that shee giueth them so light the most part of theyr night, though it continue so long: and as for that little time in vvhich shee hideth herselfe, the brightnesse of the starres is so radyant, that they haue lyttle misse of the Moone, vvhich starre-light, at such time as the Moone shyneth, for∣saketh them, whose brightnesse is the cause that they ap∣peare not, though I cannot but beleeue that they appeare al∣wayes

somewhat, though not so cleerely at one time as at an other, seeing in these our Countries we see them shine neere the Moone, though she be at full, yea, and sometimes at mid∣day we see starres very neere the Sunne.

LV.

It is likely that it should be as you say in Byarmya and those other vnknown Countries which are vnder the Pole or neere there abouts: and it may be inferred also that the dayes goe encreasing and decreasing, till they come to the full length of a halfe yeere; for being in this part of fiue moneths, they are in some places more and some lesse, and seeing it is enhabitable as you say, where it endureth fiue moneths, it cannot but be better where it is of foure, and better then that, of three, and so consequent∣ly of two and one, whereby there is no doubt to be made, but that the whole Land is enhabitable.

AN.

I told you before, that generally the whole Land is enhabited, vnlesse it be in some places, through some particu∣ler cause and secrete ordinance of Nature. As touching the Moone, and the manner in which she lightneth those Regi∣ons, I haue not seene any Author that handleth the same but onely Olaus Magnus, though by good reason it seemeth, that where the Sunne turneth about the heauens in course and compasse so different from that which hee doth with vs, the Moone should doe the like in such sort as wee haue sayde.

BER.

By all likelihoode there are many secrete and won∣derfull thinges of the nature of this Land hidden from vs, as the Eclipse of the Sunne and the Moone which must needes be otherwise then it is heere with vs, and therefore the Astro∣nomers should doe well to sift out the verity thereof, and to make vs vnderstand the same and withall the reckoning of the moneths and yeeres, the computation of which, it is likely also that they vse in another sort.

AN.

As for their yeeres, the difficulty is small, seeing one day and one night doe make a full yeere: and as for the deuision of their seasons, their day is Sommer, and the night is their Winter, the moneths per∣chaunce they deuide according to their own fashion, and the effects of their heauen: but heerein the Authors giue vs no notice, neither maketh it much matter whether we know it or no.

LU.

That which I wonder most at, is, how this people

can tolerate and endure the bitter and extreame colde of that Clymat, the effect of which here with vs, though it be not so vehement as that of theirs, we see daily before our eyes, bring∣eth many men to theyr end, and therefore wee take heede of taking colde, as of the most dangerous thing that may be. * 1.61

AN.

You say true, it hapneth so heere indeede oftentimes, but you must consider that the force of nature is great, which where she createth those things that are most full of difficulty, there also createth and ordaineth she remedies and defences a∣gainst thē, as you may before haue vnderstood by the words of Iohn Zyglere: but I will giue you another reason, then the which in my iudgement nothing can be more euident and plaine, which is, that to all things the same is proper and natu∣rall in which they are bred and brought vp: As for example, a man who from his child-hood is accustomed to eate some things that are venomous afterwards though he eate them in great quantitie, they hurt him not at all; and of this I haue seene the experience my selfe: in the like sort a man brought vp in the cold, the greater he waxeth, the lesse he feeleth the inconuenience thereof, so that it commeth in time to be na∣turall vnto him, euen as to the fish to liue in water, the Sala∣mander to nourish himselfe in the fire, and the Camelion to maintaine himselfe onely by ayre. And euen as a Moore of Guyney, should hardly fashion his body to endure the colde * 1.62 of these Northeren Landes, so likewise one of these men brought into a hote Country, would finde as great difficultie in enduring the heat. Besides this, Nature hath framed the mē of these Regions more sturdie and strong, and against the ri∣gour of the weather ordained them warme Caues vnder the earth, to harbour themselues in. They haue wilde beastes in great quantitie whom they kill, of whose skinnes they make them garments, turning the hairie side inward. Their woods and Forrests are many and great, so that in euery place they haue store of fuell to make great fires, in fine, they vvant no defensiuenes against the cold, which is so far from annoying them, that they liue in better health, & many more yeeres then we doe, for their ayres are delicate & pure, & preserue them from diseases, making theyr complexions more robust and

strong, & lesse apt to griefes, aches, and infirmities then ours.

LV.

You haue sufficiently answered me, & therfore goe on I pray you with that you were about to say of those Prouinces, when I interrupted you.

AN.

There remaineth little to be said, but that betvveene Byarmia and Fynland, in declyning towards the South, there is another prouince which they call Escrifinia, of which the Authors giue no ample and perticu∣ler notice, onely they say that the people of this Land is more nimble and expert in going ouer the Snow and Ise then anie other Nation, in which they vse certaine artificiall staues, with which they swing to & fro, without any danger, so that there is no valley, howe deepe so euer fild with Snowe, nor moun∣taine so high and difficill, but they runne ouer the same, euen at such time as the snow is deepest and highest: and this they doe in the pursute of wilde beasts, whom they chase ouer the mountaines, and sometimes for victories sake, in striuing a∣mong themselues and laying wagers who can doe best, and runne with greatest nymblenes and celeritie. It is of no great moment to know the manner of these staues which they vse, both because it is difficile to vnderstand, and the knowledge thereof would stand vs in small steed, hauing heere no vse of them.

BER.

If any man be able to discouer those peoples of the superior Byarmia, me thinks these should be they, see∣ing they are so nimble & expert in passing the snowes, wher∣by they might ouercome the difficultie of the mountaines, & so enter into that Countrey, which is generally esteemed so happy, and where the people liue so long without any neces∣sitie to trauaile for theyr liuing, hauing all things so abundant∣lie prouided them by Nature. In truth I should receaue great pleasure to vnderstande assuredly the particularities of thys Lande, and also howe farre it is distant from the Sea, and if it be on all sides enuironed with those high mountaines & cold Countries, it being in the midst of them, contayning so many prouinces & Regions of excellent temprature, vnder a climat & constellation making so great a difference betweene them and the others, & as touching this world to make thē so bles∣sed and happy as the ancients affirme and the moderns denie not.

AN.

This land hath many more prouinces then these,

whose names I nowe remember not, of which there are some though seated in the region of the cold, yet enioying through some particuler influences an especiall puritie of ayre & tem∣perature of wether. But seeing till this day wee haue not at∣tayned to the knowledge of any more, content your selues with that which is alreadie sayde.

LU.

I stande considering with my selfe the great and lothsome tediousnesse, that mee thinks those Countrymen should sustaine through the wea∣risom length of their nights, which in my opinion were alone sufficient to make them wearie of their liues.

AN.

Did you neuer heare the olde Prouerbe, that Custome is another na∣ture: euen so the length of the nights is a thing so vsuall vnto * 1.63 those of this Country, that they passe them ouer without any griefe or tediousnes at all. While theyr day endureth, they sowe and gather in their fruites, of which the most part, the earth plentifullie affordeth them without labour. A great part of that season they spende in chasing of wilde Beastes, whose fleshe they powder with salt, and preserue as wee doe, and their fish in like sort: or else they dry the same in the ayre as I said before: neither are their nights such or so darke, but that they may hunt and fish in them. Against cold they haue as I said deepe Caues, great store of wood, and warme furres in great plentie, when light fayleth them, they haue Oyle of Fishes, and fatte of Beastes, of which they make Lampes and Candles, and withall, they haue a kinde of wood contayning in it a sort of Rozen, which beeing cleft in splinters, they doe vse in steed of Candles, and besides this as I haue sayd before, the nights are during the time of theyr continuance so light, that they may see to doe their busines & affayres in them, for the Moone and perticuler starres shine in those Regions, and the Sunne leaueth alwayes behind him a glimmering or kind of light, in so much, that Encisus speaking of these Landes in his Cosmographie, sayeth, that there is in them a Moun∣taine or Clyffe so high, that hovve lowe soeuer the Sunne discende vvhen hee goeth from them to the Pole Antartick, the toppe thereof alwayes retayneth a light and brightnesse with vvhich through the exceeding height thereof it parti∣cipateth.

LVD.

This hill must be higher then either that of Atlas, Athos, or Olympus, & so they say also that in the Ile of Zey∣lan there is another called Adams hill, whose height commu∣nicateth with heauen, & the opinion of the inhabitants is, that * 1.64 Adam liued there after he was cast out of Paradise.

AN.

All may be possible, but let vs returne thether whence we came, I say therfore that seeing Nature hath endued this people with the vse of reason, assure your selfe that they want not manner and meanes to seeke out such things. as are necessarie for the sustentation and maintenaunce of their liues, yea perchance with greater subtiltie and industry then we thinke for, neither want they discretion to deuide their times to eate, drinke, and sleepe at an howre, to minister iustice, and to maintaine their Lawes, and to make their alliances & confederations, for see∣ing they haue warres and dissentions one with another, it is to be thought, that either partie will seeke to founde theyr cause vpon reason, & procure to haue Chiefes and Leaders to whō they obey: and if that which the Auncients say be false, that they shoulde be Gentiles, and that theyr cheefest God whom they adore should be Apollo, then it is likely that they lyue * 1.65 by the Law of Nature: for in this time of ours there is not a∣ny knowne part in the world, out of which this adoration of auncient Gods is not banished, at least that manner of ado∣ring them which the old Gentiles obserued. I am sorrie that Olaus Magnus declared not this matter more particulerlie, seeing he could not chuse but haue knowledge thereof, con∣fessing in one Chapter which he made of the colde of those Regions, that he himselfe had entred so farre within thē, that he founde him-selfe within 86. degrees of the very North∣pole.

LVD.

I know not howe this may be, seeing you say that he speaketh not of the Prouinces of Byarmia of his own knowledge of sight, which according to the reckoning you sayde the Cosmographers make of the degrees, in reaching within 80. degrees of the Pole, are there where the vvhole yeere containeth but one onely day, and one onelie night.

AN.

You haue reason to doubt, for I cannot throughlie conceaue it my selfe, but that which seemeth vnto me, is that either he reckoneth the degrees after another sort, or else that

there is error in the Letter. But howsoeuer it be, it coulde not be chosen but that he beeing naturall of Gothland, had seene a great part of these Septentrionall Countries, seeing hee is a∣ble to giue so good and perfect notice of them: Onely this one thing now remaineth to tell you, which is, that you must vnderstand, that the very same which we haue heere discour∣sed of, of Lands and Prouinces vnder the North-pole, is and in the very selfe same manner, in those which are vnder the South-pole, and that in as much as pertaineth to the Heauen they differ nothing at all, and verie little in that of the earth, neyther can they chuse but haue there some other winde like vnto * Circius, seeing the Snowe, Ise, and cold is there in such extreamity, as by experience they found which went the voy∣age * 1.66 with Magellane, who according to those that write of him & his voyage, was within 75. degrees of the Pole before he came to finde and discouer the straight to passe into the Sea of Sur, but he entreateth nothing of the encrease and de∣crease of the dayes and nights, the cause why, I vnderstande not, it beeing a thing of so great admiration, that I vvonder why the Chronaclers make no mention thereof, seeing they could not chuse but haue notice thereof, both by the relation of those that then accompanied him in his voyage, and of o∣thers that haue since attempted to discouer those parts, bee∣ing prohibited to passe any farther through the extreamitie of the cold, who foūd in those parts men of monstrous great∣nes, such as I saide were found neere to the Pole Artick: But * 1.67 this by the way I will not omit to tell you, that the snowe which was founde on the toppes of Mountaines there, vvas not white as it is in the Septentrionall Lands, but blewish and of a colour like the skie, of which secrete there is no other rea∣son to be giuen, then onely that it pleaseth Nature to haue it so: There are also many other strange things, as birds, beasts, herbes, & plants, so farre different from these which we haue, that they mooue great admiration to the beholders of them. And if those parts were well discouered, perchance also after the passing ouer of these cold Regions so difficile to be enha∣bited through the rigor of the Snow and Ise, there might be found other Countries as temperate as that of the superiour

Byarmia, of which we spake before. But let this happen when it shall please God, in the meane time, let vs content our selues with the knowledge of that which in our age is discouered & knowne.

BER.

We should be greatly beholding to you, if it should please you to prosecute your begunne discourse, for no doubt where the course of the Sunne, Moone, and Starres is so diuers, there cannot chuse but bee many other things also rare, strange, and worthy to be knowne.

AN.

It pleaseth me well to giue you this contentment, so that you will referre it till to morrow, for it is now late, and draweth neere supper time.

LVD.

Let it be as you please, for to say the truth, it is now time to retire our selues.

The end of the fifth Discourse.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The heauen is deuided into fiue Zones, and the earth in∣to as many.
• * 1.2

  The opini∣on of Ouid.
• * 1.3

  Macrobi{us}, Virgil, and the rest of the ancients erred touch∣ing the en∣habited parts of the earth.
• * 1.4

  A great ig∣norance of the ancient.
• * 1.5

  Commen∣dador is a Knight, of some crosse, as that of Malta or S. Iames.
• * 1.6

  Antypodes.
• * 1.7

  S. Austins o∣pinion tou∣ching Anty∣podes.
• * 1.8

  Lactantius Firmianus opinion.
• * 1.9

  Pliny tou∣ching the same.
• * 1.10

  Who are the right Antypodes.
• * 1.11

  Perioscaei.
• * 1.12

  Amphioscaei,
• * 1.13

  Ethoroscaei,
• * 1.14

  The whole world is en∣habitable.
• * 1.15

  The Polar Zones enha∣bited.
• * 1.16

  Ireland.
• * 1.17

  Ptolome ig∣norant in many coun∣tries nowe knowne.
• * 1.18

  Plin lib. 4 Cap. 12.
• * 1.19

  The happy soyle of the Hyperbori∣ans.
• * 1.20

  Solinus tou∣ching the Hyperbo∣reans.
• * 1.21

  Pom. Mela touching the Hyper∣boreans.
• * 1.22

  The signifi∣cation of Pterophoras and Hyper∣bore.
• * 1.23

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.24

  Iacobus Ziglerus of the Nor∣therne parts.
• * 1.25

  Nature hath prouided a remedy to euery mis∣chiefe.
• * 1.26

  Thule is the same which we now call Iseland.
• * 1.27

  The prouin∣ces of Pilapia and Vilapia.
• * 1.28

  Pigmees.
• * 1.29

  The Bachi∣ler Encisus, concerning the length of the dayes and nights towards the Poles.
• * 1.30

  The diuersi∣ty of the ry∣sing and set∣ting of the sun between vs and those that lyue neere or vn∣der the Poles.
• * 1.31

  An example whereby it is proued, that it can neuer be very dark vnder the Poles.
• * 1.32

  What thys Word Ori∣zon signifi∣eth.
• * 1.33

  Whether all those parts be enhabi∣ted or no.
• * 1.34

  Pyla Pylan∣ter Euge Velanter.
• * 1.35

  Wild Beasts like vnto white Beares which digge vp the Ice with their nailes.
• * 1.36

  A league is three miles.
• * 1.37

  Pigmaei. Ictiophagi.
• * 1.38

  Island.
• * 1.39

  The Pro∣uince of A∣gonagora.
• * 1.40

  Lande yet vnknowne.
• * 1.41

  1650. lea∣gues of the world yet vndiscoue∣red.
• * 1.42

  The answer of a boy of Seuilla.
• * 1.43

  The shippe called Vic∣toria com∣passed the world round about.
• * 1.44

  Indians dri∣uen by storme into the Norths Sea.
• * 1.45

  Fictions of Sylenus to King Mydas out of Aeli∣anus.
• * 1.46

  The Citty of Machino The Citty of Euaesus.
• * 1.47

  Meropes.
• * 1.48

  Anostum.
• * 1.49

  The Riuer of delight. The Riuer of griefe.
• * 1.50

  Iohan, Zyg∣lerus.
• * 1.51

  Sigismund Herberstain.
• * 1.52

  The names of the most part of Pro∣uinces and Regions are changed.
• * 1.53

  The Pro∣uince of By∣armya deui∣ded into two parts.
• * 1.54

  Wild Beasts like vnto Stags called Rangeferi.
• * 1.55

  Hatherus King of Swethland.
• * 1.56

  Wild Asses.
• * 1.57

  The lower Byarmya.
• * 1.58

  In steede of Armes, they vse Enchant∣ments.
• * 1.59

  Rogumer King of Denmark.
• * 1.60

  Finmarchia or Finlande.
• * 1.61

  Nature hath ordained a remedy a∣gainst all in∣conuenien∣ces.
• * 1.62

  Things to which men are accusto∣med becom naturall vnto thē in time.
• * 1.63

  Custome is another na∣ture.
• * 1.64

  Adams hill.
• * 1.65

  There is nowe no known part of the world out of which the worship∣ping of aun∣cien feyned Gods is not banished.
• * 1.66

  A North North We∣sterne wind.
• * 1.67

  The Snowe on the moū∣taines neere the South-pole, is blew∣ish of colour like vnto the Skie.