North and South So that the foresaid right sections doe part the Horizont and cyrcumference of the same into foure quarters The foure principall windes of the common sorte are thus called that which bloweth from the East the Leuant winde and that right against it the Ponent that from the North Transmontanus and that right against it the Merâ—dional These foure of later yeares they haue deuided into 32. windes after the noted lines and pointes drawne in the Saylers carde and other Mappes euery where to be séene Also the Saylers compasse doth expresse so many windes directed by the adamant or lodestone which howe the same doeth direct and shewe the windes needeth not here be shewed séeing the same is sufficieÌ„tly known to euery sayler which by the guide of their compasse direct their course in clowdy weather either by day or night in marking diligently the points of the compasse how they coast To returne vnto the matter of the Meridiane the diuersitie of Meridianes is no otherwise caused then the swelling of the earth as in the first part I haue sufficiently written the cause of which is that one like parte of heauen cannot be the top or height of euery place Therefore one meridiane cannot serue all places but that in all places a proper Meridiane is caused ouer the head The meridiane also is that which when the sun commeth vnto the highest ouer vs foresheweth by his working and heat the midday This meridiane is a greater cyrcle passing by y â— poles of the world and Zenith or a direct pointe ouer the head abiding immoueable at the motion of the sphere This cyrcle is differing to euery Citty and people by reason of the East and West and is a proper meridiane caused ouer the heade For this is manifest that at the chaunging of the verticiall point there is caused an other Meridian through the swelling and roundnesse of the earth Also a man may of one meridian line describe many as writeth Iohannes a regio monte for in that instant of the Noonetide by letting downe right a plum line the shadowe of the line causeth a newe Meridiane line on the platforme Therefore these with the verticiall line in the the Center to the Horizont crossing one an other at right angles doe indicate the foure quarters of the worlde as the meridian line the North and South the verticial line the East and West The Horizont formeth the quarters of the east and west of which the one is called the East rising or easterly quarter or end the other called the West setting and quarter of the West The Meridiane defineth the boundes of the lowest and highest of heauen and the quarters or middle motions of the day and night time of which that consisting the vpper halfe Sphere is named the highest place and middle of heauen the other which containeth the lowest place right against it called the bothom or lowest of heauen The Meridiane is a greater cyrcle immoueable not one and the same euery where but to euery place peculiar and proper drawne by the top of the place and Poles of the worlde vnto which the sun carried by the motion of the first moouer doeth in the day time cause high Noone and in the night time drawne right against it causeth midnight If this cyrcle were moueable like others then at the motion of the sphere woulde it departe from our Zenith and so loose the name of the Meridiane neither woulde it deuide in proper place vnder it the artificial day into two equall parts séeing by that motion the Meridiane should approach néerer to one part of the Horizont then to the other part Nor should it stay the Horizont at right angles of which it is numbred and accompted amongest the outwarde cyrcles of the sphere The like affirmeth Proclus writing that the Meridiane is none of those cyrcles which is noted and decked with starres For the cyrcles of the sphere are distinguished by starres whereby those cyrcles may more easily be knowne in heauen The meridianes are changed by the continuall chaunging of place in the swelling or imbossing of the earth according to longitude For by going continually right forth toward the East and West it doeth purchase newe Meridianes as by going thrée miles forth then is an other pointe of heauen differing from the first ouer a mans heade and gone further by foure minutes of a degrée Proclus affirmeth that 300. furlongs cause no sensible alterations to happen of the Meridian and this is ment of those which are placed vnder diuers Meridianes and Parallelles For those which are placed vnder one Parallell and diuers Meridianes perceiue and sée no alteration at all Hee which goeth strait from the North into the South or they which directly iourney toward either of the Poles of the worlde doe continually trauaile vnder one Meridiane In that all Merdianes doe go from one Pole to another therefore no iourney causeth by this meanes an other meridiane There are as many meridians in number as there bée differences of verticiall points right ouer diuers parts of the earth in going toward the East and West The halfe of the equinoctiall hath 180. degrées whereof the Cosmographers doe assigne and distinguish so many meridians in such sorte that each Meridiane doeth passe by the twoe opposite degrées of that Equinoctiall and Poles of the world The longitude of a place is the arcke of the equinoctiall cyrcle or of any Parallell contained betwéene two Meridianes of which the one lyeth ouer the fortunate Iles and the other streacheth ouer the top of the proper place noted where the same distance of place is gathered from the fortunate Iles at the equinectiall or at the Parallell of the place The fortunate Iles are situated and lying in the sea called Oceanus Libicus beyond Mauritania betwéene the Equatoure and the tropicke of Cancer which in our time is called the Iles of Canarie and lie further into the North from the equatour then Ptholomie noted or acounted them But the latitude they accompted to bee a space of the earth lying betwéene either pole accompted in the Meridiane drawne by the poles of the worlde or a whole tract of the earth knowne and streached beyonde and on this side the equatoure toward either Pole of the worlde They stablished the beginning of the latitude in the equinoctiall as in the middle cyrcle exquisitely betweene either pole and common bound to both the Southerly and Northerly places So that the latitude of a place is the arke of the meridiane betwéene the equinoctiall and Parallell drawne by the top of the place or it is the distance of a place from the equinoctiall This alwaies is accounted in that meridian which hangeth directly ouer the top of the place and to one degrée of the same doe 500. surlongs or 15. Germaine miles answere The arks of the latitudes doe not differ from the eleuations of the pole but in the standing onely For the eleuation of the pole
the daies in the right Sphere and of the vnequalnesse in the thwart or bowing sphere and where the day spaces are encreased and lengthened there the night spaces be lessened and decreased and being otherwise they shew the contrary In the second the Parallels which the verticial points forme when they expresse the boundes of the latitudes of places then are they standing vnder by which their longitudes or distances from the West are accompted In the third the Parallels which either the Planets or the fixed stars describe referred vnto the Equatour do expresse the boundes of their drawings or motions from the equatour The others or rest which applied vnto the ecclipticke described doe shew the bounds of the latitudes and that for how long time they tarry aboue the earth or otherwise hid within the earth and vnder the Horizone doth either shew In the fourth the greatest and chiefest vtilities of the Parallels are that which on the habitable earth the practisioners seuer by such distances as by how much y e greatest artificiall daies are by a quarter of an houre longer increased and extended For they distinguish the habitable earth and that by obseruation into certain necessary spaces and doe iudicate the regular increasings of the daies and what is common to each dwelling vnder those parallels in asmuch as the quantities the increasings and deminishings of the dayes and nightes the risings and settings of the stars the Noonstéede shadowes and the nature of the Winter and Summer but those which are contrary as that there is a difference diuersity of the dwelling places being vnder diuers Parallelles they indéede bee necessary vnto the distribution and description of the clymate Although the number of these cyrcles bee so infinite as is the infinite variety of the stars and verticall points yet are there foure vsually rehearsed in these Elements or introduction that be especially noted and described by peculiar names and for the same cause as séemeth to mée in that they deuide the whole Globe of heauen and earth into fiue Zones and these applied vnto the plaine or flat of the equatour The tropicke of Cancer or summer tropicke The tropicke of Capricorne or winter tropicke The articke or Northerly Pole The antarticke or Southerly Pole Which Circles are called the Tropickes THe Sun according to the former words through the motion of the first mouer is in 24 houres drawn once about and for that hee is caried in the thwart Cyrcle and in the same by his proper motion chāgeth dayly vnto other places of the Zodiacke it must néeds ensue that he describeth in each day a new parallel And those doeth the sun repeat in the partes of the Zodiack which be equidistant from the solsticiall points in such wise that they be in the whole 182. cyrcles And these do they call the cyrcles of the natural daies of which the vttermost and furthest that include the suns way are named the Tropicks which is in English the sun boūds in that the sunne neuer passeth them neither toward the North nor toward the South but after his touching of each he returneth againe The one of these called the tropicke of Cancer and the other the tropicke of Capricorne Why these are called the Tropickes THey are named the Tropicks of the Gréeke word Tropikoi which is in English the turnings againe in that when the Sun is digressed from the Equatoure and come vnto those hee turneth backe againe Also the Tropicke cyrcles touch the Zodiack at the beginnings of Cancer and Capricorne of which the one is called the Tropicke of Cancer and the other of Capricorne the one being Northerly and the other Southerly And as to our dwelling the one is called the summer Circle and the other the Winter So that when the sun toucheth any of these he turneth againe and is carried toward the other As by this example further appeareth where all that season and time from the twelfth day of December vnto the eleuenth day of Iune a manne may perceiue the Sunne euery day arising higher and higher and when he is at the highest ouer our heades that day doth he by his course describe the summer Tropicke from which againe turning the sunne euery day after draweth lower and lower from our verticall pointe vntill he be come againe vnto the lowest In which twelfe day of December not going any further toward the South but being come vnto the beginning of Capricorne he describeth the winter Tropicke The Tropicke of Cancer is a lesser Circle which the sunne describeth at the entring into the beginning therof and is drawne by the daily motion whose plaine or flat passeth not by the center of the earth and it is one of the naturall Circles which is outermost described of the sun toward the North and drawne by the beginning of Cancer And it hath also his name of the standing in that the same is the bound of the sunnes iourney or course toward the North and the nighest comming vnto vs vnto which being brought he turneth backe and directeth his course into the South of which that place is called Trope It is continually distant from the Equatour by the quantity of the suns greatest declination which at this day is of 23. degrées 28. minutes and two fifts almost and it encloseth also the suns way and doth besides with the other 3. Parallels deuide the Zones of heauen and earth Further this is named the cyrcle of the summer solstice by the same reason in that it is drawne by the pointe of the summer solstice And the Northerly Tropicke in that it is the Northerly part of the world And the summer cyrcle for that the Sun in the summer falleth into this cyrcle Also this cyrcle in all the Northerly tract is on this wise that the greater part or portion is aboue the Horizone and the lesser part as to vs vnder the Horizon so that the sunne runing in that cyrcle causeth the longest day of summer And whiles the sun describeth these cyrcles the dayes bee longer then the nightes For the longest day increaseth from minute to minute from houre to houre and from the latitude of one degrée vnto the latitude of 66. degrées and 30. minutes In which the day artificial is of 24. houres and is thereof called a whole day For in the latitudes following and beyonde hee increaseth into many whole daies A like definition hath Proelus where hee writeth that the summer Tropicke is the furthest cyrcle Northwarde that the sun describeth into which when the sun is come he then maketh his summer turne and causeth also at that time the longest day and shortest night of the yeare from which turning backe he goeth againe toward the contrary coast of the world so that of the same Proclus it is called a Tropicke which is in English a returning cyrcle For it is euident to all men that after the sunne beginneth to turne he may in short time after or at the least within 5. dayes
but especially at Noone in euery wéeke be well perceiued to discend and go lower and lower vntil he become vnto the Tropicke of Capricorne or the winter cyrcle where he turneth againe as you may plainly learne and vnderstand by the former description of that cyrcle The Tropicke of Capricorne is a lesser cyrcle and one of the naturall cyrcles which is by the like space distaunt from the Equatoure into the South and described of the sun in the beginning of Capricorne as being vttermost toward the South which is the bound of the suns greatest departure from vs and of his longest digression vnto the South that he defineth and maketh This cyrcle also is called the winter Solstice and winter Tropicke in that when the sun coÌ„meth into this cyrcle it is presently winter that is the shortest day of the yeare Also the lessâ—â— portion of this cyrcle is to vs aboue the horizone and the greater beneath or vnder the Horizon Besides the suns iourney endeth at the south and crosseth or deuideth both the burning and temperate Southerly Zone The Brumall or winter tropicke as writeth Proclus that is furthest toward the South of all those which the sunne describeth by his drawing about of the first moouer into which when the sunne falleth he causeth his winterly returne so that the longest night of the yeare and shortest day is at that time procured From which he goeth no further toward the South but returneth vnto the contrary quarter of the world and hereof this Circle is called a Tropicke or circle of returne Now these thrée are principally noted the equatour and the two Tropickes for the course of the sunne That the instructions of the two Tropicks afore spoken of may more perfectly be vnderstoode conceiue this Figure heere demonstrated In which a h b e. is the meridian a d b. the right Horizone d. the Center of the principall a. the Northerly Pole b. the Southerly Pole g d c. the cyrcle of the Zodiacke h d e. the Equatour which here is ment to bée abatingly described when the sun shall bee in the center of the earth or in the true section of the Equatoure and Zodiacke as in the letter d. from which point when the sun returnes toward the Northerly pole a. vnder the cyrcle g d c. he then describeth in each day by the motion of the first mouer each Parallels vntill he be come in the Meridiane vnto the point g from which hee can not further ascend toward our Zenith in the meridian Of which in the same day the sun describeth g f. the parallell to the equatour which is called the Tropicke of Cancer in that the sun beginneth from this place to approach or draw nearer to the Equatoure vnto which when the sun shall come hee then descendeth vnto the neather halfe sphere in the halfe cyrcle d c. Hee being come againe vnto the point c doth from his center by the motion of the principall or first mouer in the Poles of the world describe the Parallell c i. that is the tropicke of Capricorne The Polare cyrcles are two of the lesser cyrcles neare to the Poles of the world being alike equall distant to the equatour which vpon the Poles of the equatour described are drawne by the Poles of the Zodiacke And these are named the Polare Cyrcles in that they bee neare to the Poles of which that neare to the Pole articke is called the arcticke cyrcle of the greater or lesser Beare drawne in it or for that this cyrcle is described about the pole articke the other that is right against is named the antarticke Cyrcle in that it is drawne aboute the Antarticke Pole Or thus the arcticke is a lesser cyrcle which the Northerly pole of the Zodiacke is so far distant from the Pole articke of the world as is the suns greatest declination or as Proclus writeth that the fore foote of the greater Beare by the dayly motion formeth The same cyrcle after the minde of the learned is distant from the equatour 66. degrées and 30. minutes almost To whome this altitude is higher by 23. degrées and almost 29. minutes To those parts of the earth is the pole arcticke extaunt in sight and continually appeareth It also secludeth and parteth the vntemperate Northerly Zone from the next temperate Zone where the Solsticiall Tropicke is made the Northerly cyrcle and in that place vnder this altitude of the pole 66. degrées and 31. minutes there all the stars and images contained from the solsticiall Tropicke vnto the Pole are seene as both the Beares the Dragon Cepheus Cassiopia Perseus Auriga or the Carter whole Bootes except from the knées downeward the crowne Hercules except the head and right arme the Harpe the Swan the great Horse Andromeda except the left Cubit the halfe of the Northerly Fish almost Deltoton a part of the backe of Taurus the necke and Northerly Horne a great parte of Gemini and the head and necke of Leo. And not vnlike to the former doth Proclus describe them where hee writeth that the Northerly cyrcle is the same which of al those that to vs continually be séen or appeare is for trueth the greatest and that also toucheth the Horizone at one onely point being wholy described aboue the earth And the stars that are inclosed within this cyrcle do neither rise nor set but are continually séen all the night drawn about the Pole The South or antarticke cyrcle is thus defined of him that the same is equal and equidistant to the Northerly or articke cyrcle and toucheth the Horizon at one point The whole of this cyrcle is hidden vnder our Horizone so that all the stars placed and drawn in it abide euer out of sight to vs. The like description that the antarticke Parallel is a lesser Cyrcle which the Southerly Pole of the Zodiacke draweth about as it were by the dayly motion doeth describe about the Southerly toppe of the world and is by a like space distaunt from the Equatoure and the antarticke pole of the world as the articke is from his opposite And doth seperate or deuide the vntemperate Southerly Zone from the next temperate Zone Further it is manifest that the distance of the Poles of the ecclipticke from the poles of the world doe agrée with the greatest bowing or declination of the ecclipticke or the sun In that the poles from their cyrcles bee alwaies distant a quarter of the cyrcle and the colure of the solstices is here taken for that which comprehendeth either Pole And when the quarters standing betwéene the poles and the cyrcles of the poles be in themselues or betwéene one the other equall as the arke of the same cyrcle then the middle arke common to both which as exempted goeth betwéene the poles of the world and the ecclipticke and so parteth and leaueth them equall For the one halfe of the other equall arks is from the poles of the ecclipticke vnto the poles of the world and the other is
Tropicks all heauen into fiue parts or Regions which they call zones The descriptions names qualities and vtilities of the Zones THe foure lesser cyrcles called Parallels that were afore described doe deuide the whole heauen towarde the Poles into fiue spaces which that heauen might bee compassed aboute with these larger swathes the astronomers of the same called them Zones or otherwise of the Latines Gerdils The Cosmographers by the same imagination applied doe also dispose and distribute the whole Globe of the earth into fiue roomes or spaces lying directly vnder and agréeable in proportion to them in heauen Wherefore a zone after the minde of the Gréekes is a portion tract or space of heauen or earth betwéene the two Parallels or lesser cyrcles being nighest equidistant or contained betwéene the roome equidistaunt and Pole of the world and gyrdeth or compasseth as it were the heauen or earth Or thus a zone is a space of earth like to the two Parallels or lesser cyrcles aboue which the astronomers imagine to run on the vpper face of the sphere And as the whole portion included by the two Tropicks called the burning zone doth compasse heauen as a gyrdle euen so imagine the roome of the earth lying right vnder the Tropicks The zones haue sundry names for of the Gréekes they be called zóne and of the Latines by a borowed word Zona as may appeare by Iulius Firmicus Macrobius Virgilius Ouide and other Latines That heauen or earth is imagined to bee gyrded about with these Martianus nameth them swathes Tully and Macrobius nameth them by the like reason gyrdles Ouide nameth them plagues that is roomes or spaces And how many zones they bee may easily appeare in that the astrologians Geographers Phisitions and Poets do deuide as well the heauen as earth into siue roomes or spaces by the foure Parallels or lesser cyrcles of which there bee two maner of zones the celestiall and the earthlie The celestiall are the cause of the earthly in that the earthly lie directly vnder them And of the zones the celestiall bee they which the astronomers by imagination describe and distribute in the hollow of heauen the earthly be they which lie perpendicularly vnder And both also be temperate and vntemperate zones The celestiall zones in that they haue nothing of the elementary qualities therefore doe they not by heat burne and scorch nor by cold make stiffe nor cause a temperate mixture of qualities or temperatnesse yet are they noted and descerned by the names of the qualities as the earthly zones which being the author of the sun and fountaine both of light and heate and running continually in the middle zone of heauen is diuersly felt according to the maner of the distance Or thus there are no qualities formally attributed to the celestiall zones but to them onely vertually which is on this wise to be vnderstoode as that the celestiall zones of themselues be neither cold hot nor temperate but are so called through the suns declination from the equatour as well into the North as into the South quarter of the world In the which declination is the like matter felte as well in the suns right sending downe of beames as in the thwart proiection of thē on the vpper face of the earth which diuersly changeth the heat 〈◊〉 The scorching or vntemperate middle Zone which through the heat and burning beames the sun there causeth when he is ouer the head or in the Noonestéed place is contained betwéene the boundes of the sunnes iourney which the two Tropicks make and includeth 47. degrées of heauen For the two Tropicks are on either side the equatoure so that it vseth the middle roome in the burning zone from which the sun towarde the North and South neuer declineth aboue 23. degrées and 29. minutes By which appeareth that it is there as hot in the middle of winter as it is in Spaine in the middle of summer and therefore not disagréeing to that which the auncient Cosmographers wrote that the countries lying vnder this space or rather vnder the equatour is vnhabited through the burning heate and of them for this cause named the burning or scorching zone But of later yeares it is found contrary in that at Molucca Good-hope Calicute and Samatra rich drugges and other fine spices haue beene there gotten by the Spantards and Portingals and yéerly haunted by them as at this day the same is throughly known to many which also confesse that the places vnder the Equinoctiall and the rich City Calecute being by the sea coast of Inde standing betwéene the equatour and our Tropicke of Cancer and vnto the other Tropicke South vnder the Burning zone that the places is habitable and peopled although very cumbersome with extremity of heat Also that space on earth containeth 685. Germaine miles or 23500. furlongs Ptholomie and Auicen affirme that the places betwéen the equatour and summer Tropicke is habitable and that many Cities bee there although the sunne in those places through his direct beames and especially vnder the equatour doth by the ouer much heat and continual heat burn and mightily scorch The like doe sundry others affirme which write that those places is conuenient for the life of creatures in that vnder the equatour there bee many waters which although resolued and run through the heate yet doe they breath and send vpward colde vapors which the sun continually maintaineth in drawing vp through his vehement heat and sending down mighty showers of raine which vapors in the night through the suns furthest distance vnder the earth and especially at midnight cause a mighty cold and chilling ayre which the sun after his rising vntill he be somewhat ascended aboue the earth cannot sodainly ouercome and put away that cold impression of the ayre So that the people there inhabiting bee monstrous of forme and haue rude wits wondrous wild and terible conditions like to wilde and furious beasts The countries which lie vnder the Southerly Parallels as those which are described by the Equinoctiall line vnto the summer Tropicke where the sun is drawne and runneth ouer the tops of them there through the aboundance of vapors rayne and night colde is the suns heate repressed mitigated and dulled so that the heades of the Ethiopians or Moores be litle hauing but litle and withered braines their bodies short hauing thicke crisped haire on their heades grosse and dull of senses blacke scorched or burned bodies withred or wrinckled faces crooked of stature being in a maner hot by nature and cruell condicions through the mightinesse of heat in those places And the constitution also of the ayre is there such that al liuing and cresent things on that earth are found and known to agrée with them Further it is to be noted and vnderstood that any there trauailing from the Northerly places the further they goe towarde the South somuch the stronger heat or burning they shalbe annoyed with The two temperate zones be next adioining to the burning zone the
one on the Northerly and the other on the Southerly side of it And the beginnings of either bee the hotter the ends colder the middle of them exquisitly temperate in the other parts doth the heat either so much the more excéede or the bitter colde ouercommeth and ruleth as howe much the nearer they approach or come vnto the burning Zone or otherwise vnto either of the extreame Zones which continually cause a bitter and an extreame colde The cause of this diuersity is through the suns beames for the sun continually moouing in the middle iourney of heauen described betwéene the two Tropicks and digressing or going beyond the prefixed bounds of nature doeth not shew his beames vnto diuers parts of the earth in one manner but vnto the places right vnder and in the burning zone the tractes or countries contained vnder them doth he send downe right beames which stretcheth to the vpper face of the earth at right angles And vnto the countries of either temperate zone doeth the sun send downe thwart or slope beames And vnto the places vnder either cold zone doth he streach long beames on the plaine of the earth euen the like as being neare to the Horizone which neither reach vnto the vpper face of the earth nor cause angles but kéep an equall distance vnto it do streach forth infinitely But those beames of the sun doe neither giue light nor heat but turne backeward in that the property of the reflexion which of the beame against a solider resistance prohibiting or letting the penetration is a certaine repercussion and reuerberation that increaseth and doubleth the force of the direct beame and by the reflexed beame to it adioyned or at the least by his vertue applied and communicated Séeing this reflexion is the especiallest cause of the heat and that the angles of the reflexions falling doe continually make or be equal in the angles for that cause do they much vnlike increase the force of the directe beames and their effectes doe notably varie So that in the burning zone the reflexion stretcheth vnto right angles séeing the straight or right beames are caried led into themselues in such sort that as direct and reâ—lexen they méete and bee mixed and in this doubling as it were the vertue and force of the direct beames is on such wise increased that it kindleth burneth and consumeth And in either temperate zone is the reflexion caused at right angles in that the sun beames doe thwartly reach to the vpper face of the earth and are turned and extended backward vnto thwart angles which how much the néerer and liker they bee to the right so much the nearer doe they ioyne either beames togither by which they procéed and come into the nearer parts of the burning zone But so much the blunter as they streach so much the longer do they seperate either beames as howe much the more they are extended vnto the extreame or outmost bounds And for this cause doe they more heat then the fore parts of the temperate zone whose heate is a litle gentler or milder then the heate of the burning zone and the beames a litle further of whose colde notwithstanding differeth somewhat from the extreame or outmost vntemperate zones And those which streach and fall into the middle region of either temperate zone doe cause a meane betwéene the right and very sharp angles and yet not directly matched or ioyned nor doe they by so neare a space communicate their vertue as in the beginning of it neither by so large a distance as in the end but in the middle in a maner So that they cause and increase a temperate heate in the same zone But in the extreame or colde Zones is no reflexion of beames caused for those beames equally distant from the earth are streached forth infinitely and for that cause doe those neither giue light nor moue or procure heat neither doe those zones at any time warme either perfectly cleare or appeare bright but that they continually be foggy misty darke and bitter or extreame cold through the continuall mists which more and more increase especially toward the northerly pole And yet many affirme a reasonable dwelling in those places yea and vnder the Northerly pole but far colder and bitterer dwelling through the far being from the way of the sun and beholding of the comfortabler starres For the Sunne through his ouer far distance cannot by his presence aboue the earth comfort and heate This now is the perfect cause of the diuers and vniuersall coustitutions of the ayre and chiefe qualities in each zones so that of the particular constitutions be other causes But to returne vnto the temperate Zones the latitude of either temperate Zone is of 43. degrées almost of Germaine miles 645. and of furlongs 21500. So that the Boreallor Northerly zone beginning from the Tropick of Cancer endeth at the arcticke cyrcle or at the degrée of latitude 66. and 31. minutes And the Southerly from the Tropicke of Capricorne is extended or reacheth vnto the antarcticke cyrcle or the degrée of the Southerly latitude 66. and 32. minutes The vntemperate cold zones that reach froÌ„ either temperate vnto the poles of the worlde doe mooue continuall cold and frosts So that the beames of the sun although they pearse and enter through yet seeing they extende not backward nor through the reflexion or streaching backeward be strengthned and sharpned therefore can they not so heate that by the thawing they dissolue the earth and yse nor put away or voyde the mist. Now the vntemperate Northerly zone beginning from the 66. degrée and 31. minutes of the Northerly latitude endeth at the Pole arcticke and the vntemperate southerly zone begun from the same bounde of the Southerly latitude extendeth and endeth at the pole antarcticke Those people which dwell vnder the burning zone bee named of the Gréekes Amphiskioi Amphiscij in that the Noone shadowes at diuers times of the yeare goe or be cast to them twoe waies as toward the South or North. And twise also in the year runneth the sun right ouer their heades as is demonstrated in the second Theorme of Euclide so that at Noone it commeth to passe that they haue almost no shadow for the sun being direct or in right line ouer their heades at Noone hee then sendeth downe right Beames which are cast or streached to the plaine of the earth at right angles so that their shadowe falleth and is right vnder the feete and not on any side of them So that the sun in any other time of the yeare beeing without the verticall pointes the shadowes at Noone are one whiles cast into the South and another whiles into the North vnto them euen as the sun digressing from their toppes or Noonstéed is either caried into the North or otherwise declineth into the South This sorte of people which bee vnder either temperate zone are called of the Gréeke Cosmographers Eteroskioi Heteroscij in that they haue a single
shadowe For with them the Nooneshadowes continually run or goe toward one quarter onely So that to them dwelling Northward the Noon shadow streacheth towarth the arcticke or Northerly quarter By which it appeareth that the sun neuer ascendeth ouer their heades but continually casteth or streacheth his beames thwartly into those contries which alwaies forme their thwart angles with the plaine of the earth or els fall a-slope vpon the earth Those people which possesse and dwel vnder either vntemperate or cold zones are named of the Gréeke writers Periskioi Periscij for that their shadowes in one artificiall day are caried and run rounde as it were about them on the plaine of the earth so that the sun vnto those places casteth or sendeth not straight thwart or sloape but long beames running on the horizone which as they streach along infinitly euen so the shadowes going and lying on the flat of the earth and extended along doe increase infinitly And these zones also vnder the poles extend to that proper place where the Tropicke cyrcles and the Arctick cyrcles be all one Strabo likewise writeth that the colde zone reacheth to that place where the Tropick is the arcticke cyrcle that is where this first Zone endeth and the temperate beginneth the Pole beeing 66. degrées and a halfe aboue the horizon so that this pole must be from the toppe of their heads in that place 23. degrées and a halfe Further these people that haue their shadowes running rounde about them dwell within the Polare cyrcles In that all people whose Zenith is within 23. degrees and a halfe of any of both the Poles haue their shadowes compassing aboute them but those people as afore written dwelling nearer vnder the Pole the longer is their day and by that reason doe the shadowes run the oftner about them For where the day is of 24. houres long the shadow doth run but once about yet where the day is of halfe a yeare long the shadowes doe run 183. times about Here conceiue that there be fiue zones on earth answering to the fiue celestiall zones both in the heat temperatnesse and cold which for a plainer vnderstanding vse this figure here following demonstrated Where the Orb or cyrcle described on the plaine of the earth is distributed by the two vnknown diameters into foure equall partes as to the outward points of the one diameter note the letters a b. To the points of the other diameter adde the letters c d. The letter c. the Northerly Pole and the letter d. representing the Southerly pole The arke of the Orbe a c. deuide after the common maner into 90. parts or degrées the number as the vse is noted by 5. 10. 15. 20. 25. c. And beginning to recken at the letter a. in ascending by the number 5. vnto the letter c. beeing the Northerly pole Againe set one foote of the compasse vnchaunged on the letter c. representing the Northerly Pole and with the other opened make a point of the one side and after on the other side in drawing a line besides from point to pointe and the ends of that line note with the letters â— k. that declare the arcticke cyrcle And likewise set one foote of the compasse on the note d. iudicating the Southerly pole and after the marking with points on either side draw a right line at the endes of which note these letters l m. that represent the antarcticke cyrcle These so finished you shall then sée on that plaine or flat the fiue earthly zones rightly described For the space here represented of the earth by the Tropicke lines e f. and g h. included doth demonstrate the burning zone In that the suns heat by his direct beams ouer it doth continually strongly heat and burne that space of the earth wherefore you may rightly draw a straight line from the letter g. vnto f. representing the suns iourney And the space of the earth included of the line i k. the articke cyrcle and the arke answering to the Northerly line i k doth iudiacate the cold and frozen zone Northerly And that other Region or space contained right against representing the antarcticke cyrcle doth demonstrate the colde Southerly zone And the tract or space of the earth included within the lines i k. and E F. doth iudicate our temperate zone Northward and that reasonably habitable and the other portion of the earth contained within the lines g h. and l m. doth manifestly shew the temperate southerly zone Where Ptholomie and other auncient Cosmographers write that the burning zone is vnhabited or as a desart Aristotle Plinie and Iohn de sacro bosco in his treatise of the Sphere write the contrary Besides these it is well knowne at this day yea by experience vnderstood of those that haue yearely gone and come from the countries lying vnder that zone that is betwéene the two Tropicks to be inhabited Further this burnt zone is inhabited and well replenished with people that there dwell as the same is throughly known to many that haue passed to and frothe Indies so that it may euidently appeare that the heate there is not extreame nor so distemperate séeing the time of the heate that they suffer continueth not long nor the heat sharply worketh or causeth his vttermost effect For the sun but a small time tarieth aboue the Horizone in the burnt Region or Zone as certain astronomers write as the space of twelue houres onely so that the heat there is much qualified and suppressed through the colde rising in the night time whereof it is manifest that he causeth not his extreame hotnesse there although hee streacheth his beames perpendicularly on the earth Therefore may many maruaile that sundry ancient men affirme these parts to be vnhabitable séeing they knew of Arabia Foelix Aethiopia Taprobana and diuers other contries lying vnder the burnt zone yea besides these are Guinea Calicute Muluca and Gatigara well knowne to lie or bee vnder the burning Zone and many of the people in those countries liue long and the same Region also is inhabited and replenished well with people A like affirmation hath Albertus and Auicen as afore written that the middle zone is habitable for they agrée coÌ„â—rary to the old writers that in the same Region of the world which the auncient Cosmographers named to bee the burnt Zone that it is a far temperater dwelling than vnder the Tropicks it can bee in any wise And that people dwell vnder the Tropickes the ancient neuer doubted Wherfore if so resonable dwelling be vnder the Tropicks it cannot be otherwise as affirmeth Petrus de apono that vnder the Equatoure notwithstanding the sunnes sharpe heate but that men may dwell there for all the vntemperatnesse of heate To bee briefe al the writers of later yeares agrée that the middle zone is not onely habitable but found and known by many reasons and by experience that the same is most temperate and the earth vnder it rich both of golde and rich drugges
and f g. be the latitudes of the temperate zones in heauen and s t a c r q. of them on earth The twoe outwarde zones to these here drawne bee by themselues noted as well in heauen as on earth Now that wee haue declared with the fiue cyrcles the latitudes either of the celestiall or terestriall zones are defined it shall therefore be necessary to write here of the latitudes of the earthly zones in miles And that you may readily find the latitude in miles multiply the degrées by 15. in that so many Germaine miles answere to one degrée of the great cyrcle in heauen as the 43. degrées of the burnt zone being the suns greatest declination multiplied by the 15. miles doe produce 705. Germain miles which is the latitude of the burning zone The latitude of either temperate zones containeth 646. Germain miles almost And from either Tropicke vnto the pointes right vnder the poles doeth the space or distaunce containe 352. Germaine miles Where is the beginning and end of euerie Zone according to latitude and which places are in which Zones THe middle of the burning zone is vnder the Equinoctiall line where either pole is in the Horizon And both be his bounds where the eleuation of the pole aswell Southerly as Northerly is of 13. degrées and 28. minutes For either temperate zone doeth there begin and streacheth vnto the same place where the eleuation of the pole is of 66. degrées and 30. minutes which place is the beginning of the cold zones By these nowe may a man easily conceiue which places are in which zone for if the eleuation of the Pole Northerly be lesser then 23. degrées and 28. minutes this place then is in the burning zone as the inner Libia Aethiopia a part of Arabia Felix and India But if the eleuation containeth precisely so many degrées and minutes the place then is in the bounde of the burnt and temperate zone as is Siene a city of Aegypt Further if the eleuation of the Northerly Pole bee greater then 23. degrées and 28. minutes yet lesser then 66. degrées and 30. minutes this place theÌ„ is in the temperate zone as Greece Italy Spaine Germanie France England c. But if the latitude be precisely of 66 degrées and 30. minutes the place is in the bound of the temperate and cold zone as is almost Lagenlaâ—us of Suetia Last if the eleuation of the pole excéedeth 66. degrées and 30. minutes the place is in the cold zone beyond which degrées hath Nicolaus Douis a Germaine added a table of Noreway Gothland Iseland Greenland Fineland and Lapeland c. How the Zones and Climats doe differ THe Zone is a space or roome of the earth froÌ„ the West into the East and from thence by the midnight pointe againe into the West But the Clymate is a space of the earth whose beginning is constituted in the west and ende in the East A Zone also is the space of earth betwéene two cyrcles equidistant but a Climate is the only space or roome of the habitable earth contained betwéene two lines equidistant What the qualities of the Zones are TO the celestiall Zones are qualities attributed not formally but onely vertually that is the celestial zones are neither cold hot nor temperate but of this named colde burning and temperate through the sunne which one whiles comming into this and another whiles declining into that parte of the worlde doâ—th send downe his beames to the earth in sundry maner as one whiles plum downe right when the sun runneth vnder the equinoctiall and another whiles by a thwart maner as in the thwart sphere which beames besides how right angles they make on earth so much the greater heate they cause and how thwarter angles they make somuch the weaker heat they procure So that vnder the Equinoctiall the beames most rightly and downe right falling doe make right angles on the vpper face of the earth which through the same causeth a most great heat Also the beames faling toward either poles doe cause thwarter angles and they make the angles more vneuen or thwarter and therof the same heat is the lesser And in the temperate zone especially in the summer the beames doe make almost angles falling vnto a rightnes but in the winter vnto a thwartnes so that in the same Region is a coÌ„modious dwelling But in the colde zones the angles are caused vnlike or vneuen thwartest or slopest as in the burnt Zone they are rightest and most downward in somuch that the cold zones euen as the burnt are commodious to dwel vnder For the beames falling and reflexed how much néerer they fal and be togither somuch the stronger and mightier they moue and cause the heat as we dayly sée that the sun in the noonstéed being as in the summer to cast or streach downe almost perpendicular or down right beames which beames also are almost reflected into theÌ„selues of which the greatest heat of the day then is caused And contrariwise the sun being in the East or west where y e beames streaching downward and reflexed are scatred and run abroade the effects be lesser and the heat much abated and féebled Euen so the beames in the burnt zone bee perpendicular or plum downright which reflexed into themselues do cause a most great heat In the temperate zone doe the beames bylitle and litle fall sloper and sloper of which they cause there a temperate heat But in the cold zones the beames furthest decline or fall slopest through which they procure no effect of the coÌ„sequent cause there a very weake heat What the vtilities of the Zones be _1 THe auncient considerers of the stars haue thus instituted the distribution of the zones for two causes The one is that by this reason they might shewe to vs which places of the earth be reasonably habitable most commodious to dwell vnder 2 The other is as wee learne by experience that the wits of men and nature of places by them appeare and are knowne in that the ayre compassing vs is a certaine cause of the temperatnes For the maners and condicions of men as writeth Galen doe for the most parte ensue the temperameÌ„ts of the bodies yea the nature of trées plants hearbs and beasts do like ensue the temperament of ayre Of which that we might bee the surer and certainer of the natures of the foresaid matter it pleased the ancient to deuide them into fiue zones Of which it is wel known that the bodies of men or people dwelling vnder the burning zone as the Moores be shorter of stature theÌ„ those people dwelling vnder the temperate zones wilder and crueler Also they bee crafty and subtill of nature hauing besides wrinkled faces thick crisped heare on the head and blacke scorched bodies and crooked of stature Also all liuing and cresent things are found to agrée according to the quality of the ayre in that Region Further the people dwelling vnder the Northerly Parallels or Polare cyrcles
are they caried and sooner performe their courses which are néerer to the earth and contrariwise mooue by a slower pace and in longer tâ—â—e compasse and wander aboute the signes of the Zodiacke which are further distant from the earth Also in the middle of their courses as it were each doe often stacke or bee slow and often times stay as vnmoueable and sometimes are retrograde after againe quicken their course and by their swiftnes recouer that lost of the former tariance So that they neuer kéepe one manner of way but one whiles from the middle iourney of the Zodiacke doe wander into the North and another whiles into the South To conclude they be ascended high from the earth when they are named Apogei and discended again vnto the earth when they are named Perigei That there are two kindes of Starres the fixed and the Planets ALL the fixed stars that hang to the firmament or as Ptholomie affirmeth to the eight Sphere are named fixed not for that they consist vnmoueable but that they moue so meruellous slow that by iudgement of the eie they cannot be perceiued to mooue yet the practitioners haue and do find both by reason and obseruations that they alwaies seperated by vnmoueable spaces one from the other and are caried in parallels as it were in their Orbe Ptholomie Aristillus Timochares with the obseruations of Hipparchus ioyned vnto those which he knew noted that the fixed stars in a hundreth yéeres moued one degrée But Copernicus being of later yeares as about the yeare of Christ 1525. that examined the obseruations of the auncient men and compared them vnto those noted of him founde that not so many as a hundreth yeares but in seauentie and two yeares that the fixed had gone one degrée and that in euery Egiptian yeare which containeth 360. dayes the fixed to haue moued 50. seconds and in a day 8. thirdes and tenne fourths And so performed their whole course in twentyfiue thousand eight hundreth and sixtéene yeares 25816. Of these knowne and numbred of the ancient men are 1022. which they haue deuided into sixe differences of magnitudes and to these haue added certaine obscure and certaine cloudy stars The fixed stars of the first bignesse of which are numbred to be fiftéene and that both in bignesse and brightnes excéede all the other starres and in body excéede the earth 107. that is a hundreth seauen times with a eleuen thréescore fourths The fixed stars of the second bignesse of which are accompted 45. do excéede the earth in greatnes almost eighty seauen times The fixed stars of the third bignesse of which are numbred to be 208. doe ouerpasse or excéede the earth seauenty two times with a third part almost The fixed stars of the fourth bignesse of which are reckoned to be 474. that are fifty foure times greater then the Earth with a halfe or a little more of the earth The fixed stars of the fift bignesse of which are noted to bee 216. that excéede by their greatnesse the earth 31. times The fixed starres of the sixt bignesse of which are noted to be 50. doe excéede the earth eightéene times and a little more The darke stars are accompted 3. in number and the clowdy stars are reckoned to be fiue The fixed stars do differ in brightnesse standing color twinckling and especially in the configuration Many of the fixed stars also with the effects both in the bignesse and brightnesse being notable and néere together the ancient men that deuided them by a certaine reason haue gathered digested and fashioned them into forty and eight images or similitudes And vnto them through the congruence and similitude of the noted formes or figures they gaue apt names and for the same cause especially that they might the easier and sooner be discerned knowne and noted by their peculiar names Also they deuided the stars by the standing into the North and South and the signes of the Zodiacke The Northerly stars that decline from the Ecclipticke into the North are twenty and one in number The Southerly that decline from the Ecclipticke into the South are fiftéene in number The images that are named the signes are twelue in number which consist in the Zodiacke Of the celestiall Images and of their diuers names being in number 48. Of the Northerly _1 THe litle Beare hath seuen stars and of those that star which is in the top of the tayle is named the Pole star 2 The great Beare hath 27 stars 8 without forme 3 The Draggon hath 31. stars 4 The image named Cephe us hath 12 stars 5 The image Bootes or Lauceator hath 22. stars 6 The Boreall or Northerly crowne hath 8. stars 7 The image kneeling or Hercules hath 28. stars 8 The Harpe or Griepe falling hath 10. among these the brightest is that named the Harpe 9 The wilde Swanne or Griepe flying hath 17. 10 The image Cassiopia hath 13. stars 11 The image Perseus carying the heade Algoll hath 26. stars of which those which are on the lefte hande doe make the head Algoll or Gorgons 3. without forme 12 The Cartare hath 14. starres among those that which standeth on the lefte shoulder is the Goate and the other two are named the Kids 13 The image Ophiulcus or Serpentarius hath 24. stars 14 The Serpent hath 11. stars 15 The figure named the Arrow hath 5. stars 16 The Egle hath 9. stars 6. without forme 17 The Dolphin hath 10. stars 18 The deuision of the Horse hath 4. stars 19 The winged Horse or Pegasus hath 20. stars 20 The image Andromeda hath 23. stars 21 The Tryangle hath 4. stars The Summe of all the Starres are 360 The 12. Signes of the Zodiacke _1 THe image named Aries hath 13. stars 2 The image Taurus hath 23. of these fiue in the fore-head of Taurus named Succulae or Hiades and the greatest star of Hiades in the Southerly eie named Pallilicium and Pleiades on the back of Taurus 11. without forme 3 The images named Gemini are 18. stars of which Castor or Appollo goeth before Pollux or Hercules followeth 4 The image Cancer hath 9. stars among these Presepe and the cloudie star in the Breast 5 The image Leo hath 27. stars of these that which is in the heart of the Lion named Regulus 8. without forme among which is that constellation named Berenices bush of haire betweene the tops or endes of the Lion and great Beare 6 The image Virgo hath 26. stars of these that which is in the right wing especially Northerly is named Vindenuator but in her left hand a bright star named the earâ— of corne 6. without forme 7 The image Libra and klées of the Scorpion haue 8. stars and 9. without forme 8 The image named the Scorpion hath 21. stars the midle star of the thrée stars placed on the Body is named the heart of the Scorpion and 3. without forme 9 The image named Sagitarius hath 31 stars 10 The image named Capricornus hath 28. stars 11 The
the earth Albategnius affirmeth the Star of Mercurie to be least of all the starres and supposeth or accounteth him to be as one part of 19000. parts of the earth The highest ascention of Mercuries Sphere is from the earth after Albategnius distant 166. semidiametres but the lowest point in the same Orbe is 56. semidiametres distant from the earth THe Moone being lowest of all the Planets doth compasse about the whole Zodiack in 27. dayes 7. hours 43. minutes and 7. seconds She is lesser then the earth after the iudgement of Ptholomie by thrée hundreth nine times and a vnity more then eight parts For the triple proportion of the diametre of the earth vnto the moone by deuiding aboue the fift parts is euen the like as 27. vnto 5. But lesser she is then the sun by sixe thousand fiue hundreth thirty and nine times Copernicus by his obseruations founde the earth greater then the Moone by forty thrée times lesse then an eight part and of this the sunne also is founde greater then the moone by seauen thousand parts lacking thréescore seconds And the greatest distance of the new and full mòone from the earth after the mind of Ptholomie is 64. semidiametres and 10. scruples but after later obseruations 65. semidiametres and 30. scruples And the lowest to the earth is 55. semidiametres and 8. minutes THe Moone digressing from the Sun euery moneth and taking or receiuing a newe light as it were in that she is changed taketh a new light of the sun doeth after encrease by little and litle conceiuing dayly a bigger forme and light vntill shee come in right line against the sunne at what time she shineth with full light after returning againe vnto the sun she waxeth olde by loosing of her light by little and little and in the contrary maner cōmeth vnto the like formes of light vntil she comming vnder the beames of the sun bée quite out of sight Also for that the moone hath a body partly thin partly thicke solyde and shadowed therefore is she not equally filled round about with the beames of the sun but that the same halfe of her Globe or body which turned againe in heauen that beholdeth the sun is it which shineth and the other halfe turned away from the suns light is that which shineth not but remaineth shadowed That Heauen hath a round fourme and to be carried circularly FIrst heauen is equally distant roūd about from the earth and of this is heauen perfect rounde after the definition of the Sphere Which reason is thus proued that if heauen shoulde haue any other forme then perfect round then of necessity must the stars change their distances frō the earth what place vppon earth they shoulde purchase as somewhere more and somewhere lesse they shoulde bee distant and the standing of them changed should also alter their apparant bignesse in that they should appeare greater being séene néere hande and lesser being séene far off Yet neither of these happeneth but that they cōtinually kéeping a sunder are drawn about by vnchangeable spaces and holding a like bignesse and distance to all places of the earth That the stars about the quarters of the East or West appeare sometimes greater is not caused by reason of the shorter distance but for that their beams in the vapours which often times consist in the ayre betwéene the starres and our eie are then broken which breaking of them causeth the body of the star séene to appeare much greater in the eie then in déed it is That heauen is drawne circularly is thus knowne in that wée alwaies sée all the Stars from the East into the West to be drawne vpward and that the hemisphere in our sight is carried continually in distant cyrcles equidistant neuer changing the standing or distance one from another neither in bignesse as far as the iudgement of the eie can descerne neither any whit lessoned For they being drawue from the neather place as from the earth are caried by little and little And after they be thus come vnto the highest of their iourney as vnto the noon-stéede they decline again by little and little till they be brought down vnto the west quarter and there set and hidden vnder the earth and these places and times both of the risings and settings doe they repeate in certaine order Therefore by these it appeareth that they are drawne and carried by round By the second it is euident that the Starres which be néere the Pole Articke are neuer hidden out of our sight but are continually and vniformally drawn round about the Pole as the Centre in such sort that the stars neare to it make the lesser compasses and the stars further off doe define greater compasses So that the starres fastened to their proper Orbs as aforewritten are cyrcularly caried By which two motions of the stars as well tending vnto the West as otherwise it plainly appeareth that heauen is drawn about and caried round A manifest demonstration appeareth of the former argument by this figure here following That the Water and Earth are round Bodies and by a mutuall embracing doe make one Body and one hollovv vpperface THat the earth is round is thus proued Wheras in euery vpper face the length and breadth is considered The length of the vpper face of the earth is from the West into the East or contrariwise The bredth is from the South into the North or contrariwise That the earth also to bee rounde appeareth after length in that the Sun Moone and Stars doe neither arise nor set at one instant time alike to all persons dwelling in any parte of the earth But doe much sooner appeare and shine to them dwelling vnto the East and within a whiles after they shewe to them dwelling in the West By the second appeareth that one and the like Eclipse of the moone in diuers houres is séen both in the East and West For that which appeareth in the first houre of the night to them in the West is séene to them in the East parte in the second thirde or fourth houre euen as they come nearer vnto the East which would not be caused if the night to both places should happen and bée at one moment nor sooner woulde they appeare to them in the East part Againe there bée certaine stars which in their rising doe appeare sooner to them in the East parts then to them in the West as Plinie writeth of Arbelis being a towne in Asiria where an Eclipse of the Moone was séene in the second houre of the night which in Sicily was séene in the first houre of the night For the Assirians are more Easterly then the Sicilians and therefore doeth the sun set sooner with them then with the Siciliaus And when it was also the second houre of the night in Assiria the Sun first set in Sicilia about the first houre of the night Moreouer the Pole of the world acording to the diuersitie of places is eleuated and
greate and long space if by such a swiftnesse the earth should be turned about the Exe-trée of the world Or if by the motion of the earth the ayre and all things hanging in the ayre should be drawne with a like swiftnesse then should they appeare to stay or not to be moued at all And further if a stone or any waighty thing cast vpward shuld not light againe downe right on the same place as may be séene in a shippe at sayling So that to all these doeth euident experience deny that by no motion the earth is any thing moued dut continually stayeth and abideth By the fourth it is manifest that in the motion and turning about of the Cyrcle the Center abideth vnmoueable which is the earth placed in the myddle of the world and is as the Center of the worlde Therefore is the Earth knowne to be vnmoueable That the Earth compared vnto Heauen is as a poynt ALthough to the vnskillfull in this Arte the magnitude and largenes of the earth séemeth to be of an excéeding greatnesse that no bond or ende can be decerned with the eie nor any hauing trauailed into farre countries could hytherto finde any bounds of the same yet the greatnesse of the earth compared vnto the mighty largenesse of heauen is accompted but a pricke as the Geomitricall rules declare The earth also is a very small thing in respect of heauen yea so litle in comparison as a pepper corne or seede of Colliander vnto a Cyrcle of a thowsande paces compasse For if the earth compared to the firmament were of any sensible greatnesse a man shoulde not sée the halfe of heauen nor the halfe Cyrcle of the Equinoctiall or Zodiacke And howe much greater the earth shoulde be by so much the lesser should a man sée the halfe of heauen But the contrary is knowne in that on any plaine of the earth or vpper face of the sea a man alwaies séeth the halfe Sphere of heauen the other halfe in the meane time remayning hid and of this the halfe dyameter of the earth is so small vnto the distance of the firmament that it may take away nothing in a maner of the halfe Sphere extant to the eye Besides these if the earth should be imagined to be placed in any of the Orbes of heauen it woulde appeare but small in respect of them for being imagined in the Moones Orb the earth should appeare thrice as great as the moon is decerned from thence and somewhat bigger And from the suns Orbe the earth should be decerned twice so large as Venus doth here appeare to vs. And if in Marses Sphere you would say that the earth is equall to a small star But from the firmament Saturns Sphere or Iupiters if a man could decerne it the earth shoulde appeare so small that a man would be abashed at the sight of it And here an ignorant man might greatly wonder that so small a body yea rather a pricke as it is accounted of the learned should containe in it so many Realmes Prouinces Citties Towns Flouds Mountaines Woods Ualleyes Seas Riuers Lakes and many other greate matters ouer long to be written That the earth also is as a Pricke is declared by sundry reasons following By the first that round about the earth the magnituds and distances of the stars in their times are decerned and séene euery where equall and alike By the second that the Gnomons or dyall shadowes and the Centers of the Sphericall borderes or Cyrcles placed in any part of the earth do somuch auaile and kéep the considerations and guydings about of shadowes so regularly and agréeing to the rule and matter as if those in very déede shoulde bee placed in the myddle poynte of the earth By the third that the Horizont doeth euery where deuide the whole heauen into two equall halues For that in euery moment doe sixe signes of the Zodiacke appeare aboue the Horizont and in the night time being a fayre sky are they to bée séene with the eye and so many at that in stant hid within the Horizont so that by a cōtinuall drawing about of heauen doe sixe signes appeare and as many right against those sixe set vnder the earth If the magnitude of the earth shoulde bée of any light portion vnto heauen then so much of the Center the vpper face drawne aboute shoulde parte or deuide heauen into equall halfe Spheres The other Spheres reatching from any part of the vpper face shoulde deuide the same into vnequall portions Neither halfe the Zodiacke should alwaies appeare but a portion much lesser than halfe the Zodiack should be séen aboue the earth so that the greater parte of the earth through the folydnesse excluded and hidden should not after be séene By the fourth the Equinoctiall shadowes both of the rising and setting of the sun doe make a right line euen as if they should be streached out and lie on the plaine caried by the Center of the earth So that all these should not be caused if the magnitude of the earth in respect of heauen should be of a sensible or of any portion to it To conclude Ptholomie vseth alwaies the body of the earth for the Center of the worlde not deuiding the vpper face from that which is not in sight of the earth Certaine affirme that one degrée of the greatest Cyrcle in heauen contayneth 57051. common Germaine miles Of which one degrée of any earthly Cyrcle in the vpper face of the earth doeth amount to 15. Germayne myles And that one minute of the celestiall degrée expresseth 9509. Germayne miles which if this bée true and certainly knowne then is it not vainely thought and gessed that the earth is as a Pricke in respect of heauen To finde the compasse of the Earth and by it the Dyameter THe whole compasse of the earth according to Ambrosius Theodosius Macrobius and Eratostenes doth contayne 5400. Germaine myles and the dyameter of the same doth contayne 1718 4 22. Germayne miles But the authority of Eratostenes after the minde of Plinie is more to bee regarded then the other thrée Philosophers which prooueth by demonstration and reasons that the compasse of the whole earth is 252000. furlongs Yet Hipparchus finding faulte at Eratostenes doeth affirme the compasse of the earth to be of 277000. furlongs And a furlong is here after the agréement of the Geometricians of a hundreth twenty and fiue paces And this sentence is not here mente that there is any ambiguity or vncertainty in this reason but that the one affirmed lesser and the other more furlongs For after Eratostenes doe 700. furlongs answere to one degrée but after Hipparchus 774. furlongs answere to a degrée So that there is no other diuersity in the matter but onely the number Ptholomie that was after Eratostenes attributed seuen hundred fifty furlongs of the earthly merydiane to one degrée of the celestial meridiane So that by all these appeareth that the magnitude of the earth is as yet vnfounde out
Equinoctiall poynt is then imagined to be drawne aboute with the motion of the first moouer that hath the same Center with the earth at that time by which the playne of the Equatoure is then noted to passe So that this is the cause why Plinie giueth that name to it séeing a like day and night is caused the sun then running vnder the Equatoure throughout the earth as no man of skill maketh doubt of It is named the cyrcle of the high solstice but this commeth to passe by reason of those which dwell vnder the equinoctiall and haue foure solstices as two on hie two below hauing foure shadowes in the yeare and the sun passing twise a yeare by the Zenith right ouer their heads as when the sunne is in the beginning of Aries and Libra And to them also dwelling vnder the Equinoctial are two summers and two winters and the heat is mightiest and strongest when the sun draweth from them into the North or South yet doeth the sun alwaies burne the earth right vnder it causing a burning Zone and not parteth far from their heades So that their winters are not perfectly and simply named winters as with vs which are cold seasons in déede bnt rather with them is a continuall summer yet for that the causes of heate with them are not vnformally and in a like maner alwaies for that the sun doth not approch equally the Zenith of that parte as the same is known to many whereof the heat to them is not vnifourme and a like in burning But sometimes hotter and sometimes slacker and meaner of heate So that when the sun is in the Zenith as in the beginnings of Aries and Libra and that they are in their high solstices then is the heate most vehement with them yet not without the sun this heate can bee called mighty But when as the sun is gone from their Zenith which happeneth in the beginning of Cancer and Capricorne where their low solstices are the heate is then slacker that is lesser burning So that the weaker heate hapning in the lowe solstices may in a manner bée named colde in respecte of the most burning heate hapning in the high solstices yet it hath the nomination of winter although no cold may bée felt What the offices or vtilities of the Equinoctiall are THe causes whie the skilfull practisioners tooke and vsed the Equinoctiall with the offices which they attributed to it and the mani fold vses that it offereth is herein declared 1 It measureth the motion of the first and vppermost Orbe and sheweth the same to bée drawne about by a continuall and equall swiftnesse For that in euery equall houre doe fiftéene of the thrée hundereth and thrée score degrées of the same arise and so many degrées right against set and are hidden vnder the Horizont and that all the thrée hundreth and thrée score degrées in 24. houres are turned about in the appoynted times and in their periods continually agréeing And as the Equatour from the Poles of the worlde about which the first mouer is drawne and is of either side distant by equall spaces nor the Angle which is comprehended fashioneth with the Horizont doth neuer change euen so by the same order and like motion doeth the first heauen or moouer euidently shew it selfe to be caried about For the Equinoctiall measureth and determineth the motion of the first mouer in declaring his reuolution and yeare which yeare of the first moouer is the time of 24. houres equall But by what meanes the auncient astronomers first found that the Equinoctiall is drawne about in so many houres and it is supposed they came to the knowledge thereof by the office of some starre either in the Equinoctiall or placed neare it they perceiued the same as that the Equinoctial from some note marked of them did returne to it in such a certaine space as afore shewed 2 The diuers motions of the Zodiack which hapneth to it through the twart standing or lying as a cannon or rule doth dyrect and point out the beginnings boundes and time with the which each parts or degrées of the Zodiacke arise or doe set and with which they touch these or those quarters of the worlde For all the arckes of the Equatoure are drawne by a certaine and agréeable motion continually The parts of the Zodiacke drawne thwartly the Equatoure doeth not varie or is distant by like spaces from the Poles of the world nor turned about his but the same Poles of the worlde which doe differ by a long space from his and drawn about by a most vnlike motion and nothing at all agréeing in it selfe For that some parts or degrées are caried vp sooner or quicker and others appeare slower and later So that these vseth a more space of time in the rising slower and those other passe vp by a shorter and quicker space But séeing that in the Zodiack the wandring stars or Planets doe wander continually hither and thither and from one side of it to another and that vnto the middle cyrcle of it or ecclipticke line the places of all the fixed stars are referred and applied therefore cannot the times of the rising or setting of the starres bée knowne and noted except they shoulde be guessed and attained by the next arks of the equinoctiall It also declareth the equinoctialles which are caused in those proper dayes in which the sun hapneth to come into the equinoctiall cyrcle For these are caused the sun being in the first degrées of Aries and Libra in that the Zodiacke and Equinoctiall doe crosse each other in those places whereof Manilius thus writeth That these signes Aries and Libra cause a right Throughout the earth a like day and night 3. It defineth and measureth the spaces both of the naturall and artificiall dayes And although the sun which drawne about with the motion of the first moouer and in the proper motion caried forth in the meane time by force into the contrary when as hee causeth the times of the daies and nightes so wel as the differences of the natural daies mooued and runneth in the Zodiacke yet of his motion the day and night spaces cannot bee gatherrd through the diuersity and vnlikenesse of the ascending or arising of diuers parts or degrées of the Zodiacke But seeing the same motion is of all the partes of the Equatoure therefore are the ascentions of the arcks of the Zodiacke caried vp with the ascending of the nighest parts of the Equatour like arising So that both the dayes and houres by the equall motion of these are not founde and distinguished by the vnlike and vnequall motion of them in that these ascentions can be of these two cyrcles The Greekes by no meanes like of the same in that by a stedfast order they do mark the day and night times therefore they parte and deuide them into equall houres which they named times that from the degrées of the Zodiacke they might distinguish them For euerie fiftéene
and Orchades that be into the North and East which is distant from the furthest bound of Scotland but thrée dayes sayling if prosperous windes bée their helpe At this day men haue found beyond Thylen but somwhat into the East and most large bounds stretched and found beyond the articke or Northerly cyrcle these are whole without breaking of any sea betwéene and containe Suetia Norway Iseland Grunland and Lapeland The kingdome of Suetia appeareth most large and containeth sundry nations and people among which they are of most account the East and West Gutland people inhabiting neare to Norway And vnder the King of Suetia are the Lapeland people as the Finelapons and Dikilapons where are a wild and fierce people dwelling almost vnder the pole articke especially the Lapeland people to whome the sun neuer setteth in the summer for 40. dayes space Aboue these inhabit a people of a cubite long or high hauing small and crooked bodies named of some Pigmalions that liue vnder a very darke and bitter cold ayre or sky And aboue Scania néere to the West boundes of Suetia doeth Norway stretch into the North whose vttermost limit extendeth vnto the 71. degrée almost of the Northerly latitude Aboue this is the country named Iseland by reason of the frozen waters and sea where throughout the yeare it so bitterly fréezeth that through the ycie seas there thicke frozen it permitteth no ships to come vnto thē except in the thrée hottest months of the yeare It aboundeth with brimstone and burneth in many places through the sulphure brimstone veines Plinie writeth that the Occean sea in North is very large which in these our dayes is well knowne This also was learned of certaine skillfull sailers which inhabited and very much had traualed this coast that they knew not the limits or bounds of this sea toward the North but supposed that this sea did compasse the whole earth By this sea dwell many and mighty people as the Danes the Swedens Norwaies Gotelandes Finelands Russians and Pruchenians and vnder the pole artick the Laplands The reason why in these places such force of moysture aboundeth is for that a dayly and continuall cold of these places gathereth and thickneth the ayre and by a continual working resolueth into water For when the ayre is not throughly purged by the suns beames then the weaknes of them and far distance of the sun from these places must of necessity bee continually thicke and darke which afterwardes yéeldeth and giueth plentifull floodes by deawes and raines Albert mag in his booke de natura loci and 8. chapter assigneth a witty and laudable reason why the Northerly be inhabitable The cause he setteth downe in that sundry skillfull Mariners affirme that haue many times sailed into the Northerly partes of the Ocean sea that in those places is a continuall darknesse which when men sawe they returned for feare supposing nay rather doubting that none coulde saile any further in that quarter of the worlde through the darknesse and thicke mist which hindreth the direction of their iourney So that the nature of those places cannot bee sufficiently knowne to vs séeing no man as the learned report hath attempted thither through extremitie of colde their bearing sway And for that excéeding cold is a mortifying quality therefore a man may coniecture that few liuing creatures and beasts can there liue c. Yet the part of the Northerly Occean vnto the Easterly side is sufficiently knowne to many trauailers Although the vttermost boundes of the earth are not wholy knowne yet the nearest aprroaching to them shall here bee applied as the longitude of the earth distaunt betwéene Peru the Realme of America and Cathaya to expresse 315. degrées or if any minde to accompt the longitude from the fortunate Iles they may by a whole cyrcle containe them euen as the whole Orbe about in a maner doth partly giue place to the water and are partly dwellings for men beasts and other liuing creatures although some places of the earth bee more inhabited then others But as touching the latitude if towarde the North in the country of Lapous the south toward the vtmost coast of America shal end seing y ◠vtmost distance of the earth hath very litle béene noted of this shall small errour be caused If two places offered or giuen be placed vnder the Equatour of which the space is sought then the arke of the difference of latitude is the same with the arke of the distance neither doth the verticiall cyrcle differ from the Equatour For the equatour of either place doeth containe the verticiall points as may appeare in this tryangle noted with A. B. C. Of which if 15. germain miles be wrought into parts of the difference of longitude and any scruples after remaine deuide those by 4. For by so many minutes of a degrée doth a Germain mile answere that the distance shall make As Ptholomie writeth of the places vnder the Equatour The high lande or mountaine of the Satyres in the country of Syna whose longitude is of 175 degrées and no minutes nor hath any latitude Myrica an Ile of Ethiope vnder Aegipt whose longitude is of 85. degrées the angle of the difference of longitude betwéene the meridians of these places is straight or right and containeth a whole quarter or 60. degrées The like are these places standing vnder the equatour Colipolis a citty of India beyond the riuer Ganges which hath the longitude 194. degrées and 20. minutes Essina the greate Mart-towne of Aethiope vnder Aegipt whose longitude is of 70. degrées and 3. minutes The angle of the differēce of longitude which the meridians of these compasse is blunte and containeth 94. degrées and 17. minutes Againe the same or the like meridians containe and make a sharpe angle of 43 degrées as of the citty Nubarta of Taprobane which at this day is Sumatra and Colipolis of Inde beyond or aboue Ganges for it is distant from the west 122. degrées and 20. minutes and this containeth 164. degrées and 20. minutes If two places be giuen the one standing vnder the Equatour and the other distant toward any other quarter from it The first that the angle of the difference of longitude is straight to these here placed In that if two places giuen the one shall be vnder the equatoure but the other distant from the same toward some quarter thē must the angle of the difference of longitude bee considered If the same shal be right then shal the distance of either place be the quadrant of the greatest cyrcle As in this tryangle A. B. C. where the letter A. representeth the Pole of the equatour and the places giuen that the one be standing in the point B. vnder the equatour and the arke A. B. be the quadrant and that the other consisteth in the letter C. the angle then of the difference of longitude being C. A. B. is right By Regio a montano de trangulis appeareth