Thomas neere Æthiopia, and the wealthy Islands for the which chiefly all
these voyages are taken in hand, to be inhabited euen vnder the
Equinoctiall line.

[Sidenote: Sol. 3.] To answere the third obiection, besides Cabota and all
other trauellers nauigations, the onely credit of M. Frobisher[46] may
suffice, who lately through all these Islands of ice, and mountaines of
snow, passed that way, euen beyond the gulfe that tumbleth downe from the
North, and in some places though he drewe one inch thicke ice, as he
returning in August did, yet came he home safely againe.

[Sidenote: Sol. 4.] The fourth argument is altogether friuolous and vaine,
for neither is there any isthmos or strait of land betweene America and
Asia, ne can these two landes ioyntly be one continent. [Sidenote: Lib.
Geog.] The first part of my answere is manifestly allowed of by Homer, whom
that excellent Geographer Strabo followeth, yeelding him in this facultie
the price. The author of that booke likewise [Greek: perì kosmou] to
Alexander, attributed vnto Aristotle, is of the same opinion that Homer and
Strabo be of, in two or three places. Dionisius in [Greek: oikoumenaes
periaegaesi] hath this verse [Greek: otos hokeanos peridedrome gaian
hapasan.] So doth the Ocean Sea runne round about the worlde: speaking
onely of Europe, Afrike and Asia, as then Asia was trauelled and knowen.
[Sidenote: Note.] With these Doctours may you ioyne Pomponius Mela. cap. 2.
lib 1. Plinius lib. 2. cap. 67. and Pius 2. cap 2. in his description of
Asia. [Sidenote: Richard Eden.] All the which writers doe no lesse confirme
the whole Easterne side of Asia to be compassed about with the sea, then
Plato doeth affirme in Timæo, vnder the name Atlantis, the West indies to
be an Island, as in a special discoure thereof R. Eden writeth, agreeable
vnto the sentence of Proclus, Marsilius Ficinus, and others. Out of Plato
it is gathered that America is an island. Homer, Strabo, Aristotle,