"But _Blondus_, who is therein followed by _Pancirollus_, both _Italians_, will not haue _Italy_ loose the praise thereof, telling vs that about 300 yeares agoe it was found out at Malphis or Melphis, a Citty in the Kingdome of _Naples_ in the _Province_ of _Campania_, now called _Terra di Lovorador_. But for the Author of it, the one names him not, and the other assures vs, he is not knowne: yet _Salmuth_ out of _Ciezus & Gomara_ confidently christens him with the name of _Flavius_, and so doth _Du Bartas_ in those excellent verses of his touching this subject. "'W' are not to _Ceres_ so much bound for bread, Neither to _Bacchus_ for his clusters red, As Signior _Flavio_ to thy witty tryall, For first inventing of the Sea-mans dyall, Th' vse of the needle turning in the same, Divine device, O admirable frame!' "It may well be then that _Flavius_ the _Melvitan_ was the first inventor of guiding the ship by the turning of the needle to the _North_: but some _German_ afterwards added to the _Compasse_ the 32 points of the winde in his owne language, whence other Nations haue since borrowed it." [15] PAGE 4, LINE 14. Page 4, line 14. _Paulum Venetum_.--The reference is to Marco Polo. He returned in 1295 from his famous voyage to Cathay. But the oft-repeated tale that he first introduced the knowledge of the compass into Europe on his return is disposed of by several well-established facts. Klaproth (_op. citat._, p. 57) adduces a mention of its use in 1240 in the Eastern Mediterranean, recorded in a work written in 1242 by Bailak of Kibdjak. And the passages in the Iceland Chronicle, and in Alexander of Neckham are still earlier. [16] PAGE 4, LINE 17. Page 4, line 17. _Goropius_. See _Hispanica Ioannis Goropii Becani_ (Plantin edition, Antv., 1580), p. 29. This is a discussion of the etymologies of the names of the points of the compass: but is quite unauthoritative. [17] PAGE 4, LINE 23. Page 4, line 26. _Paruaim_.--Respecting this reference, Sir Philip Magnus has kindly furnisht the following note. A clue to the meaning of _Parvaim_, which should be written in English letters with a _v_, not a _u_, will be found in _2 Chronicles_, iii. 6. In the verse quoted the author speaks of gold as the gold of Parvaim, [Hebrew: WHAZAHAB ZHAB PARWAYIM], and [Hebrew: PRWYM] Parvaim is taken as a gold-producing region. It is regarded by some as the same as Ophir. The word is supposed to be cognate with a Sanskrit word _pûrva_ signifying "prior, anterior, oriental." There is nothing in the root indicating gold. A form similar to Parvaim, and also a proper name, is Sepharvaim, found in _2 Kings_, xix. 13, and in _Isaiah_, xxxvii. 13, and supposed to be the name of a city in Assyria. [18] PAGE 4, LINE 35. Page 4, line 41. Cabot's observation of the variation of the compass is narrated in the _Geografia_ of Livio Sanuto (Vinegia, 1588, lib. i., fol. 2). See also Fournier's _Hydrographie_, lib. xi., cap. 10.