as meere points in respect of their Orbs because they sensibly are seene as parts of these Orbs. But the Earth is greater then some of the lower Starres as the Moone Whence we may with good grounds auerre that if a man were placed in the Moone hee might behold the Earth far greater then the Moone being obserued by vs in the Earth Wherefore no man can deny but the Earth in it selfe hath a great vastnesse But if wee consider this greatnesse in respect of the Heauens we shall find this vast greatnesse to shrinke almost into nothing and become as a meere point without sensible magnitude But this is not altogether generall without limitation because the heauenly bodies are distinguished into the higher and greater such as are the Firmament with the foure higher Planets such as are Saturne Iupiter Mars and the Sunne or the lower and lesser such as are Venus Mercurius and the Moone which difference in place and greatnesse admits a great diuersity in this proportion as wee shall shew in these two Theoremes 1. The Earthly Globe compared in quantity with the Firmament and superiour Orbes of the planets hath no sensible magnitude This Proposition is supported not only by the authority of many and graue Authors as Aristotle Ptolomy Pliny Alphragan and others but by diuers strong reasons drawne from experience and obseruation of Astronomers The first argument shall be this which is most popular The Sunne and many other Starres in the Firmament are found out by Astronomicall Instruments to bee manifold greater then the Globe of the Earth yet appeare they in respect of the heauens but as a little point or portion Then must the Earth being in comparison far lesser be deuoyd of all sensible magnitude or proportion Secondly if the Earth had any notable quantity in respect of the Heauen then must the Diameter of the earth haue as great a quantity in respect of the Diameter of the Sky for there is the same proportion of the Diameters which the circumferences haue one to the other as is demonstrated in Geometry Now if the Diameter of the Earth hath any notable magnitude in coÌ„parison of the Diameter of the Skye then the Starres which be ouer our heads be neerer vnto vs by a notable quantity then when they bee either in the East or West For it must needs follow that the Starres placed in the verticall point are neerer by the Semidiameter of the Earth then when they are either in the Easterne or Westerne point as we see in â—his figure here set downe ACDB wherein I make E to be the Center of the Earth AEB the true Horizon and EF the Semidiameter of the earth Now if the Semidiameter FE haue any sensible proportion then must G the verticall point be neerer to F. then either A or B. supposed to bee the East west points because EA or EB are the whole Semidiameter of the Celestiall circle whereof FG is only a part But contrarywise there is no such diuersity perceiued in the magnitude of the Starres but that they appeare still to bee of one and the same greatnesse except by accidentall interposition of vapours and grosse bodies wherefore it must of necessity follow that their distance is all one in all parts of the Skye and by consequence the Semidiameter of the earth hath no sensible diuersity in distance Thirdly hence would arise another reason no lesse forcible then this that if the Semidiameter of the Earth had any comparison or proportion to the Semidiameter of the Skye the Horizon that we haue on the vpper part of the earth should not diuide the Skye into two equall parts for as much as the part which is couched vnder the Horizon would alwayes be greater and the other lesser as in our former Diagramme if EF haue a notable quantity in compaâ—ison of EA then will the line CFD being the Horizon on the top of the earth differ notably from the line AEB being the Diameter of the World and the Horizon to the Center of the Earth and so shall not the Horizon CFD diuide the world into two equall parts but the vpper part shall alwayes be lesser then the lower which crosses ordinary experience for we may see in long winter nights that those Starres which are in the East Horizon in the beginning of the night will be in the West at the end of twelue houres and contrarywise those Stars which did set in the West when those others did rise in the East shall rise agayne when the other shall set Fourthly if the earth had any sensible greatnesse in respect of the Heauens then were it vnpossible for any Sunne Diall to bee regular and obserue due proportion For we see the shaddowes to moue as duely and orderly about the Center of Dials and such instruments as if their Center were the very Center of the world which could neuer happen if these two Centers should differ notably in respect of the Spheare of the Sunne to expresse it the better we will set this Figure which represents the three notable circles in a Diall which are described by the course of the Sunne in three notable places of the Zodiacke to wit the two Tropicks and the Equinoctiall Herein the vttermost arch BLC represents the Tropicke of Capricorne and is described no greater then the quarter of a circle because the Sun placed in the Signe shines vnto vs but six houres The Equinoctiall is set as halfe a circle because the Sun being in it appeares vnto vs 12 houres is here noted out by EIF The Tropicke of Cancer containes 3 quarters of a Circle because when the Sun is in it there are eighteen houres from Sun-rising to Sun-set and that circle is GHK The Center of the Diall is A and the Style which giues the shadow DA whose top being D doth describe those portions of circles with such exactnesse as if the Diall were set in the very Center of the Earth and the distinction of the houres shewes it selfe no otherwise then if the Center of the Diall were the same with the Center of the world To these arguments I may adde that if there should bee a sensible greatnesse of the earth in respect of these superiour Orbes either all or most of these absurdities would arise which follow their opinions who place the Earth out of the CeÌ„ter of the World which we haue before treated of 2 The Terrestriall Globe compared with the inferiour Orbs hath a sensible magnitude Although the whole Earth compared with the Firmament and superiour Orbs of the Planets seeme no otherwise then a point yet from this wee must except the Orbes of the lower Planets Venus Mercury but especially the Moone Who are found by obseruations of diuerse skilfull Astronomers to haue a sensible and notable greatnesse in respect of the earth whereof a manifest argument may bee drawne from the Parallax or variation of the sight wherein our obseruations of the same Starre at diuerse places are
are imagined two circles on the earth which wee also call Polar and if wee beleeue Gilbert with other Magneticall Philosophers they are primarily in the Earth as that which is the true subiect of diurnall motion These circles thus described by the Pole of the Eclipticke must needs challenge the same distance from the Pole which the Pole of the Eclipticke hath to wit 23. Degrees and 30 Minutes The Greeks haue taken the Polar circles in another sense then the Latines for by these Polar circles as it appeares by Proclus and Cleomedes they vnderstand not such circles as are described by the Pole of the Zodiacke but two other circles whereof the one is greatest of all the Parallels which alwayes appeares aboue our Horizon the other is the greatest of all those Parallels which lie hid in our Horizon perpetually The reason why the Graecians tooke it in this sense was because by these circles they could know and distinguish those stars which alwayes are seene and neuer set as those which are comprehended of the Articke circle from those which alwayes lie hidde and neuer rise as such as the Antarticke containes Whence it manifestly appeares that the two Polar circles as they are taken of the Graecians in all Regions are not of the same quantity greatnesse but are greater in oblique Spheare then in a right but our Polar circles are at all places alike in their quantity Of these the one tearmed Articke in the Earth passeth by Islandia the top of Norway and Finland with many adioyning Ilands and the Southerne part of Green-land as may appeare by our ordinary Geographicall Mappes The other Polar circle called Antarticke passeth through the South part of the world as yet vndiscouered except for some few parcels as Terra del Feugo and Psiitacorum Regio with somewhat more lately discouered by the Spaniards The chiefest vse as well of these as other parallels is to distinguish the Zones and Climates in the Globe whereof wee shall haue occasion to treate hereafter 21 The Namelesse Parallels are such as are not knowne by speciall Names nor of so great vse in Geographie These namelesse parallels may bee well vnderstood by that which we haue aboue spoken for howsoeuer they bee not called by particular and speciall names yet are they all of the same nature All these parallels beside the Equatour though infinite in number may notwithstaÌ„ding in the spheare be reduced to the number of the Meridians because they are drawne through the opposite points of the Meridian semicircle so that wee might account 180 but yet there are not so many painted on the face of the Artificiall Globe wherefore Ptolomy with the ancients haue distinguished the parallels on both sides North and South beginning from the Equatour at such a distance that where the day should increase one quarter of an houre a new parallell should be placed so that the longest day of one parallell should exceed the longest day of another parallell by one quarter of an houre Euery one of these parallels is supposed to be diuided into 360 Degrees as all the rest of the other circles yet are we to note that the degrees and parts of a greater circle are greater of the lesser lesse according to the proportion of the said circle the same haue the proportion that a great circle hath to a lesse so that the same degrees and parts of a quarter circle to the degrees and parts of the lesser as may be gathered from the first proposition of the second booke of Theodosius now to know rightly this proportion we must first finde out the summary declination for euery region which being once found we may proceed in this manner by the doctrine of Triangles 1 Let the signe of the Complement of the Declination of the lesser Circle bee multiplied by the whole Circle and the product bee diuided by the totall signe there will arise the number of Degrees of the lesser Circle such as whereof the greater consists The reason hereof is shewed in Geometry and therefore need we not to insert a demonstration for there we learne that as the totall â—inge is to the signe of the CoÌ„plement of the Declination of any Parallell so is the Periphery of the greater circle to the Periphery of the Parallell As for example if we would know what proportion the Equatour hath to the Parallell which passeth by the Verticall point of Rome whose Declination is about 42 Degrees I multiply the signe of the Complement of this Declination that is the signe of 48 Degrees to wit 74314 by 360 the product whereof is 26753040 which I diuide agayne by 100000 and find 267 degrees and ½ whence I gather that the Equatour to the Parallell of Rome or a degree of the Equatour to a degree of the Parallell of Rome hath the same proportion that that 360 hath to 276 ½ which is the same that 4 hath to 3. 22 Hitherto haue we spoken of the Absolute Circles such as are the Meridians and Parallels wee are to treate in the last place of a Relatiue Circle which is conceiued in respect to our sight this Circle is called the Horizon 23 The Horizon is a Circle which diuides the vpper and visible parts of the Terrestriall Globe from the lower and inuisible The name of the Horizon is taken from the bounding or termination of the sight because it is a Circle comprehending all that space which is visible of vs distinguishing it from the rest which lurkes inuisible as if a man should bee placed in a high and eminent place of the Earth and should looke round about him euery way to the East West North and South Hee will seeme to see the heauens on euery side to concurre with the earth so that beyond it can be seene nor heauen nor earth which concurrence of the heauens with the earth will describe vnto vs the Horizontall Circle for that place assigned But here wee are to note that the Horizon is two fold either the Rationall or Sensible Horizon The Rationall precisely diuides the Globe into two equall parts But the sensible or apparent Horizon is no other then that Circle in the earth which is designed out by the sight from which the name seemes to bee deriued This sensible Horizon differs from the rationall diuers wayes first because the rationall diuides the whole spheare into two equall parts but the sensible into two vnequall parts Secondly because the rationall is alwayes certaine and the same in the same place and of alike greatnesse whereas the other is greater or lesser for the condition of the place or sight for the semidiameter of the rationall is the same with the semidiameter of the earth but the semidiameter of the other seldome or neuer exceeds 60 miles on the Earth Thirdly because the rationall Horizon passeth by the Center of the Earth whereas the sensible toucheth onely the surface of it in that point where the Inhabitant standeth all which differences may bee
shall also be diminished of the North part 50 11 The Magneticall variation hath no certaine Poles in the terrestriall Globe 63 12 The point of Variation as of Direction is onely Respectiue not attractiue 65 13. The variation of euery place is constant not variable 66 14 The variation is greater in places neere the poles ibid. 15 The magneticall Declination is answereable to the Latitude not in equality of degrees but in proportion 69 16 The magneticall declination is caused not of the attractiue but of the Disponent and Conuersiue vertue of the Earth 70 17 The Magneticall Declination hath a variation 71 CHAP. IV. Of the totall Motions Magneticall 1 The spheare of the Earth by her magneticall vigour is most firmely seated on her Axell whose ends or poles respect alwayes the same points in the Heauens without alteration 72 2 It is probable that the terrestriall Globe hath a circular Motion 76 CHAP. V. Of the site Stability and Proportion of the Earth in respect of the Heauens 1 The terrestriall Globe is the center of the whole world 99 2 The position of the Earth in the center of the world may bee reconciled as well with the diurnall motion of the Earth as the Apparences of the Heauens 110 3 The Earth is firmely seated and setled in her proper place 115 4 The Earthly Globe compared in quantity with the Firmament supreme orbes of the Planets hath no sensible magnitude 118 5 The terrestriall Globe compared with the inferiour Orbes hath a sensible magnitude 121 CHAP. VI. Of the circles of the Terrestriall Spheare· 1 A circle though imaginary in it selfe hath his ground in the nature of the terrestriall spheare 123 2 The distinction of a circle into a certaine number of parts hath no certaine ground in the nature of the terrestriall spheare but onely in conueniency 124 3 By Astronomicall obseruation to find out the Meridian 127 4 To find out the Meridian magnetically 129 5 By the Incision of a tree the Meridian may be found out 131 6 The Meridian being found to find out the Equatour 137 7 Without the helpe of the Meridian to find out the Equatour 138 8 To find out the Equatour magnetically 138 9 The Equatour is an vnmoueable circle whose Poles neuer vary from the Fixt-Poles of the Earth 140 10 How to know the number of degrees in a lesser circle answerable to the greater 147 11 The sensible and Rationall Horizon in the Earth are much different in respect of the Firmament all one 151 12 The sensible Horizon may be greater or lesse according to the Nature and Disposition of the place 153 13 the Eye may be so placed on the Earth as it may behold the whole Hemispheare of the Heauens and yet no part of the terrestriall spheare 154 14 From the Horizontall circle is reckoned the Eleuation of the Pole in any place assigned 155 15 How to finde out the Horizon for any place assigned 156 16 How to finde out the Horizontall plaine 157 17 The distinction of Horizons ibid. CHAP. VII Of the Artificiall Representation of the Terrestriall spheare 1 Of the parts whereof the Globe is Geographically compounded 163 2 The vse of the Artificiall Globe is to expresse the parts of the Earth so farre forth as they haue a diuerse situation as well one in respect of the other as the Heauens 166 3 Of the direction of the artificiall Globe ibid. 4 Of the ground and fabricke of the Artificiall plaine Chart. 168 5 Of the ground and fabricke of the Geographicall Planispheares with their seuerall distinctions 175 6 Of the magneticall Terrella 182 CHAP. VIII Of the measure of the Earth 1 The common measures by which the quantity of the Earth is knowne are miles and furlongs 187 2 Of the inuention of the circumference of the Earth 188 3 By the eleuation of the Pole or obseruation of an Eclipse or some knowne starre the circuite of the Earth may be knowne 189 4 By obseruation of the noone-shadowes the measure of the earth may be found out 190 5 The opinions of Cosmographers concerning the measure of the Earth are diuerse which is chiefly to bee imputed to their errour in obseruing the distances of places experimentally according to Miles Furlongs and such like measures 192 6 How by the knowne height of some mountaine the diameter of the Earth may be found out 197 7 How to finde out the plaine and conuey superficies of the Earth 198 8 Of the number of square miles contained in the Earth 200 CHAP. IX Of the Zones Climates and Parallels 1 Of the temperate and vntemperate Zones 204 2 The tâ—rride Zone is the greatest of all next are the two temperate the cold Zones are the least of all 207 3 The Zone wherein any place is seated may be knowne either by the Globe or Geographicall table or else by the tables of Latitude 208 4 The Zones and Climates agree in forme but differ in greatnesse Number and Office 211 5 The Iâ—â—ention compared one with the other are not all of the same greatnes 212 6 The inclination of the Climates ibid. 7 The distinction of the Climates 213 8 Of the diuersity betwixt the Ancient and moderne Geographers concerning the placing and number of the Climates 214 9 How to find out the Parallell for each place 217 CHAP. X. Of the distinction of the Inhabitants of the Terrestriall spheare 1 Of the inhabiâ—antâ— of a right oblique and Parallell spheare with their properties and distinctions 220 2 Of the Amphiâ—cij Heteroâ—cij Periscij with their properperties 226 3 Of the Perioecj Antoeâ—j and Antipodes with their Accidents 228 4 How the Perioecj Antecj and Antipodes are distinguished in respect of the celestiall Apparences 231 CHAP. XI Of the Longitudes and Latitudes 1 Places enioying the same longitude are not alwayes equally distant from the first Meridian and contrariwise 235 2 The difference of Longitudes begetts the difference of times 235 3 Of the loosing or getting of a day in the whole yeere in a voyage about the earthly Globe 236 4 Of the Inuention of the Longitude by an Eclipse of the Moone 240 5 Of the Inuention of the Longitude by a Clocke watch or Houre-glasse 242 6 By the distance betwixt the Moone and some knowne starre to find out the Longitude 243 7 By the difference of the Sunnes and Moones motion to find out the Longitude of places 246 8 The expression of the longiâ—â—de by the Globe or Mappe 247 9 The Inuention of the Latitude 249 10 By the Meridian height of the Sunne to find out the Latitude 249 11 By the Meridian height of a knowne starre to know the Latitude 250 12 The expression of the Latitude on the Globe or Mappe 252 13 Of the Magneticall expression of the Latitude 252 CHAP. XII Of distances of places compared one with the other 1 Of the Inuention of the distances in longitude of two places vnder the Equatour in the same Hemispheare 254 2 Of the Inuention of
the Persians was there obserued an Ecclipse at the fifth houre of the night which selfe-same Ecclipse was seene in Carthage at the second which to any man appeares plainly in this figure here inserted In like manner an Ecclipse of the Sunne at Campania which was obserued betwixt 8 and 9. was as Pliny reports seene in Armenia betwixt 10 and 11 of the clocke Whence may be gathered that this difference of appearance arose from the roundnesse of the Earth interposing it selfe betwixt these two places Another reason to proue the Spericall figure of the Earth is drawne from the Ecclipse of the Moone wherein the obscured point is described by a Sphericall figure which must needs argue that the body which causeth the shadow is also round For as the Optickes teach vs the shadow is wont to follow and imitate the opacous body whence it proceedes and all men confesse that the Ecclipse of the Moone is made by the interposition of the Spheare of the Earth betwixt the Sun Moone intercepting the beames of the Sun which should illustrate lighten the Moone The third reason may be taken from the absurdities which would follow should we admit any other figure besides For granting it to be plaine as some of the Platonists haue imagined it would necessarily follow in reason 1 That the Eleuation of the Pole would bee the same in all the parts of the Earth 2 That there Would bee the same face and appearance of the Heauens in all places 3 That the Sunne and Moone with other starres would in all places arise alike at the same houres 4 That all Ecclipses would appeare to all places at the same houres 5 That the same quantity of dayes nights would bee at all places 6 That the shadowes would bee euery where alike and one Region would not bee hotter or colder then another all which would plainly stand opposite to reason and experience As many or more would proue the absurdities of those that ascribe to the Earth any other figure then Sphericall Which I willingly passe ouer as not willing to fight with shadowes and faigne an opposition where I scarce finde an aduersary These reasons are sufficient to proue that the whole masse of the Earth is Sphericall Diuers other popular arguments may be drawne from the finall cause to countenance this Assertion For no other figure can bee assigned to the Earth which can more vphold the order of Nature or speake the wisdome of the Omnipotent Creator 1 Because such a Figure would best beseeme the Earth the seate and dwelling-place of all liuing Creatures which is most capable because otherwise the God of Nature would seeme to doe something in vaine and without cause Forasmuch as the same capacity might bee confined within stricter bounds Now it is apparant to all Mathematicians that amongst all those figures which they call Isoperâ—â—etrall a Circle is the most capable and amongst the rest those which approâ—ch neerest vnto a circle And as wee esteeme of a circle described in a plaine surfâ—ce so must we iudge in solides of a Spheare Which profitable Geometry of Nature wee shall finde instilled into most liuing Creatures who by a certaine Naturall Instinct without the vse of Reason make their Nests and resting-places of a Sphericall Figure as most conuenient and of greatest capacity as experience shewes vs in the Nests of Birds and Bee-Hiues wherein the cells are fashioned round Sphericall 2 We shall find the holy Scriptures consonant to this opinion in diuers places but that it might seeme impiety to vse those sacred helpes in a matter out of controuersie and needing no such Demonstration 2 The rugged and vnequall parts of the Earth hinder not the Sphericall roundnesse of it It is thought by ignorant people that the Earth is not round because of the rugged and vneuen parts of the superficies of it For some-where it swells with great and high mountaines rocks and hills Other-where it seemes indented and as it were trenched into valleyes concauities all which seeme to detract from a true Sphericall superficies because in such a one euery line drawne from the Center to it should bee equall one to the other Indeed that the Globe of the Earth is not Absolutely and Geometrically round as an Artificiall Spheare is confessed by Eratosthenes cited by Strabo in his 1 booke of Geographie whence Pliny in his â— booke cap. 21. saith that the Earth Water make one Globe not so absolutely round as the Heauens but much different 〈◊〉 also Strabo confirmes This proposition depending on these 3 reasons which follow will shew that this Inequality how great soeuer it seeme to the sight is altogether insensible and bearing no proportion with the huge vastnesse of the whole Earth The first is taken from the perpendicular hight of the greatest and highest mountaine which is seldome or neuer found to exceed 10 miles although few Mathematicians will grant so much whereas the whole Diameter of the Earth containes no lesse thâ—n 7200 English miles so that these hils compared to the thicknes of the Earth are but â—s 10 to 7200 which indeed hath no sensible proportion The second is taken from the Ecclipse of the Moone which being caused by the shadow of the interposed Earth is described by a Sphericall figure without any vnequall or rugged parts which no doubt would appeare if these parts challenge any due proportion or sensible quantity in respect of the whole Earth Thirdly some haue illustrated this by a round bowle or ball whose externall surface although vnequall and indented here there with scotches other-where swelling with knobs will notwithstanding being interposed betwixt the Sun-beame and a wall or such place giue a round or Sphericall shadow in the same wall or plaine in regard of the little quantity of these small parts in respect of the whole Body In like sort must wee imagine the mountaines and vnequall parts in the face of the Earth to bee no otherwise then as so many warts or pimples in the face of man which cannot alter his duâ— proportion or symmetry of the parts 3 The Water concurring with the Earth in the Globe is also Sphericall It is a proposition agreed on by Archimedes and almost all the ancient Mathematicians of any note that the superficies of the Water or any other liquor standing and subsisting quietly of it seâ—fe is Sphericall whose center will bee the same with the center of the whole Earth which we are here to handle because it appertaines to the making vp of the Terrestriall Globe although wee shall haue occasion hereafter to speake specially concerning the Water in Hydrographie in the second part of this Treatise The reasons to confirme this assertion beside those that in generall proue the Sphericity of the Terrene globe are diuers 1 It is obserue that Passengers in a Ship lanching out into the deepe from some Hauen will first perceiue the Towers Buildings Castles Promontories and Trees standing
his Elementary constitution this reason would hardly admit of a solid answer For howsoeuer in the vast frame of the Earth the addition or subtraction of some parts would make but an insensible difference yet can it not bee denied but the least waight whatsoeuer added or subtracted would turne it from its Equall-poyze Neuerthelesse this I hold too absurd for a Christian to beleeue for as much as it contradicts the sense of holy Scriptures which auerre the earth to bee so setled on her foundation that shee should not at any time bee remoued or shaken which motion as shall bee proued in the second Theoreme I take to bee vnderstood of such a Trepidation of the Center and the Poles which by a metaphor are tearmed the foundation of the earth and not of the circular motion as some haue laboured to wrest it Wherefore nothing is here left vs to satisfie this doubt but to haue recourse to his magneticall verticity whereby the poles of the Earth endowed with a magneticall vigor and ouerswaying the elementary ponderosity of the earthly parts are as it were so fast bound to respect the same points or poles in the Heauens that the Center can no wayes bee shaken or moued out of his place 3 The Magneticall Reuolution is a motion by which the whole globe of the Earth is moued round Aristotle in his 1 booke de coelo makes 3 kindes of simple motions out of which hee labours to deduce the number of simple bodies The first is the motion from the center such as is of Fire and Ayre and all light bodies the second to the center such as is of Earth and Water the third is round about the center or middle which hee ascribes to the Heauens so that if this ground were true the Earth could challenge to it selfe no other then the right motion whereby the parts of it being separated from the whole returne to it againe But this opinion although popular and plausible hath beene contradicted as well by ancient Philosophers as moderne for by long experience and diligent obseruation they haue found the earth to bee endowed with a star-like vigour whereby shee may hauing all her parts vnited together by reason of her grauity vnto the Center and her place made sure by her magneticall poles moue naturally vpon her owne poles at least if so bee shee claime no other motion This opinion first blosomed as farre as I can gather in the Schoole of Pythagoras was cherished by Heraclides Ponticus and Ecphantus two famous Pythagoreans to which afterward ioyned themselues Nicetus Syracusanus and Aristarchus Samius all which haue vndertaken to defend that the Earth moues circularly and that this circumgyration of the Earth causeth the rising and setting of the Sunne as well as of other starres although in the manner they haue not expressed themselues alike hauing inioyed as yet scarce the first dawn of knowledge But all this while Philosophie contented her selfe with the acquaintance of a few choice friends not daring to prostitute her treasures to popularity But when it hapned in after times that shee was taught the language of the vulgar and spake to the vnderstanding of each mechanicke shee soone contracted some staines and squared her selfe rather to please the most then the best Thus the multitude as a vast torrent preuailed against the learned and cast into exile the inuentions of the Ancients which their ignorance was readier to censure then vnderstand Yet were not the seeds of this Philosophy quite extinct but as forgotten for a time vntill there arose Copernicus a man of incomparable wit who quickned and reuiued it to his euerlasting prayse and our profit I would not here be mistaken as though I strongly apprehend these grounds and reiect all the principles of our Peripateticke Philosophie I only inueigh against their preiudicate ignorance which ready to licke vp the dust vnder Aristotles feet with a supercilious looke contemne all other learning as though no flowers of science could grow in another garden I confesse this opinion of the Earths circular motion to bee subiect to many and great exceptions and opposed by strong and waighty arguments drawn probably from the booke of God the touch-stone of sincere verity yet I hold it too strongly fortified to be inuaded by popular arguments drawn from seeming sense and bolstered vp with names and authorities For mine owne part I confesse not absolute subscription to this opinion yet could I not conueniently leaue it out because hauing vndertaken to insert this Magneticall Tract I would not willingly mangle it in any part but shew it whole and intire to the view of the iudicious who herein may vse their Philosophicall liberty to imbrace or reiect what they please If these grounds seeme true they will finde acceptance if otherwise it cannot indamage Truth to know her aduersary Wherefore I thinke no man will take it amisse that I insert this following Theoreme 1 It is probable that the terrestriall Globe hath a circular motion Copernicus ascribes three motions to the spheare of the Earth whereof the first is in the space of 24 houres about her owne axell making the day and night and is therefore called the Diurnall The second is yeerely wherein the Center it selfe of the Earth is moued from West to East describing the circle of the Signes The third is a motion of Declination performed in an annuall reuolution reflecting against the motion of the Center for the Axis of the Earth is supposed to haue a conuertible nature whereas if it should remaine fixt there would appeare no inequality of day and night Spring Autumne Summer or Winter I will not here curiously distinguish the differences limits and periods of these three motions but leaue it to the skilfull Astronomer to whom properly it appertaines it is enough for mee to shew it probable that the Earth should challenge to it selfe a circular motion in prosecution of which I shall labour chiefly to establish that first motion which is of the Terrestriall globe about her owne axis which is the easiest both to beleeue and vnderstand That I may the better expresse the grounds of this opinion I will labour to proue these two points 1 That this opinion is consonant to reason 2 That it no way contradicts the sense of the Holy Scripture The former assertion wee will againe diuide into 3 articles 1 That the motion which wee seeke to establish in the Earth cannot without much absurdity bee granted to the heauens Secondly that it no way contradicts to nature of the Earth it selfe Thirdly that the arguments produced against this opinion are not so strong but may bee answered with probability First therefore finding the dayly rising and setting of the Sunne Moone and other Starres to arise from some motion wee are to seeke out the true subiect of this motion It is agreed vpon by all that this subiect must bee the Heauens which are carryed in 24 houres from East to West or the
downe for an Axiome that one simple body hath but one simple motion yet being absolutely vnderstood without any limitation will bee found by experience false for it is manifest out of the experiment of the new Perspicils that the Bodies of the Sunne and Iupiter simple in nature if wee beleeue Aristoteleans haue at least a double motion the one vpon their owne Poles lesse then Diurnall the other of their Centers which are moued from the West vnto the East vpon other Poles familiarly knowne vnto Astronomers The Peripatetickes heere seeke an euasion by distinguishing the motions of the Planets into a proper or naturall and Accidentall or mutuaticious but this answer comes not home to this present question First because these two motions of the Sunne and Iupiter will easily bee proued to bee naturall and without violence or restraint Secondly because in this answer they suppose the Heauens to bee cut and diuided into diuerse Orbes Sections and Conâ—amerations which later Astronomers vpon better experience haue derided or at least omitted as Hypotheses or suppositions to settle Imagination rather then reall or true grounds If they would vnderstand this Principle of Aristotle to wit That one simple body should challenge one simple motion of a motion of the same kinde it might perhaps obtaine some credit But the right motion of the parts ioyning to the whole and the Circular motion also the Circular motion of a Planet about his owne Axell and the Circular motion it selfe about the Earth are found to bee diuerse kindes and therefore no way incompatible in the same subiect Moreouer what infallible argument can perswade vs that the Globe of the Earth is a meere simple Body such as Aristotle describes vnto vs in his Philosophie Either this imaginary simplicitie must bee sought in the Reall Existence of the Earth or els in our mentall Abstraction The former they cannot auerre because not only the Elements themselues by their owne confession are impure and corrupted But the whole Globe of the Earth seemes to consist of diuerse mixtures and Heterogeneall bodies which apparantly exclude such simplicity If they would haue it rather to consist in the Abstraction or separation of the minde which may diuide and distinguish betweene the true nature of the Earth and his Accidentall Natures I shall not contradict although it seeme â—ather grounded on imaginary coniecture then experience That the Earth of it selfe distinguished from the waters should haue any such simple Nature If wee follow reason and experience as our Guides wee shall obserue in the Terrestriall Globe a twofold constituâ—ion The one Elementary from the parts whereof it consists out of which it cannot challenge any motion but the right which is of the parts separated from the whole agreeing to the Earth Water and all other heauy bodies thereof consisting The other magneticall wherein all other bodies are vnited in one Magneticall forme of the Earth In which sort the whole Globe of the Earth may bee termed a Homogeneall substance for howsoeuer the matter and the Elements whereof it consists seeme Heterogeneall and diuerse one from the other yet since in this Magneticall Nature there is a Harmony and Communion well wee may call it a Homogenity of the Forme and Nature not of the Matter and Quantity as common Philosophers commonly vse the word So that euery part or Element whereof this Terrestriall Spheare is compounded may claime his owne motion and properly yet all conspiring in one vniuersall forme of a Sphericall Body may notwithstanding be turned round with a Sphericall motion In the last place wee are to proue that this Circular motion granted vnto the Earth can no way oppose or indanger the naturall site or position of the Earth If the situation or position were feared to bee changed it must needes happen one of these wayes either that the Center of the Earth should bee moued out of his place or that the parts should bee separated distracted one from the other or that the Poles should be changed and altered The first cannot touch our assertion because in this place wee affirme not that the center of the Globe is moued out of his place but that the whole Earth in the same place is turned round vpon her owne Center For the opinion of Copernicus which holdes the Center of the Earth to moue round about the earth wee shall censure in our next Chapter In the second place the parts of the Earth by this motion cannot bee separated or disunited one from the other first because all the parts are vnited to the whole by their naturall grauity that if by chance they should bee separated they would naturally returne backe vnto their owne place Secondly this motion is supposed Naturall not violent which in so great and massie a Body can make no sensible Alteration Lastly the Poles of the Earth by this meanes cannot bee moued out of their places because by a certaine Magneticall verticity as wee haue formerly shewed the same Poles of the Earth alwayes naturally respect the same points of the Heauens as if they were bound vnto two firme Pillars indissoluble Hitherto hauing proued the Circular motion of the Earth neither to bee giuen to the Heauens without some absurdity and yet no way to contradict or oppose the Nature of the Terrestriall Globe wee are in the third place to examine the reasons vsually vrged against this Assertion The first reason is drawne from sense If there were any such Sphericall motion say they how comes it to passe that it cannot of vs bee perceiued an Argument worthy such Philosophers as measure all rather by seeming sense then Demonstratiue reason who cannot obserue on the sea in a calme that the ship wherein hee is carried will seeme to rest or at least to moue slowly and the clifts and shores to moue vnto the opposite part What then should wee thinke of the motion of the whole Terrestriall Globe which hath lesse cause to bee perceiued then that of a ship The Bulke of a ship in respect of the Earth is small and of no quantity the other being huge and massie The motion of the ship meerely violent inforced by the windes of the Earth naturall and vniforme stirred vp of his proper and naturall inclination so that if any such motion be in the earth it were impossible to bee perceiued by sense Secondly they vrge against vs that in Homogeneall Bodies there is the same motion of the whole and all the parts But euery part of the Earth as experience teacheth is moued downeward toward the Center and therefore the whole can haue no other motion To this obiection wee haue partly answered before yet to giue further satisfaction wee will adde something more It is one thing to speake of the whole Terrestriall Globe and Spheare another of the seuerall parts and Elements whereof it consists If the whole Spheare bee vnderstood wee ascribe vnto it no other motion but the circular which wee here labor to establish
nature wherein the Starres moue in circles parallell to the Eclipticke But from the North to the South as by the necessary consequence of the position and obliquity of the Zodiacke because it cannot bee auoided but that it should either incline to or decline from the Pole If they should obiect as many doe that this progresse is not proportionall in respect of the time according to the calculation of the Astronomers Wee answer 1. That this difference is so small that it should rather seeme to bee imputed to the negligence or ignorance of such as tooke these obseruations then to any diuersity of motion For who knowes not in these dayes of ours wherein this art is arriued at a farre greater perfection diuerse Astronomers in obseruing the same Star at the same time to differ much the one from the other Whose knowledge notwithstanding is fortified with the experience of the Ancients and inuention of new Instruments What then shall wee thinke of those which distant so many ages in time and vsing diuerse vnlike Instruments in their obseruations haue differed in matters of so small moment chiefly in seeking out the period of this long and slow motion which by reason of his slownes since the time it was known to man hath not ranne the fifteenth part of his circle For my part I shall rather ascribe it to the errour of their obseruations then multiply Orbs without a greater cause First because as wee haue said the difference is so small and almost insensible 2. Because wee haue beene taught by our Astronomicall histories what kinde of Instruments were then in vse which to later Astronomers haue beene thought too rude and vnfit to make such subtile obseruations Lastly concerning the Site and Position no lesse reason may bee giuen out of our Hypothesis then the common way For by placing the fiue Planets to runne in their Epicycles about the Sunne may we giue a reason of the inequality of their distance from the Earth wherein an ingenious minde in our common grounds can hardly giue himselfe sufficient satisfaction 3 The stability is an affection whereby the Terrestriall Spheare is firmely setled in his proper place The Stability or firmenesse of the Earth which we here vnderstand 1. No way denyes or contradicts the motion of the parts of the Earth whereby being separated they returne to their proper place 2. Neither the circular Reuolution of it on her owne Poles and Axell whereof wee haue formerly spoken But either such a motion whereby the parts of it may bee seuered one from the other and so the whole Masse dissolued or whereby the Center of the Earth may be moued out of his proper place or at least such as might mooue the Poles of the earth from their true verticity whereby they should not respect alwayes in the Heauens the same points or poles Which kinde of stability from motion we will establish in this Theoreme 1 The Earth is firmely seated and setled in her proper place This Theoreme may bee proued as well by reason as authority of holy Scripture From reason it is demonstrated in this manner If the Earth should not be setled in her proper place this would of necessity happen either by dissolution and separation of the parts one from the other or by remouing the poles out of their fixt places or else by motion of the Center from one place to the other The first cannot be admitted because as we haue before taught in the second Chapter of this booke All Terrestriall Bodies are endowed with an inclination or ponderosity to approach as neere as they can to the center of the Earth so that by this coherency and conformity the whole earth is ransom'd from any such mutability Neither can the whole Spheare bee dissolued without an especiall miracle And if so it should happen the parts would returne againe and conforme themselues to compose the same Spheare Likewise the second way The earth cannot loose her stability because as wee haue shewne in our former Chapter the earth hath her two Poles magneticall made fast vnto the Poles of the world as if they were bound firmely to two great pillers neuer to bee shaken Finally The Center of the Earth cannot be moued out of his place any wise because as we haue demonstrated in the Chapter before without the disturbance and inuersion of the whole frame of Nature the Earth can haue no other place then the Center or middest of the whole world Some haue alleaged as an argument that principle of Aristotle That one simple Body can haue but one simple Motion and therefore the earth challenging to it selfe a right motion to the Center cannot also haue a circular or round motion and so of necessity must rest vnmoued in her proper place But this reason as I haue shewed is weake to proue this assertion First because this principle of Aristotle is not grounded on certainty but contradicts experience as I haue elsewhere shewed 2. This right motion to the Center is not to bee ascribed to the whole as the immediate subiect but to the parts of it separated from the whole so that nothing will hinder but that the whole Globe may haue a motion proper to it selfe on his owne Poles But to let this reason passe as weake all those arguments alleaged by the common Astronomers and Philosophers against the circular motion of the Earth proue indeed no other matter then this stability which we establish but if racked any farther come short to satisfie For authority of Scripture many places are vrged to proue this stability whereof wee haue a pregnant place in 104 Psalme wherein Dauid magnifying the Creator saith That hee laid the foundation of the Earth so sure that it should not be moued at any time To which may be added many other Texts but that I hold this one sufficient in a matter which few men call in question Wee are in the third place to treate of the proportion of the Earth with the heauenly bodies 4 The Proportion is that wherein the quantity of the Terrestriall Globe is compared with the quantity of the Heauens We must here remember a distinction before touched that the Globe of the Earth may bee considered two wayes either Absolutely in it selfe or Comparatiuely in respect of the heauenly Bodyes If we consider it absolutely in it selfe wee shall finde that the Earth hath a vast and huge magnitude and not any wayes to bee compared to a point because it is a body and therefore subiect to diuision whereas a point is conceaued as an indiuisible signeadmitting no parts at all Sâ—condly because the magnitude of the Earth many times taken will measure the greatnesse of the Heauens as wee may obserue by Astronomers who measure the magnitude of the greatest Stars by Diameters and Semidiameters of the Earth whereas a point of it being a thousand times multiplied will neuer beget a magnitude or measure of the quantity of any Body Thirdly the Starres are not
yet may the rest compared amongst themselues be ranged in a certaine order as the Second Third Fourth Fifth and so along till we come againe to the First being in all reduced to the number of 180 answering to 360 Degrees as wee haue taught So much for the Meridians 11 The Parallels are equidistant Circles passing from the East to the West directly I haue defined the Parallell Circles in a larger sense then former Geographers vsually haue taken it in as willing vnder this generall name not onely to include the Parallels commonly so called but also the Equatour because I see no reason why the Equatour being euery where equidistant from each other Circle should not suffer this acception The common sort of Cosmographers vnder this name would onely comprize the minor Circles which are conceiued to bee equally distant and correspondent to the Equinoctiall Circle so that all should bee so called in respect of the Equatour to whom they are said to answer not in site and position for as much as they decline from the middle of the Earth to the North and South but in Comparison and Proportion for as the Equatour is drawne from East to West and diuides the whole Spheare of the Earth into the North and South Hemispheares So the other also diuide the Globe of the Earth though not into two equall parts as the Equatour but vnequall These Parallels many wayes are distingushed from the Meridians first because the Meridians are drawne directly from North to South but the Parallels from East to West Secondly the Meridians how many soeuer they are imagined to bee concurre and meete all in the Poles of the Earth whereas the Parallels howsoeuer drawne out at length will neuer concurre or meete in any point Whence it must needes follow that all Parallels and Meridians in the Globe must cut one the other and make right angles These Parallels although infinite in number may bee in the Spheare reduced to the number of the Meridians because they are drawne through the opposite points and degrees of the Meridian Semi-circle which would make vp the number of 180 but yet for Conueniency they haue not painted so many in the face of the Artificiall Spheare for as much as so many lines and circles might beget Confusion Wherefore Ptolomy and the Ancients haue distinguished the Parallels on both sides the Equator North and South with such a Distance that where the day should increase one quarter of an houre a new Parallel should be placed So that the longest day of one Parallell should surpasse the longest day of another for one quarter of an houre By which appeares that the Parallels are not of one greatnesse but by how much neerer the Pole they are placed so much lesse are they and so much greater by how much farther off from the Poles and neerest the Equatour These Circles are of great vse in Geographie as to distinguish the Zone Climats and Latitudes of Regions to shew the Eleuation of the Pole and to designe out the length and shortnesse of the day in any part of the Earth 12 A Parallell Circle is of two sorts either greater or lesser The greater is the Equatour or equinoctiall Circle 13 The Equatour is the greatest of the Parallels passing through the middest of the Earth and exactly diuiding them from the Poles into two equall halfes or Hemispheares whereof the one is North the other South This Circle is called the Equatour or Equinoctiall of Astronomers because that when the Sunne passeth vnder it as vpon the 11 of March and the 13 of September it makes the Day and Night equall This Circle of Astronomers is esteemed the most notable being the measure of the Diurnall and most regular Motions The Laâ—ines haue taken the name and appellation of this Circle from the Day as the Greeks from the Night Wherein the Sense is no way varyed because the equality of the Day argues the like equality of the Night The two Poles of the Circle are the same with the Poles of the Vniuersall Earth to wit the Articke or North-Pole and the Antarticke and Southerne Pole whereof the former is alwayes conspicuous in our Horizon the other lies couched and hidde from our Sight It is called the Articke-pole from the Constellation of the little Beare in the Heauens neere to the which it is situated in opposition to the which the other is called Antarticke It hath manifold vse in Astronomy copiously by Astronomers And no lesse in Geography for without this Equinoctiall Circle no Description of the Earth can be absolute perfect neither any Citie or Place in the Terrestriall Globe or Mappe set in his due and proper place This Equinoctiall Circle in regard of the Earth passeth through the middle-most part almost of Africa by Ethiopia America and Taprobana So that it exactly diuideth the Globe of the Earth into two halfes the Northerne and Southerne Hemispheares so that these people which dwell vnder the Equatour are said to inhabite the middle of the world because they incline neither to the North nor to the South hauing so much distance from the Articke Antarticke-Pole of the Earth Moreouer by this Circle as wee will declare hereafter are noted out vnto vs the East and West part of the Spheare no way to be neglected of Geographers 1 Concerning the Equatour two things are to be obserued either the Inuention or the Site and Position The Inuention is either Astronomicall or Magneticall The Astronomicall according to these Rules 1 The Meridian being found out to find the Equator This is easily performed by the helpe of the former Figure for therein the Meridian line being found out as we haue shewed let there bee drawne by the Center E of that Circle the line AC making right Angles with the said Meridian which line AC will bee the true Equatour and will point out vnto vs the true East and West as A the East and C the West Whence it appeares that the two lines to wit of the Equatour and the Meridian doe diuide and cut the whole Horizon into two equall Quadrants 2 Without the helpe of the Meridian to find out the Equatour In the time of either Equinoctiall in some Horizontall plaine in the Sunne-shine let there bee erected a Gnomon then in the day time let there bee noted all the points by which the end or top of the shadow hath passed for all those points in the time of Equinoctiall are in a right line because then the end of the shadow is carried in a line in the time of the Equinox in a Herizontall plaine This line will bee the true Equinoctiall-line the cause is giuen by Clauius in Gnomonicis lib. 1. prop. 1. Corollar 2. which depending on many Geometricall and Astronomicall principles as too far from my purpose I omit 15 The Magneticall inuention of the Equatour is wrought by the Magneticall Inclinatory Needle according to this Proposition 1 Wheresoeuer at any place of the Terrestriall
Spheare the Inclinatory Needle shall conforme it selfe in a Parallell-wise to the Axell of the Earth through that place passeth the Equinoctiall Line As to finde out the Meridian of any place wee are to vse the helpe of the Directory Needle so to the finding out of the Equatour and Parallels the Inclinatory Needle is most necessary because the former respects the Magneticall Motion of Direction the latter of Declination Now wheresoeuer wee shall see the Needle to conforme it selfe in such sort as it may lie Parallell with the Axell of the Earth we may assure our selues that such a place is vnder the Equinoctiall Circle The reason whereof wee haue giuen in our 3 Chapter out of the CoÌ„uertible nature of the Magnet and here needs no repetition only wee will insert this one figure wherein the line CD drawne through the Centers of two Inclinatory Needles lying Parallell to the Axell of the Earth A. B. will expresse this Equinoctiall line which wee here seeke For the Magneticall Inclinatory Needle being set in a Frame or Ring made for such a purpose will vnder the Equator respect one Pole no more then another but lie leuell with the Plaine of the Horizon as vnder the Poles it will make right Angles with the Plaine of the Horizon In the middle spaces betwitxt the Equatour and the Poles it will conforme it selfe in such sort as it makes certaine Angles with the Axell of the Earth though not equall yet proportionall to the Latitude out of which an ingenious Artificer may deduce the Parallels of any place without any obseruations of the Heauens as is taught by Instruments inuented by Gilbert Ridley and diuers others which haue vndertaken this subiect 16 Of the Inuention of the Equatour wee haue spoken In the site we ought to consider the placing of the Equator in respect of the world 1 The Equatour is an vnmoueable Circle whose Poles neuer vary from the â—ixt Poles of the world Whether the Poles of the Equator haue been any times varied from the Poles of the world is a controuersie which hath exercised the greatest wits Ioseph Scaliger trusting as it seemes more to ancient History then Moderne experiment seemes in two Epistles not only to make a doubt whether the Poles of the Equatour haue continued the same with the Poles of the world but superâ—iliously as the manner of most criticks is rather out of coniecture then Reason to taxe the common opinion of manifest errour and absurdity The ground and originall of this doubt growes out of the obseruation of the fixt Stars which haue since the Times of the Ancients beene found to bee moued out of their places or at least not to retaine the same points in the Period of the Sunnes Motion The chiefest Instances are taken from the stars in the Hornes of Aries which in Hyparchus time which liued aboue 60 yeeres before Ptolomy were obserued to bee not much distant from the Equinoxe and before him in the very point it selfe but in our time remoued about 28 Degrees off Also it is obserued in the Cynosure or Pole-star that in Hyparchus time it was distant from the Pole about 12 Degrees which wee finde in our time to bee scarce 3 Degrees distant To salue this Apparence Ptolomy inuented a slow motion of the Starry Heauen or Firmament whereby the Fixt stars might bee remoued farther off from the Equinoctiall points in the Eclipticke whence of a consequence the Pole-starre should not keep the same position in respect of the Pole it selfe but vary his site according to the Motion which opinion hath a long time passed without contradiction till Copernicus out of new grounds sought for this Motion in the Earth to which hee assigned no lesse then three Motions Since Copernicus arose Ioseph Scaliger who contradicting the common receiued grounds and yet for ought I see not trusting to the suppositions of Copernicus would bring in another opinion to wit that the Stars of the Firmâ—ment are not moued from the point of the Equinoxe but rather that the point is carryed away from the stars The decision of this point I dare not vndertake better becomming the learned and industrious endeauours of our worthy Professours M. Doctour Bainbrigge and M. Henry Brigges as best suiting with their Learning and Profession Ipse semipaganus ad sacra vatum carmen offero nostrum Neuerthelesse as a Learner for mine owne satisfaction I would willingly enter a little into conference with this great and admired Oracle Ioseph Scaliger to sound the certainty of his grounds That the Pole-starre saith hee was so far distant from the Pole as 12 Degrees was no true obseruation but the errour of Hyparchus who afterwards by his authority deceiued Ptolomy and He Posterity The Reasons hee alleadged are 1 Because Eudoxus which was more ancient then Hyparchus obserued the same star to bee in no other place then where now it is 2 Because that greater light of Astronomy Copernicus perceiuing the Equinoxes and Solstitiall points to be moued was enforced to inuent other grounds but because his demonstrations depended only on the Apparences hee sought out this effect in the motion of the Earth If it were manners to oppose so great a Scholler as Ioseph Scaliger I would aske a few questions why we should not credite the obseruations of Hyparchus Ptolomy and all posterity as well as of Eudoxus sith Antiquity without consent approbation is no great argument of truth Neuerthelesse if the matter be well examined we shall perhaps find Antiquity to be more firme on our side The same reason as I take it may be giuen for the stars in the Hornes of Aries as of the Pole-starre because all the fixt-starres by the consent of all are imagined to keep the same vniforme site among themselues in such sort as the varying of some would disorder all the rest at least argue the like variety or change of all Now to proue the stars of Aries to haue beene varyed many of the Ancients as Master Hues hath obserued liuing in diuers times haue confirmed The first star of Aries which in the time of Meto Atticus was obserued in the Vernall Intersection in the time of Thales Milesius was before it 2 Degrees in Tymocharis age it was after it 2 Degrees 24 Minutes In Hipparchus time 4 Degrees 40 Minutes in Abbumazars 17 Degrees 50 Minutes in Albarens 18 Degrees 10 Minutes in Arzachels 19 Deg. 37 Min. in Alphonsus his time 23 Deg. 48 Min In the time of Copernicus and Rheticus 27 Degrees 21. Min. In our time about 28. Against all these Testimonies if we should oppose the Testimony of Eudoxus and Scaâ—iger wee should bee thought very partiall to preferre them before the consent of Antiquity Eudoxus though very Antient being but one and the other one of the last If any should obiect that Eudoxus spake onely of the Pole-starre and not of the stars in the hornes of Aries I answere as before that the same reason is to bee
also as wee haue taught appertaine to the Geographer being as many sections of the Horizontall Circle because they are alwayes imagined to proceed from a Verticall point wherein they meet The Circles painted on the Globe are either the Parallels or Meridians whose description we haue set downe in the chapter before Amongst the Parallels the most remarkable is the Equatour which is made greater then all the rest in forme of a bracelet distinguished into degrees and marked at euery 10. degrees Next to this are the Tropicks and Polar Circles represented only by blacke Lines yet framed in such sort that they may easily bee discerned from other Parallels Amongst the Meridians the most notable is the first Meridian passing by the Canaries and painted much like the Equatour cut into diuers sections and degrees in such sort as wee haue described For the Zodiacke which is vsually pictured in the Terrestriall Globe I hold it altogether needlesse in Geography and made rather for ornament then vse for as much as the periodicke course of the Sun deciphered by the Eclipticke appertaines rather to the Theory of the planets which is the hardest part of Astronomy The proportion of these Circles Site and Distance is taught before and needs no repetition sith it is the very same in representation on the face of the Globe which is really in the Earth it selfe For the pictures and Topicall description of the Earth wee referre it to the second and third part of this Treatise where we shall haue occasion to speake of Countreyes and Regions with their seuerall qualities accidents and dispositions 2 The vse of the Artificiall Globe is to expresse the parts of the Earth so farre forth as they haue a diuerse situation as well one n respect of another as of the Heauens The vse of the Artificiall Globe is two-fold either generall or speciall the Generall is expressed in this Theoreme the Speciall shall be shewne in diuerse speciall propositions hereafter as occasion shall serue 5 This Direction is taught in the Rule 1 The Meridian for the place being found by the Sunne or Compasse 1 Let the Globe bee so set that the North Pole respect the North the oppoposite the South 2 Let the Pole in the Meridian of the Globe be set according to the eleuation of the Pole at the place assigned 6 A Geographicall Mappe is a plaine Table wherein the Lineaments of the Terrestriall Spheare are expressed and described in due site and proportion Some would haue the name of a Mappe to be drawne from the linnen furniture wherewith it is endorsed which is not vnlikely in regard of the affinity of the words in Latine But more significantly by others it is termed a Geographicall Table or Chart A Mappe differs from a Globe in that the Globe is a round solide body more neerely representing the true figure of the Earth whereas contrarywise the Charts of themselues are plaine though representing a Spheare inuented to supply the wants of a Globe For whereas a Globe is more costly to be procured of poore Students and more troublesome to be carried to and fro a Mappe is more cheape to be bought and far more portable And howsoeuer it be not so apt an expression as the Globe yet are there few matters represented in the other which may not in some sort find place in this And certainly such is the vse and necessity of these Tables that I hardly deeme him worth the name of a Scholler which desires not his Chamber furnished with such ornaments It is written of that learned man Erasmus Roterodamus that hauing seene 50 yeares he was delighted so much with these Geographicall Mappes that vndertaking to write Comments on the Acts of the Apostles he had alwayes in his eye those Tables where hee made no small vse for the finding out of the site of such places whereof he had occasion to treate And it were to bee wished in these dayes that yong Students insteed of many apish and ridiculous pictures tending many times rather to ribaldry then any learning would store their studies with such furniture These Geographicall Mappes are of two sorts either Vniuersall or Particular The Vniuersall are such as represent the picture of the whole Earth The particular are such as shew only some particular Place or Region These particular Tables are againe of two sorts some are such as describe a place in respect of the Heauens whereon are drawne the Geographicall lineaments by vs described at least the chiefest some againe are such as haue no respect at all to the Heauens such as are the Topographicall Mappes of Cities and Shires wherein none of the Circles are described For the Vniuersall and first sort of particular Maps there is no question but they properly appertaine to Geography But the later deserue much lesse consideration as being too speciall for this generall Treatise 7 The Geographicall Mappe is twofold eithre the Plaine Chart or the Planispheare The Plaine Chart we call that which consistes of one face and Right lines Such a Chart wee find commonly set foorth vnder the name of the Marriners Sea-Chart for howsoeuer it seemes to haue chiefest vse in Nauigation yet is the Nature and vse of it more generall as that which not onely expresseth the Sea but the whole Terrestriall Globe For as much as the Parallels Meridians and Rhumbes whereof primarily it consists are circles common to the whole and not appropriated to either part 8 In the Plaine-Chart we are to consider two things First the Ground Secondly the Inscription The Ground is the space or Platforme wherein the Lines are to be inscribed the Inscription teacheth the manner how to proiect the Lines In the Chart two things are remarkable to wit the plaine whereunto the Lines are inscribed Secondly the Lines or Inscription it selfe so wee are here to handle two points First how this Plaine-Chart should bee conceiued to bee produced out of the Globe whereof it is a representation Secondly what rule or method wee ought to vse for the inscription of the Meridians parallels Rhumbes and other Lineaments thereunto annexed Both which depend on these propositions 1 The Geographicall Chart is a Parallellogramme conceiued to be made out of a Spheare inscribed in a Cylinder euery part thereof swelling in Longitude and Latitude till it apply it selfe to the hollow superficies of the said Cylinder This Theoreme seeming at the first obscure consists of many parts which being once opened will soone take light First then to know the Ground-worke of this Parallellogramme thus defined wee must suppose a Sphericall superficies Geographicall or Hydrographicall with Meridians and parallels to bee inscribed into a concaue Cylinder their Axes agreeing in one Secondly wee must imagine the superficies thus inscribed to swell like a bladder blowing equally in euery part as well in Longitude as Latitude till it apply it selfe round about and all along towards either pole vnto the concaue superficies of the Cylinder so that each parallell
Tropicke we account 23 degrees which added and resolued into miles will make the said summe within the compasse of this Zone is situate the greatest part of Africke especially that of the Abyssines which common opinion with little probability would haue to bee the Empire of Prester Iohn also many Ilands as Iaua Summatra Taprobana besides a great part of the South of America called Peruana It was imagined by the Ancients as Aristotle Pliny Ptolomy and many other Philosophers Poëts and Diuines that this Zone through extreame heat was altogether vnhabitable for which cause they called it Intemperate The reason of this coniecture was drawne from the situation of this part in regard of that of the heauens For lying in the middle part of the world the Sunne must of necessity cast his rayes perpendicular that is to say at Right Angles Now according to the grounds of Peripateticke Philosophy the Idol of this age the heat deriued from the Sunne ariseth from the reflexion of the Sunne-beames against the surface of the Earth Wherefore the heat was there coniectured to bee greatest where the reflexion was found to bee greatest But the greatest reflexion according to all Mathematicians must be in this Torrid Zone where the Sunne darts forth his Rayes at right Angles which reflect backe vpon themselues Which false coniecture was a long time continued by the exuberant descriptions of Poëts and defect of Nauigation hauing as yet scarce passed her infancy But how farre these surmises come short of truth wee shall declare in our second part to which wee haue reserued those Physicall and Historicall discourses concerning the qualities and properties of the Earth 7 The Intemperat cold Zones are those which are included betwixt the Polar circles and the Poles whereof the one is Northerne contained in the Arcticke circle the other Southerne in the Antarcticke These two Zones are not made out of the combination of two circles as the former but by one circle with relation to the Pole The greatnesse and extent of this Zone is about 23 degrees and a halfe which resolued into Italian-miles will produce 1380. The Northerne cold Zone containes in it Groenland Fineland and diuerse other Northerne Regions whereof some are partly discouered and set out in our ordinary Maps other some not yet detected For the other Zone vnder the Antarticke Pole it consists of the same greatnesse as wee know by the constitution of the Globe hauing other such accidents correspondent as the Northerne so farre forth as they respect the Heauens For other matters they lye hid in the vast Gulph of obscurity this port hauing neuer yet for ought I know exposed her selfe to the discouery of the Christian world Whether these two Zones be without habitation by reason of intemperate cold as the other hath been thought by reason of too much heat wee shall in due place examine 8 The Temperate Zone is the space contained betwixt the Tropicke the Polar circle whereof the one is Northerne contained betwixt the Tropicke of Cancer and the Articke circle the other Southerne comprehended betwixt the Tropicke of Capricorne and the Antarcticke circle Why these Zones are tearmed Temperate diuerse reasons are alleaged 1 Because the Sun-beames here are cast obliquely on the surface of the earth and by consequence cannot produce so much heat as in those places where they are darted perpendicularly if wee only consider the constitution and site of the heauens For as we shall hereafter proue this may sometimes be altered by the disposition of some particular place 2 It may be called the Temperate Zone because it seemes mixt of both extreames partaking in some measure the both qualities of heat and cold the one from the Torrid the other from the Frigid Zones 3 Because in these Zones the distances betwixt Summer and Winter are very remarkable hauing a middle difference of time betwixt them as compounded of both extreames These temperate Zones included betwixt the Tropicks and the Polar circles are twofold as the circles The northerne temperate Zone comprehended of the Tropicke of Cancer and the Articke circle containes in it the vpper and higher part of Africke stretching euen to the mountaine Atlas Moreouer in it is placed all Europe euen to the Northerne Ilands in the Articke Zone and a great part also of Asia the other temperate Zone lying towards the South is not so well knowne being farre distant from our habitation and awaiting as yet the farther industry of our English and Dutch Nauigators The bredth of this Zone as the other containes about 43 degrees which is the distance betwixt the Tropicke and the Polar circle which multiplied by 60 will be resolued into 2580 Italian-miles 1 The Torrid Zone is the greatest of all next are the two Temperate Zones the cold Zones the least of all The Torrid Zone is found to be greatest as well in regard of longitude as latitude and is diuided by the Equatour into two halfes the next are the Temperate but the two cold Zones howsoeuer equall in Diameter to the Torrid are notwithstanding least of all where is to bee noted that euery Zone is of the same latitude from North to South beginne where we will because it is contained betwixt two equidistant circles but all inioy not the same longitude from East to West For the parts of euery Zone by how much neerer they are to the Equatour so much greater longitude will they haue by how much neerer the Poles they are so much the lesse longitude for as much as the Parallels towards the Poles grow alwayes lesser and lesser The inuention of the quantity of the Zones before mentioned may briefly thus bee performed The latitude of the torrid Zone is so much as the distance betwixt the Tropickes which is Astronomically grounded on the greatest declination of the Sunne being doubled This declination being by Clauius and others found to be 23 degrees 30 scrup which being doubled will produce 47 which againe multiplied by 60 and resolued into miles will amount to 2820 though the odde scruples of many Authors are neglected The latitude of the cold Zones is also drawne from the greatest declination of the Sunne For the distance of the Pole circles from the Pole it selfe is iust so much as the declination of the Eclipticke from the Equatour to wit of 23 degrees 30 scrup to which answer according to the former Rule 1420 Italian-miles The inuention of the latitude of the temperate Zones depends from the subtraction of the distance of the Poles of the Eclipticke from the Equatour that is from the greatest declination of the Sunne being doubled from the whole quadrant in which subduction the residue will be 43 to which will answer 2580 Italian-miles 1 The Zone wherein any place is seated may bee knowne either by the Globe or Geographicall Table or else by the Tables of Latitude By the Globe or vniuersall Mappe wee may know it by the diligent obseruation of the foure equidistant circles For if wee
Expression and Manner of Description of Regions aswell in the finding out the Angle of position as Translation of places formerly found out into the Globe or Chart. Chap. 4. Speciall which contains the distinctioâ— of a place into Sea whose description is called Hydrography in which we are to consider the Adiuncts of the Sea which are either Internall which are inbred in the Nature of the Sea which againe are either Absolute such as agree to the Sea without any comparison of it with the Land Here we obserue in the water of the Sea 1 The Figure and Quality Chap. 5. 2 The Motion Naturall and Violent Chap. 6. Comparatiue which concerne the Depth Situation and Termination of the Sea Chap. 7. Externall which concerne Sea-Trafficke and Marchandize Chap. 8. Land which we terme Pedography whose Accidents are either Naturall which are againe diuided into Perpetuall such as ordinarily agree to the earth these againe are either Absolute wherein we haue no respect vnto the Sea Here we consider the Nature 1 Of riuers fountaines and lakeâ— Chap. 9. 2 Of mountaines vallieâ— and plaine-Regions woody and champion Countreyes Chap. 10. Comparatiue wherein we consider the Termination of the Sea with the Land Chap. 11. Casuall which seldome fall out such as are Inundations and Earth-quakes Chap. 12. Ciuill which concernes the Inhabitants of any place in whom we consider the Originall or off-spring Chap. 13. Disposition which is varied either accorâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 1 Site in respect of the Heauens Chap. 14. 2 Soyle Chap. 15. GEOGRAPHIE THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. I. Of Topographie and the nature of a place IN the former Treatise by Gods assistance wee haue treated of the Sphericall part of Geographie It will in the second place seeme conuenient to speake of the Topicall part of it 2 The Topicall part teacheth the description of the Terrestriall Globe so farre forth as it is diuided into places The nature of Topographie whereof we are to treat in this second part is discouered vnto vs not only in the name which promiseth a description of places but also in the differences set downe by Ptolomy himselfe betwixt the Sphericall and Topicall part the former of which hee cals Geographie and latter Topographie whereof wee haue spoken at large in the first Chapter of our former booke Here onely wee will note this one distinction that Tâ—â—ograhie may bee tâ—ken either more generally or specially Generally we may take it so farre foorth as it discouers vnto vs either the whole world and all his parts or at least some great and principall parts such as is an Empire Region Kingdome or such like More specially and particularly it hath vsually beene taken for the description of a very small place whose situation in respect of the heauens is not noted but of the parts one to the other such as are Cities Burrowes Townes Castles Lakes and Riuers The former whereat wee chiefly aime cannot well bee performed without the vse of the Sphericall part That latter we will more sparingly touch being an infinite taske in the whole earth to descend to all particulars which come in our way yet shall wee not altogether omit or neglect such circumstances in their due places so farre foorth as wee can leauing the rest to such Topographers who spend their stocke in the description of some particular place or Region whereof this our Age hath produced many deseruing high commendations This Science was anciently adorned by Homer Anâ—â—imander Milesius Haecataeus Democritus Eudoxius Dicaearchus Euphorus as wee finde in Straboes first booke to which afterward succeede Eratosthenes Polybius Possidonius and diuers others Which part requires little or small knowledge in the Sciences Mathematicall but challengeth more affinity with the Physicall and Politicall part of Philosophie and therefore is more subiect to popular vnderstanding then the former and may without it affoord some profit to the Reader 3 The Topicall part is either generall or speciall The generall is that which handles the generall Adiuncts of a place 4 A place is a superficiall space of the Terrestriall Globe fitted for habitation To the constitution of a place as it is here Topographically taken there ought to be a concurrence of two things which we may call Matter and Forme The Matter is the space contained or superficiall platforme of the earth whereon wee dwell The forme is the capability or aptnesse of it for habitation both which concurring together are conceiued to make a place such as wee here Topographically vnderstand for here wee vnderstand not a place Physically for the receptacle of a naturall body in which sense the Heauens and all the elements are said to haue their naturall places Neither yet Geometrically for a plaine whereon a line or figure may bee drawne but Topographically for the vpper face of the earth whereon people or other liuing creatures may inhabite This place as appeares by reason and holy Scriptures was more ancient then habitation For whereas in the first Masse the earth was inueloped with waters on euery side affording no place for dwelling Almighty God is said afterwards to haue separated and parted the waters from the dry land making the one a Receptacle for Fishes and such creatures of the deepe the other for a dwelling place for mankind and such creatures as breath vpon the land yet hath hee so prouided in his diuine wisdome that neither the Inhabitants of the land can well want the Sea nor the liuing creatures in the Sea want the land The one appeares in that wee are inforced to make vse of the sea not onely for â—ood and nourishment whereof a great part consisteth of fish but also for our Traffique and commerce with forraine Nations which is better effected by Sea then Land-voyages The latter is as easily shewed in that the fishes of the Sea deriue not onely their composition but also their proper nourishment from the land whereof wee shall haue more occasion to speake hereafter Now wee are moreouer to consider that a place may bee taken in a double sense first more largely for any place wherein a creature may liue for longer or shorter time Secondly more strictly for such a space of earth whereon mankinde may conueniently reside or dwell The former comprehends not onely the land but also the water for experience shewes that men in ships may for a time reside and dwell on the backe of the maine Ocean But the latter betokening a continuance of habitation is onely agreeable to the land Which sense howbeit it be more consonant to the common vse of speech yet for methode sake wee are inforced to vse the former vnderstanding by habitation not onely a place of conuenient residence but any other whereon a creature for a time may breathe and liue 1 The Terrestriall Spheare is euerywhere habitable It was an ancient opinion as we haue formerly touched that the earth was not euerywhere habitable namely in the Intemperate Zones whereof the one was placed in the middle of the earth
caused commonly two wayes either by contagion naturally incident to diuerse places or by hostile Inuasion and deuastation of this latter arise two maine effects The first is the want and scarcity of Inhabitants which should dresse and manure the ground to make it more fruitfull and accommodate to mans vse The second is their pouerty and captiuity whereof the one makes them vnable the second vnwilling to effect any great matter for the benefit of the Land A good instance whereof wee may finde in the land of Palestine which in times past by God himselfe was called A land flowing with milke and hony for the admirable pleasantnesse and fertility of the Soile yet at this day if wee will credit trauellers report a most barren Region deuoid almost of all good commodity fit for the vse of man in the ruines of which sometimes famous kingdome euery bleere-eyed iudgement may easily read Gods curse long since denounced Which strange alteration next vnto Gods anger wee can ascribe to no other cause then the hostile inuasion of forraine enemies which hath almost lâ—ft the land waste without the natiue Inhabitants whence it could not chuse in a short time but degenerate from the ancient fruitfulnesse The like may we finde in all those miserable Regions which groane at this day vnder the tyranny of the vsurping Turke whence a prouerbe runnes currant amongst them That where the Turkes horse hath once grazed no grasse will euer aftâ—r grow which signifies no other then the barbarous manner of the Turkes hauing once conquered a land to lay it open euer after to deuastation for being for the most part warlike men trained vp in martiall discipline they little or nothing at all regard the vse of husbandry whence in short time a Countrey must needs â—urne wild and vnfruitfull To these causes we may adde the influence of heauenly constellations which being varied according to the times produce no small effects in the changes and alterations of the earth The diuerse alteration in the disposition of the Inhabitants which was our second point we haue referâ—â—ed to another place neere the end of this tract to which is properly appertaines 3 Plâ—ces hauing long continued without habitation are seldome so healthy and fit for dwelling as those which haue beene inhabited This Proposition I haue knowne to bee warranted by the Testimonie of many experienced Nauigators in so much as I presume few men can doubt of the truth of it who hath either beene a Traualler himselfe into farre Countreyes or at least hath read other mens discoueries The onely matter therefore wee here intend is to produce certaine causes of this effect to giue satisfaction to such as make a distinction betwixt the knowledge of the effect and inquiry of the cause The first cause which I can alleage is the industrie of mankinde inhabiting any Countrey mentioned in the former Theoreme out of which ariseth a twofold effect 1 The improuing of the Soyle by remouing all such impediments as otherwise would proue noysome to mankinde for whereas all things growing of their owne accord are suffered to rot into the ground in like manner what other can wee expect but Fennes Fogges and noisome vapours altogether hurtfull to the welfare and life of man 2 The profit of mans industrie is no lesse apparent in manuring the ground and opening the vpper face of the Earth which being composed of diuerse substances sendeth forth many times certaine hot fumes and vapours which in many cold Countreyes mollify the vsuall rigour of the Aire which most offends the Inhabitants This reason is giuen by my Countrey-man Captaine Whitborne for the extreame cold which some men professe themselues to haue tried in New-found-land which neuerthelesse according to many mens description is knowne to lye farre more South then England for the natiues of the Countrey being for the most part driuen into the North part by the Europeans who vsually trade there for fish and they themselues liuing altogether on Fish from the Sea or some wild beasts on the land as Beares Deare and such like without any manuring of the ground for herbage The Soyle by them is in a manner left altogether vnmanured so that neither the soyle can bee well cleansed from noisome vapours arising from the putrefaction of herbage rotting as I said into the ground or left free to send out such wholsome fumes and vapours from its interiour parts which may warme the Ayre and preserue mankind 3 A third reason drawne from mens Industries that those Countreyes which haue inioyed Inhabitants by the continuall vse of Fires haue their Aire more purged and refined from drossie and noisome vapours which vsually arise out of a contagious soyle daily infected by putrefaction for scarce any nation hath beene knowne so barbarous and ignorant which hath not the inuention and vse of Fire neither is any infection of the aire so pestilent and opposite to humane constitution which the breath of fire will not in some sort dispell If any man obiect the distance of houses and villages wherein fire is vsed which seeme to claime a small interest in the change of the ayre hanging ouer a whole Countrey let him well consider the quicknesse of motion and fluidity of the Ayre passing as it were in a moment from one place to the other and hee may soone answer his owne obiection All those reasons hitherto mentioned an inhabited Region owes to mans industrie which wee generally touched in the precedent Theoreme The second cause which is as a consequent of habitation is the necessity of breathing of people liuing in any Region of the earth whereby may follow two effects 1 A certaine measure of heat impressed into the aire as wee see in any roome in a great throng of people by reason of their breathing together in one place 2 The assimilation of the Aire to humane bodies by a continuall respiration These alterations of the aire might perhaps to common apprehensions seeme small and insensible But hee that considers how great a quantity of aire is requisite for a mans respiration and the space and extent of motion together with the multitude of Inhabitants in a populous Countrey would hold it no strange matter that the breathing of men should breed such an alteration of the aire wee finde by experience that strong built houses being left tenantlesse will soone fall into decay not so much for want of reparation as the foggy vapours and moisture caused by want of Respiration The like whereof in some proportion may we imagine to be in a region wanting Inhabitants and depriued of this benefit of nature CHAP. II. Of the Generall Adiuncts of Places 1 IN a place Topographically taken two things are to bee considered 1. The Adiuncts 2 The Description The Adiuncts are such proprieties as agree to speciall places 2 Such Adiuncts agree to a place either in respect of the Earth it selfe or in respect of the Heauens Those which agree to a place in respect of
our Easterne winde is found to bee driest of all others whereof no other cause can bee giuen then that it comes ouer a great Continent of land lying towards the East out of which many drie and earthly exhalations are drawn so the Westerne winde is obserued to be very moist because it passeth ouer the hugie Atlanticke Ocean which must needs cast forth many watrie and moist vapours which beget raine and showres from the moisture of which Westerne winde some haue sought out an answer to that Probleme why hunting hounds should not sent nor hunt so well the winde being in the West as at other times For say they it is caused by the moisture of it either in making hinderance to their legges in running or at least to their smell being very thicke and foggy In this Westerne winde we may also perceiue much cold which is caused by the quality of those watrie vapours through which it passeth which being drawne from the water are naturally cold In our South wind wee shall finde both heat and moisture whereof the former ariseth from the Sunne which in those Southerne Regions neere the Equatour is most predominant The latter from the naturall disposition of the places because before it approacheth our coasts it passes ouer the Mediterranean Sea out of which the Sunne begets abundance of watry vapours which mixt themselues with the windes Finally the North-winde is obserued to bee cold and drye It must of necessity bee cold because it is carried ouer diuerse cold and snowy places most remote from the heat of the Sunne It is drie because it passeth ouer many Ilands and dry places sending out store of dry exhalations as also because the Sunne being very remote from those Regions fewer exhalations are drawne vp which might infect it by impressions of their watrie quality These instances may serue to proue our assertion That Meteors wherewith the Aire is vsually charged and by consequence their qualitâ—es imprest into the Aire are depending from the Earth out of which they are drawne either Directly from the same Region which they affect or Obliquely from some other Region remote from it Howsoeuer wee obserue that the disposition of the Ayre depends from the Soile wee cannot altogether exclude the Heauens as shall bee taught hereafter in place conuenient CHAP. III. Of the Adiuncts of a place in respect of Heauens 1 WE haue in the former Chapter spoken of the Adiuncts of a place in respect of it Selfe We are now to proceed to such Accidents as agree to a place in respect of the Heauens 2 The Adiuncts of the Earth in respect of the Heauens are of two sorts either Generall or Speciall Generall I call such as are abstracted from any speciall quality or condition of the Earth or any place in the Earth These accidents concerne either the Situation of the Inhabitants or the Diuision of the places both which we haue handled in our Sphericall part of Geographie The Speciall are such as concerne the nature of the place in respect of the Heauens not Absolutely but Respecting some speciall qualities or properties depending on such situation which more properly belongs to this part For the vnfolding of which before we descend to particularities we will premise this one generall Theoreme 1 Places according to their diuerse situation in regard of the Heauens are diuersly affected in quality and constitution This Proposition needs no proofe as being grounded on ordinary experience for who findes not betwixt the North and the South a manifest difference of heat and cold moisture and drouth with other qualities thereon depending as well in the temper of the soyle it selfe as the naturall disposition of the inhabitants Only three points will here require an exposition First by what Meanes and instruments the Heauens may bee said to worke on the Earth Secondly how farre this operation of the Heauen on the Earth may extend and what limits it may suffer Thirdly how these operations are distinguished one from the other Concerning the first wee are taught by our ordinary Philosophers that the Heauens worke on inferiour bodies by three instruments to wit Light Motion and Influence By Light as by an instrumentall agent it ingendreth heat in the Aire and Earth not that the light being in a sort an Immateriall quality can immediatly of it selfe produce heat being materiall and elementary But by attrition and rarefaction whereby the parts of the aire being made thinner approach neerer to the nature of fire and so conceaue heat This is againe performed two wayes either by a simple or compo unded beame The simple Ray is weaker The compounded inferring a doubling of the Ray by Reflection is stronger and of more validity in the operation and by consequence so much the more copious in the production of heat by how much more the reflection is greater if wee meerely consider it in regard of the Heauens without any consideration of the quality of the Earth By motion the heauens may exercise their operation on the Earth two wayes First by attenuating and rarefying the vpper part of the Aire next adioyning turning it into Fire as some Philosophers would haue it whence the inferiour parts of the ayre communicating in this affection must needs partake some degrees of heat But this I hold to bee a conceit grounded onely vpon Aristotles authority who supposed the heauens to bee a solide compact body which will not so soone bee granted of many more moderne Mathematicians Secondly the heauenly bodyes may bee said to worke on inferiour things by motion in that by motion they are diuersly disposed and ordered to diuerse Aspects and configurations of the Starres and Planets whereby they may produce diuerse effects so that in this sense the heauens are imagined as a disponent cause which doth not so much produce the effects themselues as vary the operation Hereon is grounded all Astrologie as that which out of diuerse aspects and combinations of the Planets and Signes foresheweth diuerse euents The third Instrument by which the Heauens are said to worke is the heauenly influence which is a hidden and secret quality not subiect to sense but only knowne and found out by the effects This third agent being by some questioned would hardly bee beleeued but that a necessity in nature constraines it For many effects are found in inferiour bodies caused by the heauens which can no way bee ascribed to the Light or Motion As for example the production of Mettals in the bowels of the earth the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea whereof neither the one or the other can challenge any great interest in the Light For as much as the former is farre remote from the Sunne-beames the other ceaseth not to moue in his channell when the Sunne and Moone are both vnder the Earth Besides who can giue a reason of the excesse of heat in the Canicular or Dog-dayes if hee exclude this influence For if wee consider the Light of the Sunne wee shall finde
it greater at the time of the Soâ—stice the reflection being greater approaching neerer to right Angles If wee consider the Earth wee shall finde no reason at all why the heat should be more predominant at this time then another Then must wee of necessity ascribe it to a speciall Influence of the Dog-starre being in coniunction with the Sunne Many other Instances might bee here produced but I hold it needlesse being a matter consented to amongst most Philosophers The second point concernes the Extent and limitation of this operation in inferiour bodyes for vnfolding of which point wee must know that this operation may haue respect either to the Elements of Earth and Aire or else to the Inhabitants residing on the Earth For the operation of the Heauens vpon the Elementary masse experience it selfe will warrant yet with this limitation that this operation is measured and squared according to the matter whereinto it is receaued as for example wee shall finde the Moone more operatiue and predominant in moist Bodyes then in others partaking lesse of this quality Likewise the heat caused by the Sunne more feruent where it meets with a subiect which is more capable Whence it comes to passe that one Countrey is found hotter then another although subiect to the same Latitude in respect of the Heauens for howsoeuer the action of the Heauens bee alwayes the same and vniforme in respect of the Heauen it selfe yet must the same bee measured and limited according to the subiect into which it is imprest For the Inhabitants wee are to distinguish in them a twofold nature the one Materiall as partaking of the Elements whereof euery mixt body is compounded The other spirituall as that of the Soule The former wee cannot exempt from the operation of the Heauens for as much as euery Physician can tell how much the humours and parts of our body are stirred by celestiall influence especially by the Moone according to whose changes our bodies dayly vndergoe an alteration For the humane soule how farre it is gouerned by the stars is a matter of great consequence yet may wee in some sort cleere the doubt by this one distinction The Heauens may bee said to haue an operation vpon the soule two manner of wayes First Immediatly by it selfe Secondly Mediately by the humours and corporeall organes whereof the Soules operation depends The first wee absolutely deny for the soule being an immateriall substance cannot bee wrought vpon by a materiall agent as Philosophers affirme for the second it may bee granted without any absurdity For the operation of the soule depends meerely on materiall and corporeall organes The Elementary matter whereof these organes consist are subiect to the operation of the Heauens as any other Elementary matter So that wee may affirme the Heauens in some sort to gouerne mens mindes and dispositions so farre forth as they depend vpon the bodily instruments But here wee must note by the way that it is one thing to inferre a Necessity another thing to giue an Inclination The former we cannot absolutely auerre for as much as mans will which is the commandresse of his actions is absolutely free not subiect to any naturall necessity or externall coaction Yet can wee not deny a certaine inclination for as much as the soule of a man is too much indulgent vnto the body by whose motion it is rather perswaded then commanded The third point we haue in hand is to shew how many wayes the Heauens by their operation can affect and dispose a place on the Earth Here wee must note that the operation of the Heauens in the Earth is twofold either ordinary or extraordinary The ordinary is againe twofold either variable or Inuariable The variable I call that which is varyed according to the season as when the Sunne by his increase or decrease of heat produceth Summer or Winter Spring or Autumne which operation depends from the motion of the Sunne in his Eclipticke line wherein hee comes sometimes neerer vnto vs sometimes goeth fâ—rther from our verticall point The Inuariable I call that whereby the same places are supposed to inioy the same temperament of heat or cold without any sensible difference in respect of the Heauens putting aside other causes and circumstances for how soeuer euery Region is subiect to these foure changes to wit Summer Winter Spring and Autumne yet may the same place inioy the same temperament of Summer and Winter one yeere as it doth another without any great alteration and this depends from the situation of any place neerer or farther of in respect of the Equinoctiall circle The Extraordinary operation of the Heauens depends from some extraordinary combination or concurse of Planets particularly affecting some speciall place whence the cause may bee probably shewed why some place should some â—eeres proue extraordinary fruitfull other times degenerate againe to barrennesse or why it should sometimes bee molested with too much drouth and other times with too much moisture To let passe the other considerations as more appertaining to an Astrologer then a Geographer wee will here onely fasten on the Inuariable operation of the Heauens on earthly places and search how farre forth the places of the Earth are varied in their Temper Quality according to their diuerse situations and respect to the Equinoctiall circle taking onely notice of the Diurnall and ordinary motion of the Sunne in his course Herein shall wee finde no small variety not onely in the temper of the Ayre but also in the disposition and complection of the Inhabitants both which we shall more specially declare the former in this Chapter the other in due place wherein we shall haue occasion to treat of the materiall constitution and manners of diuerse Nations 2 In respect of the Heauens a place may be diuided two wayes First into the North and South Secondly into the East and West 3 Any place is said to be Northerne which lyeth betwixt the Equatour and Arcticke Pole Southerne betwixt the Equatour and the Antarcticke-Pole The whole Globe of the Earth as we haue formerly taught is diuided by the Equatour into two Hemispheares whereof the one is called Northerne lying towards the Northerne or Arcticke Pole the other towards the other Pole is called the Southerne But here to cleere all doubt wee must vnderstand that a place may be said to be Northerne or Southerne two manner of wayes either Absolutely or Respectiuely Absolutely Northerne and Southerne places are tearmed when they are situated in the Northerne or Southerne Hemispheares as wee haue taught in this Definition But such as are Respectiuely Northerne may be vnderstood of such Regions whereof the one is situate neerer the Pole the other neerer the Equatour In the first place here wee are to consider a place as it is absolutely taken to be either North or South Concerning which we will particularly note these two Theorâ—mes 1 Northerne and Southerne places alike situate generally inioy a like disposition Wee haue formerly granted to
euery Region or Countrey a speciall quality or temper although lying or situate vnder the same Latitude But here excluding all concurrent causes which may vary the temper of the Soile wee consider the disposition of a place so farre forth as it depends on the Heauenly Influence oâ— operation In which sense we cannot deny to a place of like 〈◊〉 a like nature for as Philosophers vse to speake Simile qua simile semper aptum natum est simile producere Like causes alwayes produce like effects so the Heauens in like distance being disposed alike as well in regard of Light as Influence cannot but affect â—hose parts of the Earth in the selfe-same manner For the Instruments by which the heauens worke on inferiour bodies as we haue shewed are Light and Influenceâ— For both the Light and Influâ—nce it is certaine that in places of equall Latitude and respect to the Equatour it is cast equally both the one and â—he other being imagined to bee carried in direct lâ—â—es of 〈◊〉 which with the Horizon makes like Angles Now that the validity or weaknesse of the operatiue Rayes is to bee iudged according to the Right or Oblique incidency making right or oblique Angles no Mathematician will gaine say But here we must note by the way that wee only consider the Heauen aâ—â—ording to his generall Infâ—â—ence or operation depending chiefly on the Sunne not of the speciall operation of speciall Starres for it may be some particular constellations in the Northerne Hemispheare may bee indowed with some speciall influence which is not found in the Southerne or the South in this kinde goe beyond the North. But this kinde of Influence is rare and hard to fâ—nde by reason of the various mixture of diuerse constellations in their operation in the same subiect and howsoeuer it were well knowne yet it is not so notable to take place before this comâ—on Rule which wee shall finde to take place if not exactly yet commonly throughout the whole Terrestriall Spheare Thus Bodin shewes a great likenesse betwixt the higher Germany and the kingdome of the Pantagones in the South part of America out of the great Stature of the Inhabitants which must needs proceed out of the nature of the places which are found to be situate very neere vnder the same Parallell The like correspondency haue wee noted betwixt Guinea in Africke and that part as it is thought of the South Continent which they haue for this cause tearmed Noua Guinea many more Parallells in this kinde might be found out but these may suffice in so euident a matter 2 The Northerne Hemispheare is the Masculine the Southerne the Feminine part of the Earth It hath beene a vsuall kinde of speech amongst men to tearme such things as are stronger worthier or greater Masculine on the contrary side such things Feminine as are found deficient and wanting in these perfections by which kinde of Metaphor taken from the Sexes in liuing creatures they haue ascribed to the Northerne Hemispheare a Masculine Temper in respect of the Southerne which comes faâ—re short of it for howsoeuer no cause can bee shewed in regard of the Heauens as is taught in our former propositions except by some speciall constellations of the South which is full of vncertainty and as soone denied as affirmed yet comes it to passe by some hidden propertie of the places themselues or at least some casuall Acâ—ident or other thaâ— these two Hemispheares suffer a great and notable disparity For against the large and fertill Territories of the Northerne Hemispheâ—re containing in it wholy Europe and Asia with the greatest part of America and Africa wee shall finde besides some few scattered Ilands only three continents to oppose to wit a small part of Africke the greatest part of America Perâ—ana containing in it Peru Brasile and the Region of the Pâ—ntagâ—nâ—s aâ—d the South contâ—nent called Tâ—rra Australiâ— Incâ—gnita and by some others the South Indies For the former lying neere the Cape of good hope if we will credit the relations of our owne Merchants we shall finde the aire by reason of 〈◊〉 very diâ—â—â—mpâ—rated situat betwixt the Equatour and the Tropicke of Capricâ—râ—â— The land very barren the Inhabitants of a brâ—tish dâ—â—â—osition wanting aâ— it were all sense of science or religion bearing heauy as yet the curse of Noah the first Father of that African Nation For America Peruana wee shall finde it perhaps more happy in respect of the Soyle although little better in respect of the Inhabitants Yet for the plentie of Gold-mines whâ—reof they can chiefly vaunt wee shall finde it farre surmounted by the East Indies or at least paralelled by America Mexicana lying on this side the Equiâ—oâ—tiall â—â—rclâ— For other commodities as Cattle Fruitâ— Herbagâ— Spiâ—eâ— Gummâ—â— and other medicinable roots and minerâ—lls lesse question can be made as being farre inferiour to Europe Asia Mexicana and other Regions included within ouâ— Northerne partition Of the third and greatest which is the South continent no coniecture can be well grounded being in â— manner all vndiscouered except some small quillets on the borders of it by which if wee may iudge of all the rest wee shall almost giue the same iudgement as of the other The want of discouery in this age of ours wherein Nauigation â—â—th beene perfected and cherished is no small arguâ—ent 〈…〉 inferiour in commodities to other places Neithâ—â— had â—he â—lacknesse of the Spaniard giueâ— that occasâ—on of complaint to Ferdinand de Quiâ— the late discouerer of some of these parts had not the Spanish King thought such an expedition eitheâ— altogether fruiâ—lesse or to little purpose For who kâ—owes not the Spâ—niard to bee â— Nâ—tion â—s couetous of richesse as ambitious to pursue 〈◊〉 â—oueraignty as such who will more wâ—llingly expoâ—â— the liues of their owne subâ—ects then loose the least title ouer other Countreyes This may bee a probable argument that thâ—s Continent hath not as yet so well smiled on the ambition of this prowd Nation as some other conqâ—â—sts For Politicall and Martiall affaires how farre short iâ— conâ—â—s of our Northerne Hemiâ—pheare I shall speake in due place where I shall handle the 〈◊〉 disposition of diuerse inhabitants according to their situation To finde out the true causes of this diuersity is very diffâ—cult To seekâ— a reason in some particular consteâ—â—ation and 〈◊〉 in the Heauens or some spâ—ciall disposition of the soyâ—â— is too generall to giue satisfaction and too vncâ—rtaine to iâ—â—orce crâ—dulity Yet putting these aside I can only guesse at two reasons which are accidentall yet strengthned with good probability The first and greatest is that bitter curse casâ— on Chaâ— and his postâ—rity by his father Noah which no doubt was seconded by Gods dipleasure taking place in his habitation Thâ—â— all these Nations sprung from Cham â— dare not confidently auouch Yet for the most part it is probable they were of this Race For the Africans it is out of questionâ— as warranted by the
GEOGRAPHIE DELINEATED FORTH IN TWO BOOKES CONTAINING The Sphericall and Topicall parts thereof By NATHANAEL CARPENTER Fellow of Exceter Colledge in Oxford THE SECOND EDITION CORRECTED ECCLESIAST 1. One generation commeth and another goeth but the Earth remayneth for euer OXFORD Printed by Iohn Lichfield for Henry Cripps and are to be sold by Henry Curteyne Anno Domini M. DC XXXV TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE WILLIAM EARLE OF PEMBROKE LORD CHAMBERLAINE to the Kings most excellent Maiesty Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter and Chancellour of the Vniuersity of Oxford Right Honourable THis poore Infant of mine which I now offer to Your Honourable acceptance was consecrated Yours in the first conception If the hasty desire I had to present it makes it as an abortiue brat seeme vnworthy my first wishes and Your fauourable Patronage impute it I beseech You not to Selfe-will but Duty which would rather shew herselfe too officious then negligent What I now dedicate rather to Your Honour then mine owne Ambition I desire no farther to bee accompted Mine then Your generous approbation wishing it no other fate then either to dye with Your Dislike or liue with Your Name and Memory The generall Acclamation of the Learned of this Age acknowledging with all thankefull Duty as well Your Loue to Learning as Zeale to Religion hath long since stampt me Yours This arrogant Desire of mine grounded more on Your Heroicke vertues then my priuate ends promised mee more in Your Honourable Estimation then some others in Your Greatnesse The expression of my selfe in these faculties beside my profession indebted more to Loue then Ability setts my Ambition a pinch higher then my Nature But such is the Magnificent splendour of Your Countenance which may easily lend Your poore Seruant so much light as to lead him out of Darknesse and as the Sunne reflecting on the baser earth at once both view and guild his Imperfections My language and formality I owe not to the Court but Vniuersity whereof I cannot but expect Your Honour to be an impartiall Vmpier being a most vigorous Member of the one and the Head of the other Corporation If these fruites of my Labours purchase so much as Your Honours least Approbabation I shall hold my wishes euen accomplished in their ends and desire only to be thought so worthy in Your Honourable esteeme as to liue and dye Your Honours in all duty and seruice to bee commanded NATHANAEL CARPENTER The Analysis of the first Booke Geography whose obiect is the whole earth is either Sphericall which is two-fold either Primary which considers the Terrestriall Spheare either as it is Naturall wherein are to bee considered two things the Principles whereof it consists to wit Matter and Forme Chapter 1. Proprieties arising out of them which againe are either Reall such as are assigned in respect of the Earth it selfe which are either Elementary as the conformity of all the parts concurring to the constitution of the Spheare Chapter 2. Magneticall which are either Partiall as the Coition Direction Variation Declination Chap. 3. Totall as the Verticity and Reuolution Chap. 4. Heauens wherein we treate of the Site Stability and proportion of the Earth in respect of the Heauens Chap. 5. Imaginary such as are the Circles and Lineaments of the Globe of whose Inuention and Expression Chap. 6. Artificiall in the Artificiall Spheare representing the Naturall vnto vs which is either Common or Magneticall Chap. 7. Secondary which handles such matters in the Spheare as secondarily arise out of the first Such are Measure of the Earth with the diuerse manner of Inuention Chap. 8. Distinction which are either Spaces considered Simply in themselues in which sort they are diuided into Zones Climates and Parallels Chap. 9. In respect of the Inhabitants which suffer manifold Distinction Chap. 10. Distances which are either Simple wherein is considered the Longitude Latitude of places Chap. 11. Comparatiue wherein two places differing either in Longitude or Latitude or both are considered Chap. 12. Topicall Libro 2o. OF THE SPECIALL Contents of each Chapter of the first Booke according to the seuerall Theoremes CHAP. I. Of the Terrestriall Globe the Matter and Forme 1 IN the Terrestriall spheare is more Earth then Water pag. 8 2 The Earth and Water together make one Spheare pag. 10 CHAP. II. Of the Conformity of parts in the constitution of the Terrestriall Spheare 1 The parts of the terrestriall spheare doe naturally conforme and dispose themselues as well to the Production and Generation as to the continuance and preseruation of it pag. 14 2 All Earthly bodyes incline and approach to the center as neere as they can 16 3 Of two heauy Bodies striuing for the same place that alwayes preuaileth which is heauiest 22 4 Hence it comes to passe that the Earth enioyes the lowest place the next the Water and the last the Aire ibid. 5 The Center of the Earth is not an Attractiue but a meere Respectiue point 25. 6 The same point is the center of Magnitude and weight in the Terrestriall spheare 26 7 Euery point or center of a weighty body is moued towards the center of the terrestriall Globe by a right line 27 8 A heauy point mouing toward the center will moue faster in the end then in the beginning 28 9 The motion of a magnitude towards the center is not meerely naturall but mixt with a violent motion 29 10 The lines wherein the centers of two heauy bodyes are moued downewardly being continued will meete in the center of the Earth 31 11 Two heauy bodie of the same figure and matter whether equall or vnequall will in an equall time moue in an equall space 32 12 The Terrestriall Globe is round and sphericall 33 13 The Rugged and vnequall parts of the Earth hinder not the sphericall roundnesse of it 36 14 The Water concurring with the Earth in the Globe is also sphericall 38 CHAP. III. Of the Partiall Magneticall affections in the spheare of the Earth 1 The Terrestriall spheare is of a magneticall Nature and disposition pag. 46 2 The magneticall motion is excited in a small and vnperceiuable difference of time 49 3 The motiue quality is spread spherically through euery part of the magneticall body 49 4 The motiue quality of the magneticall body is strongest of all in the poles in other parts so much the stronger by how much they are situated neere the poles 50 5 Magneticall bodies moue not vncertainly but haue their motions directed and conformed to certaine bounds 52 6 The Magnet communicates his vertue to iron or steele if it be touched with it 55 7 The Magneticall Coition is strongest of all in the poles 56 8 The South part of the Loadstone turnes to the North and the North to the South 57 9 The contrary motion in magnets is the iust Confluxe and Conformity of such bodies to magneticall vnion 59 10 If any part southward of the magneticall body be torne away or diminished so much
the concauities and hollowgapings of the Earth are euery-where choaked and filled vp with Water whose superficies is Sphaericall and therefore helpes together with the Earth to accomplish perfect this Terrestriall Spheare To confirme which opinion these reasons out of common experience may be alleadged The first is drawn-from the parts of Earth and Water For we may euery-where obserue that a portion of Earth and another of Water being let fall will descend in the same right line toward the same center whence we may euidently conclude that the Eearth Water haue one and the selfe-same center of their motion and by a consequence conspire to the composition of one and the selfe-same Spheare Secondly to a like Arch or space in the Heauens is found answerable alike Arch in the Terrestriall Globe whether it bee measured by the Earth or Water which could not happen were they not accounted parts of the same Spheare The third reason may bee drawne from the Ecclipse of the Moone wherein the part of the Moone shadowed obscured is obserued to be one Sphaericall or round-figure This shadow by the consent of all Astronomer's is caused by the Terrestriall Spheare interposed betwixt the Sun and the Moone intercepting the Sun-beames which should illuminate the Moone and the shadowes imitate the opacous bodies whence they arise But in the Ecclipse we find only the shadow of one body or Spheare and therefore according to the ground of the Opticks we may conclude the body whereof such a shadow proceedeth to be but one and the selfe-same Spheare 8 The Forme of the Terrestriall Spheare is the naturall Harmony or order arising from the parts working together We ought here to remember what we said before that the Earth and the Water concurre together to make one Terrestriall Spheare wherefore the whole being accounted one coacernated and collected Body made of two other we are not to expect an Internall Essentiall and Specificall Forme such as Aristotle recounts amongst the principles of a Naturall Body but only such a one as in it self is Externall and Accidentall yet concurring as it were Essentially to the constitution of the Terrestriall Spheare whose Fabricke and first composition cannot well be vnderstood without it Some haue imagined the whole Globe of the Earth to bee informed with one Internall and Essentiall Forme which opinion seemes to haue much affinity with that of Plato's concerning the Soule of the World Not that Plato and his followers were so absurd to defend that the World with all his parts was animated with a true vitall Soule in the nature of a liuing Creature but that all the members of it were vnited together quickned and disposed by a certaine Energeticall power or vertue which had great resemblance and representation of the Soule of man Which assertion seemes to be restored and embraced by our late Magneticall Philosophers whose opinion we shall discusse and examine hereafter in place conuenient In the meane time grounding our discourse on knowne principles we can admit no other Forme in the Spheare of the Earth then the mutuall Harmony order and concent of the parts concurring together and working the perfection perpetuation of the whole A fit resemblance whereof we may obserue in an artificiall Clock Mill or such like great Engine wherein euery part duly performing its owne office there will arise and result a naturall Harmony whch not vnaptly may bee termed the Forme of the whole Engine Why the World should not consist of an Internall and Essentiall Forme sundry reasons haue been alleadged by our common Philosophers First because Nature neuer attempteth any thing in vaine or without a determinate end But the particular Formes of speciall Bodies say these Philosophers are sufficient for the vnity and conformation of this Terrestriall Globe so that to grant an vniuersall Forme of the whole were to multiply causes without any necessity make Nature the Mother of superfluity which to all Philosophers seemes most absurd Secondly if this were admitted the whole Spheare of the Earth would bee as one continuate Body whose parts should as it were suffer a fellow-feeling one of the other Thirdly it were a difficult matter to assigne to what kind such a Forme might be reduced whether Animate or Inanimate If Inanimate whether it were simple or compound If Animate whether Vegetatiue Sensitiue or Rationall vnder the which are couched many great difficulties as yet vndisclosed Whether these reasons bee of any great force to ouerthrow the aduerse opinion I leaue it to further inquiry intending here a Geographicall not a Physicall Discourse CHAP. II. Of the conformity of parts in the constitution of the Terrestriall Spheare 1 IN the former we haue treated of the Naturall constitution of the Terrestriall Spheare aswell in Matter as Forme It is needfull in the next place to treat of such Affections and proprieties as neceâ—sarily arise out of such a Constitution 2. Those Affections or Proprieties are of two sorts Reall or Imaginarie Reall I call such as agree to the Terrestriall Globe by Nature Imaginary such as agree to it by vertue of our vnderstanding 3 Againe the Affections Really or Naturally agreeing to the Terrene Spheare are assigned either in respect of the Earth it selfe or in respect of the Heauens 4 These Affections are said to agree to the Earth in respect of it selfe which may be expressed and vnderstood without any comparing of it with the celestiall Bodies 5 These againe are twofold either Elementarie or Magneticall Elementary I terme such as haue commonly been knowne or obserued by ordinary Philosophers Here is chiefly to bee considered the conformity of the Terrestriall parts in the making and constitution of the whole Spheare In the former Chapter we haue shewed that the Forme of the Terrestriall Spheare is nothing els but the concinnity and apt conspiration of the parts whereof the whole is compounded This conformity being diuers and manifold as well in regard of the parts conforming themselues as the manner of the conformity we shall particularly and distinctly treat of so far as appertaines to a Cosmographer Here by the way I cannot but taxe some defect in most of our common Cosmographers who taking the Sphaericall roundnes of the Earth for a granted supposition are nothing curious to search into the first grounds and causes of this rotundity whereby it first became a globous Body and afterwards retaines in it selfe a Naturall vigour or power if any violence should be offered to restore her selfe to her former right and perfection All which are very pleasant profitable to giue an industrious Learner some satisfaction To explaine this before we descend to particulars we will lay this ground and Theoreme 1 The parts of the Terrestriall Spheare doe naturally conforme and dispose themselues aswell to the production and generation as to the continuance and preseruation of it The forme of the Terrestriall Spheare albeit as wee haue shewed it be Externall in respect of the whole Globe yet may
South-part be diminished The reason is because the Magnet hauing eminently in it the circles which are in the Earth is separated or diuided by a middle line or Aequator from which middle space the vertues are conueyed toward either Pole as we haue before shewed Now any part being taken away from the North or South part this Aequator or middle line is remoued from his former place into the midst of the portion which is left and so consequently both parts are lesse then before For although these two ends seeme opposite yet is one comforted and increased by the other 9 Of the motions of Coition and Direction wee haue handled It followes that we speake of the motions of the second order to wit Variation and Declination 10 Variation is the deuiation or turning aside of the directory Magneticall needle from the true point of North or the true Meridian towards East or West In the discourse immediatly going before hauing treated of the magneticall body wee haue imagined it to bee true and pointing out the true North and South points of the Terrestriall Globe which certainely would bee so if the substance of the Earthly Globe were in all parts and places alike equally partaking the Magneticall vertue as some round Load-stone neither should wee find any variation or deuiation at all from the true Meridian of the Earth But because the Terrestriall Globe is found by Nauigatours to bee vnequally mixed with many materialls which differ from the magneticall substance as furnished with rockie hills or large valleyes continents Ilands some places adorned with store of iron Mimes rocks of Load-stone some altogether naked and destitute of these implements it must needs fall out that the magneticall needle and compasse directed and conformed by the Magneticall nature of the Eâ—rth cannot alwayes set themselues vpon the true Meridian that passeth right along to the Poles of the Terrestriall Globe but is forced and diuerted toward some eminent and vigorous magneticall part whereby the Meridian pointed out by the magnet must needes varie and decline from the true Meridian of the Earth certaine parts or degrees in the Horizontall circle which diuersion wee call the Variation of the compasse so thaâ— variation so far as it is obserued by the compasse is defined to bee an Arch of the Horizon intercepted betwixt the common intersection with the true Meridian and his deuiation This effect proceeding from the Inequality of magneticall vertue scattered in the Earth some haue ascribed to certaine Rockes or mountaines of Loadstone distant some degrees from the true Pole of the World which rockes they haue termed the Pole of the Loadstone as that whereunto the magnet should dispose and conforme it selfe which conceite long agoe inuented was afterward inlarged and trimmed ouer by Fracastorius But this opinion is a meere coniecture without ground for what Nauigatours could hee euer produce that were eye-witnesses of this mysterie or how can he induce any iudicious man to beleeue that which himselfe nor any to his knowledge euer saw The relation that the Frier of Noruegia makes of the Frier of Oxfords discouery recorded by Iames Cnoien in the booke of his Trauels where he speaks of these matters is commonly reiected as fabulous and ridiculous for had there beene any such matter it is likely he would haue left some monuments of it in the records of his owne Vniuersity rather then to haue communicated it to a friend as farre off as Noruegia Moreouer the disproportion in the degrees of variation in places of equall distance will easily correct this errour as we shall shew in due place More vaine and friuolous are all the opinions of others concerning this magneticall variation as that of Cortesius of a certaine motiue vertue or power without the Heauen that of Marsilius Ficiâ—us of a starre in the Beare that of Petrus Peregrinus of the Pole of the world that of Cardan of the rising of a starre in the taile of the Beare that of Bestardus Gallus of the Pole of the Zodiacke that of Liuius Sanutus of a certaine magneticall Meridian of Francis Maurolycus of a magneticall Iland of Scaliger of the heâ—uen and mountaines of Robert Norman of a respectiue point or place All which Writers seeking the cause of this variation haue found it no further off then their owne fancies More probable by farre and consonant to experience shall wee finde their opinion which would haue the cause of this variation be in the Inequality of the magneticall Eminencies scattered in the Earth This Inequality may bee perceiued to bee twofold 1 in that some parts of the Earth haue the magneticall minerals more then other parts for as much as the Superficies of some parts is solid Earth as in great Continents 2 Because although the whole Globe of the Earth is supposed to be magneticall especially in the Internall and profound parts yet the magneticall vertue belonging to those parts is not alwayes so vigorous and eminent as in some other parts as wee see one Load-stone to be stronger or weaker then another in vertue and power but of those two the former is more remarkable which may bee shewed by experience of such as haue sailed along many seacoa-stes for if a sea-iourney bee made from the shore of Guinea by Cape Verde by the Canarie Ilands the bounds of the Kingdome of Morocco from thence by the confines of Spaine France England Belgia Germany Denmarke Noruegia we shall find toward the East great and ample Continents but contrarywise in the West a huge vast Ocean which is a reason that the magneticall needle will vary from the true point of the North and inclines rather to the East because it is more probable that these Continents and Lands should partake more of this magneticall minerall then the parts couered with the Sea in which these magneticall bodies may bee scarcer or at the least deeper buried and not so forceable On the contrary part if wee saile by the American coasts we shall rather find the variation to be Westward as for example if a voyage be made from the confines of Terra Florida by Virginia Norumbega and so Northward because the land butteth on the West but in the middle spaces neere the Canary Ilands the directory needle respects the true Poles of the Terrestriall Globe or at least shewes very little variation Not for the agreement of the Magneticall Meridian of that place with the true by reason of the Rocke of Load-stone as some haue imagined because in the same Meridian passing by Brasile it fals out farre otherwise but rather because of the Terrestriall Continents on both sides which almost diuide the Magneticall vigour so that the Magneticall needle is not forced one way more then another the manner whereof wee shall finde in D. Gilbert expressed in an apt figure to whom for further satisfaction I referre the Reader 1 The Magneticall variation hath no certaine Poles in the Terrestriall Globe It is but a common
receiued errour as we haue mentioned that there is a certaine Rocke or Pole of Load-stone some degrees distant from the true Pole of the world which the Magneticall needle in it's variation should respect This Pole they haue imagined to be in the same Meridian with that which passeth by the Azores whence they haue laboured to shew the reason why the Compasse should not vary in that place which they explaine by this Figure Let there be a circle describing the Spheare E AF the Horizon EF the Articke Pole A the Antarticke â— The Pole or Rocke of Loadstone placed out of the Pole of the Earth B. Let there bee placed a magneticall directory needle in H it will according to their assertion tend to the point B by the magneticall Meridian H B which because it concurres with the true Meridian B A or H A there will be no variation at all but a true direction to the North Pole of the Earth But let this magneticall needle be placed in the point D it is certaine according to this opinion that it will tend to the Pole of the Loadstone B by the magneticall Meridian D B. Wherefore it will not point out the Pole of the Earth A but rather the point C because these two Meridians come not into one and the selfe-same Hence they haue laboured with more hope then successe â—o find out the longitude of any part of the Earth without any obseruation of the Heauens which I confesse might easily be effected if this coniecture might stand with true obseruation But how farre this conceit swarues from the experience of Nauigatours one or two instances will serue to demonstrate For if the variation had any such certaine poles as they imagine then would the Arch of variation bee increased or diminished proportionally according to the distance of the places As for example If in the compasse of an hundred miles the Compasse were varied one degree then in the next hundred miles it would vary another degree which would make two degrees But this hath often been proued otherwise by diuerse experiments of Nauigations mentioned by Gilbert and F. Wright I will only produce one or two If a ship saile from the Sorlinges to New-found-land they haue obserued that when they come so farre as to finde the Compasse to point directly North without any variation at all then passing onward there will bee a variation toward the North-East but obscure and little then afterward will the Arch of this variation increase with like space in a greater proportion vntill they approach neere the â—ontinent where they shall find a very great variation Yet before they come a shoare this variation will decrease againe From which one instance if there were no other we might conclude That the Arch of variation is not alwaies proportionable to the distance which granted quite ouerthrowes that conceit of the Poles of variation Beside this if there were two such magneticall Poles there can be but one common Meridian passing by them and the Poles of the Earthly Globe But by many obseruations collected and obserued by Ed. Wright and others there should be many magneticall Meridians passing by the Poles of the world as in the Meridian about Trinidado and Barmudas the Meridian about the Westermost of the Azores lastly the Meridian running amongst the East Indian Ilands a little beyond Iaua Maior the magneticall and true Meridian must needs agree in one Now for as much as all these magneticall Meridians passe by the Poles of the earth there can no cause be assigned why the magneticall Poles should bee said to bee in one rather then another and if in any then in all Whence it must needes follow that as many magneticall Meridians as you haue to passe by the true Poles of the world so many paire of magneticall Poles must you haue which will be opposite to all reason and experience 1 The point of Variation as of Direction is only Respectiue not Attractiue It was supposed by the Ancients that the Direction and Variation of the Loadstone was caused by an Attractiue point which drew and enforced the lilly of the Compasse that way which errour tooke place from another common-receiued opinion that all the other motions of the magnet were reduced to the Attractiue operation but the errour was corrected by one Robert Norman an English-man who found this point to bee Respectiue and no way Attractiue Whose reason or demonstration is not disapproued by Dr Gilbert although in other matters hee sharply taxeth him His experiment is thus Let there be a round vessell as we haue described ful of water in the midle of this water-place an iron-wier in a conuenient round corke or boat that it may swimme vpon the water euen poyzed let this iron-wire be first touched with the load-stone that it may more strongly shew the point of variation let this point of variation be D let this iron-wire rest vpon the water in the corke for a certaine time It is certainly true that this iron-wire in the cork will not moue it selfe to the margent or brinke of the vessell D which certainly it would doe if the point D were an attractiue point 3 The variation of euery place is constant and not variable This hath beene ratified by the experience of Nauigatours which in the selfe-same Regions haue neuer missed the true variation which they haue assigned them before If any difference bee assigned in variation to the same Region wee may impute it to their errour which obserued it arising either from want of skill or conuenient instruments Neither can this euer be changed except some great deluge or dissolution happen of a great part of land as Plato records of his Atlanticke Ilands 4 The variation is greater in places neere the poles of the Earth This proportion is not to be taken vniuersally but commonly for the most part yet would it haue truth in all places if all other things were correspondent It is obserued that the variation is greater on the coasts of Norway and the Low-countries then at Morocco or Guinea For at Guinea the magneticall needle inclines to the East a third part of one Rumbe of the Compasse In the Ilands of Cape-Verde halfe in the coasts of Morocco two third parts In England at the mouth of Thames according to the obseruation of D. Gilbert and Ed. Wright though some deny it one whole Rumbe in London the chiefe city of it eleuen degrees and more which we also find or thereabout in Oxford The reason is because the magneticall motiue vertue is stronger in the greater latitude increasing towards the pole and the large Regions of land lying toward the Pole preuaile more then those which are situate farther off 12 Thus much for the Variation The Declination is a magneticall motion whereby the magneticall needle conuerts it selfe vnder the Horizontall plaine toward the Axis of the Earth What wee haue hitherto spoken of Direction and Variation magneticall was such as might be
it will lift vp much greater and heauier waights which experiments are sufficient to confirme our assertion that this Declination is caused only by the disponent and conuersiue vertue of this Terrestriall Globe 3 The magneticall Declination hath a variation That in the magneticall Direction there is found an Irregularity or variation hath beene sufficiently warranted by Artificers Instruments The like Irregularity is in the motion of Declination which makes magneticall Instruments and experiments more subiect to errour and imperfection The variation of Declination is defined to bee an Arch of the Magneticall meridian betwixt the true and apparent Declination The cause hereof is onely to bee sought in the vnequall temper of magneticall parts in the Earth For as in the Direction magneticall bodies are drawne and wrested from the true meridian by the eminent and more vigorous force of the Earth one side ouer-ruling the other so the magneticall needle the conuersion somewhat increased declines sometimes beyond his naturall site and conformity This may cause an errour but not of any great moment sometimes when there is no variation or Direction at all in the Horizon there may bee a Variation or Declination to wit either when the more eminent and stronger parts of the Earth are placed iust vnder the Meridian or when these parts are more impotent then the generall nature requireth or els when the Magneticall vigour is too much increased on one side and diminished on the other as wee may behold in the vast Ocean CHAP. IIII. Of the Totall motions Magneticall 1 HAuing passed the Partiall motions magneticall wee are next to speake of the Totall motions which more neerely agree to the whole Earth such as are the Verticitie and Reuolution 2 The Verticity is that whereby the Poles of the earthly Spheare conforme and settle themselues vnto the Poles of the Heauen 1 The Spheare of the Earth by her Magneticall vigour is most firmely seated on her Axell whose Ends or Poles respect alwayes the same points in the Heauens without Alteration That which in a little Magnet or Load-stone is called Direction in the vast Globe of the Earth is called Verticity To vnderstand which wee must conceite that the Earth hath naturally two Poles vnto which the meridionall parts doe direct not only magneticall bodies neere the Earth but her owne massie situation and firmenesse and settles her selfe so strongly by her magneticall vertue passing through the Meridionall parts to the Poles as if shee were tied by many strong cables to two Herculean pillars not subiect to alteration And if it should happen by any supernaturall power that the situation could bee changed shee would no doubt by her magneticall vigour and verticity returne and restore her selfe to her former position as all magneticall needles will doe to their proper site and conformity Of this Verticity needes no more to bee spoken then hath been already said in the point of Direction because the former is a representation of the latter and depends on the same demonstration Out of which ground wee may euidently conclude that the Axell of the Terrestriall Globe remaynes alwayes inuariable By which we may refute the opinion of Dominicus Maria who was Master to Copernicuâ— who out of certaine vnperfect obseruations was induced to beleeue that the Poles of the World were changed from their true and naturall situation I haue obserued saith hee looking on Ptolomies Geographie that the eleuation of the Pole Articke almost in all Regions as it is put downe in Ptolomie differs and failes in one degree and ten minutes from that which wee finde in our time which cannot bee ascribed to the errour of the table because it is not probable that the whole series should bee depraued according to this equality of number Wherefore it must follow of necessity that the North pole should bee moued toward the verticall circle which mystery not knowne of the Ancients for want of former obseruations hath shewed it selfe to our times being inriched not only with their but our owne experiments According to this opinion of Dominicus Maria the North pole should bee eleuated higher then it was and the Latitudes of Regions should bee greater then they were But to this opinion we will oppose the opinion of Stadius which holdeth that the latitudes of Regions haue beene decreased and diminished from that they haue had in Ptolomie without any such regular Increment or Decrement which hee labours to confirme by many obseruations as for example the latitude of Rome as it is set downe by Ptolomie is 41 degrees â…” parts but by newer obseruation it is found to be 41 degrees ½ parts out of which wee may well coniecture that Ptolomies obseruations were not alwayes exactly true being for a great part such as hee had receaued from Hipparchus and not examined himselfe as may bee seene in the latitude of many Citties in Europe where hee missed sometimes 2 sometimes 3 degrees Wherefore no iudicious Geographer would vpon such imperfect obseruations and vncertaine coniectures bring in a new motion of the earth to ouerthrow that magneticall Harmony and consistency corroborated with so many and sure demonâ—trations This may serue to answer a certaine Tenâ—nt of Vasquez the Iesuite and some others who imagine the Center and by consequence the Pole of the Earth to bee moued vp and downe by a certaine motion of Liberation The argument on which they would ground their assertion is taken from the Center of Grauity in this manner The whole masse of the earth say they is so setled about the Center that it is equally poized that is as much as to say that the parts are indowed with an equall waight Now such Bodies as are so equally poized by the addition or diminution of any part on either â—ide will bee straight-way tâ—rned from that â—iâ—e which they had before in Aequîlibrio as is dayly confirmed by experience of a Ballance and other such mechanicke instruments Wherefore in the Terrestriall spheare the Center and Poles should in this wise bee changed and altered and the whole suffer a kinde of starting or Libration For it is manifest by dayly obseruation that some things in the superficies of the earth are fallen off and carried into another place as Men Beasts and Birds which moue from one place vnto another Nothing is here of more moment then the motion of the Sea by which the parts of the water by continuall ebbing and flowing suffer such a sensible change of Addition and Diminution that no man can imagine how the parts of the Earth about the Center should alwayes bee equally counterpoyzed but the waight on one side should bee predominant vnto the other and so driue the Center from his former place This Argument Blancanus another late Iesuite leaues altogether vnanswered either imagining it too strong or out of a combined faction of their owne society vnwilling to contradict his fellow And indeed should wee consider the spheare of the earth no otherwise then according to
Earth which must moue in the same time from West to East For the first wee must take aâ— granted of those which defend the opposite opinion these two grounds 1 That the subiect of this motion if it bee a heauenly body is the first moueable and supreame spheare of all the celestiall machine because all the rest haue assigned them their seuerall motions 2 That of two bodies circularly mouing vpon the same Center in the same space of time that which is greater in quantity must needs haue the swifter motion as wee see the spokes of a wheele to moue faster neere the circumference but slower in those parts which are ioyned to the Center This granted wee shall find the greatest of the first and supremest orbs to bee so incomparably vast in proportion to the Earth and the motion of it according to this magnitude to bee increased to such a swiftnesse as must needes transcend all fiction and imagination For besides the two Elements placed by the Peripaâ—etickes betwixt the Earth and the Celestiall bodies to wit Aire and Fire which challenge no meane distance betwixt their concaue and conuexe superficies who knowes not how many distinct and strange concamerations of Orbes and circles are placed and signed ouâ— betwixt the Moone and the first Moueable Aristotle hath reduced all the Orbes to eight whereof seuen were allotted to the seuen Planets but the eight to the fixt Starres which hee supposed to bee fastned as so many nailes in the same wheele But Ptolomie perceiuing this number to bee insufficient to satisfie his obseruations was inforced to adde a ninth to encrease the number Yet this contented not Alphonsus but hee must make vp tenne And although this opinion preuailed a long time in the Schooles of Philosophers as most exact and absolute yet came it farre short to satisfie the search of two latter Astronomers Clauius and Maginus who to adde something to Antiquity haue found out another orbe and so the whole tale is become eleuen and much it is to bee feared that the big-swolne belly of this learned Ignorance will beget more children to help the Mother because all the former haue proued lame and impotent God send her a safe deliuery To returne to my purpose all these orbs thus ranged and concamerated in order cannot but haue each of them a great and extraordinary thicknesse and profundity being to carry in them such huge and vast bodyes as the Sunne and Starres which are of themselues mighty Globes for the most part greater then the Earth as Philosophers haue found out by diuers Mathematicall instruments and expressed in Tables Also because amongst the Planetary Orbes wee shall finde them clouen into many partiall and lesser Orbes as Epicycles and Excentrickes the first of which must in reason surpasse the thicknesse of the Diameter of the Planet The profundity of all these Orbes is measured by their Diameters which wee shall find to surmount each other in extraordinary proportion For the Diameter of the Earth is 1718 German miles The greatest distance or elongation of the Moone being new 65 semi-diameters of the Earth the least is 55 semi-diameters The greater elongation of the Moone in the middle space is 68 the least 52 semi-diameters of the Earth Notwithstanding it is very probable that the Orbe of the Moone is yet of more thicknesse and profundity To passe ouer Venus and Mercurie and come to the Sunne wee shall find his distances from the Earth in his greatest Excentricity to bee 1142 semi-diameters of the Earth Mars Iupiter and Saturne are yet farther off from the Earth and their Orbes endowed with a greater treasure of thicknesse The distance of the Firmament wherein are placed the fixt Starres is by the best Mathematicians thought incomprehensible and not measurable by mans industrie in so much that Aristotle holds the Earth no other then as a point if it bee compared with the eighth Spheare which hee supposed to bee the highest and first Moueable To let passe the ninth Spheare the tenth which was vulgarly thought the first Moueable if it bee valued according to the proportion of the rest would haue his conuexe superficies moued so fast in one houre that it would ouercome so much space as 3000 greater circles of the Terrestriall Globe for as much as in the conuexe superficies of the starry Firmament it would containe more then 1800. And who can bee so sharpe sighted to see the profundity and thicknes of this orbe containing in it starres innumerable whereof some are apparent to each mans eyes others lying hid by reason of the distance whereof many haue lately beene discouered by reason of the Trunk-spectacle lately found out so that it may bee a probable coniecture that all these starres are not placed in the same Orbe or at least that this Orbe is farre greater and deeper then the ordinary current of Astronomers haue imagined it to bee To these eight Orbes here deciphered should wee adde the Caelum Chrystallinum the Primum Mobile the Idol of our common Astrologers and another which Clauius and Maginus haue inuented what bound should wee set to the greatneâ— of the Heauens or the swiftnesse of their motions how farre beyond all rouing imagination or Poeticall fictions should it transcend as thatwhich neither Nature could euer suffer or the wit of man vnderstand a motion a thousand-fold swifter then the flight of a bullet from a peece of ordinance I had almost said then thought it selfe For if a man cast his imagination on some marke or degree in the Sunnes parallell on theTerrestriall Globe and so instantly transferre it to another and so to a third passing ouer at each time the distance of 100 miles hee would find the Sunne to bee farre swifter in his motion and to haue ouer-passed him incomparably in his course were the Sunne placed in the superficies of the Earth and his course no greater then one of the greater circles of the Terrene Globe hee should by their owne computation finish his course in 24 houres and so runne 21600 miles in that time which maketh 900 miles in one houre And if this motion seeme so swift that it could hardly haue credit among ordinary capacities what should wee thinke of this motion which is imagined infinitely swifter If Ptolomie feared lest the Globe of the Earth should be dissolued and shattered in pieces by a far slower motion of what should wee imagine the heauens to be made which can suffer so portentous and incogitable a whirling Here the common Philosopher stands astonished and rather then hee will be thought to know nothing hee will say any thing why saith he should wee not beleeue it sith the Heauens in their motion find no Resistance whereas all other bodies are slacked by the medium or Aire by which they are to moue If in the Heauens were any such let or hinderance it would bee either in the Agent or Mouer or in the Patient or body moued Not in the mouer because as Aristotle
other a lesse and yet in the same period of time as wee may see in this Figure following Let the Sunne bee in the point of the Eclipticke A it is manifest that he will sensibly moue for that day in the parallell AP. Then let him bee moued by his periodicke motion into the point of the Eclipticke B it will for that moment moue in the parallell IBO. Last of all let it bee in the point of the Aequator C. his parallell will bee HCL. It is manifest out of our former grounds that he will be moued slowest in AP. Faster in IO. Fastest of all in HCL. Which swiftnesse and slownesse in the Suns motion makes it irregular Some haue thought to salue this by saying that this motion is Regular because in equall time the Sunne goes proportionall not equall spaces which Aguillonius holds in his Optiâ—ks But this shift is friuolous because it takes not away the obiection why the Sunne should moue faster and slower For the Heauens being a naturall not a voluntary agent and according to these grounds finding no hinderance or impediment must alwayes worke to his vtmost power and so cannot slacke or increase his action or motion that it should moue faster or slower Hitherto haue wee shewed that this Diurnall motion cannot without some absurdity bee granted to the heauens in the next place we are to shew that it no way can crosse the Naturall disposition of the Earth it selfe which wee shall demonstrate in this manner If this circular motion should crosse the disposition of the Earthly Globe it would happen either immediatly in respect of the meere Nature which the Logicians call à priore or els in regard of certaine properties which follow necessarily the Nature of it which they terme à posteriori If they say it happens à priori in regard of the meere Nature they must necessarily haue recourse to the proprieties and accidents for a demonstration For the Internall formes of all things being in themselues insensible cannot be discouered vnto vs but by their externall proprieties But if probable coniecture may here find any place I see no reason why the earth being found to bee of a magneticall temper should not challenge the same which other magneticall Globes farre greater then the Earth possesse to wit a circular reuolution about her owne Poles which Kepler and Galileus haue obserued aswell in the Sunne as Iupiter and in like matters to iudge alike seemes more warrantable then to faigne a dispaâ—ity which Nature neuer grounded or obseruation found But this as a matter of small note I easily passe ouer following the foot-steps of our Aduersaries which seeke to demonstrate the Earth's stability out of the externall effects and proprieties If then this Reuolution contradict any proprietie it must bee of necessity either in regard of the Quantity and Magnitude or els in respect of the figure and quality or of some Motion or of the siâ—e and position for I find no other propriety of any moment which can enter into this consideration First that the Quantiâ—y can no way thwart this circular Reuolution is manifest because it would happen either in that it were too Great or too Little It cannot be by reason of the greatnes because the great globes of the Sunne and Iupiter manifold greater then the Globe of the Earth are by late experiments of the Trunk-spectacle found to moue about their owne Axell in a small portion of time the like haue others deliâ—ered of the Moâ—nâ— and Venus It is not then the Masse or quantity which can hinder it in the Earth neither on the other side can it bee the smalnesse for bodies smaller are found as apt or rather apter to receiue a circular motion which they will not deny mee and therefore cannot this be preiudiciall to the motion of the Earth In the next place the figure of the Earthly Globe cannot hinder this motion because by all sound Philosophers being acknowledged to bee Sphericall it cannot but bee deemed most apt to receiue Reuolution in so much as some haue hence laboured to draw an argument for the Earths circular motion as deeming this Figure to bee giuen to the Earth for no other end or vse Thirdly no Quality in the Earth can resist this circular motion for this quality by the consent of all would bee the naturall heauines or waight of the Earth But this heauines takes not away the naturall Reuolution 1 Because Grauity or heauinesse is nothing els but the inclination of the parts of the Earth returning to their naturall place hauing beene sequestred from it but these parts hauing once regained their proper places moue no farther nor are in those places esteemed heauy or waighty whence it is commonly said amongst the Peripatetickes Nihil grauitat in suo loco nothing is heauy in his owne place which may easily bee demonstrated out of Staticke principles whereby we finde heauinesse and lightnesse to bee giuen to the bodies according to the medium and their massinesse and solidity in respect of one to the other 2 If this heauinesse bee opposed to the circular motion then either immediatly by it selfe or secondarily by some concomitant accident It cannot bee the first because grauity is a quality but motion an action which for ought my Philosophy hath taught mee are not opposite If by reason of some accident then no question because it is contrary to lightnesse or leuity which seemes requisite to such a motion We willingly yeeld this naturall grauity of the parts of the Earth to stand opposite to the motion of Ascent or mouing vpward from the Center but neuerthelesse it is not any way contrary to the circular motion 1 Because contraries are alwayes supposed to be in eodem genere in the same kind but the motion of heauy bodies to the Center and of the Earth about the Center are not in the same kinde the one being a right motion the other circular neither can the waight of the Terrestriall masse adde or diminish any thing in regard of the circular motion because a Sphericall and a right motion cannot either directly concurre or directly oppose one the other 2 Wee may vrge out of the 4 Chap. of Aristotles 1 booke De Calo That no ciâ—cular motion can admit of contrariety which hee confirmes by a demonstration which wee forbeare here to insert being loath to roue too farre from our present matter At length wee will proue that this orbicular motion giuen vnto the Earth cannot ouerthrow or thwart any other motion of the Earth for if this were so it would happen for one of these two respects Either because the Earth hath some motion or other contrary to this or els because diuers motions cannot bee in the Earth The first cannot be true for that wee haue spoken before because the right motion they finde in the Earth cannot bee iudged contrary to the Sphericall neither can the later bee admitted as an vndoubted truth for howsoeuer Aristotle sets it
holy Scripture This opinion of the Earth's circular motion hath suffered much wrong by a certaine perswasion of some men that it contradicts the Text of Holy Scripture Some precise men morâ— ready to vrge then vnderstand what they alleage will condemne without examination and sticke to the plaine lâ—tter notwithstanding all absurdities denying the conclusion in despight of the premisses To these haue associated themselues another sort more to bee regarded as more learned the Critickes I meane of our Age who like Popes or Dictatours haue taken vpon them an Vniuersall authority to censure all which they neuer vnderstood Had these men contained theÌ„selues in their own bounds they might questionlesse haue done good seruice to the Commonwealth of Learning But when the seruant presumes to controle the Mistrisse the house seemes much out of order To seeke for a determination of a Cosmographicall doubt in the Grammaticall resolution of two or three Hebrew wordes which some haue gone about were to neglect the kernell and make a banquet on the shells But howsoeuer we hope to make it appeare that the Scripture vnderstood as it ought to bee is so farre from fauouring their opinion that the words themselues can hardly admit of such a sense as they would fasten on them But ere wee descend to the examination of particular places of holy Scriptures alleaged in their behalfe wee will shew this opinion to bee much different from that of Copernicus as somewhat more moderate and able to suffer an easier reconcilement with the holy Text. For the places alleaged of sacred Scripture which seeme to oppose our Assertion either seeme to proue the circular motion of the Heauens or the rest and stability of the Earth But this opinion holding a Mediocrity betwixt both neither takes away the motion from the Heauens neither oppugnes such a Rest or quietnesse in the Earth as the Scriptures vnderstand For first albeit wee take away from the Heauens the diurnall motion and giue it to the Earth yet we grant to the heauenly Orbes their seuerall motions allowing no part of it to bee absolutely voide of motion Secondly wee must vnderstand this in a fourefold sense as opposed to foure kindes of Motions First to the progressiue Motion of the Center of the Terrestriall globe from place to place Secondly to the separation or dissolution of the parts one from the other by which the Globe may loose his integrity Thirdly to the Translocation of the Poles whereby the Poles inclining to one side or another may bee imagined to change their position Fourthly to the Diurnall Motion In the first sense wee giue a Rest and stability to the Earth because the Earth howsoeuer moueable wee place in the Center of the world as wee shall proue in the next Chapter In the second sense we also grant it because all the parts of the Earth being of a heauy nature fall naturally downewards and vnite themselues vnto the whole to decline such a dissolution In the third acception wee likewise allow such a stability because the Poles of the Earth as wee haue shewed by their magneticall inclination alwayes respect the same points in the heauens and can from thence by no meanes remooue themselues Only in the fourth and last sense wee exclude a Rest allowing onely a diurnall Reuolution from West to East in twenty foure houres The first argument alleaged against vs is taken out of the 1 Chapter of Ecclesiastes Vna generatio saith Salomon abit altera aduenit quamuis Terna in saeculum permaneat Wherein by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some interpret Stat they would inferre a perpetuall stability of the Earth A childish consequence which a graue Diuine might well bee ashamed to vrge euery man of common vnderstanding may plainely perceiue that Salomons scope in this Chapter was to shew the vanity vncertainty of all things vnder the Sunne which as a speciall argument amongst others hee amplifies from the successâ—ie mutation and changes of men liuing on the Earth in that one generation goeth away and another commeth but the Earth keeps her integrity and remaines in the same state This Constancy then or remaining of the earth we can in no wise oppose to any circular motion but to the changes and vncertainty of men in their generations in which sense our most learned Linguists vnderstand it Would not this seeme to any man a ridiculous argumentation if any man should thus dispuâ—e One Miller comes and another goes but the Mill remaines still Ergo the Mill hath in it no motion Or in a Riuer one generation of Fishes is produced and another is decayed but the Riuer remaines the same Ergo the Riuer remaines still vnmoued Let any man goe no farther then the plaine wordes whereon these Grammarians stand hee will easily find out another interpretation For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as much as to persist subsist or to endure being opposite to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies as much as to stagger or start aside from his place or position so that nothing from hence can bee inferred to contradict the Sphericall Reuolution of the Earth in her proper place vpon her owne Poles which we only maintaine A second reason they draw from the Psalme 104 out of these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein as one would perswade no lesse then three arguments are couched in three bare termes But these arguments will I feare proue as little as the former For first the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying as much naturally as to found or seat in a place or frame is not altogether without a Metaphor giuen to the Earth because Almighty God hath so placed it vpon her owne center Poles and Axell that shee cannot bee moued out of it Likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implyes no other then a seat or place being deriued from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies no more then to perfect establish or make ready The third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which can signifie no other then to incline to nod slide fall or turne aside out of his place All which can suffer no other paraphrase or Interpretation then this That Almighty God hath set the Globe of the Earth so strongly fixed in her proper frame that no power can bee so strong to dissolue this Fabricke or turne her out of her appointed place which exposition of this place of Scripture Copernicus himselfe would easily grant as no way opposite to the triple motion hee labours to establish Here are these three arguments drawne from three words suddenly shrunke into nothing Another reason which I take to bee stronger then the former some haue taken out of the 19 Psalme where speaking of the Sunne hee vses these words In them hath hee set a Tabernacle for the Sunne 5 Which is as a bridegroome comming out of his chamber and reioyceth
as a giant to runne his course 6 His going forth is from the end of the Heauens and his circuite vnto the ends of it and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof Out of which words the Heauens should seeme to challenge the motion which wee haue giuen vnto the Earth To this we answer two wayes First that although this may oppugne Copernicus his opinion that the Sunne standeth still in the middest as the center of the World yet may it well stand with our Assertion who allow the Sunne his seuerall motion in the Eclipticke whether those words of the Psalme bee to bee vnderstood of the Sunnes Diurnall or Periodicke Motion is not so soone decided the Scripture not specifying expressely either 2 we may answer with the Copernicâns That the Holy Ghost in these or the like places speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being willing to descend to the weakest of mens capacity and not to trouble mens conceits with such matters as to vulgar iudgements might seeme vnlikely or improbable The like Analogie of speech may wee finde in the first of Genesis where the Moone is called one of the greater lights in regard of her appearance being notwithstanding one of the least These may suffice to shew the opinion of the earths circular motion to bee probable I promised no more I hope I haue performed no lesse I neuer held it an article of my faith to defend the one or oppugne the other and therefore leaue euery man to his owne free iudgement to embrace or reiect what he please CHAP. V. Of the Site Stability and Proportion of the Earth 1 OF Terrestriall affections which agree in respect of the Earth it selfe wee haue hitherto spoken We are now to treate of such as agree to it in respect of the Heauens These are chiefly three 1 The Site 2 The Stability 3 The Proportion 2 The Site is the locall position of the Earth in respect of the Celestiall Bodyes It might seeme a hard and almost impossible taske for any man to reconcile that which hath beene spoken in the former Chapter concerning the Earths circular Reuolution with the grounds of common Geographers which hold the Terrestriall Globe to bee setled and fixed in the Center of the world The reason is because such as hold the circular motion of the Earth whereof the chiefe is Copernicus would haue the Sun to stand still as the fixt Center of the Vniuerse and the Earth to moue round about him betwixt Mars and Venus which seemes cleane opposite to the former opinion I must confesse that Copernicus his opinion entirely taken and vnderstood standeth altogether opposite to these our grounds yet may that motion of the Earth which we haue established in the former Chapter for ought I yet know bee well reconciled with their opinion which hold the Earth to bee the Center of the world For the circular Reuolution wee gaue to the Terrestriall Globe was not a motion of the Center of it from one place to another as that of the Starres which moue round about the Earth but rather a turning of it selfe in its owne place vpon her owne Poles and Axell-tree in such sort as the wheele of a mill or such a like engin fixt in one place is turned vpon his owne Axell So that the motion wee there vnderstood was only the Diurnall motion of 24 houres making the Day and Night The other two motions mentioned by Copernicus may be found out in the Heauens and left to Astronomers The reasons why I entirely embrace not Copernicus his opinion are chiefely two First because it seemes too harsh and dissonant in nature to make one and the selfe-same body subiect to so many motions especially such as by common Philosophers is denied all motion Secondly because the other motions granted to the Earth must needs suppose it to bee placed out of the Center of the world the contrary of which we shall in this Chapter God willing sufficiently demonstrate The motion therefore most called in question and most likely to bee found in the Earth rather then in the Heauen is the Diurnall Reuolution performed in 24 houres from the West to East which as we haue proued being giuen to the Heauens would be farre swifter then nature can well suffer wherefore with more probability may this motion bee taken from the heauens and giuen vnto the Earth The other without any absurdity at all may be granted in the Heauens Sith no repugnancy is found in nature but that euery heauenly body may be furnished with some motion and therefore Copernicus might haue granted the Sun and fixed Starres their seuerall motions as well as the rest which would haue seemed farre more probable then to haue endowed the Earth with a Triplicity of motion These things being thus opened I will set downe their Theoremes 1 The Terrestriall Globe is the Center of the whole world To vnderstand aright this proposition wee must consider that a Center may be taken two manner of wayes either Geometrically or Optically In Geometry it is taken for an imaginary point conceiued in a magnitude deuoyde of all quantity yet bounding and termining all Magnitudes Optically it is vsually taken for a small and insensible Magnitude because to the fight it may seeme no other then a Point In which last sense we may call the Earth the Center For although the Earthly Spheare is endowed with a great and massie substance yet as we shall hereafter demonstrate in respect of the Firmament this greatnesse would vanish into nothing For if a man standing in the Firmament should behold it it would seeme no other then as a small point This being declared wee will produce these reasons to proue the Earth to be the Center of the Vniuerse The Center I say not of all heauenly motions for some Starres are moued vpon their own Center but of the whole heauenly machine being collectiuely taken as one Body The first argument is of Aristotle taken from the grauity or naturall inclination of all heauy bodies to the Center The Earth saith he being a heauy massie body must needs seeke the lowest place which is farthest off from the Heauens But this can be no other then the Center or middest point of the whole world Which argument by others is more subtily vrged in this manner Suppose the whole masse of the Earth were cut and diuided into many parts equall the one to the other of the same waight and figure which parts so diuided were placed in diuers places vnder the concaue Superficies of the Moone that they might be freely left to themselues to moue according to their naturall inclinations It is most certaine that all their parts being of the same nature waight quantity and figure would descend with the same motion in the same equall time to the same place which could in no wise happen except they should concurre in the Center of the world But this reason for ought I vnderstand is only probable and
not backt with any necessary demonstration For it proues not thing else but the Earth to bee the Center of all earthie and heauy bodies and not to bee absolutely placed in the exact middle of the world Another reason not much vnlike the former is drawne by some from a finall cause and the naturall harmony of the parts of the world one with the other The Earth say they is of all other bodyes the most vile and sordid Therefore it is agreeable to nature that it should be placed in the middle equally distant from each part of the Heauens that one part might not seeme to complaine of this vnpleasing vicinity more then another But this reason takes as granted to matters as yet not decided First that the Earth amongst all other bodyes is most vile and sordid depending on the ground of Peripateticks that the heauenly bodies suffer no corruption a thing sooner spoken then proued Secondly that pure and impure bodies the most excellent and most vile in nature are alwayes most distant as in nature so in place which is a peremptory assertion without ground A third reason more probable then the former is drawne from the apparences of Starres aboue the Horizon It is manifest that the Starres aboue the Horizon appeare alwayes to bee of one and the selfe-same magnitude and quantity whether in the verticall point or in the East or the West or any other place whence we may collect that they differ equally in distance from the Earth and by consequence the Earth is seated in the middle of the world for if it were otherwise that the Starres in some place should bee neerer in other farther ofâ— they would some-where seeme greater otherwhere lesser according to the grounds of the Opticks This reason howsoeuer popular seemes to admit a two-fold exception First because it implies that a man standing on the superficies of the Earth is equally distant from all places and parts of the Heauens whereas the heauens in the Horizon are farther distant by reason of a whole semidiameter of the earth interposed Secondly all Starres arising in the East or setting in the West ordinarily seeme greater then in the Verticall point by reason of vapours ascending and interposed Whence wee cannot well gather the Earth to bee seated in the middest from the like apparence of the Starres when experience teacheth the coÌ„trary that they seeme not alwayes of the like magnitude Concerning the first we answer that the Semidiameter of the earth interposed betwixt the Superficies and Center is in it selfe greater But this as wee shall proue in respect of the Heauens is so little that the sense cannot gather any difference in obseruation of the Starres but that they should alwayes appeare of the like magnitude Concerning the second wee must needs acknowledge that vapours ascending about the Horizon by an Opticall Refraction make the Starres seeme greater then other wise they would doe But the reason may bee vnderstood in this sort that whether a â—an be placed in the same Horizon where the Sunne is when hee riseth or vnder that Horizon where the Sunne is now vnder his Meridian or vnder that horizon where hee is setting hee will appeare to bee of one and the selfe-same greatnesse without any sensible difference Whereas therefore they speake of the appearance of Starres they would haue them taken as abstracted from all impediments of sight or interposed vapours and so the reason may obtaine her force The fourth reason why the earth should bee seated in the midst alleaged by Ptolomie and others is this wheresoeuer any man stands on the Surface of the Earth six signes of the Zodiacke will shew themselues and the other six signes will lye hid and by consequence halfe the heauens will appeare the other halfe will bee vnder which is an euident reason that the Earth is in the midst for otherwise it could not so happen The former is confirmed by Ptolomie Alphraganus and the best Astronomers the consequence may bee inferred out of naturall reason This argument will sufficiently hold vpon this supposition mentioned before and to bee proued hereafter That the Earth hauing no sensible magnitude in respect of the Firmament no sensible difference can shew it selfe betwixt the Sensible and the Rationall Horizon Besides these reasons which make the matter more then probable others are produced by Ptolomie demonstratiue â—ot admitting any euident or probable exception or euasion The first is this If the Earth bee placed out of the Center of the world it must haue of necessity one of these three Sites or positions Either it must be in the plaine of the Equinoctiall or at least it must bee placed not onely without the plaine of the Equinoctiall but without the Axell-tree That is to expresse it plainer It must either bee placed beside the Axell-tree yet equally distant from both the Poles or else it must bee on the Axell-tree and so consequently neerer to one Pole then the other or thirdly it must needs be beside the Axell-tree yet neerer to one Pole then another If the first position were admitted these absurdities would of necessity follow First that in a right Spheare there would happen no Equinoctiall but onely in that Horizon which passeth by the Center of the world for example sake â—et there be imagined a Spheare BDCE whose Center is A let the Equator bee DE the Axel-tree of the world BC and let the Earth bee in F the right Horizon HG not passing by the Center of the world A which shall bee parallell to the Axis BC since the Equator cuts the Horizon in right angles It is most manifest that not only the equatour but other parallells of the same will bee vnequally diuided of the Horizon for as much as it passeth not by the Center or the Poles of the world wherefore it must needs follow that the dayes must continually be vnequall to the nights which contradicts all experience because in a right Spheare the dayes are alwayes found to bee equall to the nights Secondly out of this position it would follow that no man in a right Spheare should behold the halfe or hemispheare of the heauens but either a greater or lesser part as may be demonstrated out of the same Diagramme whereas sense can testifie that six signes of the Zodiacke are alwayes conspicuous aboue our Horizon and the other six alwayes hid only excepting that Horâ—zon which passeth by the Center of the Earth wherein the Mediety of Heauen is conspicuous Thirdly the same Starres in a cleere aire should not alwaies seeme of the same magnitude for if the earth be placed in the Equinoctiall plaine and beside the Axis of the world toward the Zenith or Meridian the Starres which are in the Meridian will appeare greater then in the East or West because they are neerer But if it bee placed neere the Nadir or midnight point they will appeare greater in the East or West then in the Meridian if it should bee placed towards
the East or West the Starres would either seeme greater in the East then in the West or contrarywise greater in the West then the East all which plainely contradicts experience Moreouer it would hence follow out of this last that the fore-noone would not be equall to the after-noone for as much as the Meridian circle passeth by our verticall point which in this case cannot bee in the middle of the hemispheare but will decline more either to the East or the West Fourthly it must needs follow that in an oblique Spheare either there will bee no Equinoctiall at all or at least if there were any it would not be in the midst betwixt the two Solstices of Summer and Winter which is against all common experience To explaine which assertion let there be a Spheare ABCD whose Center shall bee E wherein wee will conceiue the equatour to be BD the two Tropicks IL and XH the Axell-tree of the world AC Now if the Earth should be placed in the plaine of the equatour out of the Axis of the world as in F let there first be an oblique Horizon ZFY cutting all the parallells into vnequall parts and the Axis in those parallells which are without it is manifest that in the said Horizon there will bee no Equinoctiall because the Horizon equally diuides in two halfes only that parallell which is described by P which neuerthelesse the Sunne neuer comes vnto as neuer going beyond the Tropicke XH Let there bee another oblique Horizon OFM cutting the Axell AC within the said parallels in N It is manifest by reason that there will happen an equinoctiall in the said Horizon when the Sun shall describe the parallell by N because this parallell is by the Horizon diuided into two equall partes But this can in no wise happen in a middle space and time betwixt the two Solstices for as much as the Equator only is equally distant and remoued from either Solstice It is also manifest that the Sunne residing in BD the equator there can bee no equinoctiall but either after or before which is absurd and opposite to obseruation Fiftly it will bee inferred out of these grounds that no Horizon shall diuide the Heauens into two equall parts besides that which concurres with the equinoctiall circle as BD and such as are drawne by BD. Wherefore all people should not behold the one halfe of the heauens Sixtly out of this opinion would necessarily bee concluded that the excesse of the greatest and longest day aboue the equinoctiall day should not bee equalized by the defect of the shortest day by how much it is exceeded by the equinoctiall day which is against all common experience the consequence shall appeare by demonstration Suppose A to be the Articke Pole then will PG bee the excesse of the longest day XP aboue XG the Equinoctiall day But KQ is the defect wherein the shortest day IQ is exceeded of the Equinoctiall day IK All these absurdities are auoided if wee put the Earth in the Center E. for so in euery oblique Horizon as in SR will bee an Equinoctiall the Sunne risiding in the Aequator 2 The Heauens will bee diuided into two equall halfes and PG the excesse of the longest day will bee equall to KV the defect of the shortest day whence wee may conclude the first part of this argument that the Earth is not besides the Axis in the plaine of the Equinoctiall Concerning the second position if wee should place the earth in the Axis of the world out of the plaine of the Equinoctiall as many or more absurdities would of necessitie follow for example sake let it be imagined in P First then no Horizon beside a right would cut the Heauen into two equall parts or halfes and consequently the Zodiack But this is proued false by experience as we haue shewed because six signes of the Zodiacke are alwayes aboue and conspicuous and the other six vnder Secondly onely vnder a right Horizon would there bee an Equinoctiall because only such an Horizon equally diuides the Equatour into two halfes as may bee seene in the former figure in which the Equatour is conceaued to bee BD the right Horizon AC the oblique YZ cutting the Equator in F into two vnequall parts Now if it should happen that in any oblique Horizon there should bee an equinoxe it could no wise bee in the middle time betwixt the two Solstices but would be much neerer to the one then to the other as if the Earth wâ—re placed in N betwixt the Tropicke XH and the Equatour BD there would bee an equinoxe when the Sunne passeth in the parallell by N. which parallell is farre neerer to the Summer Solstice then the Winter Solstice But if the Earth were in G there would happen an equinoxe iust in the day of the Summer Solstice all which are most absurd and most repugnant to common sense Thirdly this granted the whole order and proportion of increase and decrease of dayes and nights would bee confused and troubled It is agreed on by consent of all Cosmographers that euery where without the right Horizon there is such an order and proportion of the increase decrease of the dayes and nights that twice in a yeere the dayes are equall to the nights to wit in the meane or middle betwixt the longest and the shortest day that the longest day is equall to the longest night and the shortest day to the shortest night That the excesse of the longest day aboue the Equinoctiall day is so much as is the defect of the shortest day in regard of the said Equinoctiall day All which and many more such Apparences would bee interrupted were the Earth placed any where else then in the Center E as will appeare by the Scheme For the Earth being placed in E euery oblique Horizon as SR will diuide the Equatour BD into two equall hemicircles so that so much shall appeare aboue as lies couched vnder and so that day will bee equall to the night In like sort the Tropicks HX and IL will bee diuided into two vnequall parts yet so as the Alternate segments shall bee equall to wit PX and VL also TH and VI as it is demonstrated by Theodosius lib. 2. prop. 16. Whence it comes to passe that the longest day XP is equall to the longest night LV and the shortest day IV is equall to the shortest night HP Finally PG the excesse of the longest day XP aboue the Equinoctiall day XG is equall to KV the defect of the shortest day vnder the Equinoctiall day IK which is shewed out of the similitude and equality of the Triangles TEG and VEK. Now of the contrary parts if the Earth should be placed in the Axis without the Center E as in P beyond all the parallells no equinoxe can bee in an oblique Spheare as wee haue shewed but alwayes the dayes will bee longer or shorter then the nights But if the earth bee placed in the point G by which passeth
the last of the parallells there will be one only equinoxe that in the Solstice in an oblique spheare in all other parts of the yeere the dayes would either be longer or else shorter then the nights But if the Globe of the Earth bee seated within the parallells in the point N there would be two Equinoxes in a yeere wherein the spaces of dayes and nights should increase and decrease Neuerthelesse these increments decrements should neither in number nor in greatnesse be equal to the increments and decrements of the nights as may be gathered very easily by sense comparing the two Triangles DNG and QNK because that more and greater segments of parallels are comprehended in the Triangle LNK then in the Triangle PNG. Fourthly if the Earth should vnequally respect the Poles and were not placed in the Center the shadowes of Gnomons erected which make right angles with the Horizon should not bee cast directly forward in one right line in the time of the Equinoxes the Sunne exactly placed in the East or West as for example let the earth be A seated in the plaine of the Equinoctiall circle BC and let there bee a Gnomon erected on the plaine of the Horizon which is represented by the circle BC It is manifest to sense that the sun setting in C the shaddowes will be cast in the opposite part towards B. Likewise the Sunne rising in B will cast his shadow towards C. But AC and AB concurre in one right line which plainely demonstrats vnto vs that the earth is seated in the plaine of the Equinoctiall But if it were placed out of it towards either side as in E if a Gnomon be set vp on the Horizon as EF wee shall see that the Sunne rising in B in the time of the Equinoctiall the shaddow will bee directed by the line EG likewise the Sun setting in C the shaddow will make the right line EH But these two right lines being produced will cut one the other in the point E and therefore cannot concurre in the same right line whereof ordinary experience witnesseth the contrary Fifthly if the Earth were thus placed it would follow by necessary consequence that two signes of the Zodiacke diametrally opposite should not be seene by a Dioptricke instrument which is against experience which witnesseth that the rising and setting of the Sunne may be seene by one right line also the rising in the Summer Solstice and the setting in the Winter Solstice to answer to each other in one right line in euery Horizon which could not bee performed vnlesse the Earth were in the Equinoctiall plaine and the Center Let there bee aâ— Horizon BDCE the Equator BC the Axel-tree of the world DE the Tropicke of Cancer FG of Capricorne HI Let the Earth first bee placed in the Center A here may plainely bee perceaued that the Equinoctiall East B and the Equinoctiall West C answer and concurre in the right line BC also that the East point of the Summer Solstice F and the West of the Winter Solstice I to concurre in the same right line FI also the Winter East point H and the Summer Westerne point G to answer mutually one to the other by the same line GH Which Apparence is confirmed of all Astronomers Now let the Earth be set in the Axis out of the Equatour in K It is manifest to sense that the contrary will alwayes happen For the Winter point of the Sunne setting I by a right line drawn from the Earth will not directly answer to the Summer point of rising F but to the point L. Likewise the Winter point of Sunne-setting G will answer to the point M and not to the Winter rising H. Whence wee haue sufficiently demonstrated this second position of the Earth beside the Center of the World to be inconuenient and no wayes to bee defended For the third position that the earth should be so remoued out of the Center as that it should neither be in the Equinoctiall plaine nor yet in the Axell-tree Wee need produce no other confutation then what wee haue said before of the other two positions Because out of this the same or greater absurdities would follow then of the other as any man may easily vnderstand out of these demonstrations wee haue before recited The second demonstratiue reason wherewith Ptolomy would confirme the Earth to be in the Center is drawne from the Ecclipse of the Moone in this manner If the Earth were not in the Center of the World there would not alwayes happen Eclipses of the Moone when the two greater lights are diametrally opposed but sometime they would happen when these great lights are not residing in opposite places of the Zodiack which is false and against experience for all Astronomers haue witnessed that eclipses of the Moone then only are seene when the Sunne the Moone stand directly opposite the one to the other because then is the earth directly interposed Now let the Center of the world be A in which if the Earth bee placed it is manifest that it then happens when the Sunne and the Moone are exactly opposed and the earth interposed directly which in this case cannot otherwise happen But if the Earth bee placed beside the Center of the world as in B. These things may fall out that the two Luminaries may reside in two opposite points of the Zodiack and yet cause no eclipse because the Earth is not in the same Diameter by the which they â—â—e opposed Also the Moone will sometimes suffer an Eclipse when shee is lesse distant from the Sunne then a semicircle In a word this eclypse is in places opposite A semicircle will then only be seene when the Diameter of opposition shall passe by the Center of the Earth and the world all which are manifestly repugnant to experience and obseruation Out of this demonstration of Ptolomy Clauius a later Astronomer in this sort drawes the like conclusion Let there be obserued two diuers eclipses of the Moon in diuerse places of the Zodiack Now because each Eclipse hapened when the Sun and the Moone were opposed the one to the other in one Diameter as Experience Astronomicall supputations warrant it must necessarily bee concluded that the earth should bee in each of those Diameters and so by consequence in the common section of them both Sith then all the Diameters of the world concurre and cut one the other in the Center it must needs follow that the Earth should bee in the Center and midst of the World Diuerse reasons there may bee drawne to proue this assertion But these demonstrations of Ptolomy as I haue set them downe enlarged and explained by our later writers may seeme sufficient especially in a matter of few called in question 2 The Position of the Earth in the Center of the World may be reconciled as well with the Diurnall motion of the Earth forementioned as the Apparences of the Heauens That this proposition may the better bee
vnderstood wee are first to set downe in a Scheme or Diagram both the number and order of all the heauenly Orbs conceiued according to our grounds Secondly we must shew in particular how this ranging of the heauenly bodies is capable of all the motions and apt to satisfy the apparences In which parts I wil not too nicely descend to Astronomicall curiosities being too many and subtile for a Geographer to discusse Only I will giue a tast to satisfie such as suppose no middle way can bee troden out betwixt Ptolomies stability of the Earth and Copernicus his three Motions I might seeme perhaps presumptuous beyond my knowledge to reiect and passe by the draughts and delineations of Ptolomy Alphonsus and their followers which are commonly defended and in vse or that other of Copernicus supported with the authority and credit of so great an Astronomer or that of Tichobrahe more corrected then either and to preferre my own being an Embrion or halfe fashioned To this I answer First that I only expose this Scheme following to the view of the iudicious iustifying it no farther then will stand with Astronomicall obseruation Secondly I herein arrogate little or nothing to my selfe for as much as I haue digested and compounded it out of the obseruations and experiments of late Astronomers and only collected together what they scattered The Scheme it selfe is expressed in this manner wherein to beginne from the lowest The Center is the Globe of the Earth to which wee haue giuen a Diurnall motion from the West to the East vpon her owne Poles whose Reuolution is made in 24 houres About the Earth as the Center of the whole world the Moone is carried in her circle which amongst all the Planets is found more neerely to respect the Earth as well in place as nature Next succeeds the Sunne as the leader of all the Planets which carried round about the earth in an Annuall circuit describes the Ecliptick circle about the Sun as the proper Center are all the Planets moued except the Moon The two immediate coÌ„panions of the Sun are Venus Mercurie which so coÌ„passe him about that the Earth neuer comes betwixt them and the Sunne The other three Planets as Mars Iupiter and Saturne howsoeuer they enuiron the Sunne as their proper Center yet so as within their circles they comprehend the body of the Earth The Planet Mars because hee is found by Astronomers to moue sometimes aboue sometimes vnder the Sunne is vnderstood to moue in such a circle which on the opposite side shall cut the circle of the Sunne yet so as Mars and the Sunne can neuer meet in one point Forasmuch as Mars as well as the other Planets is supposed to be carryed in an Epicycle about the Sunne and to keepe an equall distance from him howsoeuer moued Neither is he euer found vnder the Sunne but about the time of the opposition as Astronomers obserue whence a cause hath beene giuen why Mars should appeare greatest at the time of Opposition These fiue Planets to wit Saturne Iupiter Mars Venus and Mercury may bee considered according to a double motion The one is proper and naturall wherein they are moued about the Sunne as their proper Center The other Accidentall and as it were by a consequence of Nature whereby in their circuit mouing about the Sunne as their Center they must of necessity by a consequent site of the place be carryed about the Earth For the Sunne placed in his Eclipticke line so compasseth round the Earth that with him hee is supposed to carry the Epicyâ—les wherein these Planets are moued round a-about him Whence wee finde the motion of these Planets about the Sunne as their owne Center to bee regular but about the Earth irregular which proceeds from their Excentricity in respect of the Earth Aboue all the Planets wee place the Firmament or Starry Heauen hauing a very slow motion not to bee finished in many thousand yeeres and this motion is on other Poles then the Poles of the world to bee sought out in or neere the Poles of the Eclipticke This Heauen would Aristotle haue to bee the first moueable and therefore gaue it a very swift motion which is the same which wee call Diurnall and haue giuen to the Earth But it seemes more consonant to nature that the slower motions should agree to the higher bodies and the swifter to the lower that there might be a proportion betwixt the time and the space of motion It remaines that wee probably shew that out of their suppositions the Celestiall Apparences may bee as well or better salued then by the ordinary grounds The Apparences which are most called in question concerne either the Motion or the Places and Positions All the rest are either of lesse moment or at least are thereunto reduced Euery motion which is found or thought to bee found in the Heauens is either the Diurnall or Periodicke The Diurnall Motion as wee haue already shewed belongs to the Earth which according to our grounds is supposed to moue from the West vnto the East in 24 houres Which may answer to the Motion of the first moueable Spheare which according to Aristotle is the Starry Firmament and thought to moue from the East to the West The Periodicke Motion is either a slower Motion to be finished not vnder many thousand yeeres or else a swifter Reuolution of the Planets This slow motion the common Astronomers would haue towfold The one from the West to the East on the Poles of the Eclipticke the other a Motion as they call it of Trepidation from the South point to the North and backward againe but one slow Motion of the sixt Starres vpon the Poles of the Eclipticke granted to the Firmament will for ought I see satisfy both The reason why they put two distinct Motions is 1 Because they haue obserued the Starres of Aries Taurus and the rest of the Zodiacke not to be seated in the same place wherein they were anciently found but to be moued certaine degrees from the West towards the East Whence they would conclude a Motion to bee from the West vnto the East 2. It will stand with no lesse experience that the foresaid Starres of the Firmament haue moued themselues from the South towards the North. To passe ouer the râ—st the Pole-star which in Hipparchus time was distant from the Pole about 12 Degrees is now obserued to approach almost three degrees These two Motions should they bee esteemed in the account of Astronomers might seeme deficient Notwithstanding wee may probably coniecture this to bee no other then one and the selfe-same Motion vpon the Poles of the Eclipticke Whence it may come to passe that the fixt Starres are not only carryed from West to East but also by reason of the obliquity of the Eclipticke line encline more and more dayly to the Pole of the World whence they may againe returne For this motion from the West to the East is of the primary intent of
not the same though at the same time neither will such a Starre to both places seeme in the same point of the Heauens which could not possibly bee except we admit a sensible difference betwixt the Rationall and Sensible Horizon and so grant the Earth in respect of such Orbs some quantity and greatnesse This diuersity of Aspect which they call the Parallax may be seene in this Figure let A be the Center of the Earth L the Moone or other Starre to bee obserued EGD the Firmament or Orbe of the fixt Starres suppose then the eye to be in the fixt point M of the sensible Horizon XMY the said Planet will appeare in the point of the Firmament S according to Opticall principles whereby all things are sayd to be seene in the place directly opposite Supposing againe the Eye to be in the point P of another sensible Horizon RPQ the Starre L will no doubt appeare in the opposite point T. Neither of which meets with the Starre in the right place For imagining the Eye to bee placed in the Center A the place of the Starre would bee V which is his true place These differences of sight could finde no place if the Earth were as a meere point and challenged no sensible Magnitude in respect of these inferiour Planets and yet experience of Astronomers hath sufficiently confirmed it But this being a point very curious and appertaining to Astronomy I leaue it to their farther industrie whose profession it vndergoes CHAP. VI. Of the Circles of the Terrestriall Spheare 1 ALL the properties which agree by Nature to the Terrestriall Globe we haue handled Here wee are in the next place to treat of such as agree by vertue of our vnderstanding Of this sort are all the Circles conceaued to be in the Terrestriall Globe 2 A Terrestriall Circle is a round line conceiued in the face of the Terrestriall Globe diuiding it into two parts A Circle is considered two manner of wayes either abstracted from this or that sensible matter in which sort it is supposed to bee taught in Geometry to which properly appertaines the knowledge of the Fabricke and Measure of all Magnitudes especially of this being amongst all the most perfect and exact Or else a circle is considered so far forth as it hath some ground in the Nature of the Earth at least by application of the Celestiall Globe and so it comes into the consideration of Geography For conclusions demonstrated and proued in Geometry are here to be admitted as principles supposed not demonstrated a new which Logicke if Clauius Blancanus and other such writers had well learned they would not haue stuffed out their worke with such Heterogeneall mixtures but haue reduced euery thing to his proper seat and science A circle as well by the Geographer as Astronomer is diuided into foure quadrants each quadrant into 90 degrees all which make vp 360. So that a degree is the 360 part of a Circle which I only mention as being of chiefest vse with vs yet supposed to bee handled and taught in a higher science 1 A circle though imaginary in it selfe hath his ground in the Nature of the Earthly Spheare As in Logicke men haue inuented certaine Intentionall Notions seruing as so many instruments to direct and regulate our vnderstanding in the apprehension of things So in Cosmographie can there not be wanting such imaginary signes and circles to confirme and ayde our phantasie And as in Logicke such Notions in themselues are meerely imaginary and intentionall yet may be tearmed reall so farre forth as they are grounded in the things themselues so may we speake of these circles conceiued in the face of the Terrene Globe which wee are not to conceiue to bee fictious and imaginary as if they had no ground at all in nature For although there bee no such circles painted on the face of the Earth as wee finde in an artificiall Spheare yet must wee of necessity conceaue such reall respects to bee in the Earth it selfe as when a Ship sayles ouer the Ocean it cannot bee said to leaue behind any visible marke or Character in the surface of the water yet in regard it made a reall passage it will leaue a line conceiuable signing out vnto vs the true passage It is a matter which hath not a little troubled Cosmographers to finde out the immediate and true subiect or ground of these circles whether they should be immediatly taken from the earth or else in the Heauens The ancient Cosmographers haue acknowledged no other ground of these Circles then the congruity and application of the celestiall Globe and his parts with the parts of the Earth but our Magneticall Philosophers more neerely searching into the nature of the Earthly Spheare haue found these Circles all except the Horizon to wit the Meridians and Parallells to bee immediatly grounded in the Earth it selfe whose opinion we cannot reiect as being supported by experimentall demonstration as wee shall shew in particular 2 The distinction of a circle into any certaine Number of parts hath no certaine ground in the Nature of the earthly Spheare but only inconueniency leauing our iudgements free to take such a Number as may best serue our purpose Some Astronomers more curious then wise haue gone about to seeke a ground of this distinction of a circle into 360 parts out of the Sunnes course in the Zodiacke a Circle say they by the opening of the Compasse being described in a plaine is diuided into six equall parts Now because the Sunne being the rule and measure of all perfect motions passeth through one sixt part in 60 dayes the whole Circle was diuided into 360 for 60 multiplied by 6 will produce that number But this reason seemes to infer nothing concerning any naturall ground that this distinction shall finde in the Earth though it may serue as an argument of Conueniency the number 360 being fittest for that calculation Another reason very like the former is drawne from the coniunction of the Sunne with the Moone which happens 12 times in a yeere and because from each coniunction to that which followeth are spent 30 dayes Hence it is that the Zodiacke is first diuided into 12 parts which multiplied by 30 will produce 360. This reason likewise proues only thus much that it is the fittest number to calculate the Motion of the Sun in his Eclipticke Not that this diuision hath any ground in Nature more then other because being a continuate quantity according to Philosophy it may suffer infinite diuisions for it was in the beginning left free to Cosmographers to choose what number they pleased to expresse the parts or sections of a Circle which they tooke as it seemeth not meerely from the motion of the Sunne but from their conueniency and commodity finding this number most commodious for the distinction of euery Circle The reason was because no number could bee found which suffered more parts and diuisions then this For as much as in 60 whereof
giuen of them both For as much as if the Pole-starre in Eudozus time moued in a Parallell Equidistant from the Pole of the Equatour which he seemes to contend then must also the stars of Aries which were found once to bee in the point of the vernall Equinoxe moue alwayes in the Equinoctiall circle and neuer vary from it which is contrary to all the Testimonies before alleadged Secondly where he saith that Copernicus perceiuing this error left a base discouery without any Demonstration except onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I would know how Ioseph Scaliger by any other meanes came to know it I alwayes supposed it a principle amongst Mathematicians that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had beene the surest ground of Mathematicall Demonstration for euery reason which can be alleadged must of necessity bee grounded on meere coniecture as forged in a mans braine without any obseruation of Nature or else suggested vnto vs from the things themselues How little dependency is on the Former let euery man iudge where it is as easie for euery man to deny as affirme and such fancies are better reserued in the braine wherein they were first hatched then bee suffered to proceed further If wee deriue our Argument as we ought to doe from the footsteppes of Nature wee must draw it either from the Forme it selfe or from some effect or propriety arising from it The former is vnpossible I may well say in any thing because the first forme and nature no wayes discouers it selfe to our vnderstanding but by the apparent Accidents much lesse can this bee hoped for in the Heauens being as far distant from vs in space as Nature If then we are left only to the later what other ground can we haue of our Argumentation then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Apparences which kind of way Scaliger in Copernicus striues to sleight or reiect as weake or deficient taking then this to bee the onely way to search as neere as wee can into the truth of their matters wee will in the third place shew how far it may oppose Scaliger and fauour our Assertion That the first Star of Aries is more distant from the Equinoctiall point is a matter which seemes to bee agreed on by all sides This Apparence must necessarily arise out of some Motion This Motion must bee sought either in the Earth as Copernicus would haue or in the Heauens That it cannot with any great probability bee in the Earth wee haue shewed in the third Chapter where wee haue proued it to haue a Magneticall verticity whereby it continually respects the same Poles The Arguments I confesse are only probable but this is an opinion which Scaliger defendeth not If wee seeke this effect in the Heauens it must of necessity which Scaliger confesseth happen one of these 2 wayes For either the stars standing vnmoueable the Equinoctiall Solstitiall points must bee moued or els the stars themselues should moue as Ptolomy defends Here I cannot but remember a merry answer of that great Atlas of Arts Sir Henry Sauile in the like question Being once inuited vnto his Table and hauing entred into some familiar discourses concerning Astronomicall suppositions I asked him what he thought of the Hypothesis of Copernicus who held the Sunne to stand fixt and the Earth to bee subiect to a Triple Motion His answer was hee cared not which were true so the Apparences were solued and the accompt exact sith each way either the old of Ptolomy or the new of Copernicus would indifferently serue an Astronomer Is it not all one saith he sitting at Dinner whether my Table be brought to mee or I goe to my Table so I eat my meat Such an answer would aswell befit this question whether the first star of Aries should bee moued from the Equinoctiall point or the point from it 't is a matter should little trouble a Cosmographer so either way might indifferently serue to salue the apparent obseruations But how Scaliger vpon this granted supposition would make all whole without disturbing the order and forme of Nature in the celestiall Machine what Regular motion he would giue the Sunne whose period describes the Equinoctiall points which he makes moueable what other Poles he would assigne to the world besides that of the Equator is a matter of a more curious search and besides the limits of my subiect The full discussion of which points as most of the rest Illis relinquo quorum imagines lambunt Hederae sequaces 17 The lesser Parallels are equidistant lines answering to the Equator which diuide the Globe of the Earth into two vnequall parts 18 These lesser Parallels are againe of two sorts either Named or Namelesse Named are such as are called by speciall names and haue more speciall vse in Geographie such as are the two Tropicks and the two Polar circles 19 The Tropicks are Parallels bounding the Suns greatest declination which is either to the North and is called the Tropicke of Cancer or towards the South and is called the Tropicke of Capricorne The Tropickes haue taken their names from the conuersion or turning backe of the Sunne because the Sunne declining from the Equinoctiall circle either North or South proceedeth in his course no further then this circle and so turneth backe so that in the heauens they are as limits and bounds comprehending within them that space without the which the Sunne neuer moues Consonant to these Celestiall Tropicks are there imagined in the earth the like immediately placed vnder them which are apparent not onely by Application of the Celestiall Globe and his parts to the Terrestriall but also out of the Magneticall disposition of the earth as wee haue already shewed The Tropicke bounding the Suns greatest declination towards the North is called the Tropicke of Cancer because the Sunne arriuing at that Tropicke is lodged in the signe of Cancer The other is termed the Tropicke of Capricorne because the Sunne touching that Tropicke is in that signe The distance of these Tropickes from the Equatour is ordinarily put 23 Degrees and 30 Minutes which is also the distance of the Poles of the Eclipticke from the Poles of the world The Tropick of Cancer as it is conceiued in the Earth passeth by the greater Asia by the Red-Sea or Sinus Arabicus and China and India But the Tropicke of Capricorne situate on the Southerne side runneth along by the most Southerne coast of Africke and that part of America which is called Brasilia Besides many Ilands in the Indian Sea 2 The Polar circles are Parallels answering to the Polar circles of the Heauens drawne by the Poles of the Eclipticke These are of two sorts either the Articke compassing round the North-Pole or the Antarticke compassing round the Antarticke or South Pole The Polar Circles as they are conceiued in the heauens by Astronomers are described by the Poles of the Eclipticke carried by the diurnall motion about the Poles of the world Correspondent to these circles in the heauens
seene in this Figure wherein the Line CD represents vnto vs the sensible Horizon the Line AB the rationall The former is called Naturall or Physicall because it comes vnder the measure and apprehension of the sense the other Astronomicall because it is of great vse in Astronomy in the resolution of the Horizon into his parts wee ought to consider two things first the Poles of the Horizon Secondly his Periphery or circumference The Poles are commonly called Zenith or Nadir The Zenith is the Verticall point directly placed ouer our Head whereunto is opposite on the other side the Nadir directly vnder our foote and therefore may bee called the Pedall point The parts or intersections in the circumferences are designed out vnto vs by certaine lines discouering the coasts in the Terrestriall Globe These lines are called either windes or Rhumbes The windes with the Grecians were onely 8. But the latter Nauigators haue increased them to the number of 32 whereof foure were called Cardinall to wit such as are directed to the foure coastes of East West North and South The other are Collaterall being placed on each side of the Cardinall windes The Rhumbes are Lines passing by the Verticall point of any place as you may see in the Compasse going before Now because one Rhumbe answers to two coasts or windes the number of the Rhumbes is but halfe the number of the windes to wit 16. Here it is to bee noted that a Rhumbe differs from a Winde whereas a Rhumber is one line pointing out vnto vs two windes or coasts These Rhumbes as they are conceiued in the Globe were thought by Nonnus to bee the portions of greater Circles But learned Mr Hues in his booke out of vndoubted principles strongly confutes him The grounds which hee takes are these First that all Meridians of all places passe the Pole and cut the Equatour and all his parallels at right Angles Secondly If our course should bee directly any way else then towards one of the poles a new Meridian must succeed and a new Horizon Thirdly that the Iron Needle being touched with the Load-stone shewes the common section of the Meridian and the Horizon and on one side perpetually respects the North on the other the South Fourthly the same Rhumbe cuts all the Meridians atall places at equall Angles and euery where respects the like coasts in the world Fiftly that a greater circle drawne by the Verticall points if remoued from the Equatour cannot cut diuers Meridians at equall Angles Sixtly a greater circle drawne by the Verticall point of any place makes greater Angles with all other Meridians then with that from which it was first drawne whence it is necessary that the line which shall bee supposed to make Angles with diuers Meridians as the Rhumbes should bee bowed toward the Meridian I know not what would bee more said against the opinion of P. Nonnus who would haue all the Rhumbes to bee portions of greater circles To illustrate further the nature and vse of the Horizon wee will insert these Theoremes 2 The Sensible and Rationall Horizon in the Earth are much different in respect of the Firmament all one It may bee gathered out of the suppositions of Ptolomy and Alphraganus and almost all other Astronomers that no man being placed on the surface of the earth can precisely see the halfe of it For that Horizon which terminates our sight as we haue shewed is a plaine superficies euery way circularly extended in the Earth in such sort as men placed either in the Sea in a ship or in a great field or Countrey would thinke the visible part of the earth to bee plaine whose ends would seeme to touch the Heauens Whence must needs come to passe that such an Horizon cannot diuide the Spheare of the â—arth into two equall parts For so much will be found wanting as is measured betwixt that superficies which toucheth the earth and that which passeth by the Center of it equidistant from the other for this later only can diuide the earth into 2 equall parts according to Theodosius and may well bee seene in the former figure wherein are expressed both Horizons as well the visible as inuisible touching the Spheare in a point on the superficies as the Rationall passing by the Center Neuerthelesse wee must consider that the quantity intercepted betwixt these two Horizons in the Terrestriall Spheare is of little or no moment compared with the whole frame of the Heauens For sith the Heauens are so farre distant from vs it will come to passe that if two equidistant lines should bee drawne the one from the Eye the other from the Center of the Earth to the Firmament they would according to sense appeare one and the selfe-same by reason of the wonderfull distance as wee see in a long Gallery whose walls haue an equall distance the one from the other the walls will notwithstanding according to Opticall principles seeme widest where they are neerest and to close and shut vp at the ends or at least to concurre neerer much more must wee imagine this to happen in the sight if we compare the greatnesse of the Firmament with the Spheare of the Earth in whose magnitudes wee shall finde a incomparable disparity This will appeare by the Apparences for wee shall see the six signes of the Zodiacke conspicuous aboue our Horizon and the other six vnder it hid from our sight Also the Sunne and Moone when they are diametrally opposed almost at the same moment will appeare the one in the East the other in the West at least the one will rise soone vpon the setting of the other And if we beleeue Pliny the Moone was obserued to bee eclipsed in the East point the Sunne at the same time being in a sort aboue the Horizon in the West Such an Eclipse could not happen without a diametrall opposition of the two lights and therefore can the Sensible and the Rationall Horizon haue no sensible difference in respect of the Firmament 2 The sensible Horizon may be greater or lesser according to the nature and disposition of the place In this consideration wee take no notice of the difference of sights whether they be weaker or sharper but suppose an eye sufficient to kenne so farre in the Earth as the place will permit The difference then betwixt diuerse Horizons must bee sought out in the condition of the place A Sight placed on the top of a high mountaine may see much farther then one in a low valley compassed about with hills for as much as the Semidiameter of the sensible Horizon which is equall to the Rayes or Lines drawne from the extreame parts of the visible Earth are much greater The most indifferent iudgement of this Horizon may bee taken from the superficies of the Sea beyond sight of land for a man thereon sayling in a ship may perceaue the surface of the Sea as a plaine on euery side to bound the sight in a round circle
seeming together to terminate the end of the Earth and protension of the sight What the Semidiameter of this Horizon should bee hath not beene yet agreed vpon by all Erastothenes would haue it to bee 44 miles Macrobius 23. Proclus 250. Albertus Magnus 125. These differences seeme too great to admit of reconcilement yet taking into our consideration the disparity in account of miles betwixt the Moderne and Ancient Cosmographers as also betwixt the Greekes and Latines 2 the diuerse placing of the sight◠the various disposition of the places wherein they tooke their obseruations with other circumstances wee should diminish much of admiration But diuerse others whose opinion is more approued by moderne Cosmographers haue defined it to be about 63 miles The cause why this Horizon should bee so little in respect of the Rationall which passeth by the Center is the roundnesse of the earth interposed betwixt the sight and the farther parts which we haue formerly proued 3 The eye may be so placed on the Earth as it may behold the whole Hemispheare of the heauens and yet no part of the Terrestriall Spheare This may seeme a paradoxe with vulgar iudgement but it wants not a demonstration drawne from Astronomicall and Opticke principles To explaine which we must suppose out of the grounds already granted 1 That the Sensible and Rationall Horizon in respect of the Heauens ought to bee esteemed one and the selfe same by reason of the great distance and disproportion betwixt the Earth and the Firmament 2 That the eye of the beholder is in this sort supposed to bee in the Center because in this consideration the distance betwixt the superficies of the Earth and her Center is insensible 3 That the visuall Ray wherein the sight is carried is alwayes a right line Now suppose according to our former figure the Center of the eye wherein consists the sight to be in the point of the Terrestriall surface F the distance as wee said betwixt F and E the Center being insensible the eye is imagined in the center likewise the Horizons CFD and AEB for the same cause in respect of the Heauens are to bee esteemed one and the same because CA and DB haue no sensible difference It is then manifest that the eye so placed will behold in the heauenly Spheare all which is included betwixt A and B to wit the Hemispheare AGB bounded by the Rationall Horizon AEB Neuerthelesse in the Terrene Globe it can see nothing at all For either it should see onely the point F wherein it is seated or else some other point or part distant from it the former cannot bee admitted because the eye being there supposed to bee placed should according to this supposition behold it selfe which is against philosophy For granting the sense only a direct and not a reflexe operation it cannot bee imagined how it should perceiue it selfe Finally it cannot see any point in the Earth besides for then this point would either bee placed aboue the point F but this cannot bee because F being supposed in the superficies admits of no point higher in the Spheare or else vnder it but this cannot bee because CFD being a tangent line and touching the Spheare in F only there cannot according to Geometricall principles bee drawne any right line from the point F which can touch any point in the said Spheare but all will cut it and so the section cause impediment to the sight the Earth being an opacous and round body 4 From the Horizontall circle is reckoned the eleuation of the Pole in any place assigned The finding out of the eleuation of the Pole is a matter most necessary for a Cosmographer as shall appeare after where we shall speake of the Latitudes and Climates It is defined to bee an arch of the Meridian betwixt the Horizon and the Pole For the finding out of which many wayes haue beene deuised by Artificers The first is taken from the Sunne the second from the Pole-starre From the Sun it may bee performed two wayes 1 At the time of the Equinoxe 2 At any other time of the yeere At the time of the Equinoxe it may be found out by the obseruation of the Sunnes shadow at Noone-tide in this manner Let the Meridian height of the Sunne bee subtracted from the whole quadrant which is 90 degrees there will remaine the distance of the Zenith to the Equator which is equall to the eleuation of the Pole In the second place at any time of the yeere to know the eleuation of the Pole out of the Meridian height of the Sunne it is necessary out of an Ephimerides or any other way accurately to finde out the place of the Sunne in his Eclipticke for the day proposed together with his declination for the declination of the Sunne the Sunne being in the six Northerne signes subtracted from the Meridian altitude or added the Sunne being in the six Southerne signes will precisely giue the height of the Equator or which is the same the Meridian heigth of the Sun in the Equinoctiall which being once found we may worke as in the former By the Pole-starre wee may likewise find it out if wee obserue it three distinct times in the same night for three points being giuen euery Geometrician will finde out the Center which in this case must bee the Pole Many other wayes haue beene inuented by skilfull Astronomers which appertaining rather to Astronomy then Cosmography I purposely omit 24 Concerning the Horizon two things are chiefly to bee noted the Inuention and the Distinction The Inuention is considered either as it concernes the Zenith or Pole or the Plaine of the Horizon For both which we will set downe these Rules 1 The height of the Pole subtracted from the quadrant of 90 Degrees the residue will shew the Zenith or distance of the Zenith from the Pole The reason is euident because the height of the Pole together with the distance of the Pole and the Zenith make an arch which is a whole quadrant so that the height of the Pole subducted the distance will remaine as for example if wee put the eleuation of the Pole here in Oxford to be 51 ½ degrees or thereabout as hath been formerly taught Let these 51 ½ degrees bee subtracted from 90 then will remaine 38 ½ which is the true Zenith for that place 2 A line which makes right angles with a plummet perpendicularly falling on it will designe the Horizontall plaine The practise of the proposition is vsually shewed by Artificers by a certaine instrument called a Leuell which is made in a triangle forme from the vertex or head of which a line with a plummet fals on the Basis. Now when it shall bee found to be so placed that the line and plummet falling on the Basis shall make right Angles with it and cut the whole Triangle into two equall halfes wee may account the Base-line to bee the plaine of the Horizon For of this plaine such is the position
that it inclines no more on the one side then on the other but lies euen as wee see in the surface of the water when it rests quiet without motion for howsoeuer the water so resting as we haue formerly demonstrated is alwayes sphericall yet in a small distance in the sensible Horizon it may to sense be represented by a plaine 25 So much for the Inuention The Distinction of the Horizon is into three sorts for either it is a right Horizon or oblique or parallell 26 A right Horizon is that which with the Equator makes Right Angles This distinction growes naturally out of the Respect of the Horizon to the Equatour For sith the Equatour is one and the selfe-same immoueable circle and the Horizon is mutable and changed according to his diuerse verticall points they cannot alwayes keepe the same situation in regard one of the other This they haue reduced into three heads for either it is Right or Oblique or Parallell The Right is so called from the right Angles which the Horizon makes with the Equator wherein the two poles are alwayes couched in the Horizon and the Equator passing directly ouer their heads as is plaine to be seene in this figure here affixed such an Horizon haue these Inhabitants which dwell directly vnder the Equinoctiall line in the very middest of the Torrid Zone such an Horizon agrees to a great part of Africke to a part of Peru in America Also to most of the Molucco Ilands the Ilands of Taprobana and S. Thomas but no part of Europe is subiect to such a Right Horizon The cause of this variation of Horizons is the naturall roundnesse of the Earth For the earth being supposed to bee sphericall as we haue before demonstrated it must of necessity follow that the site of the poles should be changed according to the diuersity of the places Also because wheresoeuer we are placed on the Earth as wee haue shewed all impediments of the sight as mountaines and vallies put apart we can behold the Hemispheare of the Heauens which middle part being set downe is diuided from the part vnseene by the Horizon it must needs bee that either both the poles must be in the Horizon and so make a Right Spheare or at least one must bee aboue and seene and the other hid from the sight and so much as one is eleuated aboue the Horizon must the other bee couched vnder it For otherwise wee should see more or lesse then a precise moity or halfe of the Heauens sith the poles differ one from the other the halfe of the whole Heauens to wit by the Diameter of the world 27 An oblique Horizon is that which with the Equator makes oblique Angles Those Inhabitants are said to haue an oblique Horizon whose site and position declines somewhat from the Equator either to the North or South towards either pole yet so that the pole bee not eleuated so high as 90 Degrees for then it becomes a Parallell Horizon as wee shall shew in the next The representation of such an oblique Spheare may bee seene in this Diagram wherein the Horizon cuts the Equatour at oblique Angles whence it is called oblique Clauius seemes to adde another reason of this appellation to wit because in such an Horizon one pole is alwayes eleuated aboue and the other hid but this reason seemes too generall as that which agrees not onely to an Oblique but also to a Parallell Spheare From this Horizon by Iohannes de Sucrobosco the Spheare is called Artificiall because as Clauius coniectures it is variable and doth naturally diuide the Globe For whereas the Horizon of the Right Spheare passeth by either Pole it seemes by it selfe as it were Naturally and Directly to diuide the Spheare and this diuision is no way variable as that it should bee more or lesse Right but contrariwise in the oblique Spheare sith one Pole is placed aboue and the other beneath it seemes to be placed out of his naturall site and position Moreouer this Oblique Horizon is variable according to the diuersity of habitations so that it may be to some more to others lesse Oblique for so much the more Oblique must it be by how much the neerer it is placed to the Poles The Inhabitants of an Oblique Spheare are such as seated betwixt the Equator and either of the Tropicks of Cancer and Capricorne or such as dwell betwixt either Tropicke and the Polar-circle 28 A Parallell Horizon is that which lies Parallell to the Equator making no angles at all with it Such a kinde of Horizon those Inhabitants are said to haue which are included betwixt the Poles of the world and the Polar circles whose Horizon cuts not the Equatour at any Angles at all either Right or Oblique but lies Parallell vnto it as we see in this Figure here set downe Some haue reduced this kinde of Spheare to an Oblique Horizon in regard that in this site our Pole is eleuated aboue the Horizon and the other depressed vnder in which opinion Clauius seemes to second Iohannes de Sacrobosco on whom hee comments But this is ridiculous because the Spheare is called Right or Oblique as wee haue taught from the Angles which the Horizon makes with the Equator wherefore that Horizon which makes no Angles at all cannot bee called either Right or Oblique but is necessarily distinguished from either On this distinction of Horizons is grounded the diuision of the Inhabitants of the Earth according to three kinds of Spheares of whose accidents and proprieties wee shall more fully treat hereafter in the dictinction of the parts and Inhabitants of the Terrestriall Spheare because such proprieties cannot so well be taught without the knowledge of the Artificiall Spheare whose Nature and Fabricke wee shall labour God willing in our next Chapter to vnfold CHAP. VII Of the Artificiall Representation of the Terrestriall Spheare 1 HAuing hitherto treated of the Terrestriall Spheare as it is Naturall or reall wee are in the next place to speake of the Artificiall Globe The Artificiall Globe is an expression or imitation of the Spheare of the Earth 2 The Artificiall imitation of the Earth is either Common or Magneticall The common is againe twofold either in the Globe or in the Geographicall Mappe or Table 3 The Geographicall Globe is a round solid Body adorned with Lineaments pictures seruing for the vse of Geographers Who was the first Inuentour of this Artificiall Globe it is not euident some thinke with Pliny that it was found out by Atlas and carried into Greece by Hercules Others haue ascribed it to Anaximander Milesius some to Musaeus as Diogenes Laërtius others to other Authors amongst whom Architas Tarentinus is not forgotten as one that was esteemed the rarest Mathematician of his time But all these were out-stripped by Archimedes the Syracusan Mathematician who is said to haue composed a Spheare of transparent glasse representing vnto the life the whole frame of the Heauens wherein the Sunne
the Supperficies to be first knowne both wayes shall bee expressed in these Propositions 1 If the Semidiameter of the Spheare be multiplied into the third part of the Conuex Superficies of the said Spheare there will arise the whole Solidity of the Earth This is demonstrated by Geometricians For a solide Rectangle compreheÌ„ded of the Semidiameter of the Spheare and the third of the CoÌ„uex Superficies of it will be equall to the Spheare it selfe As for example if the Semidiameter of the earth containing 40090 10 11 Furlongs bee multiplied by the third part of the Conuex Superficies containing to wit 67352727 3 11 there will arise the solidity of the earth which will containe 27002-3 06611570 3 11 Cubicke Furlongs That is the solidity of the earth will comprehend so many Cubes cantaining euery side so many Furlongs as there are vnities in the said number For the Areae or spaces comprehended of Solide figures are measured by the Cubes of those lines by whose squares the Conuexe Superficies of those lines are measured 2 If the greatest circle bee multiplied by â…” of the whole Diameter the product will shew the solidity of the Spheare This way is also demonstrated by Clauius in the same tract of measuring Magnitudes It may Arithmetically bee deduced in this sort If any Spheare whatsoeuer hath a Diameter of 14 Palmes and should bee multiplied by 3 1 7 the circumference of the greatest circle containing it will be found to be 44 whose halfe being 22 if it be multiplied into the Semidiameter 7 there will arise the Superficies of the greatest circle 154 which number if wee multiply by two third parts of the Diameter that is by 9â…“ there will bee produced the solidity of the said Spheare to wit consisting of 1437 â…” Cubicke palmes In the like sort may wee worke by miles or furlongs in measuring the whole terrestriall Globe which is a more conuenient measure for the massie Globe of the Earth CHAP. IX Of the Zones Climates and Parallels 1 OF the Measure of the Earth we haue treated in our former Chapter In the next place wee must speake of the Distinction of the Terrestriall Spheare which is either in regard of Spaces or Distances 2 Spaces are portions in the Spheare bounded by the Parallell circles such as are the Zones Climats and Parallels 3 These are againe considered two wayes either in themselues or else in their Adiuncts or Inhabitants belonging to them 4 A Zone is a space included betwixt two lesser and named circles or else betwixt a lesser circle and the Pole of the world The spaces into which the Terrestriall Spheare is diuided are either Greater or Lesser The Greater is a Hemispheare which ariseth out of one only circle by it selfe without the Combination of more Such are chiefly of three sorts The first is made by the Equatour which diuides the whole Globe into the north and the South Hemispheare The second is of the Meridian whose office it is to part the Earth into the Easterne and Westerne Hemispheares The third of the Horizon which diuides the Spheare into the vpper and lower halfes But these parts arising as I said out of one only circle are handled before with the circles themselues In this place wee are to speake of such parts as arise out of the Combination and respect of circles one with another Such as are the Zones Climats and Parallels A Zone signifies as much as a girdle or band because by it the spaces in the Earth are as it were with larger bands compassed about The Grecians haue sometimes giuen this name Zone to the Orbs of the Planets as Theon Alexandrinus in his Comment on Aratus in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are saith he in the Heauens seauen Zones not contorminate with the Zodiacke whereof the first is possessed by Saturne the second by Iupiter c. But this acception of the name is far off from our purpose The name Zone as it is with vs in vse is by the Latine Poëts rendred sometimes Facia sometimes Plaga both signifying one and the selfe-same thing which is as much as a space comprehended within two Named and lesser Parallels or at least betwixt such a Parallell and the Pole it selfe because as wee shall shew hereafter Zones are of two sorts These Zones are in number fiue which diuision hath beene familiar with our Latine Poëts as may appeare by these verses of Virgil. Quinque tenent coelum Zonae quarum vna corusco Semper Sole rubens torrida semper ab Igne Quam circum extremae dextrâ laeuáque trahuntur Caerule â glacie concretae atque imbribus atris Has inter Mediamque duae Mortalibus aegris Munere concessae Diuûm c. Fiue Zones ingirt the Skies whereof one fries With fiery Sun-beames and all scorched lies 'Bout which the farthest off on either hand The blew-eyed Ice and brackish showres command 'Twixt these two and the midst the Gods doe giue A wholsome place for wretched man to liue Which description of Virgil little differs from that wee finde in Ouid in these Verses Duae dextrâ coelum totidemque sinistrâ Parte secant Zonae quinta est ardentior illis Sic onus inclusum numero distinxit eodem Cura Dei totidemque Plagae tellure premuntur Quarum quae Media est non est habitabilis aestu Nix â—egit alta duas totidem inter vtramque locauit Temperiemque dedit mista cum Frigore Flamma Two Girdles on the right hand on the left As many cut the Skies more hot's the fift So God diuiding with an equall hand Into so many parcels cuts the land The midst through heat affords no dwellers Ease The deepe snow wraps vp two but betwixt these And the other Regions are two places set Where frosts are mixt with fires and cold with heat But because this enumeration and description of the Zones set downe by the Poëts seemes too popular and generall wee will more specially diuide them according to the methode of our times in this manner 5 The Zones are either Vntemperate or Temperate the Vntemperate are againe twofold either cold or hot 6 The Intemperate hot Zone is the space contained betwixt the two Tropicke circles of Cancer and Capricorne How vnaptly these names of Temperate Vntemperate agree to the Zones considered in their owne nature wee shall speake in our second part yet because I thought it vnfit to vse other tearmes then the Ancients I will not coine new names This Zone or space included betwixt the two Tropicks circumscribes within it two great circles whereof the one is the Equatour running iust in the midst neither inclining to the North or South The other is the Eclipticke obliquely crossing it and meeting the two Tropicks twice in a yeere in the Spring and Autumne The extent or breadth of this Zone then is equall to the distance betwixt these two Tropicks to wit 47 degrees which make 2820 miles because from the Equatour to either
part of the Earth because such as dwell directly vnder the Equatour or either of the Poles although they may bee Antipodes agree not to that definition by reason the former are Antipodes only in opposite points of the Equatour the other of the Meridian Whether there were any Antipodes or no was made a question amongst the Ancients in so much that Saint Augustine in his booke de ciuitate Dei and Lactantius in his third booke of Institutions seemes stiffely to defend the contrary which opinion is supposed to grow out of their contempt or neglect of Mathematicall studies in those ages wherein the zeale to religion was most vnnecessarily opposed to Philosophie and the mistresse forsaken of her best hand-maides which ignorance of the Ancients was so farre deriued to posterity that in the yeere of our Sauiour 745 one Boniface Bishop of Mens was accused before the Pope Zachary Virgilius Bishop of Salisburg for heresy in that hee auerred there were Antipodes The matter being first preferred to the King of Bohemia and an appeale made vnto the Pope it happened that the honest Bishop for this assertion was flatly condemned for hereticall doctrine and inforced to recant his opinion yet is it wonderfull how such matters were thus decided for granting these two easie grounds First that the earth is Sphericall a proposition proued in their time 2 That euery place or at least two opposite places in the Terrestriall Spheare may bee habitable it must of necessity follow that such Antipodes must bee granted which makes me to imagine that Saint Augustine absolutely and grossely denied not the Antipodes because in setting downe the premises and grounds of our opinion hee seemed to vnderstand them too well to deny a necessary induction being a man of so great a wit and apprehension but questionlesse he thought that the Torrid Zone which by most of the Ancients in his time was reputed vnhabitable and vnpassable no man had yet set his foot in those remote parts beyond the line so that it seemed in him not to arise out of ignorance of the constitution of the earthly Globe but out of the receaued opinion of the Torrid Zone and the vast Ocean the one of which hee held vnhabitable the other vnpassable from whence also sprang vp an argument or rather an idle fancie that the Antipodes could not be admitted without granting another Sauiour and another kinde of men besides Adams posterity for if this coniecture had not taken place the Pope I suppose would neuer haue proued himselfe so ridiculous a Iudge as to haue condemned Virgilius for heresie As for Lactantius howsoeuer otherwise a pious eloquent Father the weakenesse and childishnesse of his arguments will to any indifferent reader discouer his ignorance in the very first rudiments of Cosmographie Here we may learne how farre religion it selfe is wronged by such who set her opposite to all her seruants But whatsoeuer the Ancients out of their glimring reason haue coniectured our times haue sufficiently decided this controuersie wherin such Antipodes are established both by reason and experience which matâ—er wee shall reserue to our second booke wherein we shall declare how farre and in what sense the Earth may bee tearmed habitable 1 Those which are to vs Perioeci are the Antoeci to our Antipodes our Antoeci the Periaeci to our Antipodes likewise our Perioeci are the Antipodes to our Antaeci This Proposition as a Corollary may by necessary consequence be deduced out of the precedent definition and be well expressed out of the constitution of the artificiall Globe and needs no farther demonstration 2 The Perioeci Antoeci and Antipodes are diuersly distinguished in respect of the celestiall apparences The proprieties of the Perioeci are chiefly foure 1 They haue the same eleuation of the Pole and therefore the same temper of the yeere and the same length of dayes and nights 2 They dwell East and West in regard one of the other 3 They haue contrary times of dayes and nights for when the one hath his Noone the other inioyes his mid-night likewise when the Sun with the one riseth it setteth with the other 4 They haue the same Zone Climate and Parallell but differ by a semicircle to wit 180 degrees To the Antoeci they haue likewise assigned 5 proprieties viz. 1 They inhabite the like Zones but in diuerse Hemispheares 2 They haue the same eleuation of the pole but not of the same pole because the one sees the pole Arcticke the other the pole Antarcticke equally raised aboue his Horizon 3 They haue Noone and Mid-night iust at the same times 4 They inioy the same temper of the Heauens 5 They haue the seasons of the yeere contrary For when the Southerne Antoeci haue their Summer the Northerne haue their Winter and contrariwise when the Northerne haue their spring these haue their Autumne To the Antipodes they haue allotted 3 Proprieties 1 That they haue the same eleuation of the pole though not of the same pole 2 They haue the same temper of the yeere and the same quantity of dayes and nights 3 They haue all the other accidents contrary For when the one hath Night the other hath Day when one Winter the other Summer when the one the Spring the other Autumne and contrariwise These accidents and proprieties here mentioned must be vnderstood in respect of the Heauens only The qualities arising from diuerse other Accidentall and particular causes in diuerse places of the Earth we shall differre vnto our second part CHAP. XI Of the Longitudes and Latitudes 1 THe distinction of the Terrestriall Globe according to certaine Spaces being formerly explaned we are now to treat of the Distinction of the said Spheare according to certaine Distances 2 A Distance here we vnderstand to be a direct line drawne betwixt two points in the Earth such a Distance is twofold either Simple or Comparatiue 3 The Simple Distance is taken from the two great circles to wit the Meridian or the Equatour which is either the Longitude or Latitude The diuision of Distances into the Simple or Comparatiue is most necessary for it is one thing for a place absolutely taken in it selfe to be distant from some fixt point or other in the Globe Another for two places to be compared betwixt themselues in regard of such a fixt point for as much as the former implies only the distance betwixt two points the other the distance of two such points or places in respect of the third These points from which such points are said to be distant are either found in the Meridian Circle from which the Distance is called Longitude or else in the Equatour whence we call it Latitude 4 The Longitude is the distance of any place Eastward from the first Meridian To vnderstand the better the Longitude we must consider that it may be taken two wayes either Generally or Specially In the former sense it is taken for the Distance of the whole Earth stretched from the West vnto the East
by the ray EG so that the distance betwixt the Moone and the fixt starre will bee in that station the Arch of the circle CG Now by the first common Axiome of Euclide euery man must grant that the Arch of BG is greater then CG the former being the whole and this the part Secondly out of the same ground wee may as easily collect that this distance betwixt the Moone and some other knowne fixt starre is varied proportionally according to the distances of the places on the earth because so many places as there are so many diuersity of aspects will arise being increased or diminished according to the distances of places on the Terrestriall Globe This conclusion thus demonstrated wee must proceed to practice in this manner as is taught by Gemma Frisius First it behooueth you to search out by the helpe of Astronomicall Tables the true motion of the Moone according to the Longitude at that time of your obseruation at some certaine place for whose Meridian the rootes of those Tables are calculated 2. You must know the Degree of Longitude of some fixed starre nigh vnto the Eclipticke either preceding or following the moouing of the Moone 3. You must seeke out the Distance of moouing of the Moone and the said starre 4. The distance once had apply the crosse-staffe to your sight and so mooue the Crosse to and fro till you may behold the Center of the Moone at the one ende and the fixed starre with the other So shall you see expressed by the Degrees and Minutes marked on the staffe the distance of the Moone and the said starre correspondent to the place of your obseruation which being noted set downe also the distance betwixt the Moone and the foresaid Starre which was first calculated Then subtract the lesser from the greater the residue will shew the least difference which being diuided by the moouing which the Moone maketh in one houre you shall know the time in which the Moone is or was ioyned with the first distance of the foresaid starre Then hauing conuerted that time into degrees and minutes the rest will be performed either by addition or substraction of the Product thereof to or from that Meridian for which the Tables where by you first calculated the motion of the Moone were appointed and verified If the distance betwixt the Moone and the fixt Starre of your obseruation bee lesser then must you adde the degrees and minutes to the knowne Latitude so shall you finde the place of your obseruation to bee more Eastward If it bee greater then substract the degrees and minutes from the knowne Longitude and the place of your obseruation in this regard will bee more Westward These rules are so farre true that the Moone bee supposed to bee more Westward then the fixed Starre for if otherwise your working must be cleane contrary to wit if the distance betwixt the Moone and the fixed Starre bee lesser you must subtract the degrees and minutes from the knowne Longitude so shall the place of your obseruation bee more Westward but if it bee greater then must you adde the degrees and minutes vnto the knowne Longitude and the place of your obseruation shall bee sound Eastward This way though more difficult may seeme better then all the rest for as much as an Eclipse of the Moone seldome happens and a watch clocke or houreglasse cannot so well bee preserued or at least so well obserued in so long a voyage whereaâ— euery night may seeme to giue occasion to this experiment if so bee the ayre bee freed from clouds and the Moone shew her face aboue the Horizon 4 By the obseruation of the difference in the Sunnes and Moones motion the Longitude of places may be found out To explane this proposition wee will set downe three things 1 Certaine Postulata or granted Axioms 2 The example 3. The manner and practise The grounds or propositions which wee take as granted of all Mathematicians are these 1 That the motion of the Moone is 48 minutes of an houre slower in 24 houres or 360 degrees then that of the Sunne 2 That by obseruation of the heauens and other Mathematicall helpes an Artificer may know in any place first the Meridian Secondly the houre of the day Thirdly the time of the Moones comming to the Meridian 3 The time of the Moones comming to the Meridian may bee knowne by an Ephemerides These things granted wee will suppose for example that in London the Moone on some set day comes to the Meridian at foure of the Clocke after Noone 2 That in some part of the West-Indies the Moone bee obserued to come to the Meridian the same day at 10 minutes after foure These grounds thus set downe the distance of Longitude of that place Westward from London may bee found out The manner of practise is thus to bee wrought by the golden Rule If the difference of the Sunnes and Moones motion bee 48 minutes of an houre in 360 degrees what will it be in 10 minutes The fourth proportionall number will bee 75 degrees the distance of Longitude of the place assigned from London in West Longitude from which number the Longitude from London being subtracted and the remainder from 360 the residue will shew the Longitude If the Moone in the place assigned come sooner to the Meridian wee must count so much in East Latitude This way I first found in Mr Purchas his relation of Halls discouery of Groenland written by William Baffin since this Chapter came vnder the Presse the expression of which being as I suppose shorter and easier then in the Author I doe owe for the most part to my worthy Chamber-fellow Mr. Nathanael Norrington to whose learned conference I confesse my selfe to owe some fruits of my labours in this kinde and all the offices of friendship This manner of inuention for mine owne part I preferre before all the rest both for certainty and facility and as it should seeme by Baffins practise it is more in vse amongst Marriners then the former howsoeuer lesse mentioned amongst writers 14 Thus much for the Inuention of the Longitude the Expression is the imitation of the Longitude on the face of an Artificiall Globe or Mappe which is directed by these Rules 1 The place whereof wee desire to know the Longitude being brought to the Brasen Meridian the degrees of the Equatour will shew the Longitude This Rule may easily be explaned by these three precepts First that you must turne round the Globe on his Axell-tree till you bring the place whereof seek the Longitude vnder the brasen Meridian 2 You must diligently and exactly marke what degree the Meridian cuts in the Equatour 3. You must number how many degrees that point is distant from the first Meridian and the number will giue you the true Longitude sought after This also mâ—y be performed without turning of the Globe if so be any other Meridian in the globe signed out shall passe by the said place For
many miles such places are distant one from the other For an example we will take the city Seuill on the Southmoâ—â— part of Spaine and Bilbao on the North-side the space betwixt those places being taken with a threâ—d or a compasse and applyed to one of the greater Circles will containe about 6 degrees which being multiplyed by 60 and so conuerted into Italian-miles will produce 360 and so many miles those Cities are to be esteemed distant the one from the other The end of the first Booke GEOGRAPHIE THE SECOND BOOKE CONTAINING the generall Topicall part thereof By NATHANAEL CARPENTER Fellow of Exceter Colledge in Oxford GENES 1. vers 10. And God called the Dry-land Earth and the gathering together of the waters called the Seas and God saw that it was good OXFORD Printed by Iohn Lichfield for Henry Cripps and are to be sold by Henry Curteyne Anno Domini M. DC XXXV TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE PHILIP EARLE OF MOVNTGOMERIE c. Knight of the most Noble order of the Garter and Steward of the famous Vniuersity of Oxford Right Honourable THis Geographicall Treatise consisting of two parts was in the very birth in such sort consecrated to your inestimable Brother as notwithstanding it so farre reserued it selfe to awaite your Honours fauour that Both may seeme as to share a part so to challenge the whole in my poore Industrie The Soule of man which some Philosophers imagine to be all in all all in euery part seemes to me no where better resembled then in your Generous Fraternity wherein the Soule of Heroicall Magnificence though Indiuided in it selfe so entirely communicates herselfe to either that both may seeme at once to enioy her presence while neither want If this my bold attempt in presenting to your Honours hands these vnworthy labours without any former reference might be interpreted intrusion it were enough for Ingenuity to pretend that your generous loue vnto our poore Colledge and the respectiue duty wherein the Colledge alwayes stands obliged vnto your Honour commands my pen beyond manners or ability Your affection to our house could no way expresse it selfe ampler then by trusting our custody with the charge of your choicest Iewell A Gentleman of that towardly wit and sweet disposition that Learning and Morality commonly reputed the daughters of time seeme in him scarce beholding to yeeres and to challenge a precedency before experience in so much that our ancient Mother markt out with all the Characters of age and declining weakenesse cherishing in her bosome this young darling seemes to resume her youthfull habit and triumph ouer Time and Ruines This happines amongst diuerse others vouchsafed by your Honour to the place for whose good opinion the best part of mine endeuours stand engaged hath encouraged my hopes to promise me your indulgent Acceptance of this slender piece long since intended and deuoted as my selfe vnto your seruice In which confidence fearing any longer to trespasse on your serious and high imployments endebted to your King and Countrey I humbly rest Your Honours in all duty and seruice to bee commanded NATHANAEL CARPENTER A TABLE OF THE SEVERALL Contents of the second Booke of Geography according to the speciall Theoreme CHAP. I. Of Topography and the Nature of a place 1 THe Terrestriall Spheare is euery-where habitable pag. 4 2 All places of the Earth haue suffered manifold mutation and changes as well in name as nature pag. 6 3 Places hauing long continued without habitation are seldome so healthy and fit for dwelling as those which haue beene in habited 11 CHAP. II. Of the generall Adiuncts of places 1 The manner how to measure the magnitude of a Region by the Diameter both according to breadth and length 15 2 Of the measuring of a Countrey by the circuite of it 17 3 The Measuring of a Countrey by the circuite is deceitfull and subiect to great errour 17 4 Those Regions are more exactly measured which partake of a plaine surface 19 5 How Countries are bounded 20 6 Naturall bounds are more certaine then Artificiall ibid. 7 Equall bounds containe not alwaies equall Regions 21 8 Of the quality of a Region ibid. 9 Speciall places are endowed with speciall Tempers and dispositions 21 10 Of the magneticall affections of a place as Variation and Declination 26 11 The magneticall variation is of no vse for the first finding out of the longitude yet may it serue to good purpose for the recognition of a place before discouered 27 12 The declination of a place being knowne the latitude may bee found yet not without some errour 29 13 Of the externall Adiuncts of the Aire belonging to a place ibid. 14 The disposition of the Aire Adiacent to a place depends chiefly on the Temperament of the soile 30 CHAP. III. Of the Adiuncts of a place in respect of the heauens 1 Places according to their diuerse situation in regard of the Heauens are diuersely affected in quality and constitution 34 2 Of the diuision of the Earth into the North and South Hemispheares 38 3 Northerne and Southerne places alike situate generally enioy a like disposition 39 4 The Northerne Hemispheare is the masculine the southerne the faeminine part of the Earth 40 5 Of the diuerse sections of the Hemispheares and the seuerall qualities belonging to them 43 6 Of the East and West Hemispheares 51 7 The Easterne Hemispheare is happier then the other 52 8 The difference of the East and West cannot worke any difference in two places by any diuersity of the heauens 53 9 Of the subdiuision of the Easterne and Westerne Hemispheares 54 10 Places situate towards the East in the same latitude are better then those places towards the West ibid. CHAP. IV. Of the manner of Expression and Description of Regions 1 Of the finding out of the Angle of position by some dioptricke Instrument at two or more stations 57 2 At one station by opticall obseruation to find out the situation of one place in respect of the other 59 3 Of the manner of translation of Regions into the Chart. 61 4 To set downe the Meridians and Parallels in a particular Chart. 62 5 How to set downe Cities Castles Mountaines Riuers c. in the Chart. 64 6 Of the fabricke of the scale of miles in the Chart. 65 7 The vse of the scale of miles set downe in the Chart. ibid. CHAP. V. Of Hydrography and the absolute adiuncts of the Sea of the figure and quality 1 Although the whole body of the water be sphericall yet it is probable that the parts of it incline to a Conicall figure 70 2 The water of the sea is salt not by Nature but by Accident 75 3 Seas absolutely salt are neuer frozen 79 4 The Water of the sea is thicker then the other Water 80 CHAP. VI. Of the motions of the sea 1 Of the ebbing and flowing of the sea and the causes thereof 82 2 All sâ—aâ— doe not ebbe and flow alike nor the same at all times
92 3 It is probable that the sea is carried some-where from East to West and some-where from North to South contrariwise 98 4 Of the violent motion of the sea caused by windes 101 5 To some certaine places at certaine times belong certaine winds 102 6 The violence of the winds makes the sea sometimes in some places transcend his ordinary bounds 103 CHAP. VII Of the Depth Situation and Termination of the sea 1 The ordinary depth of the sea is commonly answerable to the ordinary height of the maine land aboue the water and the Whirlepooles extraordinary depths answer to the height of the mountaines aboue the ordinary height of the Earth 104 2 The superficies of the sea is some-where higher then the superficies of the Earth some-where lower 109 3 The sea in respect of the Earth is higher in one place then another 111 4 The Water is so diuided from the dry-land that the quantity of water is greater in the Southerne Hemispheare of land in the Northerne 115 5 The whole Globe of the Earth is enuironed round with sea betwixt East and West 116 6 It is probable that the Earth is enuirnoed round with water from North to South Of the North-west passage 117 CHAP. VIII OfSea Trafficke and Merchandice 1 Nauigation first taught by Almighty God was afterwards seconded by the industrie of famous men in all ages 132 2 Nauigation is very necessary as well for the increase of knowledge as riches 135 CHAP. IX Of Pedography Riuers Lakes and Fountaines in the Earth 1 All Riuers haue their originall from the sea the mother of riuers 142 2 All Riuers and Fountaines were not from the beginning 155 3 Many riuers are for a great space of land swallowed vp of the Earth whereof some after a certaine distance rise againe 156 4 Riuers for the most part rise out of great mountaines and at last by diuerse or one Inlet are disburthened into the sea 157 5 Diuerse Fountaines are endowed with diuerse admirable vertues and operations 159 6 Places neere great Riuers and Lakes are most commodious for Habitation 162 7 Of Lakes and their causes 162 8 It is probable that some Lakes haue some secret intercourse with the sea vnder ground 163 CHAP. X. Of Mountaines Vallyes plaine-Regions woody and champion Countreyes 1 Mountaines Vallyes and Plaines were created in the beginning and few made by the violence of the Deluge 165 2 The perpendicular height of the highest mountaines seldome exceeds 10 furlongs 169 3 The ordinary height of the land aboue the sea in diuerse places is more then the hight of the highest mountaines aboue the ordinary face of the Earth 171 4 Mountaines Countreyes are commonly colder then plaine 172 5 Mountaines since the beginning of the world haue still decreased in their quantity and so will vnto the end 174 6 Of Woods and their nature 178 7 Woods are not so frequent or great as in ancient times 179 8 Places moderately situate towards the North or South-pole abound more in woods then neere the Equatour 180 CHAP. XI Of Ilands and Continents 1 It is probable that Ilands were not from the first beginning but were afterwards made by violence of the water 184 2 Peninsula's by violence of the sea fretting through the Istmus haue oftentimes turned into Ilands and contrariwise Peninsalas by diminution of the sea made of Ilands 189 CHAP. XII Of Inundations and Earth-quakes 1 No vniuersall Inundation of the Earth can be naturall the other may depend from naturall causes 193 2 Particular alterations haue happened to the bonds of Countries by particular Inundations 195 3 Certaine Regions by reason of great Riuers are subiect to certaine anniuersary Inundations 197 4 Regions extreame cold or extreame hot are not so subiect to Earth-quakes as places of a middle temper 201 5 Hollow and spongie places are more subiect to Earthquakes then solide and compacted Soiles 202 6 Ilands are more often troubled with earth-quakes then the continent 203 CHAP. XIII Of the Originall of Inhabitants 1 All Nations had their first originall from one stocke whence afterwards they became diuided 206 2 The first inhabitants of the Earth were planted in Paradise and thence translated to the places adioyning 208 3 The first plantation of Inhabitants immediately after the Deluge beganne in the East 213 CHAP. XIV Of the disposition of Inhabitants in respect of the site 1 The people of the Northerne Hemispheare as well in Riches and Magnificence as valour science and ciuill gouernment far surpasse the people of the south Hemispheare 221 2 The extreame Inhabitants toward the pole are in complexion hot and moist Those towards the Equatour cold and drye those of the middle partaking of a middle temper 226 3 The extreame Inhabitants towards the poles are naturally enclined to Mechanicall works and martiall endeuours the extreame towards the Equatour to workes of Religion and Contemplation The middle to lawes and ciuility 232 4 The people of the extreame Regions towards the poles in Martiall prowesse haue commonly proued stronger then those neerer the Equatour but the middle people more prouident then either in the establishment and preseruation of commonwealths 236 5 The extreame Regions in Manners Actions and Customes are cleane opposite the one to the other The middle partake a mixture of both 239 6 The people of the Easterne Hemispheare in science Religion Ciuility and Magnificence and almost in euery thing els are farre superiour to the Inhabitants of the Westerne 250 7 The Westerne people haue beene obserued to be more happy and able in Martiall discipline the Easterne in witty contemplation and contemplatiue sciences 252 8 The Easterne part of the Westerne Hemispheare was peopled before the Westerne 255 CHAP. XV. Of the Diuersity of dispositions in regard of the Soile 1 Mountaine-people are for the most part more stout warlike and generous then those of plaine Countries yet lesse tractable to gouernment 256 2 Windy Regions produce men of wild and instable dispositions But quiet Regions more constant and curteous 273 CHAP. XVI Of the dispositions of Inhabitants according to their originall and education 1 Colonies translated from one Region into another farre remote retaine a long time their first disposition though by little little they decline and suffer alteration 278 2 The mixture of Colonies begets the same Nation a greater disparity and variety of the Nations amongst themselues 278 3 Education hath a great force in the alteration of Naturall dispositions yet so as by accident remitted they soone returne to their proper Temper  4 By Discipline Nations become more Wise and Politicke in the preseruation of states yet lesse stout and couragious 283 The Analysis of the second Booke Generall which of a place generally taken without any speciall diuision handles the Adiuncts and proprieties these agree to a place in respect of the Earth it selfe which are Internall or Externall Common or Magneticall whereof Chapter 2. Heauens which are Generall or Speciall Chapt. 3.
other in greatnesse as for example let there be imagined two Parallelogrammes the one an exact square of six foot the other a long square of 10 foot in Length and two in Breadth The one comprehends 36 square feet the other 20 as will appeare by multiplication of their sides the one into the other in which numbers there is a great inequality Yet notwithstanding if we measure the circuit or circumference of each Figure we shall finde them equall to wit of 24 foot as will appeare by their figures here prefixed For amongst those Figures called Isoperimetrall or of equall Perimeter that is alwayes to bee esteemed the greatest which is the more Ordinate figure which is that which commeth neerest to an equality of Sides and Angles But in Inordinate Figures of which nature for the most part are all Regions infinite errour may be committed if we measure them by circumnauigation wherefore to measure a Countrey more exactly it behooueth vs not only to know the Circumference but also the Diameter 2 Those Countreyes are more exactly measured which partake of a plaine surface The reason of this Proposition is easily shewed because a plaine Superficies consists of right lines But a right line as Euclide witnesseth is the shortest betwixt his owne bounds whereas betweene two points infinite crooked lines may bee drawne whence it must needs follow that more certainty and exactnesse is to bee expected in the measure of a Plaine Countrey whose Diameter is a Right line then from a Crooked and hilly trey Region where the Corde is crooked and gibbous Whence some Mathematicians haue demonstrated that more men may stand on a Sphericall Superficies as a Hill or mountaine then on a Plaine although both are found to be of the same Diameter It may bee here objected that the earth is euery where crooked and orbicular and therefore no part thereof can bee measured by a Right line I answer that the Earth is indeed Sphericall as wee haue formerly proued yet may some little part or portion thereof bee counted as a Plaine because such parts haue little or no proportion to the whole masse of the Earth This conuexity therefore being so little may passe for a plaine without any sensible errour Hence wee may gather that the Land cannot so exactly bee measured as the Sea For as much as the land for the most part is vneuen varied with hills Daleâ— and other inequalities But the Sea euery where plaine and like it selfe except the rising of the waues and surges which in so great a distance will make no difference at all Secondly we may hence collect that of two Countreyes of the same bounds and figure that must bee the greatest whose soyle and superficies is most varyed and crooked because as wee haue said crooked lines betwixt the same points are longer then right and therefore measure the greater Magnitude 9 Thus much of the Magnitude The Bound of a Countrey is a line compassing it round This definition is very euident in that euery Region is Topographically considered as a Plaine or Superficies whose bound is a line compassing it round for as a Line is bounded by a Point so a Superficies by a Line as wee are taught in Geometry Now wee must consider that the bounds of Countreyes may bee taken two manner of wayes First Geometrically for the meere line which is imagined to goe round about it Seconly Geographically for the visible markes and Characters whereby the line is traced out vnto vs such as are Riuers Cities Hills Castles and such like These markes whereby a Topographer noteth out vnto vs the bounds and limits of Countreyes are of two sorts either Naturall or Artificiall The naturall are such as are deriued from nature without mans appointment such as are Riuers Creekes Mountaines Woods and such like other matters which bound the extents of Countreyes The Artificiall bounds are such as depend vpon some constitution or decree of a man which so diuide one Countrey from another the partition being often made where no notable marke or bound is set by nature 1 Naturall bounds are more certaine then Artificiall The reason is because naturall signes or markes which are set for bounds of Countreyes are alwayes the same and as it were continued from the first creation and cannot bee changed without some great Earthquake Inundatâ—on or such like alteration in nature which very seldome happeneth and in very few places whereas on the contrary part such bounds and limits as depend vpon mans appointment may bee altered and changed according to the wills and dispositions of men as wee daily see amongst vs that ancient lands and inheritances are much questioned concerning their bounds and limits as also great controuersie is made amongst Geographers concerning the bounding of Countreyes and Territories anciently knowne and defined by old writers For names and particular contracts betwixt men in a few ages may easily slip out of memory especially when the possessours themselues as it often happens striue to extinguish and raze out the memory of former ages leauing behind them no marke or signe to tell the world their wronged neighbours right or the limited fortunes of their owne possessions 2 Equall bounds doe not alwayes containe equall Regions This Proposition is plainely demonstrated before in this very Chapter wherein wee haue proued of two figures supposed equall in the circumference that to bee the greatest which more neerely approacheth an Ordinate figure which wee define to bee that which commeth neerest to an equality of Sides and Angles So that two Regions the one round the other square may haue an equall compasse about and yet the former will bee a great deale greater in respect of the space therein contained 10 In the next place we are to consider the Quality By the quality I vnderstand the naturall temper and disposition of a certaine place 1 Speciall places are endowed with speciall tempers and dispositions That Almighty God who created the whole world hath not granted the same gifts and indowments to all Countreyes but hath diuided diuerse commodities to diuerse Regions seemeth a matter out of all controuersie For who findes not by experience one Countrey hot another cold a third temperate one fruitfull another barren a third indifferent one healthie another vnwholsome The like diuersity is also found in the inhabitants themselues according to that common prouerbe Valentes Thebani Acutiores Attici whence this diuersity should arise it is a hard matter to vnfold for as much as many causes herein concurre sometimes to helpe sometimes to crosse one the other yet will I striue as neere as I can to reduce them to certaine Heads by which a generall guesse may bee giuen to the particulars The first reason may bee drawne from the situation of the Earth in respect of the heauen and Starres therein fixed This may cause a diuersity of disposition two wayes 1 By reason of the Sun and his generall light and influxe whence in the Earth are ingendred
the foure first qualities of Heate Cold Drouth and Moisture whereon depends a great part of the disposition not only of the soyle but also of mans body for as much as the one ordinarily borrowes his fruitfulnesse or barrennesse of these first qualities and the other hath his vitall Organes which are the ministers of the Soule much affected with them in so much as some Philosophers haue vndertaken to define all the differences of mens wits and intellectuall faculties out of the Temperament of the braine according to these foure accidents And what Physitian will not acknowledge all these Qualities and their mixture to challenge an extraordinary preheminence in the disposition and constitution of mans body whose mixture is the first ground of health or sicknesse The second meanes whereby the Heauens may cause a diuersity of temper in diuerse places is from the speciall Influences of some particular Starres and constellations incident to particular places for it were blockish to imagine that so many various Starres of diuerse colours and magnitudes should bee set in the Firmament to no other vse then to giue light to the world and distinguish the times sith the ordinary Physitian can easily discouer the Moones influence by the increase of humours in mans body and the experience of Astrologers will warrant much more by their obseruation as assigning to each particular aspect of the Heauens a particular and speciall influence and operation Now it is euident that all aspects of the Heauens cannot point out and designe all places alike for as much as the beames wherein it is conueyed are somewhere perpendicularly other where obliquely darted and that more or lesse according to the place whence it commeth to passe that neither all places can enioy the same Temperament nor the same measure and proportion Yet wee say not that the heauenly bodyes haue any power to impose a Necessitie vpon the wills and dispositions of men but onely an inclination For the Starres worke not Immediatly on the intellectuall part or minde of man but Mediatly so farre forth as it depends on the Temperament and materiall organes of the body But of this wee shall especially speake hereafter Where God willing shall bee opened the manner of this celestiall operation By this wee may vnderstand how farre the Heauens haue power to cause a diuersity in Places and Nations The second reason may bee the Imbred Quality Figure and Site of the Places themselues For that there is another cause of diuersity besides the situation of places in respect of the Heauens may easily bee proued out of experience for wee finde that places situate vnder the same Latitude partake of a diuerse and opposite Temper and disposition as the middle of Spayne about Toledo which is very hot and the Southermost bound of Virginia which is found to bee Temperate betwixt both All which notwithstanding are vnder the selfe-same Latitude or very neere without any sensible degree of difference also we sometimes finde places more Southward toward the Equatour to partake more of cold then such as are more Notherne as the Toppes of the Alps being perpetually couered with Snow are without question colder then England although they lye neerer to the equinoctiall Likewise Aluares reporteth that hee saw Ice vpon the water in the Abyssines Countrey in the month of Iuly which notwithstanding is neere or vnder the Line And Martin Frobisher relates that he found the ayre about Friezland more cold stormy about 61 degrees then in other places neere 70 degrees Wherefore we must needs ascribe some effect and operation to the soyle it selfe first in respect of the Superficies which is diuersly varied with Woods Riuers Marishes Rockes Mountaines Valleyes Plaines whence a double variety ariseth first of the foure first Qualities which is caused by the Sunne-beames being diuersly proiected according to the conformity of the place Secondly of Meteors and Exhalations drawne vp from the Earth into the Aire both which concurring must needs cause a great variety in mans disposition according to that prouerbe Athenis tenâ—e coelum Thebis crassum or that bitter taunt of the Poet on Boeotians Boeotum in crasso iurares aëre natum For ordinary experience will often shew that a thinne and sharp ayre vsually produceth the best witts as contrariwise grosse and thicke vapours drawne from muddie and marish grounds thicken and stupifie the spirits and produce men commonly of blockish and hoggish dispositions and natures vnapt for learning and vnfit for ciuill conuersation Secondly there must needs be granted to speciall Countreyes certaine Specificall qualities which produce a certaine Sympathie or Antipathie in respect of some things or others whence it commeth to passe that some plants and hearbs which of their owne accord spring out of the Earth in some Countreyes are found to pine wither in others some Beasts and Serpents are in some places seldome knowne to breed or liue wherewith notwithstanding other Regions swarme in abundance as for example Ireland wherein no Serpent or venomous worme hath beene knowne to liue whereby Africa and many other Countreyes finde no small molestation Neither is this variety onely shewne in the diuersity of the kindes but also in the variation of things in the same kinde whereof we might produce infinite examples For who knowes not which is a Physition that many simples apt for medicine growing in our land come farre short in vertue of those which are gathered in other countreyes I need amongst many ordinary instances giue no other then in our Rubarb and Tobacco whereof the former growing in our Countrey except in case of extremity is of no vse with our Physitians the other as much scorned of our ordinary Tobacconists yet both generally deriued from the true mother the Indies in great vse and request But of this last Instances are most common and yet for their ignorance of the true cause most admirable The causes of the former might in some sort bee found out either in the Heauens or in the Elementary nâ—ture of the Earth But some speciall proprieties haue discouered themselues which cannot be imagined to owe their cause to either but to some third originall which the Physicians in their Simples more properly tearme virtus specifica If any man should demand why countreyes farther from the course of the Sunne should be found hotter then some which are neerer Why the Rhenish wine Grape transported from Germany into Spaine should yeeld vs the Sherry Sacke Euery ordinary Phylosopher which hath trauelled little beyond Aristotles Materia Prima will bee ready to hammer out a cause as ascribing the former to the Heigth or Depression of the soyle the latter to the excesse of heat in Spaine aboue that of Germany But should wee farther demand 1 why Ireland with some other Regions indure no venemous thing 2 Why Wheat in S. Thomas Iland should shut vp all into the Blade and neuer beare graine 3 Why in the same Iland no fruit which hath any stone in
it will euer prosper 4 Why our Mastiffes a seruiceable kinde of creature against the molestation of Wolues and such hurtfull beasts transported into France should after a litter or two degenerate into Curres and proue altogether vnseruiceable 5 Why with vs in England some places produce Sheep of great stature but course wooll other places small Sheep but of very fine wooll which being naturally transplanted will in a generation or two so degenerate the one into the others nature that the greater sheep loose somewhat of their greatnesse yet improue their fleeces as the other increase their stature but loose much in the finenesse of their wooll 6 Why many places at the ridge of the mountaines Andi in America cannot bee passed ouer without extreame vomitting and griping euen vnto death 7 Why a Riuer in the Indies should haue such a nature to breed a great long worme in a mans leg which oftentimes proues mortall vnto the patient with infinite the like examples found in Geographers concerning the nature and accidents of Fountaines Hearbs Trees Beasts and Men themselues as wee shall shew hereafter so much varied according to the disposition of the soyle what wiser answer can an ingenious man expect then silence or admiration for to make recourse to Sympathies Antipathies and such hidden qualities with the current of our Philosophers is no other then in such sort to confesse our owne ignorance as if notwithstanding wee desired to bee accounted learned for beside the difference of the termes wherein euery Mountebanke may talke downe a iudicious Scholler I see no aduantage betwixt a Clowne which sayes he is ignorant of the cause of such an effect or of a iuggling Scholler which assignes the cause to bee a sympathie antipathie or some occult quality I speake not this to countenance supine blockishnesse or to cast a blocke in the way of curious industrie The former disposition I haue alwayes hated and the latter still wished in my selfe and admitted in others All which I can in this matter propose to a curious wit to bee sought must bee reduced to one of these two heads for either such admirable effects as we haue mentioned must arise from some Formall and Specificall vertue in the soyle or from some extraordinary Temperament made of a rare combination of the Elements and their secondary mixtures as of Hearbs Stones Mineralls and vapours arising from such and affecting the Aire of both which wee shall haue some occasion to treat in the particular Adiuncts of places yet so as I feare I shall neither giue my selfe content or my Reader any sufficient satisfaction But In magnis voluisse sat est 11 Hitherto of the common imbred Adiuncts of the Earth Topographically taken Next we will speake somewhat of the Magneticall Affections of a place These are in number two viz Variation and Declination We haue in our former Treatise of the Magneticall nature of the Earth handled diuerse other affections growing from the Magneticall Temper and disposition of the terrestriall Globe whence some man might here collect this repetition to bee altogether needlesse or at the least imperfect omitting many other of the Magneticall Affections To this I answer that it is one thing to speake of these Affections as they agree to the whole Spheare of the Earth Another thing to consider them as they are particular proprieties and markes of particular places and Regions In the former sort haue we besides the Variation and Declination handled many other affections of the Earth magnetically considered Wee here onely speake of these two as they are speciall markes and proprieties of sqeciall places which it behooues a Topographer to obserue as a matter worthy of obseruation in the description of any place The vse shall be commended vnto vs in these two Theoremes 1. The Magneticall Variation is of no vse for the first finding out of the Longitude yet may it serue to good purpose for the Recognition of a place heretofore discouered The reason of this wee haue shewne in our former booke because the variation seldome or neuer answeres proportionally to the Longitude as some of the ancients on false grounds haue surmised whence no true consequence can bee drawne from the variation of a place to the finding out of the Longitude yet may it bee of speciall vse for the new finding out of such places as haue formerly by others beene first discouered so the variation were first by them diligently and faithfully noted and obserued first because few places in the Earth can exactly and precisely agree in the selfe-same variation but in some Degree or minute will bee found to varie Secondly if any two places should bee found to accord in the same Degree of Variation yet comparing the variation with the degree of Declination wee shall commonly finde a difference for as much as places agreeing in variation may notwithstanding varie in the Declination Thirdly if two places should be equalized in both as wee cannot deny it to bee possible yet the comparing of these two Magneticall motions with other affections as well in respect of the Earth it selfe as of the Heauens will giue at least a probable distinction of which cases it is not hard out of the obseruations of our new writers and Nauigatours to giue particular instances Concerning the first we finde the variation of the compasse at Cape Verde to bee iust 7 Degrees about the Ilands neere to Cape Verde to amount only to 4 Degrees whence a Sea-man if other helpes failed may hereafter as he passeth distinguish the one from the other and if occasion serue correct this errour In the like sort might a man otherwise altogether ignorant of the place out of former obseruations in the same Iland of Cuba distinguish betwixt Cape Corientes and Cape S. Anthony In that the one hath only 3 degrees of variatiō wheras the other hath 13 for an instance of the second case we will take the coasts of Brasill 100 leagues distant from the shoare Cape Corientes beyond Cape bonae spei which agree in the same variation to wit amounting to 7 Degrees 30 minutes which notwithstanding are distinguisht by their seuerall declination for howsoeuer the magneticall motion of variation being of late inuented hath not so particularly beene traced out in all or most places yet must the declination of each place needs be different for as much as the former hath 23 degrees of South Latitude the other none at all lying iust vnder the Equinoctiall since the Latitude as wee haue formerly taught is in some measure proportionall to the Declination For the third if any two places bee found agreeing both in Variation and Declination as may bee probably guessed of Cape Rosse in S. Iohns Iland and the west end of S. Iohn de Porto Rico the Latitude being all one as of 17 degrees 44 minutes and the variation admitting perhaps insensible difference to wit of a little more then one degree yet might this helpe conioyned with former
Trauellers report or some small obseruation of heauenly bodies or sounding the bottome of the Sea settle our opinion and make a plaine distinction 2 The Declination of any place being knowne the Latitude may also bee found out although not without some errour The ground of this Assertion we haue formerly handled in the Treatise of the Magneticall Affections of the Earth where wee haue shewed that the Declination of the Magneticall needle is alwayes answerable in some proportion to the Latitude of the place whence it must needs follow that the declination any where being found out together with the proportion the Latititude must needs be knowne In this point I referre my Reader to D. Ridleye's late Treatise of Magneticall bodies and Motions wherein hee by the helpe of M. Briges hath calculated a certaine briefe table for this purpose But that this manner of Inuention of the Latitude of a place must needs admit of some errour cannot well be denied for as much as Gilbert Ridley and others which haue written of this subiect haue acknowledged this motion of Declination to bee in many places irregular and not answerable in due proportion to the Degrees of Latitude which diuerse friends of mine well experienced in magneticall experiments haue to their great wonder confessed 12 This much for the Internall Adiuncts The Externall I call such as are not imprest into the Earth but externally adjacent or adioyning vnto it Here ought wee to consider the Aire adioyning to any place with his Qualities and Proprieties 13 The Ayrie properties of a place consist in such matters wherewith the Ayre according to diuerse places is diuersly affected and disposed In the Ayre we ought to note a twofold temper and quality the one Inbred and Essentiall the other Externall and Accidentall â—he former whether it bee heat ioyned with moisture as Aristotle aâ—â—irmes or cold ioyned with moisture as some others I leaue it to the Naturall Philosopher to dispute The latter being that to which our purpose is chiefly ingaged and that no farther then may appertaine to the Topicall description of a speciall Countrey These accidents being so various and many we are inforced to reduce them to a few generall heads which we will couch in this our Theoreme 1 The disposition of the Ayre adjacent to a place depends chiefely on the Temperament of the Soyle Those things wherewith the Aëriâ—ll Region is affected are of two sorts to wit either the Temperament consisting in the mixture of the foure first Qualities or else the bodies themselues as Meteors drawne vp into the Aire whereof these accidentall dispositions arise That both these chiefly depend from the Tempâ—rament of the Earthly Soyle of a certaine place many reasons will demonstrate first that Meteors whatsoeuer they are take their originall from the Earth is plaine 1 Out of the name which signifies things lifted vp to shew that a Meteor is lifted and drawne out of the Earth 2 Out of the materiall composition which can no where else take this composition For either wee should deriue it from the Heauens or from the Ayre it selfe or from the Fire From the Heauens it cannot take originall because it is corruptible and therefore of no heauenly substance according to Peripateticke Philosophie Not from it selfe because the aire being supposed a simple and vncompounded body cannot admit of such mixture Not from the Fire first because all Meteors partake not of fierie nature Secondly because fire cannot well subsist but of some matter whereon it may worke and conserue it selfe which can bee no other then that which is of a glutinous substance which wee no where finde but in the earthly Globe consisting of Earth and Water out of whose store-houses the matter of all such pendulous substances in the aire is deriued These Meteors may bee deriued from the Earth into the Aire two manner of wayes First Directly and immediatly by an immediate ascent or rising of exhalations from some one particular place into the Ayrie space right ouer it Secondly Obliquely to wit when Vapours or other such exhalations are by some violence or other carried from one place into another as winde which being ingendred in one place continually bloweth into another Againe the former may happen two wayes for either this rising of Exhalations out of the Earth is Ordinary or Extraordinary Ordinary I call that whereby the thinne parts of the water or Earth are continually spread and diffused through the whole Region of the Ayre for wee cannot imagine otherwise then that at all times and places the Terrestriall Globe composed of Earth and Water continually sends and euaporates out some thinne or rarified parts wherewith the earth is affected Whether this Rarefaction or Euaporation of the water bee the true substance of the Aire it selfe as some haue probably coniectured or else sâ—me other body different from it I will not here dispute This much will necessarily follow that it proceeds originally from the Earth right vnder it This vapour being ingendred from the water or moister parts of the Earth is much varied and temper'd according to the place from which it ariseth For the matter of the Earth being various and diuerse in disposition as well in regard of various veines of minerall substances whereof it consists as of the first and second qualities thereof arising must of necessity cause the Aire about each Region to bee of the same quality Whence a probable reason may bee shewne why of two places although both like in respect of the Heauens and other circumstances one should bee hot the other cold one healthie another contagious the one of a sharpe and thinne aire the other of a foggy dull temper For no question but the minerall matter whereof the soile of the Earth consists being not euery where Solid and hard but euery where intermedled with a vaporous and fluide substance must needs challenge a great interest in the temperament of the Ayre aâ— that which is the first mother if not of the Aire it selfe yet at least of the accidentall dispositions thereof The Extraordinary euaporations I call such as arise out of the Earth by some extraordinary concurse of the Sunne with some other Starres These are many times subiect to sense which happen not at all times and places such as are clowdes windes and such like which arise not naturally by their owne accord by a perpetuall emanation but are by some greater strength of the Sunne or Starres ratifying the parts of the earth or water drawne vp to the Aire about it Now for the Meteors Indirectly and obliquely belonging to any place amongst many other instances we may bring the winde which bloweth from one Region to another which according to ordinary experience partaketh of a twofold quality the one deriued from the place whence it is ingendred the other from the Region through which it passeth Which may appeare by our foure Cardinall windes as they are with vs in England Belgia and higher Germany For first
holy Scripture and it is not vnlikely â—hat many of those 〈◊〉 people fetcht their first originall from them The second cause may bee drawne from the Industrie and labour of the inhabitants in tillage and manuring of the ground wherein the Soâ—â—herne inhabitant hath beene more deficiâ—nt Foâ— it is certaine out of the holy Scripture that Noahs Arke wherâ—in was thâ— Seminary of mankinde and almost all other liuâ—â—g 〈◊〉 rested in â—he Northerne part of the world whence both man and beasts beganne to be propagated toward the Southâ—punc no farther then necessity enforced the Regions inhabited gâ—â—wing daily more and more populous and as iâ— were groaning to bee deliuered oâ— some of her children Hence may bee inferred â—wo consecâ—aries First that the Northerne Hemispheare was 〈◊〉 sooner and is now therefore â—ore populous then the Southerne Secondly that the chiefest and principall men which were best seated rathâ—r chose to keepe their ancient habitation sending such abroad who could either bee best spared or had the smallest possessions at home Yet notwithstanding it cannot be imagined but they retained with them a sufficient company and more then went away Out of which it must needs be granted that the Northerne halfe of the Earth being best inhabited should be best manured and cultured from whence the ground must in time proue more fruitfull and commodious for habitation for as a fruitfull Countrey for want of the due manuring and tillage doth degenerate and waxe barren so diuerse barren and sterill Countreyes haue by the industrie of the Inhabitants beene brought to fertilitie and made capable of many good commodities necessary for mans life If I were curious to draw arguments from the nature of the Heauens I could alleage the Greatnesse and Multitude of Starres of the greater magnitude in our Northerne Hemispheare wherein the Southerne is deficient as also the longer soiourning of the Sun in our Northerne Hemispheare but these as vncertaine causes I passe ouer Other reasons may perchance bee found out by those who are inquisitiue into the secrets of nature to whom I leaue the more exact search of these matters 4 Either Hemispheare consisting of 90 Degrees may be diuided into three parts each of them containing 30 Degrees 5 Of these parts 30 we allot for Heat 30 for Cold and 30 for Temperature whereof the former lyeth towards the Equatour the second towards the Pole the third betwixt both The ancient Cosmographers as wee haue shewed in our former Treatise diuided the whole Globe of the Earth into fiue Zones which they supposed had also proportionally diuided the Temper and disposition of the Earth In such sort that according to the Degrees of Latitude the Heat and Cold should in rease or diminish Which rule of theirs had beene very certaine were there no other causes concurrent in the disposition of the Earth and Ayre but onely the Heauens But sithence that many other concurrent causes as we haue shewed mixe themselues with these celestiall operations and the experiment of Nauigatours haue found out a disproportion in the quality in respect of the Distance some later writers haue sought out a new pertition more consonant to naturall experience The whole Latitude of the Hemispheare consisting of 90 Degrees from the Equatour to the Pole they haue diuided into three parts allowing 30 Degrees toward the Equatour to Heat 30 Degrees towards the Pole to Cold and the other 30 Degrees lying betwixt both to Temperature These 30 Degrees for Imagination sake they haue subdiuided againe each of them into two parts contayning 15 Degrees a peece more particularly to designe out the speciall disposition of each Region lying either Northward or Southward from the Equatour which is the bound betwixt both Hemispheares In the first section of 30 Degrees lying Northward from the Equatour wee comprehend in Africke Numidia Nigritarum Regio Lybia Guinia Nubia Egypt Ethiopia superior In Asia Arabia India Insulae Philippinae In America Noua Hispania Hispaniola Cuba with other parts of America Mexicana In the other extreame section from 60 Degrees of Latitude to the Pole wee comprehend in Europe Groenland Island Friesland Norwey Suethland for the most part Noua Zembla In Asia a great part of Scythia Orientalis In America Anian Quivira with diuerse other parts of the North of America Mexicana In the middle betwixt both betwixt 30 and 60 Degrees of Latitude wee comprehend in Africa Barbarie in Europe all the kingdomes except those North Prouinces before named and almost all Asia except some places toward the South as Arabia India and the Philippinae Insulae formerly placed in the first Section In like manner may we diuide the Southerne Hemispheare into three Sections In the first from the Equatour 30 Degrees we place in Africke Congo Monomotapa Madagascar In the Southerne Tract Beach and Noua Guinia with many Ilands thereunto adioyning as many of the Philippinae Insulae with Insulae Solomonis In America Peru Tisnada Brasilia with the most part of that Region which they call America Peruana In the other extreame Section from 60 Degrees to the Antarctike Pole is couched the most part of that great land scarce yet discouered called Terra Australis Incognita In the middle Region betwixt both from 30 to 60 Degrees shall wee finde placed in America the Region of the Pantagones in the Southerne Continent Maletur Iauaminor with many others In discouering the qualities of these seuerall Sections or partitions of the earth our chiefest discourse must be addressed to the Northerne Hemispheare as that is more discouered and knowne amongst old and new writers by which according to the former Proposition one may parallell the other concerning which wee will inferre these Propositions 1 In the first Section of the Hemispheare the first 15 Degrees from the Equatour are found somewhat Temperate the other 15 about the Tropicks exceeding Hot. That the Region lying vnder the Equatour is Temperately hot contrary to the opinion almost of all the Ancients hath beene in part proued heretofore as well by reason as experiment for that all places by how much the neerer they approach the Equatour by so much more should bee hotter as some imagine diuerse instances will contradict It is reported by Aluarez that the Abyssine Embassadour arriuing at Lisbone in Portugall was there almost choaked with extreame heat Also Pâ—rguer the Germane relates that hee hath felt the weather more hot about Dantzicke and the Balticke Sea then at Tholouse in a â—eruent Summer The causes which wee haue before touched are chiefly two The first is that the Sun is higher in this orbe in respect of those vnder the Equatour and moueth more swiftly from them spending on them onely twelue houres whence so great an impression of heat cannot bee made as in other places for heat being a materiall quality must necessarily require some Latitude of time to bee imprest into the ayre or any other subiect From the Diminution of heat in the Region must the ayre needs receaue into
fed themselues with vnknowne substance and the Castilians with painted shadowes But to let passe the quantity as a matter of lesse moment and lesse questioned a great disparity will bee found in the Quality and Dâ—sposition For what one commodity almost was euer found in this Continent which is not onely parallelled but surmounted by this our Hemispheare If we compare the Mines of Gold and Siluer wherein consists the wealth and riches of both places our East Indies will easily challenge the superiority If Trees Plants Herbage and Graines let our Physicians and Apothecaries iudge who owe most of the medicinable drugges to India Let our Merchants answer which owe their Spices to Arabia their Wine to Spaine Italy the Mediterranean Graecian and Indian Ilands their Silkes Linnen Cloathing and their furniture almost wholly to Europe If wee compare the multitude and various kindes of Beasts bred and nourished in either place no question but Europe Asia and Africa can shew farre greater Heads of Sheepe Cattle and such like with farre greater variety of kindes then euer were found in this new found Continent If all these failed yet the well tempered disposition of the Europaeans and Asians in respect of this barbarous and vnnurtured place disdaines all comparison where wee shall obserue on the one side a people long since reduced to ciuility instructed as well in liberall sciences as handy-crafts armed with martiall discipline ordered by Lawes and ciuill gouernment bound with a conscience and sense of Religion on the other side a multitude of miserable and wretched nations as farre distant from vs inciuility as place wanting not only Gouernment Arts Religion and such helps but also the desire being senselesse of their owne misery 2 The difference of East and West cannot worke a diuersitie in two places by any diuersity of the Heauens East and West places compared together are either of equall or vnequall Latitude For places of vnequall Latitude no question can bee made but they receaue a greater variety of Temper from the Heauens as wee haue formerly proued but this disparity growes not out of the diuersity of East and West but the distance of North and South But that places alike situate in Latitude cannot vary by any diuersity of the heauens is plaine for as much as all things to them rise and set alike without any diuersity wherefore if any such diuersity bee at any place found we ought not to seeke the cause thereof in the heauens but rather in the condition of the Earth it selfe which no question suffers in diuerse places of the same Latitude a great variety 8 Either Hemispheare may againe Respectiuely be subdiuided into the West or East The West in this our Hemispheare I call that which is neerer the Canary Ilands the East that which lieth towards the Molucco Ilands to which points there are others correspondent in the other Hemispheare 1 Places situate towards the East in the same Latitude are hotter then those which are placed towards the West For the explanation of this Theoreme we are to examine two matters First what probability may induce vs to beleeue the East to bee hotter temper then the West Secondly what should bee the cause of this diuersity in both places being supposed equally affected in respect of the Heauens for confirmation of the former many reasons haue beene alleaged of old and late writers It is agreed on saith Bodin with a ioint consent of the Hebrewes Greeks and Latines that the East is better tempered then the West which hee labours to confirme First out of many speeches of â—zekiel Esay and the other Prophetâ— where the East seemes to challenge a dignity and prerogatiue aboue the West which betokeneth as he imagines a blessing of the one aboue the other But I dare not venter on this Interpretation without a farther warrant Secondly wee may here produce the testimony of Pliny in his seuenth booke where hee affirmes that by ordinary obseruation it is found that the pestilence commonly is carried from the East into the West which Bodin testifies himselfe to haue found by experience in Galia Narbonensis and many other history seemes to iustifie Amianus a Greeke Author obserues that Seleucia being taken and a certaine porch of the Temple being opened wherein were shut certaine secret mysteries of the Chaldeans that a suddaine contagion arose of incurable diseases which in the time of Marcus and Verus from the farthermost ends of Persia spread it selfe as farre as the Rhâ—â—â— and France and filled all the way with heapes of carkasses If at any time the contagion bee obserued to bee carried another way an vniuersall pestilence is feared as according to the histories there happened not long after from Ethiopia towards the North which infested the greatest part of the world A third proofe may bee drawne from the testimony of Aristotle Hippocrates Gallen Ctâ—sias and other graue Autâ—ors who affirme that all things are bred better and fairer in Asia then in Europe which must needs argue a better temperature To backe which Testimonies we need goe no farther then moderne obseruation Euery Geographer will tell you how farre in fertility Natolia in Asia surmounts Spaine and China vnder the same Latitude exceeds both who knowes not how farre Fez and Morocco on the Westerne Verge of Africa stand inferiour to Egypt a most fruitfull and happy Region And how farre short both these come of India situate in the same Climate An argument of greater heat in the Easterne places may bee the multitude of Gold and Siluer-mines Spices and other such like commodities wherein Asia excells Europe whereas such mettals and commodities as require not so great a measure of heat in their conâ—oction are rather found in Europe then in Asia whence there seemes to arise a certaine correspondency of the East with the South and the West with the North. The greatest reason of all is taken from the Temper and naturall disposition of the Inhabitants for as much as the European resembling the Northerne men shewes all the Symptomes of inward heat strengthned with externall cold The Asiaticke followes the disposition of the Southerne man whose inward heat is exhausted by externall scorching of the Sunne-beames and therefore partakes more of Chollâ—r-adust or melancholy But this point wee shall more fully prosecute in due place To shew a cause of this variety is very difficult Those which in wit and learning haue farre exceeded my poore scantling haue herein rather confessed their owne ignorance then aduentured their iudgement It were enough to satisfie an ingenuous minde to beleeue that Almighty God was pleased in the first creation of the world to endow the Easterne part of the Earth with a better temper of the Soyle from whence all the rest deriue their originall which seemes not improbable in that he made Asia the first resting place of man after the Creation the second Seminary of mankinde after the Deluge the onely place of our Sauiours Incarnation In this matter I
mountaines out of which such springs arise cannot be capable of so great a concauity neither can it otherwise be imagined but that many great riuers since the beginning had either bin absolutely dried vp or at least diminished in their quantity their Cisterns being daily more and more emptied out into their channells If they graunt that of this water a fresh supply be made it must be either from the sea or from vapours in the earth It cannot bee from the sea because as wee haue proued before the sea is lower then the fountaines where springs breake out of the Earth forasmuch as we see them runne to the sea from their fountaines as from a higher to a lower place That this supply of water in the depth of the earth should bee made by vapours it is also improbable in their opinion who cannot imagine so many ingendred in one place as to feed so great currents as also because many riuers were apparant in the first creation as the foure great currents of Paradice This obiection hath so farre driuen the Iesuits to their shifts as that they haue bin enforced to haue recourse to the opinion of Thomas Aquinas who dreames that the waters are enforced vpwardâ— by the influence of the heauens which they a litle before â—ast by and we haue before sufficiently refuted And whereas in the subsequent clause they labour to salue this place of Ecclesiastes That all Riuers come from the sea and returne thither againe They are constrained to leaue their old grounds and â—unne backe to Aristotle who holds that all riuers had their originall from vapours drawne vp by the sunne whereof the sea is the chiefe mother It will bee expected at least that we should disclose our owne opinion hauing censured the former which we will briefly doe as neere as probability can lead vs submitting also to those which are more iudicious First therefore we will suppose as probable that the earth is in a manner compassed round about with water for howsoeuer the places more eminent and separated for our habitation be dry land yet not farre vnder the superficies of the earth whereon we tread is the earth sprinkled round with water for which we may draw an argument aswell froÌ„ the Porous and spongy nature of the Earth which is apt to drinke in the water of the sea in the same hight because it is the nature of the water to diffuse it selfe abroad as also from experience of Minors and such as digg deepe into the earth who in most parts find water 2ly this water so enuironing the earth were it left to it's own naturall situation without an externall Agent would lift his superficies no higher then the superficies of the sea because being as one with the sea it will challenge the same Sphericall superficies Now to know how the water thus naturally settled is notwihtstanding lifted vp higher to become the source of Springs we must vnderstand that it comes to passe not onely by the heat of the sunne and starres piercing farte vnder the superficies of the earth according to the circle we haue allotted to the water But also to subterranean fires hid in the bowells of the earth in many places which are caused by sulphurous matter set on fire by the sunne or some other accident whether this sulphurous matter be pure Brimstone or Bitumen or a mine of sea-coale as some haue thought of our Baâ—hâ—s in England I will not curiously here dispute being of it selfe too large a subiect for me in this place to handle This heat may be conceiued to concur to the production of fountaines 2 manner of waies First by drawing vp diuerse moist vapours which by reason of the thicknesse and solidity of the earth being not presently euaporated out of the superficies of the earth are enforced to disperse themselues through diuerse crooked passages where condensated by cold distilling againe into drops of water they breake out through some places of the earth and so become a fountaine A second way which may also seeme probable is that the Heat peircing the Subterranean Water though not able to dissolue much of it into vapours for the solidity of the earth may notwithstanding through his heat Rarifie and attenuate these waters These waters then rarified must needs seeke a greater place wherein they may be contained sith Rarefaction is nothing else but the extension of a body to a greater place then before it occupied Hence is the Water enforced to enlarge his limits This enlargement or the place cannot be downeward towards the Center because all that place was supposed to be filled vp as farre as the Earth could drinke it Wherefore it must needs extend it's limits sidewise or vpwards By the former of which it may find a passage to breake forth on the superficies of the ground By the latter it may be lifted high enough to runne from the side of a higher mountaine towards the Sea-shore If any man should aske why this Rarefaction swelling of the Water is not so sensible in the open Ocean I answere that the sea is also much rarified lifted vp by reason of the sunnes heate which whether it be the cause of ebbing and flowing of the sea in part we haue before disputed Secondly that the sea-water should not rise so high as other water vnder the ground these reasons may be giuen First that the Ocean hath a larger channell to runne abroad on either side and so this swelling must of necessity become more insensible whereas the Waters in cauerns concauities of the Earth being oftentimes straightly bounded on either side by the narrownesse of the channell must of necessity take vp the more in hight and eminency 2 the Sunne heauenly bodies and subterranean fires worke more strongly and effectually on the open nakednes of the sea then on the waters hid vnder the ground which are more shrowded from such an extreame heat Whence it comes to passe that many parts of the sea are dissolued into vapours and so consumed and dispelled by the same Whereas this heat in the Subterranean waters being more moderatly impressed doeth not dissolue into vapours and consume so great a quantity of water but being of a middle temper rather rarifies it to the vse forenamed This seemes the more probable because spring water rising commonly in the sides of mountaines is for the most part thinner then the Sea-water as experience dayly warrants Thirdly the subterranean vapours are sooner dissolued into dropps of water by reason of the cold they must necessarily meete within their passage through the Earth whereas the other from the Sea meet with no such encounter till they arriue at the Middle-Region of the Aire whence they returne againe in showres of Raine 2 All riuers and Fountaines were not from the beginning For the confirmation of this assertion many histories may be produced It is reported that in Caria neere about the city Lorus there arose out of the Earth
grounds yet these few instances drawne from the particular disposition of the Earth it selfe cannot much impeach our proposition which takes notice only of the situation of the Earth in respect of the cardinall points of North and South compared with the Heauens CHAP. XI 1 HItherto haue we treated of the Absolute adiuncts of the land we are now to speak of the Relatiue which imply a respect of the Land to the Sea 2 From this Termination of the land with the sea there ariseth a twofold distinction The first is of the land into Continent and Ilands 3 A Continent is a great quantity of land consisting of many Kingdomes and Regions not diuided by Water the one from the other An Iland is a parcell of land compassed round with the sea An Iland is called in Latin Insula quasi in salo because it stands in the Sea some would haue it in English termed an Iland as it were Eye of the land But this deriuation seemes affected and not naturall it might seeme more naturally to be deriued from the French L'Isle But wee will not dispute of the name It is enough to vnderstand that an Iland is a portion of the habitable Earth euery where enuironed with the sea orat least with some great Riuer but this last sense seemes more improper then the other yet oftentimes vsed as Meroe in Africa an Iland of Nilus and the Iland of Eely in England To this is opposed the Continent as that land which being not diuided and separated by the sea containes in it many Empires and Kingdomes as Europe Asia Africke America all which as farre as wee can yet gather are vnited and ioyned together in one continuate land Strabo affirmes out of this in his 1 Boooke and first Chapter of Geographie that the whole Earth is one Iland sith all these knowne parts of the Earth are compassed about with the sea on euery side But this opinion cannot stand with reason or moderne obseruation First because this acception is too large for as much as an Iland is properly taken for a smaller part diuided from the rest of the land and opposed to the Continent whereas if this sense were admitted the distinction of land into Continent and Iland would haue no place or at least the same in a diuerse respect might bee called a Continent and an Iland But it is plaine that Ilands were alwayes opposed to the continent to which although separate by Water they were supposed to belong as to Europe Asia Africke America or Magellanica or some other as Geographers haue reduced them Secondly because it was a bold coniecture to thinke the whole world to consist only of those parts found out in Strabos time For besides the two parts of America since that time discouered by Columbus another great portion is since that time found out in the South by the coniecture of Ferdinando de Quir comming neere the quantity of Europe Asia and Africa Which howsoeuer it be round enuironed with sea and thâ—refore might seeme an Iland yet in respect of the greatnes of it and the many regions and kingdomes it containes it may well bee reputed a continent To which many lesser Ilands belong 1 It is probable that Ilands were not from the first creation but were made afterwards either by the vniuersall deluge or some other violence of the Water It hath been the opinion of diuerse learned men that Ilands werâ— not onely before the Flood but from the first creation of the world because they seeme no lesse to make for the ornament of the Earth then diuers Lakes and Riuers dispersed on the Land But this argument seemes very weake first because a greater ornament seemes to consist in vniformity then confusion besides the ornament must not bee measured by our phantasie but Gods Almighty pleasure and will expressed in his owne workmanship and that hee created Ilands in the beginning is the thing in question That Ilands were not from the Creation many probable reasons are alleaged First â—rom the words in the 1 of Genesis Dixit verò Deus congregentur aequae quae sub coelo sunt in locum vnum appareat arida factum est ita vocauit Deus aridam terram congregationesque Aquarum appellauit maria By which may be collected that the waters were gathered together in their own place by themselues and therefore had no such intercourse betwixt Land and Land as now they haue admitting Ilands wherefore it is more probable that such Ilands as now appeare were either caused by that Vniuersall Deluge of Noah or by some other Accidents for it is most certaine that the Sea on the Land some-where gaines and other-where in recompence of it it looseth againe as may appeare by the 14 of Genesis where it is said of the comming together of certaine Kings Hi omnes conuenâ—runt in vallem Syluestrem quae nunc est mare salis out of which it is euident that that parcell of ground which was a woody place in the time of Abraham was before the time of Moses become the Salt Sea Many examples of the like are giuen vs by Pliny in his Naturall History which we shall haue occasion to vrge hereafter And therefore it is no hard thing to belieue that since the first beginning of the world all Ilands might bee produced in this sort Another argument by which they would â—stablish this opinion is that wee see almost all Ilands of the Earth not onely inhabited of mankind but also furnished with diuerse kindes of Beasts some tame some wilde some wholesome some venomous some vsefull some altogether vnprofitable Now it seemes very vnlikely that men bâ—ing in elder times and now also in most places of the Earth altogether vnskilfull in the Art of Nauigation should venture so farre on the maine Ocean to people Countreyes so far distant sith at this day wherein Nauigation is arriued at a great perfection hauing the helps both of the Chart and Compasse altogether vnknowne vnto the ancients wee see most Nations very scrupulous in searching out farre remote Countreyes But admit this were ouercome by mans Industrie which no doubt is much increased by Necessity yet cannot it bee very probable that so many sundry kindes of beasts should in this sort bee transported for howsoeuer wee coniecture concerning such beasts as necessarily serue for mans sustenance yet seemes it hard to thinke that man should bee so improuident and enuious to the place of his own Habitation as to transport rauenous venomous vnwholesome and vnprofitable creatures for by no other meâ—nes but by transportation can such beasts bee imagined to bee brought into Ilands For the first originall of all creatures in the Creation was in or neere Paradice which wee shall proue to haue been â—n the Continent of Asia the second Seminary was in the Arke which by the testimony of the Scriptures was first disburthened in the same Continent How from hence they should spread themselues into Ilands is the
Peninsula's the most famous are Africa Scandia Taurica Chersonesus Peloponnesus and America Peruana That little parcell of land which ioynes this Peninsula with the maine land we call an Istmus which is a narrow necke of land betwixt two seas ioyning two Continents such as are Istmus Corinthiacus and Istmus Cimbricus more famous are those two narrow lands whereof the one lyeth betwixt Peruana and Mexico in America the other diuiding Africke from Asia A Promontorie is a great mountaine stretching it selfe far into the sea whose extremity is called a Cape or Head of which the most remarkeable are the Cape of good hope in Africke 2. The Cape of S. Vincent in Portugall 3. The Cape of Comary in Asia 4. The Cape de la Victoria in America Our obseruation concerning this distinction shall bee comprised in this Theoreme 1 Peninsula's by the violence of the sea fretting through the Istmus haue oftentimes beene turned into Ilands and contrariwise sometimes Peninsula's by diminution of the sea made of Ilands This proposition is not hard to proue if any credit ought to bee gâ—uen to ancient writers for it is commonly related that Sicily was heretofore ioyned to Italy Cyprus to Syria Euboea with Boeotia Besbicum with Bythinia all which at this day are Ilands separated and diuided from the continent The like hath beene coniectured of our Brittany which some imagined heretofore to haue beene ioyned with the continent of France about Douer and Calais as may seeme probably to be gathered out of the correspondency of the Cliffs whereof we haue spoken in this chapter before the agreement of the soyle the smalnesse of the distance and many more arguments remembred by vs else-where Also it hath beene obserued on the other side that the sea in some places leauing his ancient bounds hath ioyned some Ilands to the land making Peninsulas of Ilands In this sort if wee belieue antiquity was Antissa ioyned to Lesbos Zephirium to Halicarnassus Ethusa to Mindus Promiscon to Miletum Narthucusa to the Promontory of Parthenius In these antiquities it behooues euery man to iudge without partiality according to reason not ascribing too much to fabulous narrations wherein those ages did abound neither yet shewing himselfe too incredulous For as much as we cannot charge these Authors with any manifest absurdity The speciall and particular arguments by which wee should establish our assertion wee must according to the rules of method reserue to the speciall part where we shall treat ofspeciall Countreyes CHAP. XII 1 OF the perpetuall Accidents of the land we haue spoken somewhat it remaines in this place wee treat of the Casuall 2 The casuall I call such as happen not ordinarily at all times such as are Inundations and Earth-quakes 3 An Inundation is an ouerwhelming of the land by Water Howsoeuer it bee certaine out of holy Scriptures that God hath set the sea his certaine bounds and limits which it cannot passe yet the same God sometimes to shew his speciall iudgement on some place or age hath extraordinarily permitted the sea sometimes to breake his appointed limits and inuade the Iurisdiction of the land This wee call a Deluge or Inundation The inundations which euer haue been obserued on the Earth are of two sorts either Vniuersall or particular An vniuersall is that whereby the whole face of the Earth is couered with water whereof we haue onely two examples The first was in the first creation of the world when as wee read in the Scriptures the whole face of the Earth was round inueloped with Water which couered the tops of the highest mountaines till such time as God by a supernaturall hand made a separation of the Waters from the dry land But this is improperly called an Inundation because the same properly taken implies as much as an ouer-flowing of that which was dry land before The second as we read in Genesis happened in the time of Noah when God for the sinne of man drowned the whole world breaking open the cataracts of Heauen and loosing the springs of the deepe Particular inundations are such as are not ouer the whole Earth but in some particular places or regions Such a deluge according to Genebrardus happened in the time of Enos wherein a third part of the Earth was drowned The like iâ— spoken of Ogygeâ— King of Athens that in his time happened a very great Inundation which drowned all the confines and coasts of Attica and Achaia euen to the Aegean sea In which time it was thought that Buras and Helice Cities of Achaia were swallowed vp whereof Ouid in his Metamorphosis speakes thus Si quaeras Helicen Buran Achaidos vrbes Inuenies sub aquis Buras and Helice on Achaiâ—n ground Are sought in vaine but vnder seas are found As famous was the Inundation of Thessaly in Deucalions time mentioned not onely by profane writers and Poets but also by S. Augustin Ierom and Eusebius which would haue it to happen in the time of Cranaus who next after Cecrops gouerned Athens This inundation was exceeding great extending it selfe not onely ouer all Thessaly and the regions adioyning westward but ouerwhelmed the greatest part of Italy The same or other happening neere the same time oppressed Aegypt if Eusebius may obtaine credit Hence some would haue the people of Italy to haue been called Vmbrij as Pliny and Solinus report quia ab imbribus diluuij superfuissent But this Etymologie seemes too farre fetcht There are also two other notable Inundations meÌ„tioned by ancient writers which fell out in Aegypt from the Riuer of Nilus whereof the first couered all the neither Aegypt which was subiect to Prometheus and hence as Natalis Comes obserues was the fable drawne of the vulture lighting on Prometheus liuer afterwards slaine by Hercules For as Diodorus Siculus obserues the Riuer Nilus for the swiftnes of his course was in ancient time called an Eagle This Riuer afterwards did Hercules by his great â—kill and iudgement streiten and bound reducing it into narrow channels whence some Greeke Poets turning Hercules labours into fables faigned that Hercules slew the Eagle which sed on Prometheus brest meaning that hee deliuered Prometheus out of that sorrow and losse which hee and his people sustained by that Inundation The second of these Egyptian flouds happened about Pharus in Egypt where Alexander the great built Alexandria To these may bee added many more of lesser moment as well in ancient times as in our dayes As that of Belgia in some parts mentioned before on another occasion and not many yeeres since in some parts of Somerset-shire with vs in Britanny 1 No vniuersall Inundation of the Earth can be Naturall The other may depend on some Naturall causes Of the causes of Inundations many disputes haue beene amongst Naturall Philosophers some haue trusted so farre to Nature that they haue ascribed not only particular Inundations but that vniuersall Deluge in the time of Noah to second causes of this opinion was Henricus Mecliensis a Schollar of
meant Heauen it selfe as many imagine But to confirme that this terrestriall Paradise is such a place some men produce these Arguments First that it is reported by Solinus that there is a place exceeding delightsome and healthsome on the top of Mount Athos called Acrothones which being seated about clouds or raine or such inconueniences the people by reason of their long liues are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly they alleage for the hight of this Paradise that Enoch was there preserued from the violence of the flood as Isidore and Peter Lombaard maintaine But this opinion was of the Diuines condemned in the Florentine counsell and first where as they say that such a pleasant place is in the top of the mountaine Athos this neither proues that this is Paradise neither is it so high as they would haue it For euery high and pleasant place is not Paradise Secondly whereas they would haue Enoch and Elias preserued in the place it is expressely against Holy Scripture which affirmes directly that the waters ouer-flowed all the mountaines making no such distinction Secondly should wee credit this we might as well beleiue that certaine Giants saued themselues in that high place as some haue beleiued Besides the answer of their friuolous arguments these reasons may bee brought against their assertion First that such a place cannot be commodious to liue in for being so neare the moon it had also bin too neare the sun Secondly because in this sort it had bin too neare a neighbour to the Element of fire Thirdly because as many hold the Aire in that Region by the motion of the heauens is carried about so violently as nothing there can well consist Fourthly because according to Ptolomy the place between the Earth and the Moone is seuenteene times the Diameter of the Earth which make by a grosse accompt about 120000 miles Hence it must needs follow that Paradise being lifted vp to this great hight must haue the compasse of the whole Earth for a basis or foundation But this cannot be imagined first because it would be subiect to the eyes and knowledge of men Secondly it would hide the light of the Sunne for the first part of the day being on the East side Thirdly it would ouer-poize the Earth and so make it to shrinke out of his place one side being farre greater and heauier then the other The fourth conceit is of Tertullian Bonauenture and Durandus who would haue Paradise to bee seated vnder the Aequatour because that contrary to the opinion of most of all the Ancients they thought this place to be most pleasant and commodious for habitation It is true that the places vnder the Aequinoctial are not so burnt with the Sunne as some thought but as we haue proued out of latter Nauigators very pleasant and fruitfull for the most part yet cannot this be the place of Paradise for asmuch as the Riuers of Paradise mentioned in holy Scripture are not found to meet there which argument might also confute them which thought it was seated vnder the North-pole The last opinion which I hold the truest is of some latter Writers that Paradise was seated in a Region South-east from Mesopotania which is most amply and copiously proued by Sr Walter Rawleigh to whom I referre my Reader only two reasons I will alleage The first from the name of Eden sith there is found an Iland of this name North-west from the place assigned very fruitfull pleasant in all commodities of the Earth and in later times knowne also by the name of Eden which is likely to haue been continued from the beginning Secondly from the Riuers of Paradise which cannot be imagined to meet in any part of the world for Tigris and Euphrates it is certaine that they are found in this very Region for the other Riuer Gihon that it is falsely vnderstood of a Riuer running through Aethiopia is also most certaine for such a Riuer could neuer meet with Euphrates which is out of question one of the Riuers of Paradise for asmuch as it is so farre distaÌ„t diuided from it by the Mediterranean Sea wherefore I am constrained rather to embrace their opinion which interpret Chut to be a part of Arabia where Chush the father of Noah seâ—â—led his first habitation which for this cause he called after his own name but afterward in processe of time his posterity growing exceeding large and populous they were enforced to passe ouer into Africa and so settle themselues in Aethiopia which place also they called after the same name as wee haue seene of later yeares the Spaniards at the first discouery of the West Indies called one place Hispaniola and another Hispania Noua in remembrance of their former habitation But howsoeuer it be certain it is that Paradise was seated in the East from whence mankind had it's first off-spring And probable it is that Adam being excluded out of Paradise was cast into some place neare adioyning thereunto which may also from our habitable place of the West be accounted Eastward 3 The first plantation of Inhabitants immediatly after the Deluge begunne in the East As Adam the father of all Nations before the flood began his ofspring in the East neere Paradise so the second father of Nations Noah in the East first beganne to repeople the world after the deluge Which besides the clearer testimony of holy Scripture may sundry waies be demonstrated First because it is most certaine that the Earth beganne first to bee peopled neere the place where the Arke rested which is the mountaine Ararat Whether this be a mountaine of Armenia as the coÌ„mon Interpreters imagine or the mountain Caucasus betwixt Scythia India as some later Writers with greater probabilities haue guessed hath suffered a great dispute all agree in this that it was Eastward I will not be here ouer curious but refer it to our historicall part where we shall particularly handle the memorable accidents of particular places Enough it is to proue that the first plantatioÌ„ after the flood was East-ward 2ly no small probability is drawne from the ciuility magnificence and populosity of these Easterne nations before others For it is certaine that many excellent Arts haue flourished amongst those Easterne people before euer our westerne climate dreamed of such matters AmoÌ„gst many other matters Artillery Printing was in vse amongst the Chinois East-Indies of ancient time long before this inuention was known to vs as the Portugalls who haue trauailed thither haue confirmed To the vse of gunnes and ordinance many suppose Philostratus to haue alluded speaking in the life of Apollonius Tiraneus lib 2. cap 14. Where he saith that the people dwelling betwixt Hyphasis and Ganges vse not to goe farre to warre but driue away their enemies with thunder and lightning sent downe from Iupiter By which meanes it is said that Hercules and Bacchus ioyning their forces were there defeated and that Hercules there cast away his golden shield
of the vsurping Turkes which professe themselues to bee vtter enemies to Learning and the true Religion To which wee may adde the ignorance of the Christian Religion in many places which is the greatest ground of solide knowledge For amongst all religions in the world there is none which giueth more way to learning then the Christian Whereas some others altogether forbid the studie of such matters yet is not this inclination so absurde in the Easterne people but that euery-where some markes and footesteps will discouer their disposition For in the East shall wee find no small number of Christian Churches and Monasteries professing Christianity and other good learning But to speake no more of the Christian Religion which wee hold rather by Gods speciall grace then nature the superstitious deuotion of these heathen nations to their owne false religions is a sufficient argument of their naturall inclination to religious exercises How obstinately peruerse Ceremonious and superstitious the Indians are found in Idolatrous Religions I haue often wondred to heare some trauaylers reporte Of the other Hemispheare comprehending America I haue as yet small euidence out of History whereon to ground any certainty all we can say shall be comprized in this Theoreme 2 The easterne part of the westerne Hemispheare was peopled before the westerne This proposition seemes probably warranted as well by reason as authority for first supposing as an infallible ground that the first ofspring of all nations was in Asia towards the East it must needs follow that to people America there should be a passage thereunto out of Asia because America was a long time not inhabited ere it was discouered to the Europaeans This passage then was either by Sea or Land Were it by sea the first part whereat they could arriue was the easterne side If wee suppose it to be by land as is most likely in those ancient times yet was it most probable it should bee on the North-east side from the Pole because it is found by obseruation that on the North-west side it is diuided from Asia by streites then must they first touch on the Easterne part To this we may adde the experience of the Castilians and Portugalls who first discouered this part who affirme that the people dwelling on that side haue beene obserued to surpasse the westerne by farre in ciuility of manners knowledge and such endowments which may bee an argument of the antiquity of their plantation CHAP. XV. 1. THe second diuersity of disposition of inhabitants ariseth from the diuerse nature of the Soile Here fowre distinctions of Nations are remarkeable 1 Of the Inhabitants of the Mountaines and plaine-Countreyes 2 Of marish and dry 3. Of windy and quiet 4. Of sea-borders and Iland-people That mens dispositions are diuersly varied according to the temper of the soile euery mans owne experience may easily enforme him for to reserue particular instances to their proper places it is most manifest that all the vitall operations of the soule depends as well vpon the corporeall and organicall parts as the spirits which being diuersely affected by the qualities of the Aire and Earth must needes vary and suffer a change Plaine and euident disâ—arity is found first betwixt two nations situate in the same Parallell or climate in respect of the heauens Secondly betwixt two men borne in seuerall Countreyes liuing together for some time in the same region Thirdly of one and the selfe-same man liuing at diuerse times in diuers regions Fourthly of a man liuing in the same Countrey at diuerse seasons and times all which being heretofore demonstrated will declare vnto vs the great Sympathy and operation the Aire and his diuerse qualities hath with and on our corporeall spirits and organs But the temperament of the Aire as we haue formerly shewed depends on the temperature of the soile whence it must needs follow that the naturall disposition of men should bee varied somewhat in respect of the soyle This disposition of the soile being manifold wee haue reduced onely to three heads leauing other curiosities to such as haue more leasure What wee iudge in this shall be declared in these Theoremes 1 Mountaine people are for the most paâ—t more stout warlike and generous then those of plaine Countreyes yet lesse tractable to gouernment Of the warlike disposition of the mountanists and their strange Impatience to subiection many Histories giue testimony Geographers repor that setting aside the people of the North to whom for strength and valour wee haue giuen the palme the Inhabitants of the mountaine Atlas are great and strong out of whom the Kings of Numidia and Mauritania in time of warre are wont to leuy their forces And it is worthy admiration to consider the mountaine people of Arabia who could neuer be drawne to yeeld to subiection but being fortified not somuch by the benefit of the place as some might happily imagine but rather by naturall strength and valour haue alwaies liued in liberty To whom as is reported the Turkes giue a yeerely stipend to keepe them off from inuading the Territories of Palaestine and Damascus Of the Maâ—sians the ancient inhabitants of the Appenine mountaines in Italy the Romans were wont so well to conceiue that it grew into a prouerbe Sine Marsis triumphasse neminem Gostane when he went about to inuade the kingdome of Succia chose his legions of souldiers out of the Dalecarly who inhabite the Succian mountaines But amongst all no nation hath purchased a greater opinion and reputation then the Heluetians liuing amongst the Alpes These men are originally descended from the Succians which for valour haue â—o farre approued themselues that they haue not onely kept themselues free from forraigne iurisdiction but haue often deliuered their neighbouring countries from slauery and oppression Against the house Austria they haue not once displaied their banners and triumphed in their ouerthrow A great part of Germany hath smarted vnder their valour and such an honorable opinion haue they wonne that they are accompted as it were the Censors and moderators to decide controuersies in matters of state and kingdomes Cicero giues grrat commendations of strength to the Ligurgians inhabiting the mountaines It is well knowne how long and tedious warres the mountaine Cilicians and Acrâ—cerauneans had with the Turkes how long with small damage they endured affront and droue them back Here we might add the examples of the Biscanes and Cantabrians in Spaine who vnder the conduct of Pelagius their King withstood the Saracens and preserued both their language and religion The like ought to be spoken of the Welsh Cornish people amongst vs as of the Scottish Highlander all which liuing in mountanous countries haue withstood the violence of forraigners and for many yâ—ares preserued their owne liberty And howsoâ—uer it may be obiected that the aduantage of the place gaue them courage yet can wee not deny their disposition due commendation hauing not only thus for a time protected their owne rights but made many hostile