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THe moste auncient wryter Diodorus, Siculus, in the fourth booke of his Bibliotheca, wry∣teth in this maner. If any man for the marue∣lous straungenes and noueltie of such thinges as are descrybed in owre bookes, wyl not per∣happes gyue credyt to owre hystorie, let hym
with ryght iudgement consider the difference that is betwene the ayer of the Scythians and the Troglodytes compared to owres,* 1.1 and he shall the easelyer perceaue the woorkes of na∣ture and approue owre wrytynges. For owre ayer dyffereth so much from theyrs, that it myght seeme incredible if experi∣ence were not more certeyne then doubtfull reason. In sume regions the coulde is so extreme that greate ryuers are so fro∣sen,* 1.2 that laden cartes and armies of men passe ouer the immo¦uable ise. Wine also and other moist thynges are so conieled that they may bee cutte with knyues. But this is more mar∣ueylous, that thextreeme partes of suche apparell as menne weare, are so bytten with coulde that they faule of. Mens eyes are also dymmed: the fyre gyueth not his natural bryght¦nesse: and brasen vesselles and images are broken. Sumtime by reason of thicke cloudes, thunders and lyghtnynges are neyther seene or harde in such regions. Many other thinges more marueylous thē these hath nature wrought, which may seeme incredible to the ignorant: but easy to such as haue ex∣perience. In the furthest partes of Egypt and Trogloditica, the heate of the soonne is so extreme abowt noone,* 1.3 that noo man can se hym that standeth by hym, by reason of the thicke ayer caused by the vapoures and exhalations raysed by the heate. None can go withowt shoos but haue theyr fiete sud∣deynly blystered and exulcerate. Such as are a thyrst, dye im¦mediatly except they haue drynke at hande, the heate so faste consumeth the moysture of theyr bodyes. Meate put in bra∣sen vesselles, is sodde in short space by the heate of the soonne withowt other fyre.* 1.4 Yet they that are borne and browght vp in such regions, had rather wyllyngely susteyne these incom∣modities then bee inforced to lyue otherwyse: such a loue of theyr natiue countrey hath nature gyuen to all men: custome of continuance from younge yeares being also of force to ouer comme the maliciousnesse of the ayer. Neuerehelesse,* 1.5 these places of such contrary natures wherby suche strange effectes are caused, are not farre in sunder or diuided by any great di∣stance. For, from the marysshes of Meotis or Meotides where certeyne Scythians dwell in extreme coulde,* 1.6 many haue say∣led with shyps of burden to Rodes in the space of ten dayes: and from thense to Alexandria in foure dayes. From whense passynge throwgh Egypte by the ryuer of Nilus, they haue
arryued in Ethiopia in other tenne dayes: So that the naui∣gation from the couldest partes of the worlde to the hottest r••¦gions, is no more then .xxiiii. continuall dayes. Where as th••refore the varietie of the ayer is such in places of so smaul distance, it is no marueyle that the customes and maners of ly¦uynge of the people of those regions, with the complexions of theyr bodyes and such thynges as are engendered there, do greatly dyffer from owres.
The diuersi∣tie of ayer in dyuers regi∣ons.
Extreme colde.
Extreme heate.
The force of education.
Extreme heate & colde in A smale distance.
Frome Scy∣thia to Ethio∣pia.