Texts: 2 (translated from the 1579 Latin, the 1580 German, the 1581 French, and the 1584 Latin edition; we present the translation from the Latin and German editions first, then the French edition)
10.1.{1579L{The New World.
10.2. That this entire Hemisphere or half globe (which is called America, and with regard to its immense size The New world) should lie concealed from our ancestors until the year of Christ 1492, at which time Christophorus Columbus from Genoa first discovered it, is a matter surpassing the measure of human admiration. For considering on the one hand the diligence of ancient cartographers in describing the World, and the commodious opportunities of most large Empires to search for new Regions, on the other hand the insatiable avarice of mankind, leaving nothing unattempted to attain Gold, with which these regions abound incredibly, I have often wondered how it could have remained hidden from our World so long. There are some who suppose that this continent was described by Plato under the name of Atlantis. Marinæus Siculus in his Chronicle on Spain writes that an ancient coin was found in some Gold mine with Augustus Cæsar's image on it, and to be quite sure about this, it was sent by Ioannes Rufus, Archbishop of Constance, to the pope. Some think that Seneca, in a fit of Poetical fury, predicted the discovery of it in the following Prophetic verses <in the very end of the 2nd Act. of Medea>:
10.3. --venient annis
10.4. Secula feris, quibus Oceanus
10.5. Vincula rerum laxet & ingens
10.6. Pateat tellus, Typhisque nouos
10.7. Detegat Orbes,
10.8. Nec sit terris vltima Thyle
<from the 1580 German edition:>
10.9. Long from now the years will come,
10.10. When the Ocean shall dissolve
10.11. Nature's fixed bonds and bars.
10.12. Then huge lands shall appear,
10.13. Typhis shall then detect
10.14. New worlds, nor shall the isle of Thyle
10.15. Then restrict the paths of men.>
10.16. Also those Sibyllin verses which, as Iacobus Nauarchus writes {1579L{in the year 1505}1579L}, were found at the foot of the promontory of the Moon (commonly called Rochan de Sinna) upon the ocean floor, engraved upon a square pillar, in the time of <king> Emmanuel of Portugal, more or less like this:
10.17. Volventur saxa literis & ordine rectis
10.18. Cùm videas Occidens, Orientis opes.
10.19. Ganges, Indus, Tagus, erit mirabile visu,
10.20. Merces commutabit suas vterque sibi}1579L}
<from 1580G which reads:>
10.21. The stone with mystical letters shall be rolled
10.22. When West the treasures of the East shall see.
10.23. The Ganges, Indus, Tagus (a thing admired)
10.24. Shall transport their merchandise, desired by either part.
10.25. {1579L{It seems that these verses are not ancient, but written in our times, nor part of Sibylles prophecies, but imitations. I was informed, {not in 1580G{(regarding the second edition of my Theatrum)}not in 1580G} by Cæsar Orlando, a civilian from Rome, through his letters about some printed works by Gaspar of Varenne, in which I have also read this myself. And later, I found it confirmed that in the time of Emmanuel, King of Portugal, a certain Hermes Caradus of that country caused them to be engraved in marble and buried in the earth. And when he suspected that the marble began to deteriorate because of the moisture in the ground, pretending some cause to celebrate, he invited his friends to his country house near where this feigned prophecy lay hidden. When all are set to start eating, in comes his Bailiff with the news that his Labourers have by chance dug up a stone engraved with letters.
10.26. They all run to it immediately, read it, admire it, praise it, and are ready to adore it, &c. See how skilful he was in deluding his friends.
10.27. This whole part of the world, except for the Northern tract, of which the coasts have not yet been explored, has in recent times been circumnavigated. From North to South, it stretches in the form of two Peninsulas or Demi-isles, connected by a very narrow Isthmos. The Northern part of the two contains New Spain, the province of Mexico, the country of Florida and New-found-land. The Southern part, (which the Spaniards call Terra firma) contains Peru and Brasil. Those who are studious in Geography may read descriptions of all those regions in Læuinus Apollonius, in <the Decads of> Peter Martyr of Milan, and in Maximilianus Transsyluanus, who wrote this all in Latin. {not in 1580G{There are also many observations that should not be ignored in the Epistles by the Iesuits}not in 1580G}. Postellus announces discussions of matters concerning the Atlantic, and so does Fredericus Furius Cæriolanus.
10.28. The authors that follow have all specifically written about America, but all in their native language, for the most part Spanish, but more than half of them have been translated into Italian.
<first column>
10.29. PETRVS CIECVS LEGIONENSIS,
10.30. GONSALVS FERNANDVS OVIEDVS,
10.31. FERNANDVS CORTESIVS,
10.32. PETRVS ALVARADVS,
10.33. DIEGVS GODOYVS,
10.34. ALVARES NVNNIVS,
10.35. NUNNIVS GUSMANNVS,
10.36. FRANCISCVS VLLAVS,
10.37. FRANCISCVS VASQVES,
10.38. ANTONIVS MENDOZA,
<second column>
10.39. FRATER MARCVS NIZZENSIS,
10.40. FERNANDVS ALARCHONIVS,
10.41. FRANCISCVS XERESIVS,
10.42. IOANNES VERAZZANVS,
10.43. AMERICVS VESPUTIVS,
10.44. FRANCISCVS LOPES DE GOMARA,
10.45. HIERONYMVS BENSONIVS,
10.46. IACOBVS CARTIER, &
10.47. ANDREAS THEVETVS, who wrote in French.
10.48. IOANNES STADENSIS, in German}1579L}.
<Since the 1581F text is considerably different, it is presented separately below>
10.49. {1581F only{The new world.
10.50. That this entire Hemisphere or half globe which is called America, should lie concealed from our ancestors until the year of Christ 1492, at which time Christophorus Columbus first discovered it, is a matter surpassing the measure of human admiration. For considering on the one hand the diligence of ancient cartographers such as Ptolemée, Strabo, Mela, and others, in describing the World, and the commodious opportunities of most large Empires like that of the Greeks and the Romans, to search for new Regions, on the other hand the insatiable avarice of mankind, leaving nothing unattempted to attain Gold, with which these regions abound incredibly, I have often wondered how it could have remained hidden from our World so long.
10.51. There are some who suppose that this continent was described by Plato under the name of Atlantis. Some think that Seneca, in a fit of Poetical fury, predicted the discovery of it in the following Prophetic verses <in the very end of the 2nd Act. of Medea> in the words Venient annis which translated into our French language means:
10.52. After quite some years,
Another age will come,
Which for countries destinies
Will show something new. <next column>
The great sea will bring forth
New and fertile lands:
When Iceland will no longer be
The farthest of the World
10.53. Also those Sibyllin verses which, (as Iacobus Nauarchus writes) in the year 1505, were found at the foot of the promontory of Portugal, close to Rochan de Sinnar, engraved upon a square pillar, beginning Voluentur saxa &c which means in German/French what now follows:
10.54. One will read quite legible letters
When the West the East'a treasures shall meet
Ganges, Indus, Tagus, with others too
They offer their riches, marvellous things.
10.55. Marinæus Siculus in his Chronicle on Spain writes that an ancient coin was found in some Gold mine with Augustus Cæsar's image on it, and to be quite sure about this, it was sent by Ioannes Rufus, Archbishop of Constance, to the pope.
10.56. Otherwise, it seems likely that these lands were already known in the time of Emperor Augustus. But you may also prefer to think that this coin <see end of paragraph 2 above> may have been lost there by some Spaniard, who went there in our time, and has since then been found again. Let everyone choose for himself what he likes to believe.
10.57. These new land and regions have not yet been discovered and explored, particularly towards the North, which is unknown. The shape of this America resembles two islands, connected in the middle by a sturdy piece of land. The Northern part comprises New Spain, Florida, New <found> land, and several other regions; the other part, in the South, comprises Peru, Brazil etc.
10.58. The islands that belong to America are Spagnola, now called the Isla of St. Dominique, Cuba, & the others that lie around it, a large number of them, and further the Azores and others that are close to the new World. Every part of this land as far as it has been discovered and explored, is subject to the King of Spain (except the country of Brazil which belongs to the king of Portugal, and New <found> land, which is held by the French).
10.59. These regions have such an abundance of gold, that it is truly incredible. I will mention three things to demonstrate that I am telling the truth. Firstly, what Gemma Frisius writes on his world map, namely, that in Collao, Peru, there is a house of which the walls and the roof have been made of pure gold. Then what Giraua writes, namely that in a province of Peru called Anzerma, the soldiers arm themselves with pieces of harness made of fine gold, where we would make them of iron. In the same country of Peru, the Spanish, (as they write themselves) shod their horses with gold because of lack of iron.
10.60. For which reason one is not surprised that it is true what Giraua writes, namely that near Quito there is a mine which contains more gold than earth. These regions are excellent and fertile. Among other things, they yield such an abundance of Sugar that all kitchens have plenty of it, and where it is consumed in a gluttonous manner, whereas formerly this could only be obtained in a pharmacy, which provided it only for the sick, so to say, and thus what once was provided as medicine now serves us as nourishment.
10.61. But we would not like to omit that (before the Spanish Nation discovered this land) they who were living here were badly in need of animals in the service of man, providing them assistance, for they never had any Elephants, nor Camels, Horses, Mules, Asses, nor any other animal that could carry a load or give milk, except for one animal which the Spanish call the Sheep of Peru (such as I have seen for myself at Malines) which has the size of an Ass, but further looks more like a Camel, and which has a reddish color <presumably the lama> 1581F only} © Marcel van den Broecke ©.