all the world over where ever the same Arts are taught or professed I see no reason but that we may lawfully use these names til such time as the true names wherewith the great Creator of all things at the first called every Star as David witnesseth in the 146 Psalm be made known unto us As concerning the practise of the Arabians who rejected these humane figures having substituted in their places the forme of Beasts you may read Joseph Scaliger in his Commentaries upon Manilius Pliny in his 2. Book 41. chapter affirmeth though I know not upon whose authority or credit that there are reckoned 1600. fixed Starrs which are of notable effect and vertue Whereas Ptolomy reckoneth but 1022. in all accounting in those which they call Sporades being scattered here and there and reduced to no Asterisme All which according to their degrees of light he hath divided into 6. orders So that of the first Magnitude he reckoneth 15. of the second 45. of the third 208. of of the fourth 474. of the fifth 217. of the sixth 49. to which we must add the 9. obscure ones and 5. other which the Latines call Nebulosae cloudy Starrs All which Starrs expressed in their severall Constellations Magnitudes and names both Latine and Greek and some also with the names by which they are called in Arabique you may see pescribed in the Globe PONT Now as we have already shewed how by comparing the Diameters of the Planets with the Diameter of the Earth their magnitude may bee known in like manner also may the magnitude of the fixed Sttarrs be found out as may be seene by this scheme The Diameter of a Starr of the 1 is to the Earths Diameter as 119 to 4 2 269 60 3 25 6 4 19 5 5 19 36 6 21 8 More over concerning those other fixed Starrs about the Southern Pole which were unknown to Ptolomy and the Ancients and now of late yeares discovered by the Portugals and Hollanders wee shall set down their names also in their due place All these Constellations together with their names in Arabique as we find them partly set down by Alfraganus partly by Scaliger in his Commentaries upon Manilius and Grotius his Notes upon Aratus his Asterismes but especially as Jacobus Christmannus hath delivered them unto us out of the Arabique Epitome of the Almagest we will set down in their order And if any desire a more copious declination of the same wee must refer him to the 7. and 8. bookes of Ptolomies Almagest and Copernicus his Revolutions and the Prutenicke Tables digested by Erasmus Reinholt where every one of these Starrs is reckoned up with his due longitude latitude and magnitude annexed PONT You may also see Christophorus Clavius in his Commentary upon Johan de Sacrobosco cap. 1. And above all the rest Tycho Brahe who in his book of the New Starrs that appeared in the yeare 1572. hath proposed tables of the longitude and latitude of all the fixed Starrs that can conveniently be seen in these Climates according to his owne most accurate observations as you may see in the aforenamed book pag. 258. and so forward But here you are to observe by the way Copernicus and Erosmus Reinholt do reckon the longitude of all the Starrs from the first Star in Aries but Ptolomy from the very Intersection of the AEquinoctiall and Ecliptick So that Victorinus Strigelius was in an error when he said that Ptolomy also did number the longitude of Starres from the first Star the head of Aries CHAP. III. Of the Constellations of the Northern Hemisphaere THE first is called in Latine Ursa Minor and in Arabique Dub Alasgar that is to say the lesser Bear and Alrucaba which signifieth a Wagon or Chariot yet this name is given also to the hindermost Starr in the taile which in our time is called the Pole Starr because it is the nearest to the Pole of any other Those other two in the taile are called by the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it to say Saltatores Dancers The two brâ—ght Starrs in the fore part of the body the Arabians call Alferkathan as Alfraganus writeth who also reckoneth up seven Stars in this Constellation and one unformed near unto it This constellation is said to have been first invented by Thales who called it the Dog as Theon upon Aratus affirmeth The second is Vrsa Major the Great Beare in Arabique Dub Alacher The first Star in in the back of it which is the 16 in number is called Dub 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that which is in the flanke being the 17 in number is called Miraë or rather as Scaliger would have it Mizar which signifieth saith he locum praecinctionis the girthing place The first in the taile which is the 25. in number is called by the Alfonsines Aliare and by Scaliger Aliath This Asterisme is said to have been first invented by Nauplius as Theon affirmeth It hath in all 27. Stars but as Theon rekoneth them but 24 Both the Beares are called by the Greeks according to Aratus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Wagon or Chariot But this name doth properly appertain to those seven bright Starrs in the great Beare which do something resemble the forme of a Wagon These are called by the Arabians Beneth As i. e. Filiae Feretri as Christmanus testifieth They are called by some though corruptly Benenas and placed at the end of the taile some will rather read it Benethasch which signifies Filium Vrsae The Grecians in their navigations were wont alwayes to observe the great Bear whence Homer gives them the Epithete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Theon observes for the Greekes call the great Beare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the Phoenicians alwayes observe the lesser Beare as Aratus affirmeth The third is called the Dragon in Arabique Alanin and it is often called Aben but Scaliger readethit Taben whence he calleth that Starr which is in the Dragons head and is the 5. in number Rastaben though it be vulgarly written Rasaben In this Constellation there are rekoned 31. Starrs The fourth is Cepheus in Arabique Aluedaf To this Constellation besides those two unformed Sarrs which are hard by his Tiara they reckon in all 11. among which that which is in number the 4. is called in Arabique Alderaimin which signifieth the right Arme. This Constellation is called by the Phoenicians Phicares which is interpreted Flammiger which appellation peradventure they have borrowed from the Greeke Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fifth is Booses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth in Greek an Heardsman or one that driveth Oxen. But the Arabians mistaking the word as if it had been written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a Clamators Cryer call it also Alhava that is to say Vociferator one that maketh a great noyse or clamor and Alsamech Alramech that is the Launce-bearer Betwixt the legs of this Constellation there stands an unformed
a Cubic all and some a Pyramidall forme yet this opinion of it's Roundnesse with greatest consent of reason at length prevailed the rest being all exploded Now wee affirme it to be round yet so as that wee also admit of it's inequalities by reason of those so great eminences of hills and depression of vallies Eratosthenes as hee is cited by Strabo in his first book saith that the fashion of the Earth is like that of a Globe not so exactly round as an artificiall Globe is but that it hath certain inequalities The earth cannot be said to be of an exact orbicular forme by reason of somany high hilles and low plaines as Pliny rightly observes And Strabo also in his first book of his Geography saith that the Earth and the water together make up one sphaericall body not of so exact a forme as that of the Heavens although not much unlike it This assertion of the roundnesse of the Earth with the intervening Sea is confirmed also by these reasons For first that it is round from East to West is proved by the Sun Moon and the other Stars which are seen to rise and set first with those that inhabit more Eastwardly and afterward with them that are farther West The Sun riseth with the Persians that dwell in the Easterne parts foure hours soonner then it doth with those that dwell in Spaine more Westward as Cleomedes affirmes The same is also proved by the observing of Eclipses especially those of the Moon which although they happen at the same time are not yet observed in all places at the same houre of the day or night but the hour of their appearing is later with them that inhabite Eastward then it is with the more Westerne people An Eclipse of the Moon which Ptolomy reports lib. 1 Geogr. cap. 4. To have been seen in Arbela a town in Assyria at the fift houre of the night the same was observed at Carthage at the second houre In like manner an Eclipse of the Sun which was observed in Campania to be betwixt 7. and 8. of the Clock was seen by Coâ—…bulo a Captain in Armenia betwixt 10â—… and 11. as it is related by Pliny Now that it is also of a sphaericall figure from North to South may be clearly demonstrated by the risings settings elevations and depressions of the Stars and Poles The bright Star that shines so resplendently in the upper part of the sterne of the Ship Argo and is called by the Greeeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is scarcely to bee seen at all in Rhodes unlesse it bee from some eminent high place yet the same is seen very plainly in Alexandria as being elevated above the Horizon about the fourth part of a signe as Proclus affirms in the end of his book de Sphaera For I read it Conspicuè cernitur not as it is commonly Prorsus non cernitur notwithst anding that both the Greek text and also the Latine translation are against it Another argument may bee taken from the figure of the shadow in the Eclipse of the Moon caused by the interposition of the Earths opacous body Which shadow being Sphaericall cannot proceed from any other then a round Globous body as it is demonstrated unto us out of Opticall principles But this one reason is beyond all exception that those that make toward the Land at the Sea shal first of all descry the tops of the hilles onely aâ—…d afterwards as they draw nearer to shore they see the lower parts of the same by little and little Which cannot proceed from any other cause then the gibbosity of the Earths superficies As for those other opinions of the hollow Cubicall Pyramidall and plaine figure of the Earth you have them all largely examined both in Theon Ptolomies Interpreter Cleomedes and almost in all our ordinary Authours of the Sphaere together with the reasons why they are rejected Yet that old conceit of the plainnesse of the Earths superficies is again now at last tanquam Crambe recocta set forth in a new dresse and thrust upon us by Franciscus Patricius who by some few eold arguments and misunderstood experiments endeavours to confirme his own and consequently to overthrow that other received opinion of the sphaericall figure of the Earth I shall onely lightly touch at his chiefest arguments my present purpose and intention suffering mce not to insist long on the confutation of them And fâ—…rst of all the great beight of Hills and the depression of vallies so much disagreeing from the evennesse of the plain parts of the Earth scem to make very much against the roundnesse of the Earth Who can hear with patience saith hee that those huge high mountains of Norway or the mountaine Slotus which lies under the Pole and is the highest in the world should yet be thought to have the same superficies with â—…he Sealying beneath it This therefore being the chiefest reason that mâ—…y seem to overthrow the opinion of the Earth and Seas making up one sphaericall body let us examine it a little more nearly and consider how great this inequality may bee that seems to make so much against the evennessc of this Yerrestitall Globe Many strange and almost incredible things are reported by Aristotle Mela Pliny and Solinuâ—… of the unusuall height of Athoâ—… an Hill in Macedonia and of Casius in Syria as also of another of the same name in Arabia and of the monntaine Caucasus And among the rest one of the most miraculous things which they have observed of the mountain Athos is that whereas it is situate in Macedony it casts a shadow into the market place at Myrrhina a Town in the Island Lemnos from whence Athos is distant 86. miles But for as much as Athos lies Westward from Lemnos as may appeare out of Ptolomies Tables no marvail that it casts so large a shadow seeing that wee may observe by dayly experience that as well when the Sunriseth as when it sets the shadowes are always extraordinary long But that which Pliny and Solinus report of the same mountain I should rather account among the rest of their fabulous Stories where as they affirm it to be so high that it is thought to be above that region of the aire whence the rain is wont to fall And this opinion say they was first grounded upon a report that there goes that the ashes which are left upon the Altars on the top of this hill are never washed away but are found remaining in heapes upon the same To this may be added another testimony out of the Excerpts of the seventh booke of Strabo where it is said that those that inhabite the top of this mountain do see the Sun three hours sooner then those that live neare the Sea side The height of the mountâ—…in Caucasus is in like manner celebrated by Arisâ—…otle the top whereof is enlightned by the Suns bâ—…ames the third part of the night both morning and evening No lesle fabulous is that which is reported
by Pliny and Solinus oâ—… Casius in Syria from whose top the Sun rising is discovered about the fourth watch of the night which is also related by Mela of that other Casius in Arabia But that all these relations are no other then meer fables is acutely and solidly proved by Petrus Noninus out of the veâ—…y principles â—…f Geometry As for that which Eustathius writes that Hercules pillâ—… called by the Greeks Calpe and Abenna are celebrated by Dionysius Perlegetes for their miraculous height is plainly absurd and ridiculous For these aâ—…ise not above an hundred Ells in height which is but a furlong whereas the Pyramids of Egypt are reported by Strabo to equall that height and some trees in India are found to exceed it if wee may credit the relations of those Writers who in the same Strabo affirm that there grows a tree by the river Hyarotis that casteth a shadow at noon five furlongs long Those fabulous narrations of the Ancients are seconded by as vaine reports of our modern times And first of all Scaliger writes from other mens relation that Tenariff one of the Canary Islands riseth in height fifteen leagues which amount to above sixtie miles But Patricius not content with this measure stretchth it to seventie miles There are other hills in like manner cryed up for their great height as namely the mountain Andi in Peâ—…u and another in the Isle Pico among the Azores Islands but yet both these fall short of Tenariffe What credit the relations may desâ—…rve we will now examine And first for Tenariffe it is reported by many writers to be of so great a height that it is probable the whole World affoards not a more eminent place nâ—…t exâ—…pting the mountaine Sloâ—…us it selâ—… which whether ever any other mortall man hath seen besides that Monke of Oxford who by his skill in Magicke conveighed himself into the utmost Northerne regions and tooke a view of all the places about the Pole as the Story hath it is more then I am able to determine Yet that this Isle cannot be so high as Scaliger would have it wee may be the more bold to believe because that the tops of it are scarcely ever free from snow so that you shall have them coverd all over with snow all the year long save onely one or at the most two months in the midst of summer as may appear out of the Spanish Writers Now that any sâ—…ow is generated 60 or 70 miles above the plain superficies of the Earth and Water is more then they will ever perswade us seeing that the highest vapourâ—… never rise above 48 miles above the earth according to Eratosthenes his measure but according to Ptolomy they ascend not above 41 miles Notwithstanding Cardan and some other profest Mathematicians are bold to raise them up to 288 miles but with no smaâ—… stain of their name have they mixed those trifles with their other writings Solinus reports that the tops of the mountain Atlas reacheth very near as high as the circle of the Moon but he betrayeth his own errour in that he confesseth that the top of it is covered with snow and shineth with fires in the night Not unlike to this are those thiâ—…gs which are reported of the some mountain and it's height by Herodotus Dionysius Afer and his scholiast Eustathius whence it is called in Authours Coelorum columen the pillar that bears up the Heavens But to let passe these vain prodigious relations let us come to those things that seem to carry a greater shew of truth Eratosthenes found by Dioptricall instruments and measuring the distances betwixt the places of his observation that a perpendicular drawn from the top of the highest mountain down to the lowest bottome or vally did not exceed ten furlongs Cleomedes saith that there is no hill found to be above fifteen furlongâ—… in height and so high as this was that vast steep rock in Bactriana which is called Sisimitrae Petra mentioned by Strabo in the 11 booke of his Geography The topps of the Thessalian mountatns are raiscd to a greater height by Solinus then ever it is possible for any hill to reach Yet if wee may believs Pliny Dicaearchus being employed by the Kings command in the same businesse found that the height of Pelion which is the highest of all exceeded not 1250 pases which is but ten furlongs But to proceed yet a little further least wee should seem too sparing herein and to restrain them within narrower limits then wee ought we will adde to the height of hills the depth also of the Sea Of which the illustrious Julius Scaliger in his 38. Exercitation against Cardan writeth thus The depth of the Sea saith he is not very great for it seldome exceeds 80 paseâ—… in most places it is not 20 pases and in many places not above six in few places it reacheth 100. pases and very seldâ—…me or never exceeds this number But because that falls very far short of the truth as is testified by the daily experience of those that passe the Seâ—…s let us make the depth of the Sea equall to the height of mountains so that suppose the depth thereof to bee ten furlongs which is the measure of the Saâ—…dinian Sea in the deepest places as Posidonius in Strabo affirms Or if you please let it be fifteen furlongs as Cleomedes and Fabianus cited by Pliny lib. 2. c. 102. will have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Georg. Valla in his interpretation of Cleomedes deales not fairly with his Author where he makes him assign thirty furlongs to bee the measure of the Seas depth These grounds being thus laid let us now see what proportion the height of hills may bear to the Diameter of the whole Earth that so we may hence gather that the extubcrancy of hills are able to detract little or nothing from the roundnesse of the Earth but that this excrescency will bee but like a little knob or dust upon a ball as Cleomedes saith For if wee suppose the circumference of the whole earth to bee 180000 furlongs according to Ptolomies account neither did ever any of the Ancients assigne a lesse measure then this as Strabo witnesseth the Diameter thereof will bee according to the proportion betwixt a circle and it's Diameter found out by Archimedes above 57272. furlâ—…ng If then we grant the highest Hills to bee ten furlongs high according to Eratosthenes and Dicaearchus they will beare the same proportion to the Diameter of the Earth â—…hat is betwixt one and 5727. Peucerus mistakes himself when he saith that the Diameter of the Earth to the perpendicular of ten furlongs is as 18000. to one for this is the proportien it beareth to the whole circumference and not the Diameter Or suppose the topps of the â—…ighest hills to ascend to the perpendicular of â—…ifteene furlongs as Cleomedes would have it â—…he proportion then will be of one to 3818. Or if â—…ouplease let it bee thirtie furlongs of which â—…height is
as is already shewed as 11 to 2. The Cube therefore of the Sun is 11. and the Cube of the Earth 2. Now these Diameters being multiplied cubically and thae greater Cube divided by the lesse the difference of their severaell Globes will appear For if you multiply 11. by 11. there ariseth 121. which number being multiplyed again by 11. the whole will be 1331. So likewise multiply 2. cubically that is to say by it selfe and there riseth 4. which being again multiplied by 2 ariseth to 8. Now divide the greater Cube 1331. by 8. and the product will be 166. which is the difference of the Globes of the Sun and the Earth And thus much may suffice us to have spoken of the Planets and if any desire a more copious Narration of the same they may have recourse to Ptolomy Copernicus and others that have written the Theories of the Planets For a more large description of these things seams not â—…o stand without purpose especially for that by reason of their Erraticall motion they cannot be expressed in a Globe Let thus much therefore be spokn of them as by the way only CHAP. II. Of the fixed Starrs and their Constellations ANd here in the next place we intend to speak of the Fixed Starrs and their Asterismes or Constellations which Pliny calls Signa and Sidera signes Concerning the number of which Constellations as also of their figure names and number of the Starrs they consist of there is diversity of opinion among Authors For Pliny in his 2d book 41. chap. reckoneth the whole number of the signes to be 72. But Ptolomy Alfraganus and those which follow them acknowledge but 48. for the most part notwithstanding some have added to this number one or two more as Berenices Haire and Antinous Germanicus Coesar and Festus Avienus Rufus following Aratus make the number lesse Julius Higinus will have them to be but 42. reckoneing the Serpent and The man that holdeth it for one signe and he omitteth the little Horse and doth not number Libra among the signes but he divideth Scorpio into two signes as many others also doe Neither doth he reckon the Crow the Wolf nor the South Crown among his Constellations but onely names them by the way The Bull also which was described to appear but half by Hipparchus and Ptolomy and those that follow them the same is made to be wholy apparant both by Vitruvius and Pliny and also before them by Nicander if we may believe Theon Aratus his Scholiast who also place the Pleiades in his back Concerning the number also of the Starrs that goe to the making up of each Constellation Authors do uery much differ from Ptolomy as namely Julius Higinus the Commentator upon Germanicus whether it bee Bassus as Philander calles him or whether those Commentaries were written by Germanicus himself as some desire to prove out of Lactantius and sometimes also Theon in his Commentaries upon Aratus and Alfraganus very often Now if you desire to know what other reason there is why these Constellations have been called by these names save onely that the position of the Starrs doth in some sort seeme to expresse the formes of the things signified by the same you may read Bassus and Julius Higinus abundantly discoursing of this argument out of the fables of the Greekes Pliny assures us if at least we may believe him that Hipparchus was the man that first delivered to posterity the Names Magnitude and Places of the Stars But they were called by the same names before Hipparchus his time by Timochares Aratus and Eudoxus Neither is Hipparchus ancienter then Aratus as Theon would have him to be For the one flourished about the 420. yeare from the beginning of the Olympiads as appeareth plainly out of his life written by a Greek Author But Hipparchus lived above 600. yearâ—…s after the beginning of the Olympiads as his observations delivered unto us by Ptolomy doe sufficiently testifie Besides that there are extant certain Commentaries upon the Phaenomena of Eudoxus and Arratus which goe under Hipparchus his name unlesse perhaps they were written by Eratosthenes as some rather think who yet was before Hipparchus PONT That which is written of Hipparchus is not to be understood any further then touching the distinction of the Starrs of the first second and third magnitude For so Servius in his Commentaries upon the 1. lib. Geogr Hipparchus inquit scripâ—…it de signis c. Hipparchus saith he wrote of the Signes and reckoned up how many bright Stars how many of the second degree of light and how many obscure Stars there were in each constellation For otherwise that the Stars were known by the same names 1000 yeares before Hipparchtus may be proved cut of Seneca who in his 7. lib. Natural Quest. chap 25 saith thus Nondum sunt anâ—…i c. It is not saith hee 1500. yeares yet since Greece first began to number the Starrs and to give them certain Appellations Now Seneca we know was put to death by the command of Nero in the 65. yeare after Christ And Hipparchus lived not above 283. yeares before Christ in the time of Ptolomies Philadelphus And Job also whom Philo Judaeus reporteth to have married 〈◊〉 Jacob's daughter mentioneth these names Arcturus Pleiades and Orion if wee may trust St. Hierom's translation in this case cap. 9. verse 9. Who maketh saith he Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the Starrs in the remoâ—…st parts of the South So likewise the Prophet Am 〈◊〉 chap 5 vers 8. Quaerite inquiet opificem Pleiadum Orionis c. Seeke ye him that made the Pleiades and Orion c. Now it is probable that there were two kinds of men that reduced the Starrs into constellations and these might probably be Husbandmen and Mariners The Husbandmen perhaps might make these to wit the Ram the Bull the Eâ—…e of Corne in the Virgins hand the young Kids the Goat the Waggoner the little Goat the Waggon all which are names used also by Homer Of the Mariners the Pleiades the Hyades the Whale and the like names seem to have been invented according to that of Virgil in the first of his Georgickes Navâ—…ta tuâ—… Stellis numeros nomina fecit 〈◊〉 des Hyades clarumque Lycaonis Astâ—…m Which is thus translated into English Verse by T. May. The Sailers number then and nam'd 〈◊〉 Star The Pleiads Hyads and the Northern Carre And now to whom do those other new Constellations above the Antartick Pole we their now so well known names but to the Portugals Hollander and English Sea-faring men Neither are those men at all to be regarded that condemne these usual names of the Starrs and Constellations as unfit to be used by Christian men For seeing they are now used without the least shew of superstirion and that there is very great necessity of these Appellations in as much as without them there could be no agreement or accord in these Arts and cience for these very names are used
brightnesse as that no Signe in the Heavens may bee compared with them And now that you have heard this so strang and admirable relation of the Stars about the Antarctique Pole Auditum admissi risum teneatis For Vespuccius hath here forged three Canobi whereas Ptolomy and all the Ancient Greekes never knew but one and that is it wich is placed in the stearne of the ship Argo And here it is very well worth our noting that Patricius as far as I am able to gather out of his writings out of Vespuccius his ill expressed language and by him worse understood hath very excellently framed to himself a strange kind of Star that hath in apparent Diameter 32. degrees whereas the Diameter of the Sun it self hardly attaineth to 32. minutes But those things which out of our owne certain knowledg and experience in above a years voyage on Sea in the yeares 1591. and 1592. we have observed beyond the AEquator and about the Southern parts of the world we will here set down Now therefore there are but three Stars of the first magnitude that I could perceive in all those parts which are never seen here in England All which notwithstanding Ptolomy saw in Alexandria in Egypt The first of these is that bright Star in the stearn of Argo which they call Canobus The second is in the end of Eridanus The third is in the right foot of the Centaure To which if you will add for a fourth that which is fixed in the Centaures left knee I shall not much stand against it But other Stars of the first magnitude then these which I have named that part of the world canot shew us Neither is there to bee found scarcely two or three at the most of the second magnitude but what Ptolomy had seen and indeed there is no part of the whole Heavens that hath so few Starrs in it and those of so small light as this neare about the Antarctique Pole We had a sight also of those Clouds Andreas Corsalius speakes of the one of them being almost twice or thrice as big as the other and in colour something like the Via Lactea and neither of them very farr distant from the Pole Our Mariners use to call them Magellanes Clouds And wee saw also that strange and admirable Crosse which he talkes of which the Spaniard call Crusero and our Countriemen the Crusiers And the Stars of which this Crosse consists were not unknown to Ptolomy also for they are no other then the bright Stars which are in the Centaures feet All which things I did the more diligently and oftener observe for that I remembred that I had read in Cardan also strange relations of the wonderfull magnitude of the Stars about the South Pole not unlike the stories he have now alledged out of Patricius PONT The names of the Constellations of the Southerne Hemisphaere as they have been now lately observed and named by the Portugals and others are these The South Triangle the Crane the Phaenix the Water Serpent the Dorado or Gilthead fish situated in the very Pole of the Ecliptique the Chamaeleon with the flye the Flying Fish the Bird of Paradise the Peacock the naked Indian birdâ—…oucan â—…oucan or Brasilian Pye All which are accurateâ—…y portraited in the Globes set fourth by Hondius Among all these there are no Stars of the first Magnitude hut of the 2. seven of the 3. six of the 4. thirty five of the 5. fifty six of the 6. eleven with six unsormed and two clowdy Stars besides the two cloudes themselves Now the whole number of the Stats in this Southerne part beside-the cloudy ones is 121. which being added to 1022. the whole sum will bâ—…e 1143. Of which 1022. were reckoned before by our â—…uthor out of Ptolomy onely there is a scruple cast in our way by those words of Pliny in his lib. 2. cap. 41. Patrocinaâ—…ur vastitas coeli c. And this opinion saâ—…th he is seconded also by the vast nâ—…sse and immensity of the Heavens which is distinguished into 72. Signes all which are the resemblances either of living creatures or other things according as they have been reduced into method and order by the skilfull in those Arts. Among which Constellations They have observed 1600. Stars all which are not able either in their effects or magnitude Where wee see that â—…ee accounteth the whole number of the Stars to be 1600 whereas Ptolomy after him acknawledged only 1022. So likewise he reckoneth the Signes or Astâ—…rismes to be be in all 72. which yet in Hipparchus Eudâ—…xus and Ptolomies account are but 48. Scaligâ—…r in his Comentaries upon Manilius pag 67. that he might untie this knot reads these words of Pliny thus Patrocinatur vastitas coeli immensa altitudine discreta in duo de L signa c. Where for seventy two he would have it to be wanting two which is 48. the jâ—…st number reckoned by Ptolomy But yet the same doubt still remaines in the ensuing words where he maketh the whole number of the Stars to be 1600. I find also two other Signes added to the former Southern Constellatiâ—…ns which are Noah's Dove aâ—…d the Phoenicopter The first of which containeth in it 11. Stars of which there are two in the back of it of the second magnitude which they call the Good 〈◊〉 or briâ—…gers of good newes and those in the right wing are consecrated to the Appâ—…d Deity and those in the lest to the Retiring of the Waters in the time of the Deluge The Phoenicopter we may call the â—…ittou Of this bird Marâ—…iall hath an Epigram lib. 13. Dat mihi penna rubens nomen sed lingua guâ—…osis Nostra placet Quid si garrula lingua foret The Spaniards call it Flamengo and it is described with the wings spread abroad and as it were striking with his bill at the South Fish in that part where he boweth himself This Asterisme consisteth of 13 Stars â—…nf whiâ—…h that of the second magnitude in his head is called the Phoenic pâ—…rs Eye and it hath â—…wo other tars also of the same magnituâ—…e one in his back and the other in his lâ—…twing And those two which are in the middle of his neck Paulus Merula in his first book of his Cosmography calleth his Collar or Chaine Lastly we are to take notice that the Indianâ—… call the south Pole Dramasa for so Pliny testifieth in his lib. 6. cap. 19. Austrinum Polum Indi Drammasa vocant The third Part CHAP. I. Of the Geographicall description of the Terrestriall Globe and the parts of the world yet known DIonysius Afer in the beginning of his Perigesis saith that the whole Earth may be said to be as it were a certain vast Island encompassed about on every side with â—…e Ocean The same was the opinion of Homer also before him aâ—…d of Eratosthenes whom Dionysius is observed by Eustathius his Scholiast to follow in many things as is witnessed by Strabo The same is affirmed by
Mela also after him This vast Island of the whole Earth they would have to be terminated on the North side with the frozen Sea which is called by Dionysius Mare Saturninum and Mâ—…rtuum â—…n the East with the Eastern Sea which is also called Mare Seâ—… on the South with the Red Sea whiâ—…h Ptolomy calleth the Indian Sea and The AEthyopian and on the West with the Atlantick Ocean Out of this Ocean also there are foure particular gulfes as the Ancient Geographers conceived which embosomed themselves into the maine land Two of which derived their course out of the Erythraean or Red Sea to wit the Persian and Arabian gulfes From the West there is sent out of the Atlantick Ocean a vast gulfe which is called the Mediterranean Sea And out of the North they would have the Scythian Ocean to send in the Caspian Sea which is shut in almost on every side with high craggy rocks from whence the streames flow with suâ—…h violence that when they are come to the very fall they cast forth their water so farr into the Sea without so much as once touching upon the shore that the ground is left dry and passable for whole Armies under the banks the streames in the meane time being carried over tâ—…r headâ—…s as it is reported by Eudoxus in Strabo This Sea both Strabo Pliny Mela â—…nd Solinus will have to come out of the Scythian Ocean as we have said But this eâ—…rour of theirs bâ—…sides the experience of these later times is manifestly convinced by this one testimony of Antiquity which is that the water of this Sea is found to be freâ—…h and sweet as was first observed by Alexander the Great and afterwards by Pompey as M. Varro in Solinus tâ—…stifieth who at that â—…ime himselfe served under Ptompey in his Warrs And this is the chiefest reason which Polycletus in Straboâ—…lledged â—…lledged for the proofe of the same Now all this tract of land the Ancients devided at first into two parts only namely Asia and Europe to which succeeding times aâ—…ded a third which they call Africa and sometimes also Lybia And of these Asia is the greatest Africa the next but Europe the last of all according as Ptolomy determines it in the 7. book of his Geography Europe is divided on the East from Asia by the AEgaean Sea which is now called the Archipelago and the Euxine Sea which was at first as Strato in Strabo thoâ—…ght encompassed about on all sides in manner of a great lake till at last by the great accession of other Riverâ—… and waters it so farr encreased as that the banks being unable to containe it it violently made it's way into the Propontis and the Hellespont The Euxine Sea is now called Mare Maggiore It is also bounded on the same side by the like of Maeotis now called Mare dellezahacche the River Tanais commonly called Don and the Meridian which extends it selfe from thence to the Scythian or Frozen Sea On all other sides it is encompassed with the Sea For toward the South it is divided from Africa by the Straits of Gibraltar and part of the Mediterranean Sea The length of these 〈◊〉 is according to Strabo and Pliny 120. fuâ—…longs and the bredth of it according to the same Strabo 70. surlongs But Mela would have it to be 10. miles that is to say 80. Furlongs T. Livius and Cornelius Nepâ—…s make the latitude of it to be in the broadest place 10. miles or 80. furlongs and where it is narrowest 7. miles or 56. furlongs But Turannius Graccula who as Pliny reports was borne about those parts accounted it to be from Mellaria a town in Spaine unto that Premontory in Africa which is called Promontorium Album but 5. miles in all that is 40. Furlongs Eratosthenes was of opinion that Europe was sometime joyned to the Continent of Africa and it is reported by Pliny that the inhabitants of those parts have a Tradition that the Isthmus or neck of the land by which Europe and Africa were joyned together was cut through by Hercules Europe is terminated on the West with the Atlantick Ocean and on the North with the British Germane and frozen Seas PONT This Northern part of Europe began first to be discovered and known to the world in the raign or rather through the meanes and by the direction of Augustus Caesar. For as Pliny saith lib. 2. cap. 76. Septentrionalis Oceanus majore ex parte navigatus est c. The Northern Ocean for the greatest part was first searched by Augustus Coesar who sent forth a Navy which passing all along the Coasts of Germany came so far as the Promontory of the Cimbrians and thence passing on through a vast Sea which they hâ—…d only heard of before they went as far as the Coasts of Scythia In which place Pliny meaneth those Sea expeditions performed by Tiberius and Drusus Germanicus but especially that of Drusus as may appeare by those words of Tacitus where he saith thus Ipsum quinâ—…tiam Oceanum illa tentavimuâ—… c. Wee left not the Ocean unattempted that way also and it is a common fame that Hercules Pillars are yet remaining whether it be true indeed that Hâ—…rcules ever went so â—…ar or else that â—…hat ever Magnificent thing is any where to be found we all conspire unâ—…nimusly to honour him therewith Neither was there wanting courage for the attempt to Drusus Germanicus only the Ocean would not suffer it self nor Hercules to be sarther inquired into After this no man attâ—…mpted it and is was thought a greater poynt of reverence and religion to believe the Actions of the gods then to know 〈◊〉 Thus he Now before this time all this tract of land lying towards the North the Romans called Novus Orbis Ignotus Orbis the new and unknown world as I remember I have seen it in a certain Elegy of Albinovus upon the death of the same 〈◊〉 And the Promontory of the Cimbriaâ—…s which 〈◊〉 speakes of is now called Scagen and is the most northern point of Denmarke And as concerning these Pillars of Hercules mentioned by Tacitus Hadrianus Junius who sometimes saw these coasts râ—…ferreth the same to that high rock or Promontory in Scandinavia Junius hath it Noâ—…vegia but not rightly which is at this day called Col bath by the Natives and our Mariners also For in this place they have a superstitious custome that as Strabo reportes of the Gad tane Pillaâ—…s when any ships had arrived there as if they had attained the end of their labours and travaile they forthwith sacrificed to Hercules in like manner in this place they have a custome that if they have fresh men that never sailed tbose Northern Seas before they have certain Ceremonies with which they use to make them free of the Sea as I my self once saw done sailing by this Promontory for they taâ—…k and bind them to the Mast of the ship and then taking the scoope and filling it with Sea water they make as it
that as farr as Sues which is situated in the innermost corner of the gulfâ—… the Sea covereth the very shore neither when it ebbeth doth it ever leave the ground so bare as that the lower parts through which the Israelites passed should be free from passage on foot And it is reported by Pliny that Numenius Generall to Antiochus sigâ—…ting agâ—…st the Peâ—…sians neare the mouth of the Persian gulfe not farr from the Promontory called Macavum got the victory of them twice in one day first by a Sea combat and afterward the waters having left the place dry on horsback as it is related by him in his 6. book 28. cap. And thus much concerning Eratosthenes his conjecture Let us now return to the bounds of Africa Which is divided as wee have already said on the East from Asia by a Meridian drawn through the Arabian gulfe to the Mediterranean Sea On all other sides it is encompassed about with the Sea as on the West with the Alantick on the South with the AEthtopian Ocean and on the North by the Mediterranean which is also the Southern bound of Europe Now as concerning Ptolomies ignorance of the Southern parts of Africa making it a continent and contiguous to Asia by a certain unknown Land which hee would have to encompasse about the South side of the Indian Sea and the AEthiopian gulf if it bee not sufficiently evinced out of the relations of the Ancients as namely of Herodotus who reporteth that certain men were sent forth by Darius by Sea who sailed about all this tract nor yet of Heraclides Ponticus who reâ—…es a story of a certain Magician that came from Gelon who said that he had compassed about all those coasts because Posidonius accounteth not these relations of credit enough to conclude any thing against Polybius neither doth he appove of that story of one Eudoxus Cyzicenus reported by Strabo Pliny and Mela out of Cornelius Nepos an Author of very good esteem and that because Strabo thought this relation to deserve no more credit then those fabulons narrations of Pytheas Evemerus and Antiphanes nor lastly those traditions of King Juâ—…a concerning the same matter related by Solinus Howsoever I say that those Traditions of the Ancients do not convince Ptolomy of ignorance yet certainely the later Navigations of the Portugals most evidently demonstrate the same who touching upon the outmost point of all Africa which they now call the Cape of good hope passe on as far as the East Indies I shall not in the meane time need to speak at all of that other story which Pliny hath how that at what time C. Caesar Son to Augustus was Proconsul in Arabia there were certain Ensignes found in the Arabian gulfe which were known to be some of those that were cast away in a shipwrack of the Spanish Navy and that Carthage at that time being in her height of power Hanno a Carthaginian sailed about from Gades as far as Arabia who also afterward himself wrote the story of that nâ—…vigation Asia lyeth Eastward both from Europe and Africa and is divided from them by these bounds and limits which we have already set down On all other parts it is kept in by the Ocean On the Northe by the Hyperborean or Frozen Sea on the East by the Tartarian and Eastern Ocean on the South by the Indian and Red Sea But Ptolomy would have the Northern parts of Asia as also of Europe to be encompassed not with any Sea but with a certain unknown Land which is still the opinion of some of our later writers who think that Country which we call Grcënland to be part of the Indian Continent But we have very good reason to suspect the truth of this their opinion since that so many Sea-voyages of our owne country-men who have gone far within the Arctique Circle beyond the utmost part of Norway and into that cold frozen Channell that divides Nova Zemla from Russia do sufficiently testifie that all those parts are encompassed with the Sea Not to speak any thing of that which Mela alleadgeth out of Cornelius Nepos how that when Q. Matellus Cesar was Proconsul in Gallia there were presented him by the King of Suevia certain Indians who having been severed by force of tempests form the Indian shore had been brâ—…ught about by the violence of the windes as far as Germany Neither will I here mention that other relation of Patrocles in Strabo who affirmed that it was possible to saile to India all along the Sea shore a great Ideal more Northward then the Bactrians Hircania and the Caspian Sea now Patrocles was made governor of these placeâ—… Nor lastly that which Pliny himself reporteth how that all this Eastern coast from India as farr as to the Caspian Sea was sailed through by the Macedonian Armies in the reign of Seleuchus and Antiochus Concerning the quantity of the Earth which was inhabited there was great diversity of opinions among the ancient Ptolomy defined the longitude of it to be from West to East beginning at the Meridian which passeth through the fortunate Islands and ending at that which is drawn through the Metropolis of the Sinae or Chineans countrey So that it should contain halfe the AEquator which is 180 degrees and 12. AEquinoctiall houres or 90000. furlongs measured by the AEquator And he determined the bounds of the Latitude to be toward the South that Parrallel which lyeth 16. gr 25. m. Southward of the AEquator and the Northern limets he made that Parallel which passeth through Thule or Iseland being distant from the AEquinoctiall 63. degrees So that the whole Latitude of it containeth in all 79. gr 25. m. or 80. whole degrees which is neare upon 40000. furlongs The exent of it therefore from East to West is longer then it is from North to South under the AEquinoctiall somthing then more by halfe as much and under the most Northen Parallel almost by a fiftieth part Good reason therfore had the Ancient Geographers as Ptolomy conceiveth in his lib. 1. cap. 6. Geograph to call the extent of it from West to East the Longitude of it and from North to South the Latitude Strabo also acknowledgeth the Latitude with Ptolomy to be 180. degrees in the AEquator as likewise Hipparchus doth also notwithstanding there is some difference betwixt them in the number of the furlongs For these last have set down the Longitude to be of 126000. surlongs under the AEquator herein following Eratoshenes who reckoneth 700. furlongs to a degree But Strabo maketh a Latitude agreat deale lesse that is something lesse then 30000. furlongs and hee bounded it on the South with the Parallel drawn through Cinnamomifera which is distant Northward from the AEquator 8800. furlongs and on the North with that Parallel which passeth through these parts which are 4000. furlongs or thereabout more Northward then Britaine And this Parallel that passeth through the Region called Cinamomifera Strabo makes to be more Southward then