maketh it to sprout in the beginning of the spring time after that the Sunne is exalted into the signe of Aries which signe is the fall of Saturne and the house of Mars signes altogether fierie but the sublimations and eleuations of the Spirit of Salt This is that which giueth heate and quickneth which maketh to grow and which ioyeth and decketh the fields and the medowes with grasse and flowers and which produceth that most ample and vniuersall vigour and vertue Philadelph It seemeth then that the naturall Salt of the earth hath in it a vitall and nourishing heate whereby not onely the Caues and hollow places but also Springs of water are made warme as that famous Spring which atiseth in one of the fiue Ilands of Molucca called Bachian where the water issueth out hot in the beginning but is very colde when it hath stood a while in another place This water springeth from the mountaines on the which the fragrant Cloue-trees doe grow Theophrast Such are those sulphurous Springs also which arise out of the Earth in the Citie of Bathe which are so much the more hot by how much the Winter in colde is more vehement And this doth yet further appeare by this example that the mountaines of Norway and Sweathen are fruitfull in mettals in the which Siluer and Copper are concocted and molten in veines which scarsly can be done in fierie fornaces In Iseland also toward the Sea coast are foure Springs of water of most diuers and contrary nature The first whereof by reason of his perpetuall and feruent heate sodainly turneth all bodies that are cast therein into stones reseruing neuerthelesse their first formes and shape The second is of intollerable coldnesse The third is sweeter then honey and most pleasant to quench thirst And the fourth is plaine poyson pestilent and deadly But this is to be obserued that in these springs is such aboundance of Brimstone that 1000. pound waight thereof is bought for the tenth part of a Ducket For the truth of these things reade Ziglerus in his booke of the North Regions Philadelph You tell of strange things and report matter of meruaile Theophrast But to make you meruaile more the same Ziglerus reporteth that in Iseland are three mountaines of a meruailous height the tops wherof albeit they be couered with snow yet are the neather parts of them of like nature to the mount Aetna in the Iland of Cicilie boyling with continuall flames of Fire casting forth Brimstone One of these mountaines is called Helga the other Mons Crucis and the third is named Hecla whose flames neither consume Flaxe nor Towe matters most apt to take fire not yet are quenched with water with like force as the shot of great artillarie is driuen forth by violence of fire euen so by the commixion and repugnancie of fire colde and brimstone great stones are here cast out into the ayre The Inhabitants of the Iland doe thinke that in this mount Hecla is the place where the euill soules of their people are tormented Thus Philadelph you may see that the Earth is not without a naturall Sulphur Salt which Salt by heate causeth both motion and generation not onely of Trees Plants Hearbs and Flowers with fruits of singular vertue and beauty wherewith the Earth is garnished seruing not onely for necessity but also for pleasure but hath also in the bowels thereof many excellent natures as Salts and Sulphurs of sundry sorts minerals and mettals in such plenty that it may seeme a store-house of infinite riches ordained by God for man for whom hee prepared this habitacle before he created him And albeit this Globouse body of the earth is not Sphaericall or perfectly round yet it tendeth to Sphaericitie being contracted by hils and dales in the parts thereof Philadelph Seeing the Sea which is combined and ioyned with the Earth hath motion it seemeth to some that the Earth hath also perpetuall motion And of this opinion is Nicholaus Cusanus as appeareth in his booke De docta ignorantia and Copernicus accordeth with him as is to be seene in his booke of Reuolutions who for their purpose alleadge these reasons First that we should rather attribute motion to the contained then to the containing to the thing placed then to that which affordeth place Secondly that it is conceite and imagination which maketh vs thinke that the Heauens doe moue rather then any truth of such motion indeede For that the motion of the Earth cannot be perceiued but by a certaine comparison of the fixed As for example if a man perceiue not the ebbing and flowing of the water being in a Ship at Sea where he seeth no land-marks how shall he perceiue that the Ship doth moue After the same manner a man being vpon the Earth and seeing neither Sunne Moone nor Starre it seemeth vnto him that he is in a center immoueable and that all other things doe moue Thirdly that it is very vnlike that the vast and huge compasse of the Heauens should make reuolution once in 24. houres space rather then the Earth being but as a pricke in comparison thereof Fourthly that the wandring Starres be alwaies more neere to the Earth toward the euening as when they are opposite to the Sunne the Earth comming betweene them and the Sunne and further from the Earth at Sunne setting when they are hidden about the Sunne at what time we haue the Sunne betweene them and the Earth Whereby saith Copernicus it plainely appeareth that we haue the Sunne for our fixed center rather then the Earth Fiftly that it is a condition farre more noble and diuine to be immoueable then to be mouing and vnstable which quality of motion and instability better agreeth with the Earth then with the Heauens Other reasons are aleadged which being of no great importance for breuity I omit These may suffice being the more principall by which they maintaine the motion of the Earth which reasons seeme to mee pregnant and inuincible Theophrast Then it seemeth you will preferre nouelty before Antiquity For Ptolome that great Atlas of the world and Prince of the Astronomers with the more part of auncient Philosophers haue euer beene of opinion that the Heauens doe moue and that the Earth is firmely fixed Therefore I say vnto you with S. Augustine Qui errantem laudat errorem confirmat et qui adulatur ad errorem allicit that is who so praiseth him that erreth confirmeth the errour and hee which flattereth allureth to error It is said of Ixion that he tooke a cloud for Iuno So the more part of men embrace lyes for truth falshood for certainty and ignorance for knowledge Men haue laboured to draw out of the shallow Fordes of their owne braine the deepe and vnsearchable misteries of GOD. Aristotle a man of singular wit notwithstanding his great learning and knowledge in humane Sciences attained not to the thousand part in the knowledge of those things which are laide vp in the Clofet of
Nature Yet hauing an insatiable desire thereto at the last because he could not perceiue the reason why the Sea caused seauen Tides in one day at the sttraight of Nigront he cast himselfe into the Sea vttering these words Quoniam Aristoteles mare capere non potest capeat Aristotelem mare that is because Aristotle cannot comprehend the Sea let the Sea comprehend Aristotle A iust iudgement vpon man when he seeketh to be wise without God and his word Salomon saith Man cannot finde out the worke that is done vnder the Sunne Man laboureth to seeke it but cannot finde it The Sciences inuented by mans wit are more varying then the skinne of the Camelion more contrary then the Elements more perillous then the Sea more light then the windes more intricate then a laborinth and more obscure then darknesse Philadelph It is true which you say yet haue you not answered the reasons of Copernicus and Cusanus whose opinions are also confirmed by Heraclides Ecphantes and by Nicetus Syracusanus and some others Theophrast My digression from your question is not altogether impertinent and from the matter But now I come to answere Cusanus and Copernicus with reasons not taken out of humane Philosophie which as I haue said is vncertaine the greatest Philosophers disagreeing among themselues which caused in their Schooles diuers Sects as the Scaeptickes Pyrrhonickes Academickes Peripatetickes Platonists Stoickes Epicures Pythagorians and others who as in opinion so also they differed in name I say I will bring you no deceitfull Philosophie but that which is diuine and infallible proceeding from the wisedome and mouth of that great God who is the Creatour of the Heauens and Earth who onely is true and euery mortall man a lyar Heare therefore what the Prophet Dauid being diuinely inspired speaketh concerning the motion of the Sunne in his Sphaere He commeth forth saith he as a Bridegroome out of his Tabernacle and reioyceth as a mighty man to runne his course his going out is from the end of the Heauen and his circuit is to the end of the same and nothing is hid from the heate thereof If the Sunne and Moone moued not in their Sphaeres Ieshua should in vaine haue required of the Lord the stay of their motions till he were auenged of his enemies saying Sunne stay thou in Gibeon and thou Moone in the valley of Aialon The which came to passe as a miracle contrary to the course of Nature and the Sunne abode and the Moone stood still c. So that one day was so long as two naturall dayes at that time It was also supernaturall and a miracle that the Sunne contrarie to his naturall motion and course was retrograde in his Sphaere going backward ten degrees as appeared by the shadow of Ahazes Dioll But as touching the Earth it hath no motion at all naturally as hath the Heauens For God saith the Prophet hath founded it vpon the Seas and established it vpon the flouds so that it should neuer moue The Earth accidentally may haue some violent motion when God is angry with man for sinne at which time the Earth shall tremble and quake and the foundations of the mountaines shall moue and shake Let therefore these Diuine warranties and euidences of sacred Scripture suffice to confound mans vaine inuention fond imagination concerning the stability of the Heauens and motion of the Earth And to make plaine the demonstration vnto you that the Heauens moue and not the earth I will set before you a memorable Modell and Patterne representing the motion of the Heauens about the fixed earth made by Art in the immitation of Nature by a Gentleman of Holland named Cornelius Drebble which instrument is perpetually in motion without the meanes of Steele Springs waights Philadelph I much desire to see this strange inuention Therefore I pray thee good Theophrast set it here before me and the vse thereof Theophrast It is not in my hands to shew but in the custody of king Iames to whom it was presented But yet behold the description therof here after fixed Philadelph What vse hath the Globe marked with the letter A Theophrast It representeth the Earth and it containeth in the hollow body thereof diuers wheeles of brasse carried about with mouing two pointers on each side of the Globe doe proportion and shew forth the times of dayes moneths and yeeres like a perpetuall Almanacke Philadelph But doth it also represent and set forth the motions of the Heauens Theophrast It setteth forth these particulars of Celestiall motion First the houres of the rising and setting of the Sunne from day to day continually Secondly hereby is to be seene what signe the Moon is in euery 24. houres Thirdly in what degree the Sunne is distant from the Moone Fourthly how many degrees the Sunne and Moone are distant from vs euery houre of the day and night Fiftly in what signe of the Zodiacke the Sunne is euery moneth Philadelph What doth the circumference represent which compasseth the Globe about marked with this letter C Theophrast That circumference is a ring of Cristall Glasse which being hollow hath in it water representing the Sea which water riseth and falleth as doth the floud and ebbe twise in 24. houres according to the course of the tides in those parts where this Instrument shall be placed Whereby is to be seene how the Tides keepe their course by day or by night Philadelph What meaneth the little Globe about the Ring of the glasse signed with this letter B Theophrast That little Globe as it carrieth the forme of a Moone cressent so it turneth about once in a moneth setting forth the encrease and decrease of the Moones brightnesse from the wane to the full by turning round euery moneth in the yeere Philadelph Can you yeeld me any reason to perswade me concerning the possibility of the perpetuity of this motion Theophrast You haue heard before that fire is the most actiue and powerfull Element and the cause of all motion in nature This was well knowne to Cornelius by his practise in the vntwining of the Elements and therefore to the effecting of this great worke he extracted a fierie spirit out of the minerell matter ioyning the same with his proper Aire which encluded in the Axcltree being hollow carrieth the wheeles making a continuall rotation or reuolution except issue or vent be giuen to the Axeltree whereby that imprisoned spirit may get forth I am bolde thus to conjecture because I did at sundry times pry into the practise of this Gentleman with whom I was very familiar Moreouer when as the King our Soueraigne could hardly beleeue that this motion should be perpetuall except the misterie were reuealed vnto him this cunning Bezaleel in secret manner disclosed to his Maiestie the secret whereupon he applauded the rare inuention The fame hereof caused the Emperour to entreate his most excellent Maiestie to licence Cornelius Bezaleel to come to his Court there to effect the like Instrument for him
sending vnto Cornelius a rich chame of gold Philadelph It becommeth not me to make question concerning the certaintie of that which so mighty Potentates out of the sublimity of their wisedomes haue approued yet me thinketh that time and rust which corrupteth and weareth out all earthly things may bring an end to this motion in few yeeres Theophrast To the end time may not weare these wheeles by their motion you must know that they moue in such slow measure that they cannot weare and the lesse for that they are not forced by any poyse of waight It is reported in the preface of Euclydes Elements by Iohn Dee that he and Hierommus Cardanus saw an instrument of perpetuall motion which was solde for 20. talents of gold and after presented to Charles the fift Emperour wherein was one wheele of such inuisible motion that in 70. yeeres onely his owne period should be finished Such slow motion cannot weare the wheeles And to the end rust may not cause decay euery Engine belonging to this instrument is double guilded with fine gold which preserueth from rust and corruption Philadelph This wonderfull demonstration of Artificiall motion immitating the motion celestiall about the fixed earth doth more preuaile with me to approue your reasons before aleadged concerning the mouing of the Heauens and the stability of the Earth then can Copernicus assertions which concerne the motion of the Earth I haue heard and read of manie strange motions artificiall as were the inuentions of Boetius in whose commendation Cassiodorus writeth thus You know profound things and shew meruailes by the disposition of your Art mettals doe lowe in sundrie formes Diomedes picture of brasse doth sound a Trumpet loude a brasen Serpent hisseth birds artificiall sing sweetly Very strange also was the mouing of the Images of Mercurie The brasen head which seemed to speake made by Albertus Magnus the Doue of wood which the Mathematician Architas did make to flie as Agellius reporteth Dedalus strange Images which Plato speaketh of Vulcans selfe-mouers whereof Homer hath written the Iron Fly made at Noremberge which being let out of the Artificers hands did as it were flie about by the guests that were at the Table and at the last as though it were weary returned to his Maisters hand againe In which Citie also an artificiall Eagle was so ordered to flie aloft in the ayre toward the Emperour comming thither that it did accompany him a mighty way These were ingenious inuentions but none of them are comparable to this perpetuall motion here described which time by triall in ages to come will much commend Theophrast These great misteries were attained by spending more oyle then wine by taking more paines then following pleasure CHAP. IIII. Philadelph WHereas before in your discourse you haue shewed after what manner this inferiour world is gouerned by the superiour and also how all things that are procreated receiue their forme from thence now to ascend vpward againe I pray you declare vnto me in such plaine sort as you can in what sence and meaning Aristotle maketh one thing which is the first of all and mouing all to be the cause of all their beings so procreated For if Heauen be the giuer of Forme to euery creature what neede is there of such an obscure and tedious search And what will it auaile to shew the causes of things from that most hidden originall Theophrast Aristotle was of opinion that there are two worlds one which is this visible compound and corporeate world and the other an incorporeate world which we cannot see wholy replenished with Formes simples and free from all mixture body and dimension the most happie and blessed house of God and of all his Saints the Archtipe and exemplar of this inferiour and transitorie world which he briefly comprehendeth in these words It is manifest that without the compasse and aboue the created Heauens there is neither place emptinesse nor time Wherefore those things which be there are neither apt to be in place neither doth time cause them to be olde neither is there mutation of any of them which are set and placed aboue the vttermost conuersion called Primum mobile But being subiect to no transmutations nor affections doe enioy the best and most sufficient life in the vniuersall eternity And their best life is contemplation then the which there can be nothing more sweet and delectable Vpon these words of Aristotle I conclude that from this one thing cometh all things procreated as is shewed you before Philadelph What manner thing is that eternitie wherein the Saints of God haue life Theophrast It is an euerlasting being or if you please you may call it a Sempiternitie which in very deede is God For by that name Aristotle said he knew God as these words of his declare In Deo vita nimirum aeuamque continuum atque perpetuum inest hoc enim ipse est Deus That is God wherein is life and a continuall and euerlasting being And least it might seeme nouelty and an absurd thing to attribute this name vnto God Aristotle saith that this name was diuinely giuen by the Auncients For as the end which comprehendeth the time of the lfe of euery thing is called age and a long lasting time so the end of the vniuersall created Heauens and the end which containeth the whole infinite time is an euerlasting being and eternitie for it is immortall and diuine And how infinite Gods knowledge of all things is it hereby appeareth that Gods whole life is a working of the minde for God is his owne act and that act which is by it selfe is his best and perpetuall life If the action of the minde which is a contemplation be the perpetuall life of God who then will make any question but that Aristotle attributed the knowledge of all things vnto God For he verely is the knowledge of all things his owne action and his owne life whom Aristotle demonstrateth to be the most chiefe and super-excellent God to be perpetuall perfect immoueable indiuisible that cannot be defined by greatnesse nor by parts subiect to no alteration nor affection as to whom nothing is in any sort contrary And at the last he concludeth this demonstration of these things vpon this reason namely that in motions it is necessarie that at the last we come to something which moueth and is not moued which selfe and same is perpetuall and both substance and act also And he is the very same whom before he called the first of all things mouing all things Whatsoeuer Mindes and Formes are aboue the Heauen Citizens of that Olimpicke habitacle if they haue not the same forme that God hath yet haue they such a condition state and dignitie as is next vnto it in degree Philadelph What degree and dignitie is that which these heauenly Citizens enioy Theophrast It is the state of perfect blessednesse and the fruition of true felicitie in the life to come Philadelph But the Philosophers were of opinion