drawynge to septemtryon / as moche as an horologe or clocke chaungeth nat For in erthe habytable the clockes chaungeth .vii. tymes in the bredthe of the clymates / it is of necessyte to say that they ben .vii. and where the varyacion of horologes is / there is the dyuersyte of clymates / howe be it that suche varyacyon properly oughte to be taken in the myddes of the clymatê / and nat at the begynnyng nor in the ende / for the nerenesse coÌ„uenaunce the one of the other Also one clymate hath alwayes a day artyfycyall of somer / shorter or longer than another clymate / and this daye sheweth the dyfference in the myddes of euery clymate / better than in the myddes at the ende / the whiche thynge we maye sensybly knowe at iye and therby Iudge the dyfference of the clymatê ¶ And it is to be noted that vnder the equynoccyall the dayes the nyghtes in all tymes are egall eche of .xii. houres / but comynge towarde septemtrion the dayes of somer longeth / and the wynter dayes shorteth / and the more that one approcheth septemtryon / the more waxeth the dayes in such wyse that at the ende of the laste clymate the dayes in somer ben longer by thre houres and an halfe / than they ben at the begynnynge of the firste and the pole is more reysed by .xxxviii. degrees At the begynnynge of the firste clymate the loÌ„gest daye of somer hath .xii. houres and .xlv. mynutes / and the pole is reysed on the ozyron .xii. degrees and .xlv. mynutes / in the myddes of the clymate the longest daye hath .xiii. houres / and the pole reysed .xvi. degrees / and the latytude dureth vnto the longest daye of somer / that is .xiii. houres .xv. mynutes and the pole reysed .xx. degrees and an halfe / the whiche largenes is CCCC xl myle of erth The seconde clymate begynneth at the ende of the firste / and the myddes is there as the daye hath .xiii. houres an halfe / and the pole is reysed ouer the ozyron .xxiiii. degrees / .xv. mynutes And the latytude dureth vnto there as the longest daye hath .xiii. houres / and .xlv. mynutes / and the pole is reysed xxvii degrees / an halfe / and this largenes conteyneth of erthe CCCC myles Iuste The .iii. clymate begynneth at the ende of the seconde the myddes is there as the daye hath xiii houres / the pole is reysed .xxx. degrees / .xlv. mynutes / and the latytude extendeth vnto there as the longest daye hath .xiiii. houres / .xv. mynutes / the pole is reysed .xxiii. degrees / and .xl. mynutis The .iiii. clymate begynnynge at the ende of the thirde / and the myddes is there as the longest day hath .xiiii. houres and an halfe / and the pole is reysed .xxvi. degrees / and .xx. mynutes / the latytude dureth vnto there as the longest day hath .xiii. houres / and .xlv. mynutes / and the pole is reysed .xxx. degrees / and the largenes conteyneth of erthe CCC myle The .v. clymate begynneth at the ende of the fourth and the myddes is there as the longest daye hath .xv. houres / the pole is reysed .xli. degrees / .xx. mynutes / and the latytude dureth vnto there as the longest day hath .xv. houres / and .xv. mynutes / and the pole is reysed .xliii. degrees and an halfe / and the largenes conteyneth of erthe CC.lii. myles The .vi. clymate begynneth at the ende of the fyfthe / and the myddes is there as the longest daye hath .xv. houres an half / and the pole is reysed ouer the ozyron xlv degrees / .xxiii. mynutes / of the whiche the largenes dureth vnto there as the longest daye hath .xv. houres / and .xlv. mynutes the whiche largenes conteyneth of erthe CC.xii. myles The .vii. clymate begynÌ„eth at the ende of the syxte / and the myddes is there as the longest daye hath .xvi. houres and the pole is reysed .xlviii. degrees and .xl. mynutes / the latytude extendeth vnto / there as the longest daye hath xvi houres / and .xv. mynutê / and the pole is reysed .l. degrees and an halfe / and the largenes of the erthe conteyneth C.lxxx and .vi. myles ¶ The great and meruaylous consyderacyons great vnderstandynge of the Astronomyers / Astrologyens CapÌ„ .xxiiii. AFter the lengthe of the clymates / so if case were one myghte go aboute the erth from oryent to occydent to his firste place some Astronomyers say that this compasse may almoste be made Sayinge that if a man wente this compasse in .xii. naturall dayes goynge regulerly to warde occydent / began nowe at mydday / he shuld passe euerydaye naturall the .xii. parte of the cyrcuyte of the erthe / and ben .xxx. degrees / wherof behoueth that the sonne make a course aboute the erth .xxx. degrees ferther / or he be retourned on the morowe at the merydyen of the sayde man / and so the sayd man shuld haue his day and nyght of .xxvi. houres / and shuld be ferther by the .xii. parte of a naturall day than if he rested hym / wherfore it foloweth of necessyte that in .xii. naturall dayes / the sayd man shuld onely haue but a .xi. dayes / and a .xi. nyghtes / and somwhat lesse / and that the sonÌ„e shuld lyght hym but a .xi. tymes and resconse a .xi. tymes / for a .xi. dayes / and a .xi. nyghtes euery daye nyghte of .xxvi. houres maketh .xii. naturall dayes / euery daye of .xxiiii. houres By semblable coÌ„sideracion behoueth that another man that shuld make this course goynge towarde oryent haue his daye nyghte shorter than a naturall daye by two houres / than his daye and nyght shulde be but of .xii. houres Than if he made this course in lyke space / that is to saye in .xii. dayes somwhat more Thus if Iohan made course towarde occydent / and Peter towarde oryent / that Robert abode them in the place from whense they departed the one as soone as the other / that they mette at Robert bothe togyther Peter wolde saye that he hadde .ii. dayes / and .ii. nyghtes more than Iohan / and Robert that hath rested a daye lesse than Peter / and a day more than Iohan / howe well that they haue made this course in .xii. naturall dayes or an C. or in .x. yere / all is one This is a pleasauÌ„t consyderacion amonge Astronomyers howe Iohan Peter cometh in one selfe daye / put case it were on a sondaye Iohan wolde say it is saterday Peter wolde say it is monday / and Robert wolde say it is sonday ¶ Of the Pomell of the skyes a sterre called the sterre of the northe / nere the whiche is the pole artyke called septemtryonall Capitulo .xxv. HEre wyll we speke after the abouesayd thynges / of some sterres in pertyculer And firste of them that Ptholomeê° other Astronomyers nameth the Pomell of the skyes / or sterre of the northe / wherfore
moneth of Marche The which .iiii. partyes deuydeth eche in thre egall partyes / maketh .xii. partyes / that ben called sygnes / as Aries / Taurus / Gemini / Cancer / Leo / Virgo / Libra / Scorpio / Sagittarius / Capricornus / Aquarius / Pisces Aquarius begynneth in the equynoccyall crosseth the zodyake / and whan the sonne is there it begynneth to declyne that is to saye approchynge Septemtryon / and to ward vs it extendeth to the oryent Than is Taurus seconde / Gemini the thirde / and so of all the other ¶ Also euery sygne is deuyded in .xxx. degrees and be in the zodyake CCC .lx. degrees / and euery degre deuyded by .lx. mynutes / euery mynute in lx secondes / euery seconde in .lx. thyrdes / and this partycion deuysyon suffyseth to be vnderstande of Astronomyers ¶ Here after foloweth a very subtyll varyacion in the skye Capitulo .xvii. THe Astronomyers do knowlege a very subtyll varyacyon in the skye / and is for the sterres fyxed be nat vnder the same degrees of the zodyake that were created bycause of the mouynge of the fyrmament / the whiche ben agaynst the firste mobyle in a C. yere of one degree / for the whiche mutacyon the sonne maye haue other regarde to a sterre / and other sygnyficacion than it had in the tyme passed / and also whan that bokes were made / for that the sterre hath chaunged his degree or sygne vnder which it was And this often tymes causeth them that make Pronostycacions and IugemeÌ„tê comynge to fayle ¶ All the cyrcles of the skye ben narowe and small / except the zodyake / whiche is large / contayneth in length CCC .lx. degrees / and of largenesse .xii. the whiche largenesse is deuyded by the myddes .vi. degrees on that one sygne / and .vi. on the other and this dyuysion is made by a lyne named Eclyptyke / is the waye of the sonne / for the sonne neuer departeth vnder that lyne / and thus it is alway in the mydle of the zodyake / but the other planettes ben alwayes on the one syde / or on the other of the sayd lyne / saufe whan they ben in the heed or in the tayle of the Dragon / as the moone passeth twyse in a moneth / and if it happen whan that it reneweth it is Eclypse of the sonne / if it happen in the full moone that it be ryght vnder the nadyr of the sonÌ„e it is generall eclypse / and if it be but a partye it is nat seen whan it is eclypse of the sonne / it is nat generall thorugh all the clymatê but onely in some / but whan it is eclypse of the moone / it is generall ouer all ¶ Of .ii. great cyrcles / that is to say one merydyen / the other ozyron that intersequeth one the other / and crosseth dyrectly Capitulo .xviii. MEridyen is a great cyrcle ymagyned on the skye / whiche passeth by the poles of the world and by the poynte of the skye right ouer our heedes / whiche is called zenych / and whan the sonÌ„e is comen ouer from the oryeÌ„t vnto that cyrcle it is mydday / and therfore it is called merydyen / the halfe of the cyrcle is ouer the erthe / the other vnder it that passeth by the poynte of mydnyght dyrectly opposite to zenych / and whan the sonne toucheth that parte of the cyrcle it is mydnygth / and if a man go to warde oryent or occydent he hath newe merydyen / and therfore it is soner mydday to them that be to warde oryent than to other / if a man stande styll / his merydyen is one styll or if he go to warde mydday or Septemtryon / but if he styre he hath other zenych / and these two cyrcles crosseth directly Ozyron is a great cyrcle that deuydeth the partye of the skye that we se from that we se nat and Ptholomeus sayth if that a man were in a playne countre he shulde se Iustly halfe of the skye / the whiche is called the Emyspery that is to say halfe espere and ozyron is ioynynge nyghe to the erthe / of the whiche ozyron the entre is the mydle / and is the place in whiche we ben / thus eche is alwayes in the myddes of his ozyron / and zenyche is the pole / and as a man transporteth hym from one place to another / he is in the other places agaynst the skye / and hathe other zenyche and other ozyron / all ozyron is ryght or oblyke They haue right ozyron that habyteth vnder the equynoccyall / and haue theyr zenyche in the equynoccyall / for theyr ozyron intersequeth and deuydeth the equynoccyall euen by the two poles of the worlde / that in suche wyse that none of the poles of the worlde is reysed aboue theyr ozyron / nor depryued vnder it / but they that habyteth other where than vnder the equynoccyall haue theyr ozyron oblyke / for theyr ozyron foloweth and deuydeth the equynoccyall sydewaye / and nat right / and there apperyth to them of al tymes one of the poles of the worlde reysed aboue theyr ozyron / and the other ben ouer hydde / so that they se them nat / more or lesse after dyuers habytacions / and after that they ben of fernes from the equynoccyall / and the more that the one pole is reysed the more is the ozyron oblyke / and the other pole depryued / and it is to wete that there is as moche dystaunce from the ozyron to the pole as it is from the zenyche to the equynoccyall / and that zenych is the fourth partye of merydyen or the myddes of the bowe dyurnall / of the whiche the two endes ben on the ozyron And also that of the pole vnto the equynoccyall is the fourth partye of all the roundnes of the skyes / and also of the merydyen cyrcle sythe that it passeth by the poles crosseth the equynoccyall dyrectly ¶ Example of the ozyron of Parys after the opynyon of Ptholomeus other Astronomyers / ouer the whiche ozyron they saye that the pole is reysed .xlix. degrees wherfore they say also that from the zenych of Parys vnto the equynoccyall ben .xlix. degrees / that from the ozyron vnto the zenych / whiche is the .iiii. partye of the merydyen cycle ben lxxxx degrees / and from the pole vnto the solstyce of Somer ben .lvii. degrees / from the solstyce vnto the equynoccyall ben .xxxiii. degrees / there ben from the pole vnto the equynoccyal lxxxx degrees / is the fourthe partye of the roundenes of the skye / from the equynoccyall vnto the solstyce of wynter ben .xxxiii. degrees / and from the solstyce vnto the ozyron .xviii. Thus shall the equynoccyall ben reysed ouer the ozyron .xli. degrees / and the solstyce of somer .lxiiii. degrees in the whiche solstyce is the sonne at the houre of noone the loÌ„gest daye of somer And than it
the erthe is deuyded in to .v. regyons ¶ The firste is bytwene the pole artyke and the cyrcle artyke The .ii. is bytwene the cyrcle artyke and the tropyke of somer The .iii. is bytwene the tropyke of somer / and the tropyke of wynter The .iiii. is bytwene the tropyke of wynter / and the cyrcle antertyke The .v. bytwene the cyrcle antertyke and the pole antertyke Of the whiche partyes of the erthe / some Astronymyers saye that the firste the .v. ben inhabytable / for theyr ouer great coldenes / for they ben to ferre from the sonne The thirde that is in the mydle is to nere vnder the way of the sonne / and is nat inhabytable for the great hete The other .ii. partyes / the seconde and the fourthe be nat to nere nor to ferre from the sonne / but ben moderate in hete and colde / and therfore they ben habytable if there be none other lettynge / and suppose that it be true / yet it is nat possyble to passe ouerth warte the Regyon vnder the waye of the sonne called zone / tourned to go from the seconde to the fourth / for some Astronomyers wolde haue passed / that wolde haue shewed of it / wherfore they say that there is no Regyon habyted / but the seconde wherin we and all the other ben also ¶ Of the varyacion that is for dyuers habytacions regyons of the erth Cap̄ .xxii. PTholomeus and other Astronomyers saye / that if it were possyble that the erthe were enhabyted all aboute and pose the case that it were so / firste they that enhabyte vnder the equynoccyall / haue alwayes the dayes and the nyghtes egall / haue the two poles of the world at the two corners of their ozyron / and may se all the sterres whan they se the two poles / and the son̄e passeth twyse in a yere ouer them / that is whan it passeth by the equynoccyalles Thus the sonne is to them the one halfe of the yere towarde the pole artyke / the other halfe towarde the other pole / and therfore they haue two wynters in a yere without great colde / one is whan we haue wynter / the other whan we haue somer Semblably they haue two somers / one is in Marche whan we haue prymetyme / the other in Septembre whan we haue Haruest / and by this they haue foure Solstyces / two hye whan the sonne passeth by theyr zenyche / and two lowe whan it declyneth one waye or other / and thus they haue foure shadowes in a yere / for whan the sonne is in the equynocces twyse in one yere in the mornynge theyr shadowes ben in the occydent and at nyghte in the oryent / and than at noone they haue no shadowes / but whan the son̄e is in the sygnes Septemtryonalles / so agaynewarde Secondely they that enhabyte bytwene the equynoccyal and the tropyke of so mer / haue in lykewyse two somers and two wynters / and foure shadowes in a yere / and they haue no dyfference of the firste / saue that they haue longer dayes in somer / and shorter in wynter / for as the equynoccyall lengeth / in lykewyse doth the dayes of somer / and in the partye of the erth is the firste clymate and almoste halfe the seconde / is called Araby wherin is Ethyope Thirdely they that enhabyte vnder the tropyke of somer haue the sonne ouer theyr hedes / the daye of Solstyce of somer at noone / they haue theyr shadowes smaller than we haue / and there is a partye of Ethyope Fourthly they that ben bytwene the tropyke of somer the cyrcle artyke / haue longer dayes in somer than the aforesayd / in as moch as they ben ferther from the equynoccyall / shorter in wynter / and they neuer haue the sonne ouer theyr hedes / nor toward septemtryon / and that partye of the erth we enhabyte Fyfthly they that enhabyte vnder the cyrcle artyke haue the eclyptyke of the zodyake to theyr ozyron / and whan the sonne is in the Solstyce of somer it resconseth nat thus they haue no nyghte / but naturall dayes of .xxiiii. houres Semblably whan the son̄e is in the Solstyce of wynter it is naturall daye whan they haue contynuall nyght / and that the son̄e ryseth nat to them Syxtly they that ben bytwene the cyrcle artyke and the pole artyke haue in somer dyuers natural dayes that ben to them one daye artyfyciall without nyghte And also in wynter ben many natural dayes the whiche naturall dayes ben to them alwayes nyght / the more that it approcheth or draweth nere the pole / the more is the artyfyciall daye of somer longe / dureth in some place a weke in some a moneth / in some two in some thre / in some more / proporcyonally the nyght is greater / for some of the sygnes ben euer on theyr ozyron / and some alwayes vnder / as longe as the son̄e is in the sygnes aboute it is daye / and whyle it is vnderneth it is nyght Seuenthly they that enhabyte vnder the pole haue the son̄e halfe of the yere on theyr ozyron / and haue contynuall daye / and the other halfe of the yere contynuall nyght / and the equynoccyall is theyr ozyron that deuydeth the sygnes .vi. aboue / and .vi. byneth wherfore whan the son̄e is in the sygnes that ben hye / and towarde them they haue contynuall daye And whan it is in the sygnes towarde mydday they haue contynuall nyght and thus in a yere they haue but one day and one nyghte And as it is sayd of the partye of the erthe towarde the pole artyke a man may vnderstande of the other halfe and of the habytactons towarde the pole antertyke ¶ Of the deuysyon of the erthe / and onely of the parte enhabyted Capitulo .xxiii. SO as Ptholomeus dyuers other deuyden the erth habytable in .vii. partyes / that they call Clymates the dyamerous The .ii. clymate dyatyens The .iii. dalyxandrye The .iiii. dyarhodes The .v. dyaromes The .vi. daboristines And the .vii. dyaripheos / of the whiche eche hathe his longytude determyned / and the latytude also / and nerer they ben to the equynocciall the longer they ben / and larger / and procede in longytude from oryent to occydent and in latytude from mydday to septemtryon The first clymate after some Astronomyers conteyneth in length halfe of the cyrcuyte of the erthe / that is two hondreth thousande / and foure hondreth myle / and it hath an hondreth thousande / and two hondreth myles of length The. seconde / and so of the other / for the lessynge of the erth comynge towarde septemtryon To vnderstande what a clymate is after the sayinge of Astronomyers A clymate is a space of the erth egally large / wher of the length is from oryent to occydent / and the bredthe is comynge from mydday from the erthe enhabytable towarde the equynoccyall
entreth in to the sygne of Cancer / and is moste nerer our habytable ê‘tyes that may be And whan the soÌ„ne is in the solstyce of wynter the shortest day of the yere at the houre of noon it entreth iÌ„ to the sygne of Capricorne And the sayd solstyce is nat reysed ouer the ozyron of Parys but .viii. degrees The whiche cleuacyons rysynges a man may fynde playnly / so that he knewe one onely / and in euery regyon in lyke wyse after the sytuacion ¶ Also hereafter do folowe two other great cyrcles of the skye / foure small Ca .xix. ON the skye ben two great cyrcles named coloures / that deuydeth the skyes in foure egall partyes / crosseth theyr selfe dyrectly / and the one passeth by the poles of the worlde / and by the two solstyces / and the other by the poles also / by the two equynoccyalles The firste small cyrcle is called the cyrcle artyke bycause of the pole zodyake aboute the pole artyke / and his lykenes is to his opposyte / named the cyrcle antertyke The other two ben named tropykes / the one of somer / and the other of wynter The tropyke of somer is cause of the solstyce of somer begynnynge of the sygne of Cancer and the tropyke of the solstyce of wynter begynnyng of the sygne of Caprycorne / and ben egally dystauÌ„ce one cyrcle from the other ¶ Here ought to be noted that the dystauÌ„ces of the pole artyke to the cyrcle artyke / and the dystauÌ„ce of the tropyke of somer to the equynoccyall / that of the equynoccyall to the tropyke of wynter and from the cyrcle antertyke to the pole antertyke ben iuste egall eche of .xxiii. degrees a halfe or there about / than the dystauÌ„ce from the equynoccyall to the tropyke of somer / and from the cyrcle artyke to the pole make togyther .xlvii. degrees The whiche take awaye of the quarter bytwene the pole and the equynoccyall / where as ben lxxxx degrees / saue that there abydeth .xliii. That ben the dystauÌ„ce bytwene the tropyke of wynter and the cyrcle antertyke / and these cyrcles ben sayd lytell for they ben nat so great as the other ben / Neuerthelesse they ben deuyded eche by CCC .lx. degrees / as the greatest ¶ Of the rysynge and resconsynge of the sygnes in the ozyron Capitulo .xx. OZyron an emyspery dyfferred for ozyron is the cyrcle that deuydeth the partye of the skye / that we se / from the vnder the erthe that we se nat Also ozyron is the cyrcle that moueth nat / but as we moue from one place to another but emyspery tourneth contynually / for one partye ryseth and mounteth ouer ozyron / and the other parte resconseth entreth vnder it / thus ozyron ryseth nor resconseth but that that cometh aboue ryseth and that whiche goth vnder resconseth / merydyen also ryseth nat nor resconseth Equynoccyall is the dyurnall cyrcle that ryseth and resconseth reguler as moche in one houre as in another / and all in .xxiiii houres zodyake the large cyrcle and oblyke / wheron the sygnes ben reyseth and resconseth all on a day naturall / but nat reguler for it ryseth more in one houre than in another / for that oure ozyron is oblyke and deuydeth the zodyake in two partyes wherof one is euer ouer our ozyron / and the other vnderneth Thus halfe of the sygnes ryseth ouer our ozyron euery daye artyfyciall / be it shorte or longe / and the other halfe by nyghte / wherfore it behoueth that in the dayes that ben shorter than the nyghte the sygnes ryseth soner / and in longe dayes more at leyser / and thus the zodyake ryseth nat regulerly in these partyes as the equynocciall / But there is dowble varyacion for halfe of the zodyake that is from the firste begynÌ„ynge of Aries vnto the laste ende of Virgo / all togyther taketh equally as moche tyme in risynge / as halfe of the equynocciall the whiche remayneth by it / and they do begyn to ryse in a moment and also they fynysshe make theyr ende in a moment But this halfe of the zodyake ryseth soner in the begynnynge / and this halfe of the equynoccyall more at leyser / and this is called theyr oblyquement ¶ Also the other halfe of the zodyake / that is from the begynnynge of Libra vnto the ende of Pisces / and halfe of the equynocciall that by it begynneth / and also it leueth to ryse equally togyther / but the equynocciall in that partye in the begynnynge ryseth soner / the zodyake more at leyser / and this is called rysynge dyrectly And whiche that ryseth soner the equynoccyall or the zodyake / yet alwayes they ende to gyther Example of the two mouyngê aforesayd / as if two men wente from London to wyndsore and departed both togyther / that at the begynnynge the one go fast / the other softely / he that gothe fast shuld be soner in the mydwaye than the other / but if he that went fast to the mydway go softely / and the other faste / they shall be both at ones in wyndsore Also the halfe of the zodyake from the begynnynge of Cancer / vnto the ende of Sagittary in rysynge beryth more than halfe the equynoccyall / so that this halfe ryseth all ryght / the other halfe of the zodyake ryseth contrarywyse / or croked ¶ Of the deuysyons of the erthe / and of the regyons Capitulo .xxi. BEfore or we spere of the sterres knowlege that Ptholomeus and other Astronomyers haue / we wyll speke of the deuysyon of the erthe / of his partyes after theyr opynyon wherfore it is to be noted that the erthe is rounde / and therfore as a man go the from one countre to another / he hath other ozyron than he had / and there apperyth another partye of the skye / if a man went from septemtryon that is the North partyes streyghte towarde mydday / the South partyes the pole artyke to hym shal be lesse reysed / that is to say more nyghe approchynge to the erthe and if he went contrary wyse it shuld be more reysed / that is to say apperynge hygher / and therfore if he went towarde mydday vnder merydyen whyle that the pole artyke were lesse reysed ouer his ozyon by the .xxx. parte of one of the .vi. parte of the arke merydyen he shuld passe the .xxx. partes of halfe of the cyrcuyte of the erthe / and to hym the pole shuld be lesse reysed by one degree / or to the contrary tyll it were more reysed of one degree / than he shuld passe one degree of the cyrcuyte of the erthe / of the which al the degrees togyther ben CCC .lx. And one degree of the erth coÌ„tayneth .xliii. leges a halfe or there aboute / and euery legeis .ii. myle And as the spere of the skye is deuyded by the .iiii. lesse cyrcles in the .v. partes called zones / so