s, as Gemma Frisius, Munsterus, Appianus Hunterus, Gastaldus,
Guyccardinus, Michael Tramesinus, Franciscus Demongenitus, Barnardus,
Puteanus, Andreas Vavasor, Tramontanus, Petrus Martyr, and also Ortelius,
who doth coast out in his general map (set out Anno 1569) all the
countries and capes on the north-west side of America from Hochelega to
Cape de Paramantia, describing likewise the sea-coasts of Cathay and
Greenland, towards any part of America, making both Greenland and America
islands disjoined by a great sea from any part of Asia.

All which learned men and painful travellers have affirmed with one
consent and voice, that America was an island, and that there lieth a
great sea between it, Cathay, and Greenland, by the which any man of our
country that will give the attempt, may with small danger pass to Cathay,
the Moluccas, India, and all other places in the east in much shorter
time than either the Spaniard or Portuguese doth, or may do, from the
nearest part of any of their countries within Europe.

What moved these learned men to affirm thus much I know not, or to what
end so many and sundry travellers of both ages have allowed the same; but
I conjecture that they would never have so constantly affirmed, or
notified their opinions therein to the world, if they had not had great
good cause, and many probable reasons to have led them thereunto.

Now lest you should make small account of ancient writers or of their
experiences which travelled long before our times, reckoning their
authority amongst fables of no importance, I have for the better
assurance of those proofs set down some part of a discourse, written in
the Saxon tongue, and translated into English by Master Noel, servant to
Master Secretary Cecil, wherein there is described a navigation which one
other made, in the time of King Alfred, King of Wessex, Anne 871, the
words of which discourse were these: "He sailed right north, having
always the desert land on the starboard, and on the larboard the main
sea, continuing his course, until he perceived that the coast bowed
directly towards the east or else the sea opened into the land he could
not tell how far, where he was compelled to stay until he had a western
wind or somewhat upon the north, and sailed thence directly east along
the coast, so far as he was able in four days, where he was again
enforced to tarry until he had a north wind, because the coast there
bowed directly towards the south, or at