The Wonderful Workmanship of the World, Discourse · Chapter 29
The xxix. Chapter. Of the Eaſt, Weſt, North, and South partes of the worlde.
S.
DIſcourſe now of that kinde of partes, whi che you termed diſtinguiſhing, and not conſtituting partes of the worlde.
M.
Theſe bee foure in number, called thus in the Hebrue tongue. Quedem, Iamin, Tſaphon, Negeb, or Iamita: and amonge vsus thus: Eaſt, Weſt, North, and South, all whiche Sainet Auguſtine thinketh to bee comprehended, and ſignified by this woorde Adam: applying the Hebrue woorde to the Greeke.
S.
But what was the cauſe and reaſon of fyrſt deuiſing theſe names?
M.
It is not needefull to ſeeke out the cauſes and reaſōs of the Greeke and Latine woords, For they are commonly knowne. And as for the Hebrue woords, this I thinke, is the reaſon of them. The Eaſt is called Quedem, bicauſe it is the firſte or foremoſt parte of the worlde. The weſt Iamin, which ſignifieth the ſea, bycauſe in the Weſt part of the worlde lieth ye great ſea which is called Mare Mediteraneum, the midlande ſea. The North Tſaphon, for that, that part of the worlde was hid and vnknowne to the Hebrues, in reſpect of the regions of the earth, and of the people with whō they had no trafycque nor dealinge, bicauſe of the diſtance of place beetweene them. So that the caſe ſtoode contrarie with them and vsus nowe, who dayly beholde the North ſtare and poale. And as for the South, it is alwaies hidden from vsus. The South is called by them Negeb, bycauſe that quarter of the worlde is drie barrein, and burnt with the perpetuall heate and ſkorching of the Sunne: or it may bee called Iamin the firſte ſillable beeing long, that thereby it may differ from the fyrſt Iamin, whiche hath the fyrſte ſyllable ſhorte, bycauſe that when wee looke into the Eaſt. y• South is on our right hand, & not on our left.
S.
Where doth the ſcripture make mentiō of theſe foure quarters of the worlde?
M.
Almoſt in infinite places, of whiche wee will alledge theſe few. Geneſis, the 13. chap. and 14. verſe: and the 28. chap., & 14. verſe: Pſal. 107. and 3. verſe: Iſay y• 47. chap. and 5. and 6. verſes: Pſal. the 75. and 7. verſe
S.
Why do you call theſe onelyonly diſtinguiſhing partes?
M.
Bicauſe wee obſerue them, onelyonly for the vſe and commoditie of men.
S.
For what commoditie?
M.
Specially for foure, whereof two do appertain to the publike and common vſe of all men and other twoo do concerne the priuate commodity of eueryevery place and countrey.
S.
Declare this more at large.
M.
This diſtinction of the quarters of the worlde was neceſſarie for the vſe of man, for two cauſes. The firſt to the ende that the nations and people of this world might be diſtinguiſhed one frō another: wherof we ſay ſome dwel Eaſt, ſome weſt, ſome north, & ſome ſouth. Moreouer, to obſerue the courſe of the Sūne (whoſe benefit al nations do enioye) who riſing in ye Eaſt, goeth by ye ſouth, vntill at length he cōmeth into ye Weſt. And finally, to declare the force & originall of the windes: all which cannot poſſibly bee vnderſtood and obſerued, vnleſſe theſe foure quarters of the worlde bee diſtinguiſhed. And as touching priuat vſe alſo, it was neceſſarie that they ſhould bee diſtinct. Firſt, to the entent that the limites and ſituation of eueryevery kingdom, people, and countrie, may be diſcribed. And alſo that it might bee ſignified and ſet foorth, where the boundes and endes are of the houſes, fendes and places of eueryevery territorie, and ſo thereby in the ende all ſtrife and contention bee taken from among priuate men, concerning the boundes of their landes.
S.
I vnderſtād what you ſay. But what are theſe regiōs diſtinct by nature, or rather are they fantaſied by the opiniō of men, ſo yt euerie priuate people, or man, may whereſoeuer hee will, make Eaſt, Weſt, North and South? For that region of heauen and earth which is called by the Hebrues Tſaphon, that is to ſay, hidden, and by vsus the North: the ſame is oftentimes vntounto vsus wide, playne and open to bee ſeen, like as that region of Heauen whiche was vnknowen too the Jewes, is vntounto all the Northren people. And contrariwiſe, the Southren Region of Heauen, and the Poale of the worlde whiche was ſeen of them, is hidden from vsus as is alſo the Starre called Canopus, with ſuche other. Moreouer, that parte of the worlde whiche is on the right hand to vsus, is oftentimes on the lefte hand to others. whereof came that whiche Virgill ſpake of the Articke Poale:
This top ouer our heades aloft remaineth ſtill in fight:
The other black Styx ſeeth below, and ghoſtes that dwell in night.
And that ſaying alſo of the Poet Lucane:
Arabians, you now are come into a ſtrangie land,
Much woundring not to ſee thee ſhadowes fall on your left hand:
with other ſuche like to that purport.
M.
No truely. For theſe quarters of the world bee by nature determined, foraſmuche as it can not bee Eaſte but where the Sunne riſeth: neither Weſt, but where hee goeth downe. Neither North, or South bee appointed, but in plaine contrarie partes of the worlde: the Northe, where the Northren people dwell, and South in the contrarie part. And although wee doc here vſe theſe woordes, the riſing and ſetting of the Sunne, generally and ſtrictly, and not for anie one preciſe part or point in heauen (for the Sunne riſeth mone place in the Winter, & in another in y• Spring, and in another in Summer) notwithſtanding hee riſeth alwaies in one certein place of the world, neither doth he paſſe y• determinate bounds which the Lorde hath appointed vntounto hym, too keepe his courſe in throughout the whole yere. Wherefore, this diſtinction of the partes of the world, conſiſteth not in the opinion of men, or at euerie mans pleaſure, but is defined and limited by nature, true ſeparation, and experience.
S.
Concerning thoſe fiue quarters and zones, which the Aſtronomers doe deſcribe in heauen, and vppon the earth, of whiche Virgill hath writen thus:
Fiue zones there bee whiche Heauen whole deuide: and that whiche followeth:
Again, ſo many coaſtes there are vponupon the earth below,
Whereof the middle vnhabitable is, it ſo with heat doth glowe.
And twayne are drenched deepe in ſnow: wherof the one lieth to the Northren Poale, the other to the Southren, & as for the middie ones: betweene them both he placed, And with iuſt temperature of heate and cold hee interlaced, and therefore are called habitable: tell mee what is your opinion?
M.
Although the ſcripture doe not ſo plainly diſtinguiſhe them, yet it calleth one of them Aretſ, and the earth: the other Tebet, and the habitable worlde. Iſay, the 33. chapter, 1. verſe: and the 38. and 11. verſe: wherby it is declared, that certeine Regions of this worlde are more commodiouſly and commonly inhabited, foraſmuch as wee dauy ſee that the extreame force of cold and heate are many tymes intollerable vntoo men. Pſalme 149. the 17. verſe: and Pſalme 91. and 6. verſe: and Pſalme 121. and 6. verſe. Wherefore, experience tea…th this to bee true, neither doe I thinke that this partition is too vee reiected, for that it ſerueth too ſome vſe: howbeit theſe places beeing ſearched out by the newe nauigations vndertaken by men of our age, may bee the more commodiouſly knowne.