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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04327	Magneticall aduertisements: or Diuers pertinent obseruations, and approued experiments, concerning the natures and properties of the load-stone Very pleasant for knowledge, and most needfull for practise, of trauelling, or framing of instruments fit for trauellers both by sea and land. Whereunto is anexed a breife discouerie of the idle animaduersions of Mark Ridley Dr. in Physicke, vpon a treatise entituled Magneticall aduertisements.	Barlow, William, d. 1625.; Barlow, William, d. 1625. Breife discovery of the idle animadversions of Marke Ridley. aut; Gilbert, William, 1540-1603. De magnete.	1618 (1618)	STC 1444; ESTC S100862	50,744	107

which is that which we call variation but yet the vastenesse of the Ocean doth not hinder the declination of the Magneticall needle Because his hangings consisteth but in length and breadth and not in depth For although in comparison of a pond or riuer the sea is said to be of a wonderfull depth yet if this depth be compared with a Semidiameter of the earth it beareth a very exceeding small proportion nothing at all to hinder the mightie magneticall declinatory force of the whole earth For the greatest depth that euer any man of skill esteemed it at was not aboue two English mile at the vttermost when as daily experience maketh it manifest that a great Continent wil shew his Magneticall collaterall force by causing a variation aboue two hundred miles of from the place and therefore Doctor Gilberts feare in that point I take to be needlesse supposing a variation of declination The second cause of variation is any great mountainous region not farre of when a man is in some great Latitude towards either of the Poles if that mountainous region lie Easterly or Westerly from you it will cause the needle somewhat to swarue that way But variations of this sort are of small continuance and in sayling subiect vnto sudaine alterations yea many times quite contrary from Westerly to Easterly afterwards backe againe within short space as our first famous Pilote Steuen Burrough found by his experience in the discouery of the Scythian sea-coast between the north Cape of Finmarke and Vaygates The reason whereof ought heedfully to be regarded which is that the Magneticall force of the whole earth doth as in all Magnets shew it selfe most strongely in the two Poles thereof and in those places which are neere vnto them but alwayes it must be remembred that all the force they haue doth issue out of the whole terrestriall body as it doth likewise in all Magnets out of the body of the Magnet and therefore in any part of the superficies of the whole terrestriall body it is impossible that any variation be aboue 90. degrees because the vertue of the whole can neuer bee ouerswaied by the imperfection of a part and especially of so small a part as any one portion of the Ocean is in his very superficies in respect of the body of the whole earth yea I am thorowly perswaded that there neuer was nor euer will bee any variation by any good obseruation found for to bee so much as ninety neither any shew of so great variation any where except it bee very neere vnto either of the Poles where there is small credit to be giuen to the obseruing of any variation for the variation being as aforesaid the difference of the pointing of the magneticall Needle in the Horizon from the true Meridian for asmuch as in places neere the Pole there is no manner of certaintie of either of these it is not possible to finde the variation if there be any The reason whereof is this no man may trauell those Seas but whiles the Sunne abideth on that side of the Aequator whereby they haue continuall day and by that meanes are secluded from any helpe of the starres neither if they might bee seene would they bring any great helpe For the difference of heighth in many houres is so small that by a very large instrument a diligent obseruer with great paines will hardly finde the Meridian Line all the Meridians themselues comming so neere one to another and meeting in the Pole and their Horizon being in a manner paralell vnto the Aequinoctiall And as for the horizontall magneticall Needles to shew their pointing in the Horizon as they were wont to doe they comming into this climate may say Fuimus Troes Their direction is as it were giddy and vncertaine and when their center commeth vnto the Pole it selfe it is quite vanished away for from thence all the points of the Horizon are onely South if it be at the North Pole and North from the South Pole and therefore in that place the instrument of declination is farre more sure then the Horizontall Compasse And as in the Poles themselues there is no direction at all so of necessitie neere vnto them it must bee a very confused direction Those two places that are called the Poles haue no strength of themselues as aforesaid but as it is contributed vnto them of the whole As in a Magnet if you breake off a peece of the contrary end the end that is left will bee according vnto that proportion diminished in his strength and the polar peece that was broken off be it neuer so little will haue two poles as well as the great so that the two parts will haue foure Poles two of them North and two South Put this little peece that was broken off in his place againe and then each peece will lose one of his Poles in the same very instant and the whole will haue but two Poles the one North the other South as at the first Againe if you cut off a peece of one side of a Loadstone that is brought into a round or an ovall forme hauing his Poles marked in their due places at each end presently both end will be abridged of part of the force they had and the Poles themselues will be remoued vnto the other side from the places that were marked and those markes will stand but for idle ciphers in comparison of that they were before Againe take a Magnet of a round or an extended ovall forme I doe still exemplifie in these because they are of all others as I haue often admonished for all magneticall proofes the most excellent formes and set markes on the two Poles take a fine needle or any straight small wier and set it on the aequinoctiall I meane thereby the middle betweene the two ends of the stone then will it point directly towards each Pole if the stone bee sound without any flawes or any other grosse substance as may bee intermingled with it and if you thrust this needle towards either end according vnto his owne direction he will trace you a circle right ouer both of these marked Poles which is the true Meridian of the stone But if this stone hath in either of the sides any imperfection when the needle commeth vnto the edge or brinke thereof it will swarue somewhat towards the sounder side and will point to neither of the true Poles And if a circle bee drawne according to his pointing as hee standeth still in that place this shall be a respectiue Meridian of that stone proper vnto that place and the Poles the respectiue Poles differing from the true Meridian of the stone and his Poles Now if you thrust the needle further towards the end vpon the brinke of this imperfection it will not point as before but either further off or neerer towards the true Poles and will giue his direction for a new respectiue Meridian and new respectiue Poles And in such

before I read his learned workes and had tried many of his experiments with mine owne hands and had conferred with great Trauellers and pervsed the obseruations of our chiefest Nauigators both for their variations and declinations I neuer beleeued it my selfe But this I may truely affirme that searching with diligence his first fiue bookes and making triall of all those propositions which I iudged to be of importance I alwaies found the maine drift touching this point certaine constant and agreeable to the diligent obsernations of diuers men of experience although in some other matters of the Loadstone his experiments and mine did sometimes disagree as I signified to himselfe in his life time which he did take in very good part as I haue yet his owne letters to shew But concerning his sixth Booke entreating of the motion of the earth I thinke there is no man liuing farther from beleeuing it than my selfe being nothing at all perswaded there vnto by the reasons of other men which he alledgeth and as little or lesse if it were possible by those his inventions endeuouring to proue the motion of the earth by the earthes Magneticall force and vertue Amicus Socrates Amicus Plato sed magis amica veritas is the onely cause why I doe embrace his iudgment in the one and refuse it in the other in matters of this nature following this Rule Nullius addictus iurare in verba Magistri But to returne to the Magnetisme of the whole earth I doe hold it to be one of the rarest and excellent est inventions and the best followed by him with euident proofes and of the greatest consequence for the admirable art of Nauigation that euer was found out since the Creation of the world so that it may well be said of him touching that point Exegit monumentum aere perennius Regalique situ pyramidū altius in respect of the manifold vse and commoditie thereof in the doings of this life The properties of the Magnet seruing not onely for Sea-affaires but also for trauelling by Land in vaste and solitarie deserts for moueable Sun-dyalls in all places of the world for the more ready and exact Chorographie of any Countrey or the true plotting of any ground and for the following of any Minerall veyne that is voide of Iron vnder the earth for Pioners and diggers in Mines And in all this appeareth the wonderfull power and goodnes of God who hath vouchsafed to reueale vnto the weake knowledge of man now towards the end of the world his admirable treasure before vnknowne of his powerfull Creation by effect so plaine vnto the mean est capacitie And that out of a base contemptible and dead creature as it seemeth to be and yet filled with such excellent and wonderfull vertue that all the Gemms of the world haue not the like neither if it were wanting could supply the want thereof or counter vaile the benefit that it bringeth to the life of man Claudianus a famous Poet well nere twelue hundred yeares since saith as much in commendation of the Magnete when as yet the Serediticall or Iron-drawing property thereof was onely knowne Lapis est cognomine Magnes Decolor obscurus vilis c. And againe Sed noua si nigri videas miracula saxi Tunc superat pulchros cultus quicquid Eoïs Indus littoribus rubra scrutatur in algâ But what would he not haue said had hee seene the true closset indeed of all Magneticall miracles vnlocked and in glorious manner set wide open as now it is at this day Many of our Nation both Gentlemen and others of excellent witts and louers of these knowledges not able to read Doctor Gilberts Booke in Latin haue bin euer since the first publishing thereof exceeding desirous to haue it translated into English but hitherto no man hath done it neither to my knowledge as yet goeth about any such matter whereof one principall cause is that there are very few that vnderstand his Booke because they haue not Loadstones of diuers formes but especially round ones Also such versory needles fitly framed and artificially placed vpon their pins and other such implements as he doth there prescribe wherewith being furnished as they read his propositions in words they might still see the truth of them in the things themselues according as himselfe forewarneth that these skills must be learned Ex rebus ipsis non solum ex libris out of the things themselues and not onely out of Bookes A second cause may be for that there are diuers words of Art in the whole course of this booke proper to this subiect and fit to the explanation of his figures and diagrammes which cannot be vnderstood but by the helpe of the Mathematicks and good trauelling in the Magneticall practise Moreouer his alleadging of other mens erroneous opinions concerning this Argument and his confutations thereof may seeme at the first to a yong beginner somewhat harsh and tedious Both which I suppose in the English translation if any were might well be omitted like as in this my Treatise I thinke it not altogether so pertinent to handle them all And a sport it is to behold diuers of smart witts and such as weene themselues to be so great Clerkes that they will aduenture boldly to dispute de omni scibili how miserably they runne their witts on ground when onely by a slender reading ouer of his booke or most commonly some part thereof they will take vpon them to define controule and discourse of those matters fearing nothing more than that of the Poet mihi turpe relinqui est Et quod non didici sane nescire fateri For being vrged by diuers of our Gentlemen among whom these knowledges are had now a daies in some request somewhat they must speake which must be either superciliously to scorne such things as vanities because themselues vnderstand them not or else with slender ostentation to blunder out their masked ignorance supposing it to be inough for them to say that they haue read Dr. Gilberts Booke and so to vse that for a Supersedeas to acquite them of any farther inquirie But many being now at length weary to take such counterfeit shewes for good payment doe seriously seeke to haue some sound knowledge of the things themselues and not to depend vpon other mens extravagant disputes but to be their owne iudges in matters that concerne themselues and are subiect to their owne senses and reasons and especially because some of them must aduenture their whole estates yea and also their liues vpon the right vnderstanding of some Magneticall conclusions Wherefore vpon the earnest longing of certaine mine Honorable and Worshipfull freinds and for the singular loue that I beare to the louers and practizers of the worthy Art of Nauigation and to satisfie the commendable desires of such as like to haue some insight though themselues be not praectizers in these matters of admirable knowledge and great vtilitie I haue vndertaken to contriue all the

to a Masons trade they will haue 40 points twenty North and as many South and will worke the like effect in drawing yron as to vse the former grosse similitude if a teeme of horses were set in their traces contrary the one to the other the one to pull one way the other another As for the Turkes Mahomet hanging in the ayer with his yron chest it is a most grosse vntruth and vtterly impossible is it for any thing so to hange in the ayer by any Magneticall power but that either it must touch the stone it selfe or else some intermediate body that hindreth it from comming to the stone like as before I haue shewed or else some stay below to keepe it from ascending as some small wier that may scantly bee seene or perceiued CHAP. VII Of the variation of the Magneticall Needle with the Appurtenances therevnto belonging THE variation of the Magneticall Needle being aptly fitted and placed vpon his pinne is nothing else but the swaruing of the pointing thereof in the Horizon from the meridian line there the portion of the Horizon intercepted betweene the true Meridian line and this pointing sheweth of what quantitie the variation is and giueth it his name to wit which way it lyeth either Easterly or Westerly and it is obserued by either end of the needle as you please In times past men obserued onely by the North end of the needle because they vnderstood not that the Loadstone hath a South vertue as well as a North And therefore did touch their needles and wyars of their compasses alwaies for the North onely leauing those ends of the wyars bare that they might be refreshed with a new touch at any time afterwards but the other ends they couered not knowing that they were also apt to receiue as forcible a vertue from the Loadstone for the South as the other for the North. For the right vnderstanding of the variation with his necessary dependants wee must vse the meanes of two circles The one of them I will call the Magneticall Almicanter The other is already knowne by the name of the Magneticall Meridian This Magneticall Almicanter is a circle paralell vnto the Horizon whose center is the verticall point and is described by the distance betweene the verticall point and the neerer Pole of the earth The true Magneticall Pole is the pole of the earth The magneticall respectiue Pole or which is all one the Pole of the Magneticall Meridian is a point in the Magneticall almicanter distant Easterly or Westerly from the true pole as many degrees in that almicanter as the variation of that place containeth in the Horizon but alwaies it is in the contrary part of the true Meridian that is if the variation of the South point of the needle be Easterly the respectiue pole is Westerly but if you obserue with the North end of the needle the respectiue pole and the variation are both one way in all our Northerne Climates If the variation of the South point of the needle bee Westerly then is the respectiue pole so many degrees in the said almicanter Easterly and therefore alwaies of the same height with the true pole aboue the Horizon For since all great Circles of the globe doe necessarily cut one another in two points into two equall parts these two therefore must needes doe euen so in the Zenith and Nadir by their very definitions So that these two points the Zenith and Nadir are alwaies alike common vnto them both aswell vnto the true as vnto the Magneticall Meridian Where-hence it followeth necessarily that alwaies the one halfe of the magneticall meridian is on the East-side and the other on the West side of the true meridian the common Zenith and Nadir euermore keeping their equall distances from the Poles of the one of them as they doe from the other For example Suppose the common Zenith to be in the Aequator you sayling East or West as long as there is no variation there is no magneticall meridian there are no magneticall Poles but those of the world But as soone as sayling still vnder the line you doe finde a variation it is the magneticall meridian that by his swaruing from the true meridian of the world in the Horizon sheweth the quantity of the variation and giueth it also the denomination of Easterly or Westerly and his axis is the line of variation But supposing the common Zenith to be in any paralel betweene the Aequator and the Pole then is it not the axis but some other Diameter of the magneticall meridian which sheweth the variation in the Horizon And the magneticall meridian euermore cutteth iust so many degrees of the magneticall almicanter on the one side of the true meridian as the same Magneticall Pole is distant in the same almicanter on the other side of the true Meridian from the Pole of the World And this is to be vnderstood in correspondent manner as well of the South Hemisphere as of the North. The respectiue Magneticall meridian where any variation is is a circle that passeth by the verticall point and the Nadir and both the respectiue Poles crossing the Horizon at right angles in the points of variation of which circle the line of variation is a Diameter but where there is no variation the true and Magneticall meridian are both one the selfe same and so in like manner are their Diameters Those circles and poles are tearmed respectiue because that in euery place where any variation is the Magneticall needle doth respect them as well in the property of direction as in that of declination or inclination For thus also very well it may bee tearmed By the property of direction I doe meane with Doctour Gilbert the Horizontall motion of the Magneticall needle By the declination or inclination I meane the descending and as it were the sinking motion of the neede vnder the Horizon in his proper Azimath or Magneticall meridian But if there be no variation the needle alwaies pointeth vnto the true Meridian of the earth and towards the Poles therof in both those properties The true Poles of the earth which are those two points equally distant from each part of the Aequinoctiall of the earth are alwaies the selfe same The respectiue Poles alter with euery Horizon where there is any variation but neuer out of the aforenamed almicanter of that place The causes of the differences of the respectiue Poles and Meridians from the true Poles and meridians and so of all variations are onely two The chiefe and most generall is the vastenesse of the Ocean sea by moistnesse whereof the Magneticall collaterall force of so much earth as it couereth is much hindered and dulled And by that meanes the next great Continent hath more power ouer the correspondent end of the Magneticall needle then otherwise it could haue if all were alike one entire Continent and therefore causeth the directiue property of the needle somewhat to swarue towards that way

labour to cleare some thinke c. in his booke meaning mee being not contented onely to vsurpe that which was properly mine for his owne as aforesaid but also hee tooke vpon him although very ignorantly to confute some of mine vnder these termes and this onely out of a stolne Manuscript Whereas all men know that Manu-scripts ought to be vncontrould vntill the Author hath published them who may alter and change things in the meane space as he thinketh good He stileth himselfe principall Phisition vnto the Emperor of Russia the which many men wonder at being so yong as he than was and supposed that he went ouer only as Phisition vnto our Merchants there that he should in so short a time become that Emperors principall Phisition If he were he sped better then Bomelius did who is said to haue died there in that cold climat of the extreamest hot kinde of Calenture Out of all question somewhat it is more then ordinarie that maketh him of so hauty a spirit so to braue the world with such prodigious assertions of his Magneticals in and aboue the Moone the earths Magneticall circular Motions and his paltry abusing of the holy scriptures to support his lunaticke fictions vnder the name of Magneticall Philosophie There are yet two texts of Scripture which it is a wonder how they escaped him the one is in Iosuah 10. ver 12. and the other is in Esay 38. ver 8. In the one That the Sunne and the Moone stood still the space of a whole day The other that the shadow in Achas diall went backe 10 degrees and the Sunne in the skie returned 10 degrees by the which he was descended For it is his guise to make contrary conclusions vnto that which the Scriptures affirme and therefore blame him not if he doe so despise Aristotle who neuer taught any such Logicke Now therefore that yee may in few words vnderstand the vntruth of the earths Magneticall Motion that is so mainely emblazoned by him and the weaknes of my Animaduersors Magneticall skill you must know that the Magneticall Motion is a naturall inclination of two Magnets or Magneticall bodies that may freely moue respecting the one the other within the Orbe of their forces with their convenient ends that is to say the North end of the one alwaies respecting the South of the other If the two Magnets or Magneticall bodies be of like quantitie forme and goodnes their Motions will be of like quicknes of the one towards the other but if they differ in any of these their Motions will be so much the slower Now forasmuch as all Magneticall motions are alwaies respectiue of the one Magnet or Magneticall bodie towards another it followeth by necessarie consequent that no Magnet or Magneticall body can either moue or be moued of it selfe but is vtterly voide of all intrinsecall or selfe-Motion the true and onely cause of his Motion being euermore without it selfe And therfore mine Animaduersors selfe-motion of the Globe of the earth circularly by Magneticall vigour in the which hee doth so gallantly triumph is but an idle figment and a meere Chimaera but his definition of Magneticall bodies is very sutable vnto it viz. very monstrous namely That wee define to be a Magneticall body which doth remaine and place it selfe in one place or kinde of situation naturall not alterable as all starres doe and the great Regent globes of Saturne Mars Iupiter the Sunne and the Earth doe or such as with respect and attendance follow other globes as the two starres which support Saturne the foure attendants vpon Iupiter lately discouered by the truncke-spectacle the two trauersers about the Sunne called Venus and Mercury and the Moone which doth follow or goe about the earth and respecteth the same alwayes with one Pole and therefore hath a peculiar Magneticall vertue that guideth her in this kinde of situation Auditum admissi risum teneatis amici Any man that considereth this goodly definition being the foundation and ground of his Magneticall discourse and the very first sentence of his booke and many the like fancies in his Motions and and Animaduesions will easily discerne what his Magneticall skill is and what a vanity it were for me to spend any precious time to confute in particular such vnreasonable and senselesse opinions which haue more neede of Helleborus to purge them out of his head then Arguments to confute them in his booke And in his friuolous animaduersions seeking to maintaine his former errours and he being so snappish to haue them amended hee maketh them ten times worse then they were before and far more palpable But my tetricall Animaduersor must be ruled by reason and affoord all those his patience that do beleeue the holy Scriptures which flatly doe denie the Earths motion and affirme the motion of the Sunne Moone Stars in the whole current thereof as Psal. 19. 6. 104. 5. Iosua 10. 12. 13. 14. Esay 38. 8. c. Also that hee will giue men leaue to credit their senses in matters subiect vnto sense and not repugnant vnto reason and that he will not be offended with those who do pitifully laugh at his Magneticall Astronomy with those topsituruy motions like Voluitur lxion se sequiturque fugitque For although some great learned men in those Sciences haue vsed the supposed motion of the earth for an Hypothesis seruing their ready calculations as they haue done also their supposed Epicycles for the motions of the Planets and their courses yet that is no reason for to auouch them for to be in themselues true and reall things according vnto some mens vaine fancies who doe argue after this sort It is an easier matter and more as they say agreeable vnto nature for so small a body as the globe of the Earth is in comparison of the heauens to mooue circularly in the space of foure and twenty houres then it is for the huge Vniuerse so to doe and that which is done with lesse hazard is to bee preferred before the like which may not bee performed without feare of a greater danger with diuers other reasons like vnto these But although such as these are may goe current in a mechanicall Trades-man shop yet they are very insufficient to bee allowed for good by men of learning and Christians by profession who know right well that it is great folly for to oppose that which we call difficult vnto an omnipotent power Who stretcheth out the heauens like a curtaine and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in Esay 40. ve 22. He stretcheth out the North ouer the empty and hangeth the earth vpon nothing c. Iob 26. ver 7. And that which we call Nature it being nothing else but Gods ordinance there can bee nothing contrary but all things agreeable vnto nature which God hath ordained But God hath ordained the motion of the Sunne Moone and Stars as aforesayd and the vnmooueablenesse of the earth therfore this is more easie and more

MAGNETICALL Aduertisements OR DIVERS PERTINENT obseruations and approued experiments concerning the natures and properties of the Load-stone Uery pleasant for knowledge and most needfull for practise of trauelling or framing of Instruments fit for Trauellers both by Sea and Land Whereunto is annexed a breife Discouerie of the idle Animaduersions of MARK RIDLEY Dr. in Physicke vpon this Treatise entituled Magneticall Aduertisements ACTS 17. 26. He hath made of one bloud all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation that they should seeke the Lord c. The second Edition LONDON Printed by Edward Griffin for Timothy Barlow and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of Time 1618. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL DIScreet and learned Gentleman S ir DVDLEY DIGGES Knight SIR the nature powerfulnesse and strange properties of the loadstone are such that the more they are known the more they are iustly admired in their most liuely expressing that infinite power and goodnes of our God who hath created so precious a Iewell for the profitable vse of man and for the enlarging and setting forth of his owne glory Into the search of which admirable and secret vertues my selfe by the space of these forty yeeres haue somewhat entred as my leasure and occasions would serue and at by times partly by reading other mens writings and partly by my owne industrie and practize Whereby what I haue collected and found this little Treatise will shew Which whether it be any thing or nothing I do referre vnto the iudicious Readers consideration but in special to your fauorable construction and good acceptance Many yeeres since diuers of my good friends and among them some honourable persons were very desirous that I should publish such obseruations as I had collected both before and also after the setting forth of D. Gilberts booke And none more earnest herein then D. Gilbert himselfe vnto whom I communicated what I had obserued of my selfe and what I had built vpon his foundation of the Magnetisme of the earth Both which hee liked well and wished me to publish them as I remember at the time of our priuate conference as may further appeare by letters that I receiued from him which I haue to shew vnder his owne hand But aboue all others the perswasions of that learned honourable Gentleman Sir Thomas Challenor late Chamberlaine vnto the Mirrour of honour Prince Henry preuailed most with me Vnto whom I was all the time that I attended that Prince his highnesse for his loue and curtesie much beholding Whereupon about seauen yeeres since I deliuered vnto him this Treatise finished almost as now it is sauing some few additions vpon necessary occasions But that Copie was either mislaied or embeseled that he lost it About three yeeres since he sent earnestly vnto mee for an other Copie which also he receiued promising me by his letters that within three months hee would put that to the presse and that it should be carefully and correctly performed But what is become euen of that also I know not Only this I am sure of that I haue met with many portraitures of my Magneticall implements and diuers of my propositions set abroad in print in another mans name and yet some of them not rightly vnderstood by the partie vsurping them Now that it hath pleased God to take Sir Thomas Challenor and that vpon enquirie I can heare no tidings of those my lost labours and knowing that diuers are very desirous to see them I haue once againe reuiued my scattered papers collected them together made choice of your selfe to whom to entitle according vnto our vsuall curtesies these magneticals your worthy selfe I say in many respects First because your rare learning ioin'd with so great pietie accompanied with so pleasing a carriage of your selfe towards euerie man is such as causeth all good men which know you to loue you by force of a naturall sympathy not vnlike the appetite of concourse coniunction whereby our very Magnets doe affect their proper obiects And this was verie conspicuous in our renowned iudicious Prince Henry who loued you singularlie well for your vertues and delighted no lesse to conferre with you for your knowledge in matters appertaining vnto Discoueries and Cosmographicall learnings in the which his highnes was more then vulgarly skilfull Another is the glorious fauour which I see reflected vpon you from that most reuerend and singular ornament of our Church and State reioycing in Gods blessing of his labors in your education like as God hath hitherto blessed him in all things and not onely my prayers and such as I am who are so much bounden vnto him but the praiers of many thousands that neuer saw him will not cease to beseech the Almightie long to preserue him and alwaies to prosper him in his godly proceedings Wherefore this extraordinary respect which he hath vnto you both is and must be a commanding motiue vnto mee to shew my good will by the best poore meanes that I can toward you Yet one more I haue which is this That whereas a worthy societie of Gentlemen and Marchants is very highly and iustly commended and honoured of all men for their great charges in their constant and indefatigable proceedings for discoueries of vnknown passages to new Countries and Nations for the further aduancement of Gods glorie the honour of our King and principall benefit of the whole Kingdome In remembring of those honourable attempts you must in no wise be forgotten and especially in a Treatise mentioning the vertues and properties of the Loadstone being the leader and guide to these admirable exploits who besides your souud knowledge herein doe with great constancie ioine both your purse and counsaile for the atcheiuing of them yea and that without expectation or hope of priuate gaine but onely of your noble genorositie knowing full well that the aduancement of Gods glorie is absolutely of it selfe the greatest gaine with a contented minde Wherewith he that onely is all-and selfe-sufficient enrich you more and more in this world and to your eternall happinesse most abundantly and perfectly satisfie you by making you drinke of the riuer of his pleasures in the world to come Amen Yours with all hearty affection WILLIAM BARLOWE THE PREFACE to the Reader THat wonderfull propertie of the body of the whole earth called the Magneticall vertue most admirably found out as learnedly demonstrated by Doctor Gilbert Phisitian vnto our late renowned Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth of happy memory is the very true fountaine of all Magneticall knowledge So that although certaine properties of the Loadstone were knowne before yet all the reasons of those properties were vtterly vnknowne and neuer before reuealed as I take it vnto the sonnes of men And although as yet many doe doubt and mistrust that the earth it selfe hath no such vertue I doe nothing wonder at it because