A Brief Description of the Whole World, Title page
A BRIEFE DESCRIPTION OF THE WHOLE WORLD.
WHEREIN Is particularly described all the Monarchies, Empires and Kingdoms of the same, with their Academies.
AS ALSO, Their severall Titles and Scituations thereunto adjoyning.
Written by the Reverend Father in God, George Abbot, late Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Fifth Eddition.
LONDON, Printed for Margaret Sheares, at the Blew Bible in Bedford-Street in Coven-Garden, and John Play…ere at the White-Beare in the upper Walk in the New-Exchange.
1664.
A Briefe Description of the whole World.
THe Globe of the Earth doth either shew the Sea or Land. The SeaOf the seas. general, is called by the name or Ocean, which coasteth all the World, and taketh his name in speciall, either of the place neareThe divers names given to the seas, and the reason why. which it commeth, as Oceanus Britanicus, Mare Germanicum, Sinus Perficus, Mare Atlanticum, of the Hill Atlas, in the West part of Africke: or of the finder out, as Fretum Magellanicum; or of some other accident, as the Red Sea, because the sand is red, Mare Mediterraneum, because it runneth between the lands of Europe and Africke, Mare Icarium, because Icarus was drowned there, or the like. There be some few Seas which have no intercourse with the Ocean, as Mare Mortuum, neare Palestina, Mare Caspium sive Hircanum, not far from Armenia: and such a one is said to be in the North part of America.
The Straits or Narrow Seas, areOf the straits or Narrow Seas. noted in the Latine by the name of Fretum, as Fretum Britannicum. The English Narrow Seas, Fretum Herculeum, the Straights between, Barbary and Spaine; Fretum Magellanicum, &c.
The Earth is either Islands,Of the Earth. which are those which are wholly compassed by the Sea, as Britannia, Sicilia, Corsica; or the Continent, which is called in the English, The firme Land, in the Latine, Continens.
The old known firme Land was contained only in Asia, Europe, and Africa. Europe is divided from Africa by the Mediterranean Sea; from Asia by the River Tanais: whereby appeareth, that the North parts of Asia and Europe in old time were but little known and discovered.
Africa is divided from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea; from Asia by the River Nilus: and so Asia by Tanais and Nilus, is severed from Europe and Africke.