of this Meridian so far as in Degrees they are concern'd require not above that Number As for an Example One use of the Meridian is to shew the Elevation of the Pole but the Pole cannot bee elevated above 90 Degrees Another is to shew the Latitude or Distance of a Place from the Equator which also can never exceed the 4th part of the Circle for no Place can bee further distant from the Equator then the Pole which is just that Number of 90 Degrees Upon one of the North Quadrants of this Meridian of som Great Globes the Climes are set to the several Degrees of Latitude and the Length of the longest Daie under the several Climes which if the Geographers would think so might very fitly bee placed on the Lesser Globe's for it were but dividing a Quadrant of the wrong side of the Meridian into 90 Degrees and there would be room enough In som other Globes the Climes are cast into a Table and pictured upon som void space of the Globe But the Division upon a Quadrant of the Meridian is much more artificial as hereafter shall bee understood And the reason why a North Quadrant onely need to bee divided is becaus for the Climes of the Southern Latitude the reason is the same And the reason why the Division is made upon a North Quadrant rather then the South is becaus our Globes are fitted for our Selvs and all our share of the Earth lieth in the North Latitude Of the Axel and Poles of the Globe and of the Hour Circle FRom the North and South Ends of this Meridian a strong Wyer of Brass or Iron is drawn or supposed to bee drawn for the Artificers do not alwaies draw it quite through by the Center of the Globe representing the Axel of the Earth The North End whereof standeth for the North the South End for the South Pole of the Earth Upon the North End a small Circle of Brass is set and divided into two equal parts and each of them into twelv that is twentie four in all This Circle is the onelie one above the Globe which is not imagined upon the Earth but is there placed to shew the hour of the daie and night in anie place where the Daie and night exceed not 24 hours therefore it is called Cyclus Horarius The Hour Circle for which purpose it hath a little Brass pin turning about upon the Pole and pointing to the several hours which therefore is called the Index Horarius The small Circle is framed upon this ground that in the Diurnal Motion of the Heaven 15 Degrees of the Equinoctial rise up in the space of everie one hour that is 360 Degrees or the whole Circle in the space of 24. So that the Cyclus Horarius is to bee framed to that Compass as that everie 24th part of it or one hour is to bear proportion to 15 Degrees of the Equator below it And so in turning the Globe about one may perceiv that while the Pin is moved from anie one hour to another just 15 Degrees of the Equinoctial will rise up above the Horizon upon one side and as manie more go down below it on the other side But this Circle is not much for the Geographer's use Of the Horizon THe other Great Circle without the Globe is the Horizon upon which yet not as due to this Circle more then anie other but becaus there is more room the Geographers set down the 12. Signs with their Names and Characters And becaus everie Sign of the Zodiack containeth 30 Degrees which is 360 for the whole Circle the Horizon is divided into 360 Degrees indeed as it ought but not from 10 20 30 40 so throughout but by Thirties that is 10 20 80. and 10 20 30. and so along to make the division conform to the 12 Signs to each of which as I said is allotted the Number of 30 Degrees And the reason of that is in reference to the Suns Annual Motion in the Cours whereof hee dispatcheth everie daie one degree under or over So that hee passeth through each of the Signs in or in much about the space of 30 Daies So that though som of the 12 Moneths answering to the 12 Signs consist of one Daie more then thirtie and one of 2 Daies less yet take them one with another and the Daies of everie Moneth correspond to the several Degrees of everie Sign or without anie considerable difference And after that rate or much about it they are placed upon the Horizon to shew in what Degree of what Sign the Sun is everie daie of the year And to this purpose there is set down upon the same Horizon a Calendar and that of three sorts in som Globes Of two in the most the one whereof is called the Julian or Old the other the Gregorian or New Accompt reckoning this latter 10 daies before the former and the third sort where it is found thirteen Now though it bee true that the greatest part of that which is written upon the Horizon more nearly concerneth the Celestial then the Terrestrial Globe yet it is not altogether unuseful here and especially it will bee nothing out of the Geographer's way to take along with him the ground of Difference in the 3 principally in the 2 sorts of Calendars The Reason of the Difference in Computation betwixt the Old and New Accompts A Year is that space of time in which the Sun goeth through the whole Circle of the Zodiack as from the Tropick of Cancer to the Tropick of Capricorn and so to the Tropick of Cancer again or from the Equinoctial to the Equinoctial or from anie other Point of the Zodiack to the same again Now becaus of the unequal Motion of the Sun depending upon reasons deeply engaged in the Theorical Part of the Spheer and therefore here to bee taken upon trust it ever was and yet is a very hard matter to determine exactly in what space of time this Revolution of the Sun in the Zodiack is made insomuch that one said Censorinus de Die Natali that the Year consisted of so manie daies and how much more or less no bodie knoweth This uncertaintie brought so much confusion upon the Old Romane Calendars that Time with them was grown a Commoditie and bought and sold at a price Their Priests who had to do with this Affair having in their power to make anie year longer or shorter at their pleasure which the Emperor Julius Caesar looking upon as a matter no waie below his greatest consideration advised with som Egyptian Mathematicians about it by whose Instructions hee found that the Sun 's yearlie Motion in the Zodiack was performed in the space of 365 daies and one 4th part of a daie or 6 hours The 6 odd hours hee caussed to bee reserved in store till everie fourth year that is till they made 24 hours or one whole daie so accounting that the 3 first years should consist of 365 daies and the
from that Shore and therefore I know not as yet what can bee said thereto The Magnetical Meridian Our own Geographers the later especially have affected to transplant this great Meridian out of the Canarie Isles into the Açores or Azores for so the çerilla will endure to bee pronounced They were so called from Açor which in the Spanish Tongue signifie's a Goss-Hawk from the great number of That Kinde there found at the first Discoverie though now utterly disappearing And it is no stranger a thing then that December should bee called by our Saxon Fore-fathers ƿolfe Monat that is Wolfe Moneth for that in those Daies this Isle was mischievously pestered with such Wilde-Beasts and in that Moneth more ragingly though now such a sight is grown so forreign to these parts that they are looked upon with the Strangeness of a Camel or an Elephant The Azores are otherwise termed Insu lae Flandricae or the Flemish Isles becaus som of them have been famously possessed and first Discovered by them They are now in number Nine Tercere St. Michaël S. Marie S. George Gratiosa Pico Fayall Corvo Flores they are situate in the same Atlantick Ocean but North-West of the Canaries and trending more upon the Spanish Coast under the 39 Degree of Latitude or therebouts Through these Isles the Late Geographers will have the Great Meridian to pass upon this conceit of reconciling the Magnetical Pole to That of the World Their meaning is That the Needle of the Mariner's Compass which touched with the Magnet or Loadstone in dutie ought to point out true North and South Poles of the World in all other Places performeth it onely in these Isles whereas for the most part elswhere it swerveth or maketh a Variation from the true Meridian towards the East or West according to tht unequal temper of the Great Magnet of the Earth therefore notwithstanding that the Greek Meridian was placed well enough in the Canaries as indeed it was and best of all becaus once fixed there yet it pleased them to think that it would bee more Artificial and Gallant to remove it into the Azores where as they would bear us in hand the Magnetical Needle precisely directeth it self towards the North and South of the Whole Frame without the least Variation which might seem to bee a Natural Meridian and therefore to bee yielded unto by that of Art wheresoever placed before This Coincidencie of the Magnetical Meridian with that of the World Som of them will have to bee in the Isles Corvo and Flores the most Western Others in S. Michaël Ridly's Treatise of Magnetical Motions Chap. 36. Norman's New Attrative Chap. 9. and S. Marie the more Eastern of the Azores 'T is true indeed that the Variation is less in these Isles then in som other Places yet it is by experience found that the Needle in Corvo North-Westeth 4 Degrees in S. Michaël it North-Easteth 6 Degrees And therefore the Great Meridian should rather have been drawn through Fayal where the Variation is but 3 Degrees to the East Or especially through the Cape of good hope where the Needle precisely pointeth to the True North without any Variation at all by a River side there which therefore the Portugals have called Rio de las Agulias The River of the Needles But which is more the Magnetical Needle hath no certain Pole in the Earth at all and under the verie same Meridian is found to varie in som places but 3 or 4 Degrees in other 17 and more and which is wors if it bee true the Variation it self hath been lately charged upon with a verie strange and secret inconstancie by the Professor in Astronomie of Gresham-College Hee saith that the Variation of the Needle at Limehous near London which Mr Burrows found to bee 11 Degrees 15 Minutes in the year 1580 M Gunter in the year 1622 found it to bee but 6 Degrees 13 Minutes But Hee himself in the year 1634 found it to bee but 4 Degrees or verie little more which in the space of 54 years is a difference of 7 Degrees to the Less So little reason is there why the Greek Meridian should give place to the Magnetical besides the great confusion which must needs follow as it hath The Toletan Meridian But yet more impertinently the Spanish Describers remembred before not onely account their Longitude from East to West utterly against all other Geographie but not contented with the Greek Arabian or any Magnetical Meridian must needs reckon their Indies from that of Toledo But they are verie few that take this cours and this Pragmatical Meridian is onely found upon a Map or two but hath not as yet gotten nor is it like to do any relation to the Globe The Greek Meridian again As the case standeth with the Great Meridian the advice and counsel of Stevinus a Dutch Geographer is very much to the purpose That the Great Meridian should bee brought back to the Fortunate Isles again that one certain Isle of the seven should bee chosen and in That one certain place Exiguus quidem sed notabilis perpetuus As smal but as notable and perpetual as 't is possible The Island hee assigned was Teneriff thought to bee the same with Ptolomie's Hera or Junonia The place Pico de Teide or el pico The Peak a Mountain so called from the sharpness of the top and therefore the place is Locus exiguus as Smal as could bee and 't is Perpetual for Hils are everlasting and as notable for by the reports of som in Julius Scaliger it riseth above threescore Miles in height which though it bee more then is generally believed yet thus much is That it is the highest Mountain in the World This Johnson a great Master of this Art considering with himself though in his lesser Globe of the year 1602 hee had made the Great Meridian to pass through the Isles Corvo and Flores yet since that in his Greater of the year 1616 hee hath it drawn upon the Peak in Tenariffe as hee expresseth himself in a void place of the Globe Onely whereas hee addeth that by this means the Arabick Meridian and That of Ptolomie will bee all one upon the matter which hee saith was fit to bee admonished it must needs bee mistaken 'T is true that the Canaries lie near upon the Coast of Affrick But the Arabians mean not this so much by the uttermost Shore as the uttermost Points of the Western Land runing along by the Streights of Gebal Taric or Taric's Hill as they rightly wee Gibralter call it where the Pillars of Hercules were set of old as our Stories deliver but of Alexander they saie to whom and not to Hercules the Arabick Nubian Geographer asscribeth this Labor naming there the verie Artificers which that great King provided himself of to force out the Streight which may possibly bee the reason why the Arabians over and above their ambition of Change draw their Great Meridian
as to conform with the Diameter or Axis of the Earth This Motion of the Needle was accidentally discovered by Robert Norman a Man of great dexteritie in the framing and dressing up of the Mariner's Compass It hapned to him that as often as hee had finished his Needles and equally poized them upon their Pins hee had no sooner touched them with the Stone but still the North-Point of the Needle would forsake the parallel Site in which hee had placed it and incline it self to the Axis of the Earth The reason whereof not presently perceiv'd escaped a while with a conceit as if the Artificer had deceived himself in ballancing the Needle which therefore hee endeavoured to correct with a little peice of Wax stuck upon the lighter End as hee took it to bee till at last beeing imploied in the framing of a Compass the Needle whereof was to bee 6 inches in length and having polished and levelled it with all possible care and yet after the touching of it with the Stone finding one end to weigh down the other hee was forced to cut off som part of the heavier end as hee still mistook it and so more till hee had made the Needle unserviceable whereupon consulting with som knowing Friends hee was advised to make som Instruments to trie out the experience And it was found to bee this verie Inclination to the Axis of the Earth and proportionably though not equally answering to the Degrees of Latitude But this Inclination also as the Direction is variable and for the same causses of the Earth's unequal temper But all that which I have said will more evidently and expertly appear upon the Terrella or little Earth of Load-stone As the Great Magnete of the Earth so everie Magnetical part thereof and everie part of that hath Poles Axis Equator Meridians and Parallels of it's own The Magnetical Philosophers therefore to represent unto themselvs the Great Nature of the Whole take a strong small piece of a Rock which having reduced into a Globous form they first found out the Poles by the filings of Steel or otherwise which will all meet together upon the North and South Points A Circle drawn equidistantly from these describeth the Equator This don they take a smal Steel wyer of about half an inch long and applie it to anie part of the Equator and it will precisely turn towards the North and South Poles which is Motion of Direction and marketh out the Meridians of the Terrella But supposing a Concavitie to bee let into this Little Earth in anie part either about the Equator or betwixt it and the Poles In that case the Needle will not point directly to the Poles but will make a Variation unless it bee placed exactly towards the Middle of the Concavitie and then it maketh no Variation at all but turneth directly as before which from the Causses justifieth the Directions and Variations of the Compass towards and from the Poles of the Earth Remove this Wyer from the Equator towards the Pole and the one End of it will rise up as Norman's Needle did and the other End will stick down upon the Stone making an Acute Angle and describing a Parallel Remove it nearer to the Pole and the Angle will bee less and less acute till at a a certain Parallel it becom a Right Angle to the Stone Remove it yet nearer and the Angle will bee Recto Major or more and more obtuse Bring it up to the Pole it self and it will there stand bolt upright and make one Line with the Axis of the Stone which maketh good the Inclination of the Needle to the Diameter of the Great Magnete for if Norman had touched his Needle under the Line it would have stood level upon the Pin without anie Declination at all If hee had touched it in anie place beyond the Line the Inclination would have been on the South side but living here more towards this Pole it must needs fall out as hee found it Nobile experimentum as Dr Gilbert cal's it and hee is bold to saie ut nullius unquam rationis aut mentis compos c. that hee who had considered of this and holdeth not himself convinced of the Principles of Magnetical Philosophie is not to bee taken for a man of sens or reason I know what Scaliger saith to this Gilbertus Medicus c. tres amplissimos Commentarios edidit in quibus magìs mihi probavit Doctrinam suam quà m Magnetis Naturam nam incertior sum quà m dudum Wee know what hee meaneth by amplissimos but why tres Commentarios Sure the Man had not read all his Books for the Dr wrote six but England was a kinde of Nazareth to this Great Scholar hee would not endure anie good should com out from hence But to give the Art and the Nation but their due Norman Burrough Wright Gilbert Ridley Barlow Gillâ—bâ—and As there is no point of Philosophie so admirable and secret with Nature as this so none so immerst in visible practice and experiment and bred up from the verie Cradle to that growth and stature which now it hath in this verie Corner of the World by English Men. Manie other Experiments of great Wonder and Satisfaction are made by the Magnetical Philosophers upon the Stone but to the purpose I speak of these are the Principal which is to give the Reasons of the Needles turning towards the North and South which is the Original of the Mariner's Compass The North and South Windes thus assured by the Motion either of Direction or Variation of the Needle The Mariner supposeth his Ship to bee as it alwaies is upon som Horizon or other The Center whereof is that of the Ship The Line of North and South found out by the Needle a Line crossing this at right Angles sheweth the East and West and so they have the 4 Cardinal Windes and the Indian * They are drawn upon a white China dish filled with Water upon the Center whereof there hangeth a Needle of 6 inches long Compass consisteth of no more Cross again each of these Lines and they have the 8 Whole Windes as they call them Another Division of these maketh 8 more which they call the Half Windes A third maketh 16 which they call the Quarter Windes so they are 32 in all Martin Cortez noteth that som Mariners of his time divided that Division over again and so the Compass consisted of 64 Windes but hee noteth also that this Division was more exact then for the Use Everie one of these Windes is otherwise termed a several point of the Compass and the Whole Line consisting of 2 Windes as the Line of North and South or that of East and West is called a Rombe The Spaniards first gave that Name as Peter of Medina taketh it upon them yet not out of their own Language but fancying to themselvs that the Lines of the Compass as indeed they do much resembled the Spars of
a Spining Wheel which in Latine is called Rhombus from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to turn about they call those Lines Rumbos and the Word hath taken The Compass therefore is an Horizontical Division of the 32 Windes upon a round piece of Pasteboard set in a Box in the Center whereof upon a pin of Laten cinque bored the Needle or Wyers first touched with the Stone are placed This Box hangeth in another Box between two hoops of Laten that however the outermost Box bee tossed up and down by the Motion of the Ship yet the innermost may alwaies hang level to the Horizon It is placed in the middle of the Pupe upon a right Line imagined to pass by the Main-mast through the Center of the Ship and so putteth the Pilot in his Waie These Compasses are represented as they may upon the Globe by those Circles which you see divided into 32 Parts with their Fleurç de Lis alwaies pointing to the North. And though the Windes are not set down by Name yet they may bee fetched from the Horizon without the Globe And the Rumbes are drawn out at length circularly if the Cours bee upon a Meridian the Equator or anie other parallel otherwise they are Helispherical Lines as they call them that is partly Circular and partly Helical or Spiral as you may see them described upon the Globe In the Globes set out by Saunderson and Molineux you have the Courses of Sr Francis Drake and Fourbisher's Voyages and in Janson's Globe that of Oliver Van-Nort described by the Rumbes whereby you may judg of the rest The Knowledg of all this is not of less use to the Geographer then the other Description by Circles aswel for the Reading of Sea-Voyages and Discoveries of New Lands and Passages as for that the verie Descriptions of the Earth for a great part cannot bee made without references to the Water As the Earth and Water are wholly represented upon the Globe so the whole Janson's Globe of the Year 1616. The Great Meridian passeth by the Pike in Tenariff The Lesser stand at 10 Degrees distance or anie part of either may bee described in Plano or upon a plane Surface in a Map or Sea-Chart And of these also somthing shall bee discoursed hereafter for the present Thus much of the Description now followeth The Use of the Terrestrial Globe and first of the Rectification THe first care of this is to see that the Foot of the Globe stand level or parallel to the Horizon for which purpose som Globes have a Plumb-line and there bee that advise for a Triangular Level of Wood with a Plummet for the purpose to bee applied to anie part of the Horizon after the manner as the Mechanicks trie their Planes but the matter is not tied to such a severitie of exactness but that a good Eie may pass for a sufficient Judg. The next thing is that it bee placed in the North and South-Position of the Earth as directly as it may This dependeth upon the knowledg of the Meridian of the place but may well enough bee don by a Needle whose Variation is known such an one as is used to bee set upon the South side of the Foot of som Globes for the same purpose then lift up the north-North-Pole above the Horizon so manie Degrees as will answer to the Latitude of the Place unto which you mean to rectifie which suppose to bee Oxford therefore the Pole is to bee lifted up 51 Degrees for that is the Elevation of this Place then finde out Oxford in the Globe and bring it to the Brass Meridian and there staie it with a piece of paper or the like put between the Meridian and the Globe And you have set before you Oxford with the verie same and all respects of Situation upon the Globe as it hath upon the Earth it self And this is called Rectification or right setting of the Globe By the known Place to finde out the Longitude and Latitude and by the known Longitude and Latitude to finde out the Place THese Terms of Longitude and Latitude are understood either of the same or several Plates In the first sens they are absolutely called the Longitude or Latitude of this or that place In the other sens wee use to say The Difference of Longitude or Latitude between such and such a place The Longitude of this or that place is the distance of it from the Great Meridian to the Meridian of the Place reckoned in the Degrees of the Equator The Latitude of a Place is the Distance of the Equator from the parallel of the place reckoned in the Degrees of the Meridian Therefore if the place met with bee under the Great Meridian it hath no Longitude at all as the Hill in Tenariffe unless it bee in respect of som other Great Meridian as that by Corvo or the other by St Michaël and of such a place it will bee sufficient to know the Latitude So again if the place met with bee under the Equator it hath no Latitude at all and of such a place it sâ—â—â—â—â— bee sufficient to know the Longitude But if the place should fall out to bee in the verie Intersection it self of the Equator and the Great Meridian it hath neither Latitude nor Longitude and of such a Place it is sufficiently said that There it is But if the known Place lie at anie distance from the Equator it is but bringing it up to the Brass Meridian and the Latitude is found by observing what Degrees the Meridian setteth off Let Oxford bee the Place you meet with turn the Globe till it lie precisely under the Meridian and you will finde from the Equator 51 Degrees 32 Minutes of Northern Latitude and by consequence you also have the Elevation of the Pole for that is alwaies equal to the Latitude of the Place With the same labor you may finde out the Longitude if holding still the Globe you observ the Degrees of Intersection cut off by the Meridian in the Equator as put the case for Oxford still it will bee found 22 Degrees from the Fortunate Islands saith Camden from St Michaël in the Azores 't is exactly true by which the Preface promised to go but from the Fortunate Isles or the Pike in Tenariffe not out 15. In case anie of the lesser Meridians happen to pass through the Place you may rekon of what number it is from the Great Meridian as whether it bee the 3d 5th 9th c. and so manie times 10 Degrees for at that distance they are set is the Longitude of the Place The same cours may bee taken by the Parallels to account the Degrees of Latitude And as the Longitude and Latitude are found out by the Place known so after the same manner anie Place may bee found out by the fore-knowledg of them This fore-knowledg was first had by Observation of the Eclipses of the Moon and the Meridian Altitude of the Sun
The Meridians set at that Distance must make an hours difference in the Rising or Setting of the Sun to the several places as if the Sun Rise at such an hour such a daie of the year at Oxford In a place 15 Degrees more distant towards the East the Sun riseth an hour sooner In a place 15 Degrees distant towards the West an hour later the same daie of this or that year Now becaus the Spaces of time are reckoned by the same Degrees of the Equator as the Distances of Place The Degrees of Longitude have been called Tempora which word Camden somtimes delighteth to use as in the Longitude of Bath hee saith it is 20 Temporibus 20 Times that is 20 Degrees distant from the Great Meridian Hee expresseth by the same word in setting down the Latitude but not so cunningly as I think Of the Equator and the Lesser Circles THe Equator is the Middle Circle betwixt two Poles graduated throughout and plainly dividing the Globe into two equal Parts from North to South This is the Circle of Longitude as the Meridian of Latitude for Longitude is reckoned in the Equator from the Meridian Latitude in the Meridian from the Equator Crossing this Circle obliquely in the Middle is the Zodiack the utttermost extent whereof towards the North noteth out the Tropick of Cancer towards the South the Tropick of Capricorn each of them distant from the Equator 23 Degrees or not much more as may bee accounted in the Great Meridian Equi-distant from these and at the same distance from the Poles as the Tropicks from the Equator are set down the Artick and Antartick Circles all offering themselvs to sight by their Names and distinction of Bredth and Color more notably then the rest by the rest I mean the black blinder Circles equi-distantly remooved from the Equator at 10 Degrees difference and serving the same turn in the accounting of Latitude as the Meridians at the same distance in the reckoning of the Longitude And these are called the unnamed Parallels And so much of the Description of the Earth and Water together Now of the Waterie-Part by it self The Description of the Waterie-Part of the Globe by the Rumbes of the Mariner's Compass THe Cours of a Ship upon the Sea dependeth upon the Windes The Designation of these upon the certain Knowledg of one Principal which considering the Situation and condition of the whole Sphere ought in nature to bee North or South The North to us upon this side of the Line the South to those in the other Hemisphere for in making this observation Men were to intend themselvs towards one fixed part of the Heavens or other and therefore to the one of these In the South Part there is not found anie Star so notable and of so near a distance from the Pole as to make anie precise or firm Direction of that Winde But in the North wee have that of the second Magnitude in the Tail of the Lesser Bear making so smal and for the Motion so insensible a Circle about the Pole that it cometh all to one as if it were the Pole it self This pointed out the North-winde to the Mariners of old especially and was therefore called by som the Load or Lead-Star But this could bee onely in the night and not alwaies then It is now more constantly and surely shewed by the Needle touched with the Magnete which is therefore called the Load or Leadstone for the same reason of the leading and directing their Courses in the Nature and Secret of which Stone becaus the whole business of Navigation is so throughly concern'd somthing is to bee borrowed out of that Philosophie The Original of the Mariner's Compass from the Magnetical Constitution of the Earth A Magnetical Bodie is described to bee That which hanging in the Aërial or Aetherial Parts of the Univers firmly seateth it self upon it's own Poles in a Situation natural and unchangeable consisting also of som such parts as separated from the rest can take upon them the nature and conditions of the whole Under this Description the Magnetical Philosopher's comprehend the Globes of Saturn Jupiter the Sun c. but becaus these Bodies are placed so far above the reach of our Experience and purpose it shall bee sufficient to make the Description good upon the Earth To do this I think I may suppose First that the Constitution of the Whole Earth may bee gathered from the prevailing parts such parts especially as do bear upon them the Marks and Signatures of the Whole Then secondly That the parts of the Earth which lie couched about the Center are not of a different or degenerous compliance from these which lie scattered about the Surface which if anie bodie list to rais suspicions upon as Mr White hath don they may but I am sure they were no nearer Him when hee lai'd the Foundations of the Earth then wee The prevailing parts about the Surface of the Earth are the Mines of Loadstone Steel Iron c. of all which it is certain that they are indued with a virtue Magnetical which enableth them to place themselvs in a set position betwixt North and South And not onely these but even Claie it self burnt to Brick and cooled North and South if it bee hanged up in a close place and left to it's libertie will seat it self in the same Situation But the most vigorous Magnetes are the Stone and the Steel the Stone especially And the Steel hath a capacitie to receiv a stronger virtue from the Stone whereby it more firmly seateth it self in the North and South-Position of the Earth directly pointing out those Windes to the Mariner not in all parts directly becaus in following the Constitution of the Great Magnete of the Whole Earth it must needs bee here and there led aside towards the East or West by the unequal temper of the Globe consisting more of Water then of Earth in som places and of Earth more or less Magnetical in others This Deviation of the Needle the Mariners call North-Easting or North-Westing as it falleth out to bee otherwise and more Artificially the Variation of the Compass which though it pretend uncertainly yet proveth to bee one of the greatest helps the Sea man hath for the Degrees of Variation which the place it self exactly observed giveth him a shrewd guess of the same when hee meeteth with the same Variation again unless the Variation it self should bee subject to a Change of Admirable Diminutions as the Late Discoverer calleth it in his Discours Mathematical c. This Needle touched with the Stone and directing towards the North and South the Mariners as the Magnetical Philosophers call their Directorie-Needle Mr Henrie Gellibrand not onely for the reason intimated but to distinguish it also from their other called the Inclinatorie-Needle becaus it is also found that the Needle touched with the Stone will not onely turn towards the North but make an Inclination under the Horizon
so called from α the Particle Privative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But this is a Fable befitting the Greeks whose Nation hath been seriously taxed by its own Autors for their luxurie of invention in fabulous discourses In the next place wee are to free the Description insuing from the equivocation and ambiguitie of the word Assyria which is somtimes taken for it self at other times for the whole Region of Syria in that sens comprehending in it more then it self to wit Palestine Syrophoenicia Syria Damascena Arabia Mesopotamia Babylonia Chaldoea somtimes more somtimes less according to Strabo Plinie and manie others But our Master Ptolomie to deliver the delineations of the world from the Ataxie and confusions of the Antients dealt more accurately in his observations Ptolemaeus Asiae tab 5. cap. 1. Hee therefore in his first Chapter of the fifth Table of Asia describeth our Countrie in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In which description Ptolomie hath vindicated this Countrie to her proper limits aptly sequestring Assyria from the rest comprehending the Countrie within the confines of the great America upon the North Mesopotamia upon the West Susian upon the South and Media towards the Sun rising The chief of Ptolomie's followers in this are Dominicus Marius Niger in his Geographical Commentarie upon Asia whose words I forbear to insert becaus they are but the meer Metaphrase of the description alreadie given Besides him * Pag. 159. Tigurinae editionis Vadian hath don the like in the Chapter which treateth of the Situation of Assyria So also Gemma Frisius in his 22 Chapter of the Division of the Earth and Marcianus Heracleotes who in the description of Susian the Province Marcianus Heracleωtes in cap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee saith that the North limit of Susian is Assyria and Ptolomie had said before That the South limit of Assyria was Susian The agreement of these Autors I oppose to the distraction of others in reading whereof diligent heed would bee taken of the ambiguitie of the word Assyria lest the Reader not beeing sufficiently cautelous might happily bee then least acquainted with the Countrie when hee hath travelled most about it Longitudo Latitudo Assyriae The Latitude of Assyria is Northern cutting off from the Equinoctial towards the Pole Arctick an Arch of a greater Circle containing about 5 degrees and ⅓ from the 34 degree to the 39 and 20 scruples The Longitude accounted in the middle Line from the great * In the assigning Geographical Longitude wee finde an observable difference The Moderns accounting from the Isles called Azores guided by the variation of their compass the Arabians account from the Pillars of Hercules or the Streights of Gebaltarck corruptly called Gibralter Titus-Abelfeldea Som also from Arius under the Line and others otherwise but Ptolomie from the fortunate Isles and him here wee follow Meridian of the World is from the 78 degree to the 84. In assigning this Position wee wee have rather inclined to Ptolomie then the modern conjectures of later Writers for though instruments bee more exact and men's experience more universal yet what shall all that do cùm jam Seges ubi Troia fuit Ninus in ipsa Nino requiratur when 't is brought to such ruine that if the founder himself should rise again Ninus would scarce finde Ninive through hee sought it in it self According therefore to the Longitude and Latitude assigned The site of this Countrie is in the North part above the Torrid Zone between the Tropick of Cancer and the Arctick Circle under and about the fourth Clime the longest daie beeing som 14 hours and one second part This Situation is approved by Rabbi Abraham in his description of the Climes his words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The fourth Clime begineth at the end of the third to the Latitude of 36 degrees of the equal line in the North portion and his daie is fourteen hours and one second and passeth through Assur So far the Rabbin Wee conclude therefore That the position of this Region is an Oblique Sphear whose Phaenomena are these They enjoie as wee do both a Vernal and Autumnal Equinox the Sun beeing in Aries and Libra Their site is in the South part of the North temperate Zone therefore their air is pleasant Vitello Alhazen The Sun never culminate's in their Senith point that beeing placed beyond the Tropick of Cancer which is the extremest circle of the Sun's Motion in his Northern declination And becaus the Opticks teach that everie Opacous bodie projecteth his Shadow to a part directly opposite to the bodie luminous therefore the Sun beeing either in the Northern or Southern Signes their shadowes are never directed to the South but contrariwise therefore they are Heteroscii Lastly they have the Pole Artick alwaies elevated and the Antarctick alwaies hid For the Astrological site of this place it is comprehended within the first Quadrant in the part Oriental and Meridional and is therefore subject to the second Triangle under the Dominion Taurus Virgo and Capricorn the Planetarie Lords beeing Saturn and Venus Oriental in regard of whose rule in that earthly Triplicitie the inhabitants must needs bee of a disposition wanton and lascivious in apparel gorgeous in Religion Idolaters And becaus the Assyrian in special is subjected to Virgo and her influence is Mercurial therefore our inhabitants must bee great Astronomers Thus Ptolomie Cardan c. But whether it bee so or no let their Ghosts dispute before Minos and Rhadamanthus Thus much is certain That the manners of the Antient inhabitants most aptly corresponded with this Prognostication and if anie urge the contrarie at this daie these Autors may easily finde an answer that besides the translation of the Perigaeum and Apogaeum of the Planets the precession of the Equinox and the Suns lesser Excentricitie 't is apparent that the Signs in the eight Sphear have forsaken their places in the first Moover Aries now beeing in the dωdecatemorie of Taurus and Pisces in the place of Aries And so much may suffice for the general application of Theoretical Geographie to the Practical description of this Countrie Before wee enter the particular parts our discours shall tread awhile upon the Borders Where first on the North part wee meet with the Armenian Mountains which might have been slightly passed over but that they shew the place where once Noah's Ark rested That it rested in Ararat or Armenia Moses beareth witness that it rested in that part of Armenia wherein wee have placed it may bee a conjecture not without probabilitie becaus Ptolomie placeth the Countrie Gordiena directly upon the North adjoining in Situation to these Mountains Now that Countrie was so called from the Gordiaean Mountains upon which the Ark rested as is approved by a double Paraphrase of two Antient Chaldeans Jonathan the son of Vziel
see them let him repair to Higinus Aratus Manilius Stoffler upon the Sphear of Proclus and the nameless Scholiast upon Cesar Germanicus that was found in Sicile This onely I may saie that the Conceit was truely Poëtical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is meerly made not told as having no footstep in Storie nor foundation in Veritie save onely their misconceit of the name Orion quasi Vrion This infirm Gloss upon that word however at the best not able to stand by it self was after made far more impotent by their halting between two opinions one while conceiving Orion to bee that hee is another while to bee Arctophylax far widely guessing the one beeing in the North the other in the South See Hesychius in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But how well our Autor accordeth with the truth wee shall see and greatly approve That Orion was a Hunter the Greeks themselvs conâ—ess So Theon upon Aratus his Phaenomena page 539 of that which was printed in quarto at Paris Moses recordeth the like of this Nimrod the Fables also saie hee was a King and in Jansson's Globes hee is called Bellator fortissimus The Astronomers of Arabia call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Algebar that is as the Lxx doth the Giant All this agree's Add hereunto his posture in the Heavens highly becoming his profession to shew hee was a Souldier hee is placed with sword and Buckler and is therefore called by the sweetest Poët 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Musaeus in Her Leandro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To beetoken his Huntsmanship hee holdeth in his hand the skin of a wilde Beast and in the Asterisms of Cesar Germanicus hee hath a Bowe readie drawn besides this hee hath a Hare at his Feet and the two Dogs behinde Cisleu fâ—om Cesil becaus of the inconstant weather which is caussed at the rising of this Star for Cesil signifieth inconstancie of this see R. Benjamin in his Itinerarie Let now the Reader judg nay Homer saith That is Orion's dog in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which Theon in Aratus addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. becaus Orion beeing a hunter must have his Dog to follow him Of this Orion Moses maketh mention if hee wrote the Book of Job Chap. 9. and 9. yea God himself in the 38 of that Book becaus hee had to deal with an Arabian questioneth him in his own Astrologie Canst thou binde saith hee the swift influence of the Pleiades or loos the bands of Orion The Original in both places as also in Amos who had it from hence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cesil so called from the inconstancie of the weather at the Astronomical Asscension of this Constellation from whence also their Moneth Cisleu That this Cesil here signifieth a Star all agree the difference is amongst them which of all those innumerable Lights this Cesil should bee Hierome by the instruction of his Jew no doubt translate's it Orion Rab Jonah in M. Kimchi saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that by this Cesil is meant that great Star which the Arabians cal Sohel Rab. Jonah in Rab. Kâ—mchi this Sohel is not Orion but Canopus a bright Star that strike's the Horizon of Rhodes and is placed in the Argonavis as James Christman most truly collecteth out of the Arabian Alfraganus and for this caus the learned Linguist turn's head upon the whole strein of Interpreters who translate's with a general consent Orion I will not bee so bold becaus I am not so well able yet I should ask his leav to follow the old interpretation for one reason of my own becaus I see the Chaldee Paraphrast render's that word Cesil by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Giant and therefore in all probabilitie intended this mightie Hunter great Nimrod bold Orion The Reader may perchance ask one question why Nimrods name should bee changed into Orion I answer as near as I can conjecture that this is the reason Beeing upon the earth as hee was hee was fitly called Nimrod which signifieth a Tyrant but when hee began to bee numbred among the Stars of Heaven hee was not unaptly termed Orion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or which signifieth the Sun in the plural in Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orin which signifieth the conspicuous Lights of Heaven as these Stars in Orion rise to the elevation of Chaldea glittering * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hipparchus of Bythinia in his Asterismes upon the Equinoctial in the North and South part of Heaven Synchronism The Language is Confounded and the Earth divided And therefore a man of note born at that time was called Peleg that is Division from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dividere In Nimrod's time Serug deserveth to bee remembred if that bee true which Suidas writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Autor saith hee was a Carver of Images nay hee addeth that hee was a teacher of Idolatrie If so then this might bee the man that made Nimrod God see Suidas in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the same in Estiaeus of Miletum whence Suidas had it Eusebii Scaliger pag. 13. Nahor is born in the thirtieth year of Serug hee lived one hundred and fortie eight years and was Abraham's grandfather Nimrod teacheth the worship of the Host of Heaven maketh the Sun the greatest God above and himself below See Abarbinel upon Genesis at these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abarb. in par Noach Of the worship of the Sun wee have alreadie discoursed in the Manners of the Assyrians from these the Idolatrie spread it self to the Egyptians Persians Medes and throughout the whole world No Nation but worshipped the Host of Heaven The Scythians worshipped the North Star and called it the Iron immoveable Nail As for the Planets they were the constant Gods of all Countries to whom the verie Week-daies have been by the most Antient Nations religiously dedicated Wee will instance onely in our own Sun-daie and Moon-daie from the Sun and Moon Tuesdaie from Tuisco Mercurie wednesdaie from Woden Mars Thursdaie from Thor Jupiter Fridaie from Friga Venus Saturdaie from Seater Saturn These were the first Gods the Greeks knew and therefore they called from these all other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because these kept their continual cours without interruption The Paeonians adored the Sun under the form of a Cup-dish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maximus the Tyrian Serm. 38. Becaus the Sun seemeth to resemble that form and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is somtimes taken for Solis Orbis The Reason that moved Nimrod to command the worship of the Sun was first the manifold benefits redounding to Men by this most glorious Planet Secondly becaus the Sun was chief amongst the Planets which these Nations easily knew by their great searches of Astrologie Nimrod teacheth the worship of fire as seeming to bear a great affinitie with the Sun or els becaus it was the custom of Sem's God to answer by fire as