perpendicular lines is altogether insensible For if two perpendicular or heauy points moued in a line should be distant one from the other the space of 10 a 100 or more feet because this distance is very little in respect of the semidiameter of the Earth the angle of concurse must needs be very little and by consequence those two rayes or lines measuring the descent of two heauy Bodies will seeme altogether Equidistant Yet that there is such a concurrence Nature and Reason will easily consent Hence wee may detect a popular errour beleeued of the vulgar that the walls of houses standing vpright are parallell and of equall distance when contrariwise it is plaine that such walls are erected by a perpendicular and measured by perpendicular lines which being drawne out in length will meet in the Center of the Earth The like may we pronounce of a deep Well whose sides or wall are erected perpendicularly and therefore should it reach as farre as the Center it must needs follow that the sides growing neerer and neerer as they approach the Center would in the end close or shut vp into a Pyramide whose Base should bee the mouth of the Well Likewise if a Tower should bee erected to the Heauens it would be strange to imagine how great and broad the vpper part of it would bee in respect of the bottome Hence againe it may be inferred that any pâ—uement leuelled by a perpendicular is not an absolute plain but rather the portion or Arch of a sphericall superficies whose Center is the same with the Center of the whole Eâ—rth But this roundnesse in a small distance is no way sensible but in a great pauement of foure or fiue hundred paces leuelled perpendicularly it will make some shew of roundnesse whence it must needs follow that an extraordinary great pauement measured ouer by a right line cannot be called leuell or equally poized forasmuch as it is not euery where equally distant from the Center of the Earthly Globe 2 Two heauy bodies of the same figure and matter whether Equall or Vnequall will in equall time moue an equall space This proposition being inuented by one Iohannes Baptist de Benedictis is cited and confirmed by Iohn Dee in his Mathematicall Preface to Billing slie's Geometry Which corrects a common errour of those men which suppose the lighter bodies generally not to moue so fast downeward to the Center as the heauy The demonstration of this Theoreme being drawne from many Staticall principles which we cannot here conueniently insert wee are enforced to omit as intending not the search of these matters any farther than they direct vnto the knowledge of Geographie Yet were it no hard matter to giue â— more popular expression of this reason out of the proportion betwixt this weight of the heauy Body and the Resistance of the Medium Because the Greater Body as it is carryed down-ward by a greater force and violence so on the other side it meets a greater impediment being not able so soone to diuide the Aire as the Lesser Likewise the Lesser body falling with lesse force yet is more apt to diuide it then the other Whence both set the one against the other there will be no disparity in the time and motion 12 Of the primary conformity of the Terrestriall bodyes in the constitution of the Terrestriall Spheare wee haue treated It now seemes needfull that we descend to the secondary which is the inclination of all the parts to make a round Spheare or Globe 1 The Terrestriall Globe is round and Sphericall This Proposition is of great vse and one of the chiefâ—â—â— grounds in Geographie The ground of the Sphericall figure of the Earth is the right motion of heauy bodies to the center For this right motion as wee haue shewed doth expresse one Beame of the circle by whose circumuolution is proâ—uced the circumference of iâ— which we call Secundary conformity of the parts of the Earth in so much as it growes Mathematically as it were out of the first For this Sphericall figure of the Earth sundry sound reasons are vrged by Geographers First that the Earth is round according to its Latitude that is from North to South Secondly according to its Longitude that is from East to West and therefore must it needes bee absoâ—utely Sphericall The first part is shewed that it is round from Nâ—rth to South for if a man trauell from North to South or contrariwise from South to North hee shall perceiue nâ—w starres in the Heauens to appeare and shew themselues which before hâ—e could not see which can be referred to no other cause then the Sphericall conuexity or swelling of the Earth As for example The starre which is called Canopus which is a notable starre in the ship appeares not at Rhodes or at least from high places But if you trauell forth Southward from Italy into Egypt to Alexandria the same starre Proclus obserues will manifest it selfe to your sight the fourth part of a signe aboue the Horizon From whence wee may draw a sound proofe that there is a Sphericall and gibbous conuexitie which interposeth it selfe betwixt Rhodes and Egypt In which place the people who inhabite that part of Egypt which borders vpon Arabia which are called Trogloâ—ites of their dwelling in caues cannot see any Starre of the Great Beare Whence wee may concluâ—e that the Earth from the North to the South is round and Sphericall For if otherwise the Earth were plaine all the Northerne starres would appeare to the inhabitants of the Southerne Regions and on the other side all the other Southerne constellations would bee seene of the Northerne inhabitants which sense and reason altogether contradict Secondly that the Earth is round according to its Longitude betwixt East and West may bee proued by two reasons The first is taken from the rising and setting of the Sunne Moone and other Starres for as much as all they doe not arise or set with all Nations at the same houres For with the inhabitants of the East the Sun-rising is sooner with the Westerne inhabitants later and that in such proportion that euery 15 degrees measured out by the Sunnes diurnall motion adds or subtracts one whole houre in the length of the day This is found by experience and testimony of Cosmographers that the Sunne riseth with the Persian inhabiting toward the East foure houres sooner then to the Spaniard in the West Sundry other the like examples may bee alleaged all which we must needes impute to the Sphericall roundnesse of the Earth proportionally increasing betwixt East and West The other reason to confirme this last point is drawne from the Ecclipses of the Sunne and Moone which would not appeare in diuers places at diuers houres if the Earth were plaine or square We see plainly that Ecclipses of the Moone appeare sooner to the Westerne people but later to the Easterne As according to Ptolomie in Arbela a towne of Assyria where Alexander ouercame Darius the last King of
and contrariwise from East to West The bounds or limits of this Longitude were by Ptolomie and the ancient Cosmographers set no farther distant then the halfe circle containing 180 degrees because the rest of the Earth lay at that time vndiscouered The end of this space towards the East was the Kingdome of China at the farthest part of all India distant as wee said from the Fortunate Ilands where Ptolomie placed the first Meridian 180 degrees which being taken in the Meridian and resolued into Miles according to our former rules will giue 10800 Italian miles but this space delineated out by the Ancients was very scant and narrow in respect of the other parts since found out being added to the former For beyond the bound set by Ptolomie in the East it is manifest that 60 degrees are found out and made knowne An example whereof wee haue in Scythia withouâ— the mountaine Emaus which is knowne to extend it selfe 60 degrees Eastward towards the Kingdome of Cathay discouered by the Portugals so that the breadth of the Earth Eastward is fully knowne so farre as 240 degrees which being measured in the Equatour will amount vnto 14000 miles Moreouer towards the West beyond the Fortunate Ilands it is knowne to stretch to the farthest border of America so that 340 degrees of the earth is fully detected if not all the rest being only 20 degrees which are only deficient to make vp the whole circle Which wee may the sooner credit because our times haue brought forth for ought any Authors haue related the most excellent Nauigators of all ages which haue sayled the vast Globe of the Earth round about and left behinde them a foundation whereon others might easily build But to let passe the Generall Longitude of the Earth betwixt the East and the West Wee must vnderstand that the Longitude here mentioned is to bee taken in a more speciall sense for the Distance of any place from the first Meridian being placed either in the Canaries as the Ancients would haue it or in one of the Azores according to the latter Geographers This then must be the bound from whence wee must beginne our account The subiect wherein the number of degrees may bee taken may bee the Equatour or Parallell Whence by some the Longitude of a place is defined to bee an Arch of the Equatour or Parallell intercepted betwixt the first Meridian and the verticall point of the place proposed so that by necessary consequence such places as are subiect to the same Meridian in the same Hemispheare Easterne or Westerne haue the same Longitude which is the distance from the point of the West but places declining more towards the East haue the greater Longitude but neerer to the West lesâ—e 1 Places inioying the same Longitude are not alwayes equally distant from the first Meridian and contrarywise places equidistant from the first Meridian haue not alwayes the same Longitude The reason is euident out of that which hath beene often spoken before because the degrees of a greater circle are greater of a lesser lesse according to the greatnesse of the circle Now the Longitude of a place measured in the Equatour will answer to 60 Italian miles but in other Parallels lesse 2 The difference of Longitudes begets the difference of Times Those therefore which exactly are subiect to the same Longitude haue their Noone at the same moment but where the Longitudes are different the Noonetides are also different That the difference of time is varied according to the difference of Longitude in diuerse parts of the Earth is a matter obuious to euery mans vnderstanding out of two premised grounds 1 That the Earth is Sphaericall 2 That the Sunne in his Diurnall course once in 24 houres compasseth it round whence it comes to passe that places situate Eastward see the Sunnes sooner then those which are placed in the West and that with a proportionall difference of time that to euery houre in the Sunne motion is assigned a certaine number of correspondent miles which is in some sort expressed in a Geographicall Globe or Map wherein we shall finde described 12 Meridians which diuide the whole compasse of the earthly Spheare into 24 equall parts in such sort that betwixt each of the two neerest Meridians are reckned 15 degrees which make one houre by which wee may more easily vnderstand how soone the Noone-time happens in one Citty before another for if one Citty stands Eastward from another the space of three of those foresaid Meridians it is euident that it will inioy noone three houres before the other The reason of this difference of times is the difference of Longitudes wherein to euery houre the Cosmographers haue allotted 15 degrees in the Sunnes Diurnall motion so that 15 degrees multiplied by 24 houres which is the whole naturall day there will bee produced 360 which is the number of degrees in the whole circle 3 If two men from the same place trauell the one Eastward the other Westward round about the Earth and meet in the same place againe they shall finde that he which hath gone Eastward hath gotten and the other going Westward hath lost a day in their account This is without difficulty to be vnderstood out of the change of Longitudes seconded by their trauell varying perpetually the quantity of the day for it is manifest that hee who from any place assigned saileth Eastward mouing continually against the motion of the Sunne will shorten somewhat of his day taking away so much from it as his iourney in proportion of distance hath opposed and anticipated in the time the Diurnall course of the Sunne so that daily gaining something from the length of the day which must bee elsewhere recompenced It must needs be that in the whole circuite of the earth it will amount to 24. houres correspondent to the whole circuite of the Sunne and the compasse of the earth which will make another day Likewise if we suppose another in compassing about the earth to goe Westward it cannot bee otherwise imagined but that seconding the course of the Sunne by his owne iourney hee will daily adde somewhat to the length of his day answerable to his distance from the place wherein hee began to follow the Sunne in his course from East to West The daily addition to the length of the day proportionall to the longitudes which he changeth the Sunne running a like course must daily diminish somewhat of the Diurnall course of the Sunne and so at his iourneyes end which was supposed to be the whole circuite of the earth answerable to 24. houres in the Sunnes course it will loose a whole day To demonstrate both these cases wee will imagine in supposition that of these two trauaillers going the one Eastward the other Westward the former should take away from the length of the day or the latter adde to it for euery 15. miles one minute Then by the golden Rule if 15. miles either subtract or adde one
minute in the length of the day must 21600. miles which is the whole compasse of the earth according to the same proportion either subtract or adde 1440 minutes which make 24. houres the length of the naturall day To confirme the demonstration by popular experience I remember I haue read in the Hollanders discouery of Fretum de Mayre that comming home into their owne Countrey they found by comparing their accounts with their countreymens at home they had lost one day hauing gone Westward and so compassed the earth round Hence will arise diuers consectaries not vnpleasing to be scann'd One I will touch not much dissonant from our purpose That three men residing in the same place at one time shall notwithstanding all vary one from the other in the dayes of the weeke keeping yet an exact account which to explaine the better wee will suppose a Iew a Sarazen and a Christian residing in the same towne together It may so happen according to our former grounds that the Sarazen according to the Law of Mahomet shall obserue his Friday the Iew his Saturday being his Sabboth and the Christian the Lords day being the Sunday yet so as all shall happen on the same day all of them excluding any errour in their calculation For supposition sake wee will place them all at one time all together in Palestine on a Saturday at which time let vs imagine the Sarazen to take his iourney Westward the Christian Eastward so as both of them in their coasts compasse the world to meet againe in the same place The Iew all the while we suppose resident in the same place it will follow by necessary consequence that the Sarazen going about the earth Eastward will loose one day the Christian iourneying Westward will gaine one day the Iew remaining in the same place will neither gaine nor loose These three men then meeting together againe after a yeere two or three at the same place must needs make a diuers account for one and the selfe-same day will bee to the Sarazen Friday to the Iew Saturday and to the Christian Sunday if they exactly calculate the time from their first meeting to their returne vnto the same place Mee thinkes this if there wanted other Arguments were a reason sufficient to conuince some strait-laced men who rigidly contend our Lords day which they erroneously tearme the Sabboth to bee meerely morall as grounded on the Law of nature If it were so according to our premises before demonstrated this absurditie would ensue necessarily That the Morall Law which they call also in a sort the Law of nature is subiect to manifold mutation which by our best Diuines is vtterly denied The consequeâ—ce will easily follow because it cannot be denied by any Christian but that all nations of the world issued from Noahs Arke the Seminary of mankinde and spread themselues from thence ouer the face of the whole earth some farther some at a shorter distance whereby changing the longitude with their habitation they must of necessity alter the differences of times wheron they seeke to ground their Sabboth Neither at this day can any man exactly and precisely obserue any one day either as it was first appointed by Moses in the Leuiticall Law as it was instituted by Christs Apostles afterwards by reason of the manifold transportation of colonies and transmigration of Nations from one Region into another whereby the times must necessarily bee supposed to vary And if any more moderate should vrge that not the exact seuenth day from the first institution bound vs to obseruation so one day in seuen bee obserued it can hardly passe without exception for as much as if any man as Magellane Drake or Candish should trauaile the world about a day must needs be varied as we haue shewed Here I would willingly demand whether such trauailers returning home into their owne countreyes should celebrate the same Lords day according to the institution of their owne Church or else as they finde according to their owne account If they obserue the latter they must schismatically diuide themselues from the Church and keepe a Sabboth of their owne which in euery mans iudgement would be thought absurd as the mother of many inconueniences If the former take place then must the dâ—y be changeable in his nature and so one day of seuen of them should not be obserued I speake not this to cherish any neglect of the duty we owe that day but rather to proue it not meerely to be grounded on the Law of Nature as some would perswade but rather an Ecclesiasticall constitution deriued as it seemes most probable from the Apostles though not in practice in Christs time wherein the Iewish Sabboth was not yet abolished But I haue dwelt too long on this may perhaps incurre sharpe ceÌ„sure for wading too farre into the depth of Diuinity But my Apology shall be this that albeit I haue gone beyond my present subiect I â—â—ue not yet transcended the limits of my profession I serue no faction and therefore dare aduenture my language as free as my opinion 5 Concerning the longitude two things are to be knowne 1. The Inuention 2. The Expression The Inuention proposeth vs the way and manner of the first finding out of the longitude of places There are few things in nature which haue more perplexed the wits of ingenious Mathematicians then the exactest way of finding out the longitude of places Not that the matter was ouer difficult in it selfe but that they sought out a way to performe this conclusion not depending from the obseruation of the celestiall bodies and motions a matter as yet neuer found out and I feare mee vnpossible Because they proposed to themselues one of these two wayes to finde it out either by some magneticall instrument or else by industry of nauigation neither of which can much profit Not the former because there haue neuer beene any fixed points found in the Equatour betwixt East and West as betwixt North and South haue beene obserued so that nothing can proceed out of the meere nature of the earthly Globe whereon wee may ground any difference of longitude Neither is the second very beneficiall for that all voyages both by Sea and land are very irregular and vncertaine either by reason of sundry impediments as rockes mountaines woods contrary winds and other dangers turning aside the direct course of passengers from any direct way or obseruation or else by the Ignorance of Mariners which seldome passe so farre on discouery and if they doe know not perfectly to delineate out their iourney as a Cosmographer would expect to any tolerable satisfaction Neuerthelesse by Astronomicall obseruation wee haue many wayes left vs for the performance of this conclusion as shall bee taught in these following propositions 1 By an Eclypse of the Moone the longitude may be found This conclusion is in this sort to bee performed First it behooueth you to know as you may by an Ephemerides at what houre
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
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
hath taught the Heauens are moued or turned round by an Angell or Intelligence fixed to his Orbe of a spirituall and immateriall substance which in a body meetes no opposition Not in the body moued because of it's owne Nature it is prone and inclinable to this motion But this reason is like a reed that hurts his hand that leanes on it for first what indigence or necessity in Nature is obserued so great to bee the father of such Intelligences What serious iudgment can euer imagine the Angels to bee like gally-slaues chained fast to their gallies or turne-spit-dogs labouring in their wheeles To what vse shall they serue not to stirre vp and beginne the motion for why should we debarre the Heauens from the priuiledge ofall other Bodies farre lesse excellent whose motions challenge no other cause or beginning then their owne forme and nature Not to Regulate and confine this motion for Nature which beginnes any action or motion is able of her selfe to set limits and bounds vnto it without the helpe of any externall agent Finally not to continue this motion for as wee are taught in our Philosophie Euery Naturall Agent if it bee not hindered still acts to the vttermost of his power and therefore needes no externall coadiutor to continue his action for otherwise we might suppose the Heauens to grow weary and faint in their intended course Secondly whereas they say there can bee no Resistence in the body moued they contradict their owne grounds for it is agreed by all that the higher Orbs doe turne and wrest about the lower I would willingly aske by what kinde of action either by a vertuall influence or emanation or els by a corporall touch and application The former is improbable and as farre as I can gather not auuouched by any and were it so it would seeme ridiculous for why should wee rather ascribe this effect to an vnknowne influence of an externall body then to the vigour of his owne forme and nature For if one orbe in this sort can moue another why could it not moue it selfe being more present to it selfe then any other If they say by a corporall application of bodies and their parts I see not how they can auoid this Renitencie and reaction which alwayes doth suppose some resistence for how can one solide and hard body bee imagined to heaue and push another forward without some reluctancy in the patient because the inferiour Orbe hauing of it selfe a proper motion this must needes be violent as supposing a forcing wresting of Nature from her proper course whereof it is not hard to shew a sensible demonstration because the Orbe naturally directed one way is turned and directed another way at the same time which both motions concurring in the same body must needes offer violence one to the other Moreouer the immunity from corruptible qualities granted to the Heauens which is the ground of this opinion hath beene muh talked of amongst the Aristoteleans but neuer warranted by any certaine demonstration wee see say these Philosophers the Heauens to haue remained since the beginning of the World without any sensible alteration and change and therefore must all the Elementary and corruptible qualities bee excluded To disproue this I need goe no farther then the last Comet which Mathematicians by the parallax found to bee in the heauens And whereas otherwise they seeke a sensible alteration in other parts they deceiue themselues for as in the earth whereon wee dwell howeuer the parts interchangeably corrupt and ingender dayly yet the whole Globe will apparantly remaine the same keeping it's integrity so may it happen to many of the superiour Globes whose parts dayly corrupted and renewed againe although for the great distance to vs insensible the whole Globe remaineth still perfect in his perfect Sphericity I cease any further to inuade anothers Prouince and therefore descend to a second argument to proue this extraordinary violent and swift motion in the heauens to bee improbable It is ordinarily obserued in other Orbes of the heauens that the higher the Orbe is placed the motion is slower as for example the Spheare of the Moone which is next the Earth is carried about in 27 dayes Mercury and Venus are slow enough in their course as the former in 80 dayes the latter in 9 moneths the Sunne in a yeere Mars in 2 yeeres Iupiter in 12 Saturne in 30. Also those Astronomers which giue the fixt starres a motion would haue them to finish their course according to Ptolomie in 36000 but if wee will beleeue Copernicus in 25816 yeeres so that the higher and greater the circles be so much slower will be the motion what iniury were it then to the concord and harmony of Nature to impose vpon the highest Orbe of all such an vnmeasurable strange motion which might strike the most Sâ—raphickâ— Angell into admiration To these may bee added other Arguments in Copernicus which albeit they be not demonstratiue will make the matter more probable First that Nature in all things is a compendious and short worker and vseth not many helpes for such thinges as may bee performed by fewer and therefore need wee not to vse the helpe of so many Orbes and concamerations to square our obseruations which will find more steady footing in this one ground once granted of the Earth's circular motion Secondly it will seeme more consonant and agreeable to Nature that the highest and vttermost Spheare of all which bounds and engirts in all the World besides should rest quiet and vnmoueable then to suffer such an intollerable motion as might endanger the whole Fabricke Lastly I may adde this one that this diurnall motion granted to the first Moueable can in my iudgement hardly stand with the regularity of heauenly Bodies if wee expresse it no otherwise then the ordinary sort of Astronomers For a regular motion is defined to bee that whereby in equall times a body is moued through equall places But this Diurnall motion receiued from the first Moueable concurring with the Sunnes annuall motion will exclude this equality For first it is granted that the Sunne in his motion from the Aequator to the Tropicke according to sense runnes â—uery day in a distinct parallell for although euery minute hee declines somewhat from the Aequator toward the Tropicke yet the difference is not sensible so that wee may well euery day assigne a parallelll-inâ— to the Sun's motion Secondly they must grant that these parallells are diminished and grow lesse and lesse toward the Tropicke from the Aequator Thirdly that as wee haue foreshewed of two bodies mouing in the same time on the same center that should moue faster which is greater so one body mouing in diuerse vnequall circles in equall time it must of necessity follow that it must needes moue faster in that which is greater here wee may conclude he moues faster in the Aequator then in the Tropicke because in the one hee is carryed in a greater parallell in the
Sunne at Noonetide is alwayes on the South of those which dwell vnder the Arcticke Circle except it bee in the Summer Tropicke when it is the Mid-night or Northerne point likewise to those that are vnder the Antarcticke Circle the Sunne at noone is alwayes on the North side except vnder the Winter Tropicke 5. They haue in the yeere one Winter and one Summer but the Winter farre colder and the Summer slacker then in the forenamed places The fift and last habitation is of those which are included betwixt the Polar Circle and the Pole it selfe from 66. Degrees and 30. minutes of â—leuation to 90. In which Tract little is discouered Northward and in the South climate nothing at all The speciall Accidents appertaining to them are these 1. With them a few starres are seene to set and rise 2. They haue an Equinoxâ— the Sunne touching the first Degree of Aries and Libra 3. They of the North Zone haue more dayes about the middle of Summer and more nights in the Winter likewise they of the South frozen Zone the contrary 4. They haue extreame cold Winters and in stead of Summer a small remission of cold 5. The signes of the Zodiacke to them preposterously rise 8 The inhabitants of a Parallell Spheare are discouered in this proposition 1 The inhabitants of a Parallell Spheare enioy but one kinde of habitation in respect of the Heauens A Parallell Spheare I here accurately vnderstand for that positure of the Globe wherein the Pole of the world is precisely placed in the Zenith or eleuated to 90. degrees of Altitude because onely in such a site the Equâ—tor and the Horizon agree in one and lye parallell to all the rest of the Parallell Circles which places whether it bee at all capable of habitation by reason of cold wee shall discusse hereafter in the second part but out of supposition admitting a place of habitation these accidents will happen 1. The fixt stars which they see are alwayes seene so that with them there is no point of East or West for the starres neuer rise nor set But the Planets rise and set but not by their diurnall but proper motion 2. They haue a continuall day of sixe moneths and a night also as long the Sunne rising continually in the first degree of Aries and setting in the first of Libra 3. The Sunne in the Equinoctiall points for all the time that hee is aboue the Horizon as all the other starres is turned round about in manner of a wheele 4. The Equatour serues in place of the Horizon and the Equatour is euery where equidistant from the Pole 5. They haue one Winter and one Summer the former exceeding cold the latter lesse warme then ours 9 The second distinction of the inhabitants of the earth is taken from their Noone-shaddowes The Sunne in diuers parts of the earth diuersly spreads his shaddow because the Gnomons or Opacous bodies by which the shadowes are made in the earth are in diuers places diuersly opposed or obiected to the Sunne for whereas the Sunne so runs in his Eclipticke Circle betwixt the two Poles that though his passage be in an oblique Circle yet he neuer comes so farre as the Poles themselues it necessarily must be that sometimes he should shoot forth his beames perpendicularly as when it is in the verticall point of a place sometimes Obliquely as when he declines either one way or other from the verticall point sometimes in parallell wise for as much as in some places of the earth the Sun cleauing as it were to the Horizon casts out his beames parallell and equidistant to the plaine of the Horizon The right or perpendicular beames of the Sunne falling on the superficies of the earth at right Angles are turned and reflected into themselues and so make no shaddowes at all But the oblique beames in that they are not reflected into themselues must of necessity produce shaddowes yet in diuers manners for those Sunne-beames which obliquely proiect themselues on the plaine of the earth so as they come not from the Horizon it selfe will make such kinde of shaddowes as shall proportionally agree with their Gnomons or Opacous bodies and such whose magnitude may in a manner be designed out and certainly measured by the sight But on the contrary part the beames which are esteemed parallell to the plaine of the Horizon finding no solide obstacle or let shoot forth infinitely making no Angles on the superficies of the earth and can haue no proportion at all with their Gnomons that the shaddow may be any way designed by our eyes But here we are to consider that the shaddowes chiefly to be considered are the Meridian or Noone-shaddowes which take their distinction from the diuers incidency of the beames which the Sunne casts forth at noone According to this manner 10. The inhabitants of a place in respect of the shaddowes are either Amphiscij Heteroscij or Periscij The Amphiscij are those whose Noone-shaddowes but at diuers times of the yeere are â—ast both wayes that is to say North and South Amphiscij signifies as much as people of a double shaddow such are they which inhabite betwixt the Equatour and the Tropickes where the eleuation of the Pole equals not 24. degrees These men haue the Sunne twice euery yeere in their Zenith or verticall point and then they make no shaddowes at all and therefore they are called Ascij or without shaddowes But when the Sunne passeth from their verticall point towards the Northerne signes then at noone it will cast the shaddow towards the Southerne coast But contrarywise comming from the Zenith toward the Southerne signes the shaddow will bee darted toward the North which is euident out of the Opticke principles because the shaddow is alwayes found to be opposite in place to the Sunne-beames the Gnomon or darke body interposed 11. The Heteroscij are those whose Noone-shaddowes turne only one way that is either toward the North or toward the South These Nations inhabite in a temperate Zone betwixt the Tropicke and the Polar Circles whereas such as dwell in the temperate toward the North betwixt the Tropicke of Cancer and the Polar Circle Articke haue their noone-shaddowes cast Northward But those on the other side of the Equatour dwelling betwixt the Tropicke of Capricorne and the Antarcticke Circle cast their shaddowes Southward Of the former sort are Grecians Italians French Spaniards Germans Polonians Suedians Danes English and the rest inhabiting our temperate Zone which gaue occasion of that speech of Lucan the Poët concerning the Arabians comming into Thessaly in the warre of Hanniball and Pompey Ignotum vobis Arâ—bes venistis in orbem Vmbras mirati nemorum non ire sinistras Y' are come Arabians to an vnknowne land Wondering the shades nere take the Southward hand Which verses are in this sense to be vnderstood Poets are said to looke and turne their faces towards the West so that the South must of necesâ—ity be counted the left side Now the
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
are many kindes mentioned by Nauigatours The first and chiefest is that which they call the Etesian winde which is obserued to blow euery yeere from the north-Northeast about the rising of Dog-starre and oftentimes continues about 40 dayes This wind driues the Seas from Pontus into the Egean Sea euen so farre as Egypt In the second place may wee range such windes as are called Chelidonian because they arise at the first comming of the Swallowes It blowes sometimes from the Direct-west so that of some it is taken to be the same Sometimes from the North-west so that with others it is accounted among the North windes These Chelidonian winds driuing from the North or North-west still fill all the Mediterranean euen to the coasts of Syria and Palestine and continue in the summer time for many dayes together In the third place may we accompt that winde which Columbus perceiued on the coast of Portugall comming ouer the Atlanticke Ocean which at some times of the yeere was carried higher at other times cleauing as it were to the bosome of the Sea whence hee probably coniectured that it was deriued from some moist land whereon hee aduentured on the first search of America and layed the first worke of that discouery Fourthly to these windes may be reduced those yeerely flowings of the Persian and Indian Seas which the Portugall marriners call Motions The Persian Sea suffers such a kind of motion euery yeere while the Sunne runnes through the Southerne degrees and when he arriues at the end of Sagittarius it is shaken with an extraordinary great tempest On the contrary side the Indian Sea while the Persian is moued is obserued to rest without any great motion and when the Persian is still it suffers great motion especially when the Sunne first enters into Cancer This last motion seemes to be not only deriued from the Prouinciall windes but some other concurrent causes whether these winds are the cause of the currents before spoken of is a very disputable point which I leaue to others to search out Of euery set winde blowing a part of the yeere on the coast of America Acosta treats at large to which hee ascribes the currents forespoken of in this chapter 2 The violence of windes makes the Sea sometimes in some places transcend his ordinary bounds How far the Sea by violence of windes hath trespassed on the land many haue learned to their great losse and calamity It is obserued sometimes in the Venetian shores that the Sea driuen with winds swels so high that ouerflowing all the banks and channels the Inhabitants are enforced to row in boates from house to house Their cesternes are infected with Salt-water and their precious waters in vaults and cellars spoyled The like hath heretofore beene found if we will credit Histories in the Belgicke Sea on which the Northwest windes blow with such vehemency and so long that it brake downe the ordinary banks and in Zeland and Holland swallowed vp many townes with infinite multitudes of people Which seemes to be warranted by a report I haue heard of many trauaylers that in a calme tide the topps of towres and steeples haue beene seene aboue the water Besides these instances we may adde the testimony of Strabo and Aristotle in his booke de munda with diuers other relations of strange inundations whereof wee shall haue more occasion to speake hereafter CHAP. VII Of the Depth Situatio and Termination of the Sea 1 THe Absolute proprieties of the Sea being hitherto passed ouer we will consider next the comparatiue which agree to the Sea no otherwise then in respect or comparison with the Earth which are chiefly threâ— 1 Depth 2 Situation 3 Termination 2 The Depth or Profundity is the distance betwixt the Bottome and the Superficies of the Water To find out the Absolute depth of the Sea is a matter of the greatest difficulty and by many thought impossible in respect as well of the immensity of it in many places where no line could as of the various places too many to bee serched out by mans industry yet where absolute science failes there probable coniecture takes place and is best accepted which wee will venture to propose in this oâ—r Theoreme 1 The ordinary depth of the Sea is commonly answerable to the ordinary hight of the maine land aboue the water and the whirle-pooles and extraordinary depths answer to the hight of the mountaines aboue the ordinary hight of the Earth It hath been a common receiued opinion among ancient Cosmographers that the depth of the Sea being measured by a line and plummet seldome exceeds two or three miles except in some few places neere Sueuian shores and some places about Pontus obserued by Pliny But as Breedwood a worthy late writer obserues this position is not to be vnderstood generally but only of the depth of the Streits or Narrow Seas which were perhaps onely searched by then ancients who dwelt far from the maine Ocean But another accompt is necessarily to be giuen of the maine Ocean This being a matter of great vncertainty wee will follow the conceit of the forenamed Author It hath been shewed in the former Chapter that the most probable opinion concerning the manner of the first separation of the dry land from the waâ—ers would haue the Earth by the Creation to be cut into diuers sluces channels apt to receiue Water Now these materiall pâ—rts of the Earth being taken out to giue way to hollownesse were not vtterly annihilated but by an almighty hand in some other places making by their addition the superficies of the Earth in such places higher then before whence by reason it seemes to bee collecâ—ed that the ordinary Eminency of the hight of the Earth at oâ—e the Waters should bee answerable to the ordinâ—ry depth of the Sea And if Hills and Mountaines be compared wee may sâ—t them against the Deepes and extraordinary While-pooles and Gulâ—es And so betwixt the Sea and Land and the parts of the one and the other we may settle a kind of agreement and proportion In a matter of so great vncertainty no man will eâ—pect an euident domonstraâ—ion 3 The Site is the position of the Sea in respect oâ— the Earth Concerning the site of the Sea in respect of the Earth wee must consider the Water and Earth two wayes First Absolutely as they are Elements and solide Bodyes Secondly in respeâ—t of the superfâ—â—ies of either if we consider the whole solide Body of the Water as that of the Earth we must confesse without all doubt that the Water hath the higher place being lighter then the Earth of which situation wee haue spoken in the first booke for although some parts of the Earth are thought by most as we shall proue to be aboue some parts of the Water yet is this of no sensible proportion in respect of that vast Masse of Earth couched vnder the Waters betwixt them and the Center of the World But the question is here
mixture from the truest and ancientest Hebrew discipline It is manifest that in the Heathenish superstitions themselues many footsteppes haue bin discouered which will appeare by diuers Instances These arguments I confesse seeme very strong but yet not of sufficient strength to enforce credulity without other warrant To say peremptorily with Mr. Bodin that by the consent of ancient writers the Chaldeans are acknowledged the most ancient people is more then I dare to venter Neither is this opinion so strongly fortified with arguments but Reason may steppe in to haue a doubtfull assault Their first argument drawne from the testimony of holy Scriptures in th â—â— of Genesis seemes to stand on our side altogether against them For whereas it is said that they came from the east into the plaine of Shinaar it is manifest that the east was first peopled or else how should this people come from the east into these plaines of Shinaar to erect the tower of Babel Secondly whereas they vrge Arts Ciuility Magnificence of the Chaldeans wee shall find it rather to agree to the people which dwell farther east as is witnessed by the former instances And if any obiect that at this day is found the contrary for as much as we find the Indian to be a barbarous blind and ignorant Nation in respect of the Asiatickes and Europaeans we answere two wayes 1 First that we find not by experience the East-Indians to bee so altogether deuoide of ciuility but that wee may obserue not only amongst them the footsteppes but also the practise of many ingenuous Arts sage gouernment policy and magnificence as amongst the Chinois and the large territory of the great Mogull 2. It is not hard to imagine that in so large a tract of time the best setled common wealthes should be brought to nought arts ciuility magnificence be forgotten and the rarest inuentions bee cast into obliuion especially by those two enemies of ciuility warres and luxury both which hauing the raignes in their own hands are quickly able to abolish all wholesome discipline both in Lawes and Religion 3. Their argument drawne from the footesteppes of Languages in my shallow conceit proues nothing else but that all Lawes Arts and Learning was deriued to the Graecians from the Chaldaeans or the Nations neare adioyning which formerly receiued it from them But how farre Learning might propagate it selfe the other way towards the East is not a matter so cleare and out of question The preseruation of the Language for ought I â—ee might grow from the continuance of the Religion more firmely rooted and for a long time continued in Abrahams posterity whose abode was settled there about whereas the other farre diuorced aswell from their first spring as the monumentall seales of their religion quickly turned Religion into Pagan Idolatry Many reasons besides the disprouing of this former opinion may bee alleaged to proue the Easterne part of the world to haue bin first peopled amongst which I will only cull out this one grounded on the text of holy Scripture It is warranted out of the text 1 That when the waters begâ—n to decrease vpon the face of the earth and the Arke began to rest vpon the mountaine Araâ—at Noah sent out a doue to make tryall who returned with an oliue-branch in her mouth 2 That neare the place he issued out of the Arke with all his family he planted a vineyard and was drunke with the iuyce of the Grape not knowing the strength thereof out of which by all probable coniecture must needes bee collected that the Regions neare the place where the Arke first rested by the benefit of Nature afforded both Vines and Oliues for we cannot imagine the silly Doue at the time of the flood empty gorged to haue flowne very farre ouer the face of the waters to obtaine this Oliue branch nor Noah after the flood to haue gone very farre to seeke out a conuenient place for his Vineyard whence it is most likely that the Arke rested in such a place whose neare adjoining Regions are inriched with such commodities But this cannot bee verified of Armenia wherein for ought my reading informes me are found neither Vines nor Oliues whereas some places Eastward whereon the Arke according to this other opinion was supposed to rest afford both in great plenty To vmpite betwixt these two opinions I leaue to my frendly Readers because it is not in our power to command but obey Reason CHAP. XIV 1_OF the originall of Inhabitants of the Earth we haue spoken It remaines wee now treat of their naturall Disposition There is nothing more subiect to admiration then the diuersity of naturall Dispositions in Nations a matter euident to the eye of obseruation and needing no proofe or demonstration for who obserues not in all Nations certaine naturall or nationall vertues or vices which neither time nor Lawes could euer change or correct For not to 〈◊〉 farther off then our neighbouring Nations Confines what Writer in this kind almost were he not very partiall hath not taxed pride and ambition in the Spaniard leuity or rather as Bodin would haue it temerity in the Frenâ—h dangerous dissimulation in the Italian Drunkennesse in the Dutch Falshood in the Irish and gluttony in the English And howsoeuer many meanes haue bin put in practise either by the seuerity of lawes to curb such enormities or the subtilty of discourse to shroud these vices vnder the name of vertues yet these markes are found to stick as close as the spots vnto the Leopard as neither altering their pristine hue or yeelding to time or statutes And if it happened at any time that by extraordinary violence some litle alteration were wrought yet some few yeares would find it returne againe vnto his owne nâ—ture and disposition This variety of dispositions being very many and dâ—pending on sundry causes to helpe memory we will reduce into certaine heads out of which in the generall we may giue a iudgment leauing the rest to our speciall Tract The name of naturall disposition in this place we take in the largest sense so farre forth as it comprehends vnder it the Complexion Manners Actions Languages Lawes Religion and Gouernment All which so farre forth as they depend from the places we will shew Neither intend we to handle nicely all these specialities forasmuch as the Manners Customes Lawes and for a great part the externall rites of Religion depend on the naturall constitution of the Inhabitants so that little can bee spoken of the naturall constitution but of such actions effects and markes as shew themselues in their ordinary customes manners Wherefore we shall be constrained to treat of them together the one being a great furtherance to the explanation of the other 2 The naturall disposition of the Inhabitants of the Earth may suffer change and diuersity either in respect of the site or in respect of the quality of the soile or in regard of the Inhabitants themselues 3 The site is the respect
their populous growth had required larger bounds The passage from Asia into America without doubt had been performed either by sea or land By Sea it was improbable they should aduenture in that infancy of the World when the Art of Nauigation was in her swathing bands and neither the Chart or Compasse as yet inuented If by land they made their passage it was doubtlesse through the North of Asia supposing America with Asia to bee one Continent But this people comming out of a pleasant and temperate Countrey would without question first attempt the places of the like quality as most pleasing their eye and fitting their disposition before they would inforce their passage to the Icy and frozen Climates of the North which can only bee beholding to necessity for habitation Hence without doubt it came to passe that those Nations wandring farre from their first fountaine and leauing no sufficient monument to instruct their posterity in their first originall came short of the other as well in reuealed as acquired knowledge in reuealed knowledge either sought in Holy Scriptures or Traditions they could not but come short as being most distant from the first head and fountaine where it was to be found in greatest perfection In Acquired knowledge gotten by industry and experience they could not come so farre as the other because all such knowledge hauing its beginning from obseruation and its growth with age could not bee brought to that perfection amongst them who came more lately to bee a people and scarce euer endowed with any settled gouernment but whatsoeuer the causes may bee thought of this diuersity betwixt the people of the Westerne and Easterne Hemispheare certaine I am that the effect it selfe is most apparant Of the happy endowments of Europe Asia and a good part of Africke both in Arts liberall and mechanicall state policy magnificence and Religion we haue often spoken and neede make no repetition To this if we compare America being as it were the only portion of this Hemispheare we shall amongst them find few or no Arts either inuented or taught the vse of letters scarce euer knowne state and magnificence little regarded and the Light of Christian Religion scarce euer seene or at least through the dimme clouds of Roman superstition Hee that would know more in this matter let him read Peter Martyr Cortesius Acosta and others of the naturall disposition of the people of America 10 The Inhabitants of such Hemispheares are againe subdiuided into the Easterne and Westerne the Westerne in the Easterne Hemispheare are they who liue neerer the Canaries the Easterne are such as are situate towards the Moluccoes to which those other in the Westerne Hemispeare are correspondent 1 The Westerne people haue been obserued to be more happy and able in martiall discipline the Easterne in witty contemplation and speculatiue Sciences There is no small affinity as wee haue before touched betwixt the West and the North as betwixt the East and the South as well in the temperament of the Aire as the disposition of the Inhabitants which cognation will appeare more fully by the proofe and demonstration of this Theoreme Of the strength and valour of the Westerne people many records giue euidence we read of innumerable Colonies of the Celtes a people situate on the West of France sent into Italy Grece Asia But the Italians durst neuer inuade France till such time as their Empire was at the hight vnder Caesar taking also aduantage of the home-bred enmities of the Inhabitants among themselues whence Tully the Orator tooke occasion to praise Caesar for subduing those Nations and reducing them to the Romans obedience whose strength the Roman Empire could hardly sustaine The Italians haue oftentimes molested the Graecians yet from them suffered little or small inconuenience so the Graecians hauing with their Armes cut out a large way through Asia scarce euer dared to come into Italy but once vnder the conduct of Pyrrhus who being almost defeated of his Armie was inforced to saue himselfe by â—light In like sort Xerxes who brought men enough into Greece to drye vp the Riuers was notwithstanding defeated by a few Graecians to his great dishonour Wherefore Cato had good reason to obiect to Muraena and Caesar to Pompey that their wars waged against the people of Asia in respect of others were as it were rather against Women then Men. This without doubt gaue Alexander his greatest happines and victory that he turned his Armes against the Easterne people which were either altogether barbarous wanting martiall discipline or all ouer delicate not able to resist such hardnes whereas if he had opposed the Westerne people by the censure of Liuy hee had at least failed of those many Conquests if not purchased â— fatall ouerthrow The obseruation perhaps of which couâ—â—gious valour in the Westerne people was the cause why the Turkes heretofore were wont to chuse their Ianisaries and chiefe men of warre out of the Europaeans accompting them more strong and able then the Asiaticks being of temper more soft and delicate To this accords Iulian in his booke against the Christians the Celtes saith he are Bold Aduenturous the Greeks and Romans both warlike and ciuill the Egyptians more industrious and subtile although weake and tender The Syriâ—ns with great alaâ—rity conforme themselues to discipline And a little after hath these words What shall I declare saith hee how coueâ—ous of liberty and impatient of seruitude the Germans are how quiet and tractable the Syrians Persians Parthians and all the Nations situate towards the East and South parts of the World Tacitus reports that the Barauians lying on the West of Germany of all the Germans are the strongest and most valiant which Plutarch also confirmes in the life of Marius that the most warlike people of all France are these which are most Westerne The like opinion had Caesar of the Westerne Nations of all the people of Europe saith hee the Westerne people of the Brittaines and Spaniards are the strongest Now as the Westerne people iustly challenge to themselues this prerogatiue of strength and valour so must they yeeld to the Easterne that of Religion and contemplation To let passe the Indians which a long time gone were enriched with knowledge if we belieue ancient writers who can deny the Hebrewes Chaldaeans Syrians Aegyptians Arabians and others of the East their iust trophies of learning and contemplation which they haue erected to after ages From these fountaines haue the Greekes and Latins deriued those large streames wherewith they haue as it were watred all Europe It is written That there came wise men from the East to worship Christ which must needes bee vnderstood of Chaldaea or the places neere adioyning where the Magi or Wisemen were had in great reputation If any obiect the decay both of Learning and Religion at this day in the easterne parts of the world Wee answer that this in most parts is meerely Accidentall caused by the hostile inuasion