s after Madog's
Voyages. However it is certain that they were written, at least, 15
Years before Columbus first sailed on his American Voyage; when no
European Nation had any idea of a Western Continent. Of consequence,
the Story was not invented to be the Foundation of a Dispute between
the Britons and the Spaniards about the Discovery of the New World.

Another Writer who alludes to Madog's Voyage is the Author of a
Book entitled "a brief Description of the whole World." Edit. 5th.
London Printed, for John Marriott, 1620.

"I am not ignorant that some who make too much of vain Shews, and
of the British Antiquities, have given out to the World, and written
some things to that purpose, that Arthur some time King of Britain
had both Knowledge of those parts (the New World) and some Dominion
in them; for they find (as some report) that King Arthur had under
his Government many Islands and great Countries towards the North
and West, which one of some special Note hath interpreted to signify
America, and the Northern parts thereof, and thereupon have gone about
to entitle the Queen of England (Elizabeth) to be the Soveraigne of
these Provinces by right of Descent from King Arthur. But the Wisdom
of our State has been such as to neglect that Opinion, imagining
it to be grounded upon fabulous Foundations, as many things are,
that are asserted of King Arthur. Only this doth convey some Shew
with it, that, now some Hundred Years, there was a Knight of Wales
who with Shipping, and some pretty Company did go to discover these
parts, whereof, as there is some record of reasonable Credit amongst
the Monuments of Wales, so there is nothing which giveth pregnant
Shew thereunto, that in the late Navigations of some of our Menta
Norumbega, and some other northern parts of America they found
some tokens of Civility and Christian Religion; but especially
they do meet with some Words of the Welsh Language, as that a Bird
with a white Head should be called Penguinn, and other such like;
yet because we have now invincible certainty thereof, and if any
thing were done, it was only in the Northern and worse part, and
the Intercourse between Wales and those parts in the space of 700
Years, was not continued, but quite silenced, we may go forward
with that opinion that these Western Indies were no way known to
former ages."

From this Extract we learn that in the Days of Queen Elizabeth a
Tradition prevailed, that at some former Period, Bri