VNlearned men are now at length assured by the renowned Voyages of Sir Francis Drake and M. Cauendish , and other worthy Persons , that in the last age compassed the World : As aunciently Mathematicians were by the roundnesse of the shadow in the Eclipse of the Moone . That the forme or figure which God gaue vnto the Sea and Earth , when his Wisedome set the Waters and dry Land apart , was Gloabe-like or Sp●…aricall .

Wherein it is agreed there are two Poynts , correspondent to the North and South Poles of the Heauens , of ea●…ie Creation in a Solide of that Nature , from which Centers by describing seuerall Circles , we deriue our Paralells , whereof the largest in extent , must of necessitie fall iust in the mid'st ; the rest infallibly growing lesser and lesser , as they draw neerer and neerer to those Poles .

Whereas our Meridians being Circles that doe euer meete in both those poyntes of North and South , and so deuide the Orbe into iust 〈◊〉 , though they be not aequidistant , yet are euer of one equall Circuite to the greatest Paralell , which we call the Aequinoctiall .

In which Line , all men obseruing that the S●…nne in foure and twentie howers was carried round ; and the most Learned , that one houre tooke vp 300. Leagues , or 900. Miles . It was concluded , that the Sunnes whole course was 24. times so much : so that the common best opinion of the greatest Compasse of the World , became 7200. L or 21600. M.

According to which Computation , Sea-men and Trauelers that goe directly North or South , doe find their Eleuation to alter one Degree of the 360. for 20. L. of way , and ha●…ing sure meanes to tell how many Degrees or Partes of their M●…ridian they are gone N. or S. They can proportion well inough their Distaunce in Latitude , to be so many L. or Miles .

But in their course of Longitude , ( which is from East to West ) for want of Fixed helpes , they are constrayned to turne backward , and by reckoning their L. or M. of way , to make accompt of so many parts or Degrees of their Paralell : But hauing not had due consideration of the aboue saide lessening of Parale●…s , to distribute consequently fewer Miles or Leagues to eac●… Degree , besides the too vncertaine ground ; it hath fallen out that Lands sette foorth in Gloabes or Mappes , from such erroneous Cardes or Computations , as touching Longitude or Distance East and West , are most extreamely false , especially in new discouered Northerne & Southerne Countries .

For which cause ( setting by the authority of Handy-workes ) the 〈◊〉 C●…erence of the Earth is to be lookt for in the Histories of such as traueld to describe the Worlde : Among the which in auncient time , the men that layde the firmest and most Artificiall grounds , and neerest to the best of Modern●… , were 〈◊〉 Alexandrinus : And he whom 〈◊〉 confutes Marinus Tyrius , the one of them by a Heauenly way of Eclips●…s , most exact ( if well obserued ) thus argued . Such an Eclipse happen'd at M. Hora 8. and at N. at 9. therefore M. and N. differ in Longitude one hower , that is , the 24. part of the Aequinoctiall , that is , 15. Degrees , contayning euery one some 60. Miles . But on th●… contrary , Marinus Tyrius proceeded thus : Such a man went from M. to N. Versus occasum , or from N. to M. Versus exortum 7500. Stadi●… , whereof 500. are about 60. Miles , or one Degree of the Aequinoctiall ; from which experience he concluded , therefore M. and N. did differ 15. Degrees , that is one Hower in Longitude . Which course how euer M●…chanicall as wee say ; and seldome or neuer exact : Yet on firme Land , by small helpes giuen to a Man of ordinary vnderstanding , may easily be freed from a grosse errour : Whereas wee must confesse Ptolomey his learned Method is of such difficile obseruing , that errour soone creepes in , and euery small one breeds a great mistaking .

And therefore seing ( eyther way ) Geographye depends on the reports of Trauellours ( which Ptolomey cal's Historiam Peregrinationis ) and Trauellours be seldome Math●…maticians , but Merchants , Saylours , Souldiers , men that may vse common Rules and Instruments , not subtilties of nice and curious practise . There are that doe professe , they hold P●…olomey his way much fitter , from the relations of Learned men , & Countries where good Artes are flourishing , to rectifie precedent obseruations , then to delineate or set downe by heare-say , the distances from East to West , of farre remote newly discouered Countries . Nay , that confesse ( vnder correction of the Learned World tha●… hath receiued it ) they are not yet so fully well perswaded of 〈◊〉 his bounding the olde World of Europe , Africa , and Asia , betweene a Meridian of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 12. howers or 180. Degrees , but rather doe approoue Marinus Tyrius his extending Asia into the East , as farre as 15. Howers , and that for these reasons .

If those men conceiue a right , that First . gesse that 〈◊〉 for his aboade in 〈◊〉 , did Stile himselfe Alexandrinus , in emulation of Mari●… , called Tyri●… , from the Towne of Tyr●… . It cannot be denied but the Merchants of that Port were fellowes vnto Princes , and had in those dayes greater Trade then any ; so that Marinus liuing there , was like to haue much better information then an other in an other corner ; especially being more auncient , and neerer to the Ass●…ian and Persian Monarchies , to the Iourneys of Alexander , Hercu●… , and Bacchus , and the businesse then most into the East . Hee could not but haue better helpes then Ptolomey , that liued when all went Westward .

The Merchauntes then traueling ouer firme Land , through plaine and 2. ly . open Countries by directions of the Heauens , wherein the men of those Times and Territories were best read ; they were the better able to make perfect Iournals of their way , and consequently Marinus truer Computation of the Longitude of Plac●…s .

Since 〈◊〉 himselfe confesseth , that the Landes from the F●…tunate 3. ly . Islands , to the passage of the Riuer Euphra●…es through H●…apolis , were rightly laide by Tyri●…s , being gathered from Mens voyages West-ward ouer Seas , and through the Wooddie , Mountanous , baren & then Barbarous partes of Europ●… : why should we not thinke his information was as good , and more frequent from the Easterne richest Countries of the world ; and so beleeue as well of his accompt Ad Turr●● Lapideam , and thence Ad Sinar●…m Metropolim ? Nothing doubting what euer Ptolomey coniecture , his care to examine mens Relations , ere hee gaue them ●…redite , since though his worke vnhappily appeare not ; yet out of his Confuters mouth , wee heare hee did reiect Phil●…rs forged tale of 〈◊〉 greatnesse .

How confidently soeuer Ptolomey , Fourthly . with stronger Arguments then those against his Longitude , condemne Marinus Tyrius for forcing Africa , as touching Latitude to reach beyond the Tropick●… of Capricorne ▪ whereas he will allow it to extende to not full 17. partes : Yet now infallible experience hath taught vs , that Marinus in that then most difficult poynt , was much the better informed , a fayre occasion to doubt P●…olomey , and trust him in the other .

5ly . That Ptolomey was strangely abused in his vnderstanding of those partes , appeareth plainely , by his making Asia to turne downe to the South , and winding round to ioyne with Africa , conceiuing our great Sea of Zur , for that he heard but of a peece to be a Bay or Sinus , which indeed he tearmed Magnus ; but reported to be lesse then either 〈◊〉 or Persicus .

Last of all , seeing that although 〈◊〉 Mela , & other of the Ancient , besides the late discouered Trueth it selfe , make A●…ia to reach vnto the Sea ; yet Pt●…mey doth bound it East-ward Terra incognita : Why might not Marinus proportion more Degrees or Howers , were it but for that Land vnknowne ▪ sure we are , P●…olomey his fardest Meridia●… doth leaue a great part of China East , his Sinus Magnus being but a peece of our South Sea , betweene Malacca and the Moluccaes , and his Aurea Chersonesus , in truth no other then the Moderne Sumatra , though by some Learned men mistaken for his Taprobane : and thus vnhappily wee fall vpon another Paradoxe ; yet for the Trueths sake , can not but deliuer our opinion , that , that which hee cald Taproban●… , was our now Ce●…lam . Not because Barrius , or Corsalus , or Varrerius , or at last Or●…elius conceiued so ; nor yet for the plentie of Elephants , and other Riches which Ptolomey gaue to his Tapro●…ane , and are in truth in our C●…lam : Nor for the nee●…nesse of the sound or name of the auncient Inhabitantes of Taprobane , cald by him Salaj , and his opposite Promontory in Jndia tearmd C●…ry , to our Ceilam , and the neighbour C. 〈◊〉 : but for these , as we thinke vnanswerable reaso●…s .

The Latitude ( wherein as 〈◊〉 First . and other , rightly iudge 〈◊〉 err'd least ) of our C●…ilam being about 10. degrees Northerly , agreeth much better with Ptolomey his Tapro●…ane , then Sumatra , that like his Aurea Chersonesus , lyeth vnder the Line .

2ly . The Sholes & drownd Lands about our Ceilam shew that perhaps it hath been greater , if any should too strictly vrge Plinie his Magnitude of Ta●…robane , which Ptolomey placeth but a few degrees East-ward from his Riuer Indus , ouer against that part of Jndia where the Bracmanoj Magoj liu'd : and so is our Ce●…lam now situate , from that Riuer , and opposite to the Jndians ; whose Priestes are called Bachmenes .

3ly . Before his Taprobane , Ptolom●… placeth . 1300. little Islands an vnusuall Seamarke , no where in the world but before our Ceil●…m , to wit the Isles of Mald●…uar .

4ly . Ptolomey his Tabrobane lay betweene the Mouths of the Riuers Jndus , and Ganges , almost indifferently , as our C●…lam now doeth , whereas Su●…atra not onely is beyond the Riuer Ganges , but our Go●…pho de Bengala , his Sinus 〈◊〉 .

I but the Learned Merca●…or was of other minde , whose sentence Maginus & other Geographers approoue : Hee take●… Su●…tra to be Taprobane , and our Iapan for Au●…ea Chersonesus , &c.

The trueth is , in his Vniuersall Mappe , a●… in the quarter Cardes which Ho●…dius drew from thence , the labour is so great to fitte the new discouered Countries in those Seas , to P●…olomeys olde names : That he that will but reade Iudiciously Ptolomey himselfe , be it of Merc●…tors owne edition , shall soone perceiue the errors which wee wish that learned Man had not committed : For , for a taste , what can be weaker , then to deny Sumatra to be Chersonesus , because it is not a Peninsal●… , although the broken Groundes about it , and the neere●…esse to the Maine witnesse perhaps it was : And although the Latitude and other circumst●…nces accord ; when the same hand doth make J●…pan that hath no colour , no resemblance of an Jstmos , lying farre ●…rom the Continent , in 36. Degrees , of N. Eleuation to bee Ptolomey his C●…rise o●… Cherso●…sus that wa●… vnder the Aequinoctiall .

I but according to Ptolomey Cherso●…sus , must lie beyond the Riuer Ganges , as Taproban●… on this side : and therefore Mercator finding the Riuer Cantam to be Ganges , had reason to reconcile P●…olomey vnto himselfe , &c.

Surely Mercator had small reason , b●…sides will , so worse and worse to lime himselfe : The particular Narrations of Soli●…s , and other describers of those partes , from the Persi●…us sinus and Island of the Sunne to Carmani●… , so to Jndus , then Jn●…ia intra Gangem , then 〈◊〉 extra Gang●…m , and so ad Ser●…s , as well as 〈◊〉 his enumeration of the Riuers , Mountaines , Townes , and Head-landes , with their distances , shew plainely , that his Riuer Ganges was nothing neere so farre from Indus : and if that mightie Continent betweene In●…s and Can●… were but India intra Gangem , China it selfe must then be India extra Gang●…m ; and so vnlesse the Sea haue eate it vp , wee cannot guesse what is become of Sin●…rum Regio , that P●…olomey so often mentions to lye Eastward from India extra Gange●… . And surely if the Riuer of Bengala ( which Linschot sayes the Indians doe call Gueng●… ) be not Ga●…ges , falli●…g out into a Sea so well knowne , and being of that breadth & deapth and length that the Indians superstitiously conceiue it comes from Par●…dise , it had ill lucke to scape the mention of our M. Ptolomey .

In a word , the seuerall Mouths of Ptolo●…y his G●…nges , especially the most distant , lay in the same Latitude , which is impossible for Cantam falling Eastward , and not full South into the Sea . Neither hath Ca●…am a Bay like Golpho de B●…ngala to answere Sinus Gangeticus ; neither can there be , if Cantam were G●…ges , beyond it Eastward any trending of Land ( as Ptolomey writes ) so farre to the South , that there were Aethiopes : Neither is there beyond Cantam any Towne within the Tropicke , whereas Ptolomey in his 8. Booke of Caelestiall Obseruations , or Rectifications , reckons all the Cities of India extra Gang●…m , and some of Sinarum Regio too , to haue Sole●… in vertice bis in anno : All which , doe well agree with our opinion . But why doe wee pursue Mercator any further , whose first mistaking , notwithstanding all his witte and labour , brought him at last to place Cattigara si●… arum statio , in 60. degrees of Northerly Latitude , which Ptolomey expressly layes beyond the Aequinoctiall .

The clearer trueth is , that the Riuer Indus , of Ptolomey , by the vniuersall consent , falles into the Ocean neere Camb●… , from whence proceeding Eastward , you come to his Promontory Cory our Cape Comorj , ouer against which lay his Taprobane our Ce●…lam , from thence to his Sinus Gangeticus our Golpho de Bengala ▪ so to his Riuer Ganges the Indian Guenga ▪ then to our 〈◊〉 his Chrise or Chersonesu●… , and last of all to his Sinus Magnus , a peece of our South Sea betweene Peg●… or Si●…m & the Islands of Spices , into some Port whereof , the comming of some Sinae to trade , occasioned his conceit of Ca●…gara Sinarum St●…o : All which against Mag●…nus , and such as so easily swallow Mercators Coniectures , may be much better iustified then their Positions .

Now then , by this that hath been sayd , it may appeare , that P●…lomeys Hem●…sphere reacht litle beyonde Sumatra and Siam ; so that not onely China , which by them that know it best , is ●…ayd to trend from 2●… . Degrees of Nor: Latitude 700. Leagues North-east ward , but a good part of Cauchin-China too , remaynes for P●…olomey his Terra incognita , to make vp the 3. Howers , or 45. Degrees more of Marinus Ty●…ius : vpon whose Computation , Columbus especially did found his so happy and renownedent erprize .