ryght lyne from one poynt to another so that this be a lyne of 47. Degreés and as muâ—◠〈◊〉 at â—â—e other end of the sayde Equinoctiall Upon euery one of these right lines you shall make a haâ—â—e â—ircle and â—euide â—uâ—ry of them into syxe equall partes whiche may aunsweâ—re to sixâ— signes and euery signe into threâ— partes which may 〈◊〉 to the tenthes or tenth partâ—â—f dâ—gâ—â—és and if the 〈◊〉 be great you shall deuide euâ—ry signe into fiâ—â— or 〈◊〉 parâ—es so that you may make it perfect and precise This 〈◊〉 from the points or prickes of the one halfe circle to the pointes of the other draw certaine lynes whiche shal be equidiâ—â—nâ— to the Equinoctiall In the endes of these lynes betweéâ—e the lesse circle and the edge of the rundell drawe also certayne lynes whiche may reache vnto the beginninges and endes of the signes and in the â—oppe of the endes or ouer the endes of these lynes make an Arke so farre distaunt from the lesse circle as is the thicknesse of the edge of a peéce of foure ryals of plate And in the space that is left graduate the signes from tenne to tenne or as the diuision shal be The space that remayneth from thence to the edge of the rundel you shal deuide by the halfe and in it shal be made twelue spaces where you shall set the signes with their names or caractes orderly so that Aries be next vnto the Equinoctiall then Taurus towarde the part of the Index then Gemini and turning towarde the Equinoctiall Cancer Leo Uirgo Likewise on the other parte of the Equinoctiall Libra Scorpio Sagittarius And turnyng to the Equinoctiall Capricornus Aquarius Pisces And thus hauing signed the Zodiacke you shall also signe or marke the houres in manner as followeth Deuide the lesse circle of this rundel into foure equal parts so that euery quarter may haue sixe partes Reduce this diuision to the Diameter putting the ruler vpon the poynts equally distant from the Horizon And where it toucheth the Equinoctial make pricks or poynts so that the Equinoctial remayne deuided into twelue partes Then vpon one of the Tropykes giue a circle which may haue the same Tropike for his Diameter Deuide this circle into 24. equall partsâ— reduce these diuisions to the Tropike as is done in the Equinoctial from one Tropike to another then the Equinoctial and the Tropikes being thus deuided with this pricks or poynts you shall passe with a payre of compasses by euery poynt equally ordered from the Horizon to the one and the other part and these shal be called houres wryting in the ends of them theyr numbers beginning the one part in one and ending it in twelue On the other part begin the one in thopposite part and end in twelue This done these rundels shal be brought to their perfection Moreouer you shal make a triangle with a right angle hauing two equal sides that may make the right angle Euery of these sides must be as long as is the Semidiameter of the greatest rundel also vpon and about the ryght angle you shall make a litle circle whiche shall haue the same angle for his center on the one side of this tryangle set two raysed plates as in the Astrolabie on the contrary side of these raysed plates must be a hole so farre distant from the ceâ—ter or angle as is the Semidiameter of the circle of the lesse rundel In this hole you must put a threéd hanging thereat a little wayght or plommet only sufficient to hold the threéd straight so that it cause nothing of the rundels to turne or the instrument to decline Furthermore in a circle as bigge as the lesse of the lesse rundel you shal deuide into 32. parts the eyght wyndes and halfe wyndes and quarters of winds And being thus redused to their Diameters as is done in the Equinoctial you shal translate them in the sides of the triangle in the which by the center of his little circle and by the center of the rundels all the three peéces must be made fast with an axes or a nayle so that they may be turned about close and very iuste Then put a ring in the handle of the instrument wherby it may hang as in the Astrolabie and so shall the Instrument be â—ynished and brought to perfection This is the trace or draught of the Instrument To knowe at what hourâ— the Sunne ryseth and falleth by the Instrument folowyng you shall put the Pole of the lesse rundel which is the index to the left hand in the greatest rundell in so many degrees aboue the Horizon in how many degrees the Pole is raysed in that lande or place Then put the tryangle which is the Horizon in his place that is to say yf the Sunne shal be in the North signes put it to the left hand and if it shal be in the South signes to the ryght hand and then the triangle shal cut the paralel where the Sunne goeth in .10 or .20 or .30 degreés or proportionally where it is and there shall you see in the sydes of the Zodiacke the houres when the Sunne ryseth and falleth And lykewyse at what wind the Sunne ryseéth and falleth to vs you shall seé in the wynds of the tryangle To know by the eleuation of the Sunne the houre that is put the Pole or Index so farre distant from the Zenith or handle of the Instrument as it is in that place or paralel aboue the Horizon then turne the triangle towarde the Sunne vntill the beames thereof enter in at the raysed plates and then the threéd with the plomet shall cut the paralell of the Sunne by the houre that shal be and consequently the triangle shal be distant from the Zenith the degreés that the Sunne shall be raysed that houre about the Horizon This is the Demonstration FINIS ¶ Heere beginneth the Table of this Booke The contentes of the Chapters of the first part THe generall distinction of Creatures Folio iiii The definition of the World Fol. v. The definition of the Sphere Fol. eodem The diuision of the World Fol. eodem The number order and propertie of the Elementes and Heauens Fol. vi The immutabilitie or immobilitie of the Earth Fol. viii The roundnes of the Earth and Water Fol. viii The motion of the Heauens and Elements Fol. x. The diuision of the Sphere into formall partes Fol. eod The Equinoctiall circle Fol. xii The Zodiacke Fol. eodem The circle called Coluri Fol. xiii The Meridian circle Fol. xiiii The Horizontall circle Fol. eod The foure lesse circles Fol. xv The fiue Zones Fol. xvi The Longitude and Laâ—itude And of the proportion which the lesse circles haue to the great circle Fol. xviii The circuite or compasse of the earth and water according to the opinions of the auncient later auctours Fol. xix The vii Climates Fol. eod Certayne principles of this science Fol. xxi The Contentes
to say beginning from the tenth day of March when the Sunne commeth ouer the sayde Horizon vntill it returne to passe vnder the same at the tenth of September And contrarywyse one night of sixe moneths haue the inhabitantes vnder the Pole Anâ—articke whose yeere that is to say all the course that the Sunne maketh by the twelue signes of the Zodiacke is accomplished in one day and one nyght a thing doubtlesse most wonderfull and marueylous Lykewise when we haue sommer they that are vnder our Pole haue the day of sixe monethes and they of the opposite or contrary Pole haue their night of the same length Againe when it is winter with vs then vnder our Pole is the night of the said sixe monethes and vnder the opposite Pole is the day of the same length So that as it were course by course when we haue the night they haue the day and contrarywyse wheÌ„ we haue the day they haue the night The which although it be so long of so great space of time yet is it not continually obscured with darkenesse For the Sunne maketh his course in such order that the inhabitants of that part liue not during that time altogeather in darknesses as Moles liue vnder the ground but as other creatures that liue vpon the globe and face of the Earth they haue such lyght as may suffyse to susteyne and maynteyne their life For the body of the Sunne declyneth no more either beneath the Equinoctial line either aboue the same line which is the Horizon to both the Poles then 23. degrees that is to say no lower or higher then the Tropikes which are no more then 23. degrees or there about from the sayd Equinoctial that is their Horizon as is aforesayd And yet in these 23. degrees he maketh not his course by the opposite Diameter but goeth continually round about in circuite so that his beames reuerberating heauen represent such a manner of lyght as wee haue in Sommer two houres before the Sunne rise And this example whiche we haue taken of the diuersitie of the Horizons of the Equinoctial and vnder the two Poles is to demonstrate the marueylous effect that the Sunne maketh departing from the xij houres of the Equinoctiall that is to say from Aries to Libra and comming by lytle and lytle illuminating the Globe of the earth and so reducing the yeere of xij monethes into one onely day aâ—d one night as is sayd before Vnder the infinite varietie of the which course sometyme with long dayes and sometime with short all the Inhabitants of the world are fourmed and disposed of such strength and complexion of body that euery of them are proportionate of the Climate assigned vnto them be it hote or colde and may dwell and abide there as in their naturall place and temperament not lamenting or desiring to dwell elsewhere so great a loue resteth in them to their natiue situation But not to depart from the vyage which the Sunne maketh in one whole yeere as sometime approching neere vnto vs and sometime departing from vs I say that at one selfe same time in diuers partes vpon the round Globe of the earth it causeth the Spring Sommer Autumne and Winter And neuerthelesse at the same instant and punct of time it maketh day and high noone in one place and nyght and midnight on the opposite part The which varietie although it appeare incomprehensible to the slendernesse of our wits yet beholding the same with the eyes of vnderstanding and therewith considering the vnestimable moouing that the Sunne maketh continually we shall fynde it to be true hauing respect to the diuers situations of the earth as it is continually illuminate more or lesse by the Sunne And this varietie is made with such a harmonie and consonancie and such a lawe perpetuall and immutable that yf any poynt or pricke thereof should fayle it is to be doubted lest the Elements should be confounded together and returne to their first Chaos And to haue sayd thus much of the wonderfull effects of the course of the Sunne it may suffise for an example to prooue how necessary a thing it is not onely for all Pilots and Sea men to haue the knowledge heereof but also for all other such as shall attempt great and farre voyages in vnknowen lands and strange countreys as did of late Maister Ienkinson a worthy Gentleman set foorth by you and mainteined at your charges more like an Ambassadour sent from any Prince or Emperour then from a company of Merchant men Wherein what commendation you haue deserued to the increase of your perpetuall fame and honour I referre it to that I haue sayd before And as touching Maister Ienkinson what trauayles paynes and dangers he hath susteyned and hardly escaped and what diligence and arte he hath vsed in the searching of strange countreys and in the description of those his voyages it were but in vayne for me to wryte much vnto you vnto whome the same is better knowen then to me And therefore to conclude with rendering iust commendations both vnto you and him I can say no more but as Plato wryteth in his Booke De Legibus Decens est eos ciues laudibus ornare qui corporis vel animi viribus res arduas praecláras que gesserunt legibus libenter paruerunt That is to say It is decent to commend those Citizens that by theyr industry of body and minde haue done great affayres and haue wyllyngly obeyed good lawes And thus eftsoones desiryng your Honors and Worships to accept in good part whatsoeuer I haue sayd of good will and affection toward you and your proceedings and with your shield of iustice and auctoritie to defend me against the assaults of such as are enimies to vertue and captious of other mens doings I rest at your commaundement to the vttermost of my power to do you what seruice I may The Epistle dedicatorie of Martin Cortes to the most mightie and victorious Monarch CHARLES the Emperour the fyfth of that name King of Spayne SO greatly were esteemed the inuentours of certayne Artes and Sciences in auncient time as wryteth Saint Augustine in his bookes De Ciuitate Dei that they tooke them not for mortall men but honoured them as immortall gods Isis arriuing in Egypt ordeyned common weales with iust gouernaunce gaue them lawes and kâ—owledge of letters and taught them also the vse of Flaxe In consideration whereof she was honoured of such as then knewe her and reuereâ—ced of them that came after her In so much that they establâ—shed a capitall penaltie or punâ—shment of death against all such as eyther in sport or in earnest affyrmed her to be an earthly woman and not rather a dâ—uine Goddesse Ceres beyng of lyuely wit and cleere vnderstanding beholding in the Cicilians humane similitude and shape to the outward apparance and inwardly the fiercenâ—sse of bruite beastes brideled their customes and refourmed them with newe Statutes teaching them to tame
I saye that I am the fyrste that haue brought the Arte of Nauigation into a briefe compendiousnesse geuing infayleable principles and euident demonstrations describing the practise and speculation of the same geuing also true rules to Mariners and shewyng wayes to Pilottes by teachyng them the making and vse of Instrumentes to knowe and take the altitude of the Sunne to knowe the Tydes or ebbyng and flowing of the Sea how to order theyr Cardes and Compasses for Nauigations geuing them instructions of the course of the Sunne and motions of the Moone teachyng them furthermore the making of Dyalles both for the day and for the nyght so certayne that in all places they shall shewe the true houres without default and haue likewise declared the secret propertie of the Lode stone with the maner and cause of the Northeasting and Northwesting commonly called the variation of the compasse with also instruments thereunto belonging And that that which I shall say or doo be not accompted to be presumpteously done or spoken I acknowledge that whatsoeuer I haue well done or written it is from aboue by the helpe of the diuine grace and by the fauour and prosperous fortune of your Maiestie And thus shall they that now liue and likewise they that shall succeede vs see and perceiue how much more the world oweth and is behoulding to your Maiestie then were the auncient Egyptians to their Isis. She gaue them letters to reade but your Maiestie hath geuen rules and orders to sayle on the Seas The profite of Isis was onely for one Prouince But the commoditie that ensueth of your doings is vniuersall for all Prouinces and Nations and for all Seas aswell to go to places discouered as also to discouer Lands and Regions yet vnknowen If they of auncient time had reached that we haue obteyned the Indies had not now been to discouer neyther should it be esteemed a miracle vnto vs as at the tyme when Carthage florished that one Agnus went foorth from the Baye of Cadiz and sayled to the end of Arabie Neyther would Cornelius Nepos haue written it for so famous a thing that a certayne man flying from King Latinus came from the gulfe of Arabie Whereby it is manifest that aswell Nauigation as other Artes doth from day to day increase and by litle and litle is come to perfection For in those daies they had neyther compasse nor carde of sayling whereby to gouerne them selues They lacked the consideration of the Starres vntil the Phenitians found the knowledge thereof and were the fyrst thaâ— vnderstoode that to such as should trauayle by sea iâ— should be necessarie to lift vp their eyes to heauen and consider the motions thereof They that sayled to the Iland of Tabrobana whih in old time was called Antitono caryed for their voyages lyuing byrds And when they thought good let certayne of them flee â—nd by the flyght of their wingsâ— directed the hâ—lme and sayles of their Ships They sayled onely three monethes in the yeerâ— To them therefore it was necessarie to obserue 〈…〉 the tyme vntill they found it to sâ—rue with a forâ— wynde They kâ—ewâ—â—oâ— how 〈◊〉 hâ—lpâ— themselues with the bowe lyâ—e or syde winde neyther sawe they the North Starre or sought it or had aâ—y knowledge thereof Aâ—d I beleeue veryly that this was the cause of so long a voyage which the Shyppes of Solomon made saylyng to Tharsis aâ—d Ophir wherein they spent three yeâ—res although in deede that was no short voyage which they madâ—â— compassyng about â—â—dâ—a and maâ—y other Prouinces And whereas before I sayd that Nauigatâ—on by litle and litle came to perfection I fynd by auncient hystories that Tipho fyrst found the Gouernale or Rudder Dedalus the Maste and Shrowdes and Icarus the Sayles the Thirreni found the vse of the Aâ—ker of one graspe or stooke and Palaminus brought it to perfection adding the other And thus may it manifestly appeare that in these prosperous and fortunate dayes of your Maiestie it hath pleased God to bring the knowledge of Nauigation to perfection with this my breefe discourse as touching the same aswell profitable and necessarie for them that trauayle by land as by Sea What can be a better or more charitable deede then to bring them into the way that wander What can be more difficult then to guide a shyp engoulfed where only water and heauen maybe seene One of the foure most difficult things whereof Solomon maketh mention in his Prouerbes is the voyage of a Shyp by the Sea The which Galfrede expounding sayth that in humane things none is more fearefull or more daungerous then to aduenture life in a thinne and weake peece of wood or for a man to commâ—t himselfe to the rage of furious windes among the tempestes of the Sea and there to hazard that be loueth so well O how much more should the same seeme difficult to Solomon if at these dayes he should see that fewe or none of the Pilottes can scarsely reade and are scarsely of capacitie to learne And whereas in the fyrst Chapter of this Booke I haue made mention that the gouernall or sterage ought to be comâ—itted to expert men and of good vnderstanding he should see that now adayes the ignoraâ—â—t presume to gouerne other which were neuer able to rule or gouerne themselues I most humbly desire your Maiestie to receiue in good part this my poore seruice which although it be litle yet being dedâ—cate vnto thâ— greatnesse of your regall person it shall be much more theâ— great The profite aâ—d commoditie thereof 〈◊〉 notorious and the bâ—nefite that thereby may be receyued is vniuersall If therefore when your Maiestie shall finde your selfe released from greater affaires it may please you to feede your eyes with these my trauailes you shall fynde therein many new delectable and witty things with also many profitable and certayne rules both to reade and vnderstand To conclude I eftsoones make humble petitions to your Emperiall Maiestie not so much to consider what I wryte as to respect the intent of my wrytyng and not the gift but the affection and good will that remayneth in mee to serue your Maiestie The firste parte of this woorke which entreateth of the composition of the world and of the vniuersall principles for the Arte of Nauigation ¶ The fyrst Chapter of the generall distinction of Creatures THE infinite GOD the beginning and cause of the whole vniuersall world created three orders of creatures differing in kinde that is to say Corporall as the Elements Spirituall as Angelles and compounded of these two as Man The corporall nature is diuided into bright and shining bodyes as the Starres or into darke and thicke bodyes as Earth and Meâ—â—alles either into Dâ—aphane or transparent bodyes as Ayre and Water Of these creatures as sayth Saint Gregorie some haue 〈◊〉 beeing as Sâ—ones some lyue as Trees and other haue
sense as Beastes other vnderstanding as Man who in holy Scripture is called all Creatures according to the sayiâ—g of Christ to his Disciples where he sayth Goe and preache the Gospell to all Creatures And therefore not without good cause was Man called of the Greeke Philosophers Microcosmos that is the lesse World In the which we contemplate things of no lesse admiration then in the great World The similitude betweene them both is that euen as the great world and the whole Globe or Sphere thereof is mooued by the voluntarie motion of an intellectiue substaunce or an Angell euen so is this For as Aristotle wryteth What so euer is mooued is mooued by vertue of an other As Man is mooued by the internall or inward fourme that is within him that is to say by the intellectiue soule that is proper vnto him In lyke maner in the great worlde are found dyuers mooueable thyngs All which are reduced to one immoueable moouer So in man are found many thyngs mooued by diuers motions which are all referred to his intellectiue soule The great worlde conteyneth the creatures within it selfe and consequently is all really as hauing nothing without it Euen so man by knowledge is all and knoweth all things and nothing naturally is â—id from him or vnknowen to him Agayne in this lesse humane world are two motions Intellectiue and Sensuâ—â—◠〈…〉 the great world hath two locall motâ—ons the one wherewith the fyrst mooueable is mooued and draweth with it all the other Spheres from the East to the West and is called Rationall moouing The second is the moouing of the other Spheres from the Weast into the East and is called Irrationall moouing But now leauing to speake of the lesse world we will proceede to speake further of the great ¶ The seconde Chapter of the definition of the worlde THE world as sayth Isodorus is Heauen and Earth and the other woorks of God that are conteyned therein It is compounded of things visible and yet vnsearchable Moses and Saint Iohn the Euangelist witnesse that it was made by God The Philosophers called it Mâ—ndus a mouendo because it is in continuall moouing and neuer in rest The Greekes called it Cosmos which signifieth Fayre or Beautifull and so named it because of the marueilous ornament thereof and diuersitie of Elements with the resplendence or shining of the Sunne Moone and Starres And doubtlesse nothing may be seene with the corporall eyes of man more beautâ—full then it is In so much that the diuine Philosopher Plato affyrmed that eyes were geuen to men to beholde the beautie thereof and to take pleasure in the contemplation of the heauenly bodyes and roundnesse of the world which also for the roundnesse thereof is called Spheriâ—all because that Sphera in the Greeke tongue signifieth a round body The thyrd Chapter of the definition of the Sphere THeodosius sayth that the Sphere is a whole and corporall figure vnder one superficial in the middest whereof is a poynt or pricke from the which all right lines drawne directly to the circumference are equall This poyut or pricke is called the center of the Sphere according to Euclide it is the passage of the circumference of hâ—lfe a circle which is turned round about his Diameter that is fixed vntill it returne to his owne proper place againe as where it was at the fyrst By the center of the Sphere passeth a right lyne and thextremities or endes thereof touch in the circumference And this lyne imagined is called the Axis or Exeltree of the Sphere and the endes thereof are called the Pales Uppon this Axis is the Sphere of the world mooued The fourth Chapter of the diuision of the world IT is to be presupposed that there is â— difference betweene Element and Elementate and the fyfte being calâ—ed Quinta Essentia The Quint essence or fyfte substance is a body of it selfe differing from all Elements and things Elemental aswell in matter as in fourme and no lesse in nature and vertue and hauing in it selfe no contrarietie is certaynly without corruption And hereof comâ—eth it that the Philosophers called the heauens and heauenly bodyes the fyfth substaunce or fyfth essence by reason of the incoâ—ruptibilitie thereof Element is that whereof any thing is coâ—â—ounded It is the fyrst of compositions and of it selfâ— is not compounded Wâ—ereby it foloweth that neyther the earth the ayre the water nor the fyre that are neare vnto vs or about â—s are pure and simple Elements For these Elements do sometimes mingle themselues one with another and especially where they are neare togeather and touche one another Of these elements euery part is named by the name of the whole As euery part of fyre is called fyre and euery part of earth is called earth and so of the other They are called simple bodyes in respecte of other compound and mixt bodyes They are diuisible into partes of diuers fourmes and of the commixtion of them are made and engendred diuers things of sundry kyndes These foure that is to meane Earth Ayre Water and Fyre although they are named simple but in respecte as aforesayde yet are they the Elements that is to say beginnings and principles of all other compoundes and mixtes A pure Element can not be seene forasmuch as that that is pure lacketh colour and that that hath no colour is not visible The Elements as sayth Isodorus were diuided by the hand of God The imperiall Heauen was replenished with Angelles the ayre with byrdes the sea with fyshes and the land with men and other beastes Elementate is euery body compounded of the foure Elements Not that they are Elements formally but vertually in myxt bodies This knowen we wyll shewe how the world is diuided into two regions Celestiall and Elementall The region Elementall which is continually subiect to alterations is diuided into foure Elements which are Earth Water Ayre and Fyre These Elâ—ments the Greekes call Yctogia for the communion and concord that they haue beâ—weene themselues The heauenly or etheriall region called Quinta Essentia compasseth and conteineth the Elementall worlde within it The fyfth Chapter of the number order and propertie of the Elements and Heauens THE Earth after the Philosopher is a pricke or poynt in the middest called the center to the which they assigne the lowest place Next vnto the earth and about it the Water occupyeth the second place and the Ayre the thyrd The Fyre is higher then any of the other elements And it is to vnderstand that the water hath two superficials One which is called concaue or halowâ— the other conuex or embowing You may compare the inward part of the concaue to a dyshe or a bolle whose outward part is called conuex As touching the concaue the water compasseth about the earth leauing discouered that part that serueth for the