their vse and also the vse of Ptholomey his Tables THis woord Mappa in latin signifieth a Table cloth of lynnen to couer a board of the shape and likenes whereof vniuersall tables contayning the description of the earth are commonly called Mappes And first you haue to vnderstande that euery such Mappe is chiefly traced with ij sortes of lynes or circles that is Meridians and paralels The Meridians are either right or circular lynes passing through both the Poles of the worlde and are imagined to be drawen right vp and downe from the head to the foote of the Mappe and are called Meridians of this Latin woord meridies which is as much to say as midday or noonetyde Because that when the Sunne commeth to touch any of those lynes it is mydday to those that dwel right vnder the same Againe Paralells are either right or circular lynes imagined to be equally distant one from another which doe crosse the foresaid Meridians with right angles Now in the verie midst of the Map is most commonly drawne from head to foote a ryght lyne which signifieth not onely the first Meridian but also the Axle tree of the world the vpper ende of which lyne is called the poole Artique that is to say the North Pole and the neather end the Pole Antartique that is the South Poole and this lyne is crossed in the verie midst betwixt the ij Pooles with another great circle or right lyne called the Equinoctiall because that when the Sunne commeth to touch this lyne or circle the day and nyght is equall throughout the world The one halfe of which lyne toward the right hand sheweth the east part and thother half towards the left hand sheweth the west part of the world so as these ij lynes the first Meridian and the Equinoctiall do point out the iiij quarters of the world North South East and West from whence the foure principall wyndes do blowe betwixt which wyndes are set downe in most Mappes together with their Latin or Italian names in the outermost skirt or border thereof viij other wyndes so as in all there be xij wyndes whereby the auncient Greekes and Romanes were wont to saile The names whereof both Greeke Latin and English are heretofore set downe in the latter end of our Sphere But now to returne to our first two lynes that is the first Meridian and the Equinoctiall you haue to note that both these lynes or circles are deuided each of them into 360. degrees so as euery quarter of them contayneth 90. degrees And in the Equinoctiall are set downe the degrées of longitude which is the length of the worlde round about from West to East and againe from East by West home againe The first degrée whereof beginneth whereas the first aforesaid Meridian crosseth the Equinoctiall in the verie middest of the Mappe and so procéedeth Eastward vnto the number of 90 degrées which is as farre as you can goe Eastward sith from thence by reason of the roundnesse of the Earth you must néedes turne backe againe by the backe side of the Sphere or ball Westward vntill you come to the 270 degrée which is the farther point westward you can goe from whence you must returne Eastward vntill you come to the 360 degrée which is the last degrée of longitude and endeth where the first degrée beginneth Moreouer in the said first Meridian or in some other Meridian hard by it are set downe the degrées of latitude that is to say the breadth of the worlde both Northerne and Southerne for from the Equinoctiall to the North Pole are contained in the foresaide Meridian 90. degrées and that is called the North latitude and from the Equinoctial to the South Pole are contained in y e said Meridian other 90 degrées which is called the South latitude and in most Mappes the Equinoctiall line is deuided and crossed with 18 Meridians on each side of the first Meridian deuiding the Equinoctiall into 36 seuerall spaces or distances euery space conteining 10 degrées and euerie degree containeth 60 Italian myles of length Moreouer betwixt the Equinoctiall and each of the Poles are drawen certaine Circles or lines called as I said before Paralels of which most commonly 4 are painted with red inke signifying the 4 lesser Circles before described in our Sphere whereof the highest towards the North Pole is called the Circle Artique béeing distant from the Pole 23 degrées and a halfe and the lowest towards the South Pole is called the Circle Antartique béeing also distant from the Pole 23 degrées and a halfe Now as touching the other two red Circles the one lying betwixt the Circle Artique and the Equinoctiall is called the Tropique of Cancer and the other lying betwixt the Equinoctiall and the Circle Antartique is called the Tropique of Capricorne and each of these two Tropiques is distant from the Equinoctiall 23 degrees and a halfe which is the greatest declination of the Sunne for betwixt these ij Tropiques the Sunne continuallie maketh his course and returne as this word Tropique signifyeth mounting neuer higher then the Tropique of Cancer nor discending lower then the Tropique of Capricorne for which cause some doe set downe in their Maps betwixt the sayde two Tropiques an ouerthwart line signifying the ecliptique line vnder which the Sun continually walketh Now by helpe of the foresaide 4 circles the earth is deuided into 5 zones that is one whotte 2 temperate and 2 cold The whotte is contained betwixt the 2 Tropiques in the midst of which whotte zone is the Equinoctiall line and of the 2 temperate zones the one lieth betwixt the Tropique of Cancer and the circle Artique and the other betwixt the Tropique of Capricorne and the circle Antartique Againe of the 2 colde zones the one lyeth betwixt the North Pole and the circle Artique and the other betwixt the South Pole and the circle Antartique Nowe besides these foure speciall Paralels there bee diuers other Paralels drawne on each side of the Equinoctiall both Northward and Southward which crossing in certaine points the first Meridian marked with degrees do shew the true latitude of euery place and vnder what Clime or Paralell it is and also how many howers the longest day of any place vnder euery Paralell is beginning to accompte the same eyther from the Equinoctiall vpward towardes the North Pole alongst the first Meridian marked with degrees of Northerne latitudes or els from the sayde Equinoctiall downe-warde towardes the South Pole marked with degrees of Southerne latitude Notwithstanding they vse most commonlye to set downe the number and iust distaunces of the Clymes Paralels and howers in the North latitude onely willing the like numbers of Clymes Paralels and howers to bee accompted in the South latitude euen as they are in the North latitude and with like distances And note that in procéeding towardes the Pole from the Paralell whereas the longest day is 24. howers they accompte the Paralell of the longest daye no longer by howers but by
monethes that is to saye from one moneth to six monethes whereof wee haue spoken before in our sphere The numbers of the aforesayd Clymes Paralels and howers you shall finde set foorth in Vopellius Mappe alongest the first Meridian on the left hand But hee setteth downe the numbers of the longest daies encreasing by monethes in the vttermost border of hys Mappe on the right hand betwixt the North Pole and the circle Artique And in that border hee setteth downe the number of leagues and miles answerable to euery Paralell whereas also hee sheweth the three differences of Inhabitants according to their shadows that is to say the Periscij Heteroscij and Amphiscij Periscij are those that dwell in anie of the two colde zones whose shadowe goeth round about them Heteroscij be those that dwell in anie of the two temperate zones whose shadowe tendeth at noone-tide but one waie that is either North or South Amphiscij bee those that inhabite the whotte zone whose shadowe tendeth both waies that is sometime North and sometime South as is before declared at large in our sphere But in the Mappe of Gemma Frizius you shall find all these thinges set foorth on the left hand of his Mappe amongest the vttermost circles whereas vpon the circle Artique hee setteth downe the twelue signes hauing certaine compassed lines running downe to the Equinoctiall meeting and concurring all in one point at the end whereof vpon the Equinoctiall you shall finde the number of howers at which the sunne riseth in euery degree of latitude Also at the nether ende of hys Mappe on the left hand he placeth a halfe quadrant which hee calleth Directorium nauticum whereof wee shall speake heereafter And because he would haue hys Mappe to serue both sea and land he setteth downe a certaine number of mariners compasses deuided with 32 lines signifiyng y e 32. windes which doe shew howe euery place beareth one from the other and by what winde a Shippe is to bee directed from one part to another which thing is also obserued in Mercators Mappe and others that haue written more lately and yet nothing seruiceable for the Sea because as M Borowgh Controller of her Maiesties Nauy a man most skilful in the Art of sailing saith no consideration is had in the said Maps or Cards touching y e variation of the Compasse without the which they can neuer set downe any true or iust direction Now as touching the diuision and order of the partes of the Earth most commonlie described in vniuersall Mappes you shall vnderstand that the ancient Cosmographers not knowing then the West Indies nor manie other places scituated both Northward and Southward which haue bene since discouered deuided the whole Earth onely into thrée partes that is Europe Aphrike and Asia in the description whereof their Mappes neuer extended in latitude Northwards further then to 63 degrées as I haue said before in my Sphere and Southward no further then to 20 degrées of the Northerne latitude or there about but in longitude from West to East beginning the same at the Ilandes called Insulae Canariae or Fortunatae which are scituated at the West end of Aphrike in the Sea called Mare Atlanticum their descriptions doe extend to 180 degrées But because a whole worlde almost hath bene founde out since those times our moderne Cosmographers doe deuide the whole Earth into 4 partes that is Europe Aphrike Asia and America which we nowe call the West Indies And because men of diuers Nations haue sayled round about the world East and West their late descriptions doe extend in longitude the whole content of the Equinoctiall which is 360 degrées and in latitude Northwards the same descriptions doe extende to 80 degrées and Southwards to 66 ½ as you may sée in the vniuersall Mappes lately set foorth by Mercator and by Barnardus Puteanus and others But the ancient and moderne doe greatly differ in the diuision of the partes of latitude as well Northerne as Southerne and also in longitude for whereas the ancient Cosmographers doe deuide each latitude into 90. degrées by certaine Paralels making 9. equall spaces euery space containing 10. equall degrees in the latter Mappes last mencioned you shall finde those spaces and the degrées thereof altogether vnequall the first 3 spaces next the Equinoctiall onely excepted for those differ not aboue one halfe degree at the most but from thence Northward euery space is greater then other and euery degree in euery such space is greater then other insomuch as the fourth space containeth 11 degrées and a halfe of those degrees which are set downe in the first space and the fift space conteineth of such degrees 13 degrées ¾ the 6 space containeth of the said degrées 16 degrées ¼ y e 7 containeth of the same degrées 20 degrees ½ so as the space is is twise so broade as the first space and one halfe degree more the eight space conteineth of the said first degrees 36 further then which 8 spaces containing 80 degrees of latitude their Mappes extend not Northward and they obserue the like proportion in the Southerne latitude sauing that they extende no farther Southward then to 66 degrees and a halfe Againe they differ in longitude thus for the moderne Cosmographers doe make the first Meridian to passe through the Isles called Azores which doe stande 5 degrees more Westward then the Fortunate Islands do through which Fortunate Islandes Ptolomey and his followers doe appoint the first Meridian to passe The cause of which transposing the saide first Meridian is because that the mariners Compasse doth neuer shewe the right North and South in any other place but onely vnder that Meridian Yea M. Borowgh thinketh that it would shewe it more truely if the saide Meridian were placed somewhat more Westward But in those Cardes and mappes that are made according to the rules of Ptolomey the spaces of Paralels containing the 90. degrées of latitude both Northwarde and Southward are equall and all the degrées of euery such space are also equall And yet the spaces of Paralels that shew the longest day in any place are towards the Pole euery one more narrowe then other for as I haue sayd before in my sphere there are 3 kinds of paralels that is Paralels of the Sunne Paralels of the latitude Paralels of the longest day The causes why in these latter Maps the degrées of latitude are made greater and greater towards the Poles are set downe by Barnardus in his vniuersall Mappe who sayth there that in making the said Mappe he had 3. speciall cares First that the places might be so scituated as they may haue both true direction and distance and also due longitude and latitude and as nigh as may bee the same very shape which they haue in the sphere or globe to which end hee hath inuented a new proportion or habitude of the Meridians to the paralels affirming that the Maps before made are not fit for Nauigation by reason of the crookednes
the odde space being 2 degrees is 120 miles which being added to the former summe maketh in all 3720 miles and that is the distance betwixt Budonell and Ercoco And if this way like you not then multiply the difference of the 2 longitudes by the miles answerable to the latitude of the said places which you shall find in a speciall table made for that purpose is set downe in my sphere togither with the rule and order that is to bee obserued therin The hardest of which 2 waies in mine opinion is much more easie than that which is to bee done by the former Instrument called Organum directorium Which instrument Mercator and Barnardus did borrow as it seemeth to mee from that which Gemma Frizius calleth his Quadratum Nauticum inuēted by him many yeres since the shape description and vse whereof I thought it not amisse to set down here and the rather for that in mine opinion it sheweth both the true course and direction to anie place more spéedily and with more facility then the other Here followeth the Mariners Quadrant A DESCRIPTION OF GEMMA FRIZIus his Instrument called Quadratum Nauticum THis square by 2 right lines called Diameters crossing one another with right angles in the very Center is deuided into foure Equall quarters and within the said square vpon the said Center is drawne a Circle which by meanes of the two foresaid Diameters is also deuided into foure Quadrants and euery Quadrant is subdiuided with right lines into 8 partes so as in all there be 32 lines signifiyng the 32 winds of the Mariners Compasse Euerie line hauing his proper name of wind written theron And note that the right line which is drawne right downe in the middest of the square signifieth the Meridian shewing the Northpoint aboue and the South point beneath and the other right line crossing the same in the Center signifieth the Equinoctial line which sheweth the East point on the right hand and the West point on the left hand and the Circle it selfe signifieth the Horizon Now you haue to vnderstand that from the Equinoctiall line vpwards the 2 sides of the square are deuided each of them into 90 degrées of North latitude and the other two sides from the Equinoctiall downeward are likewise deuided on both hands into 90 degrées of south latitude Then the head or front also the base of the said square is deuided in the middest by the foresaid Meridian line into 2 equall parts wherof the first procéeding from the said Meridian towardes the right hand is deuided as well aboue as beneath into 90 degrées of longitude and that is called the East longitude and the other part procéeding from the said Meridian towardes the left hand is likewise deuided as well aboue as beneth into 90 degrées of longitude is called the West longitude The vse of which instrument is thus first knowing by some table or Mappe the longitude and latitude of two places take the difference of both by substracting the lesser out of the greter And if the longitude of the second place bee greater then the first séeke the difference thereof in the front and also in the base of the East longitude on the right hande But if the longitude of the second place be lesse then the first then séeke the difference thereof in the West longitude on the left hand And here as before I meane by the first place that from whence you goe of which 2 places the first is alwaies supposed to bee in the very center of the Circle and the other is to be found out thus first hauing sought out the degrées of the difference of the longitude as well in the vpper part as in the nether part and marked the same with one pricke aboue and another beneath applie your Ruler or a thread to those 2 pricks or els drawe a secret right line from the one pricke to the other by a ruler That done séeke out the difference of the 2 latitudes on both sides of the square that is to say if the second place hath greater latitude then the first then you must seeke the difference in the North latitude if lesse then seeke that in the South latitude And hauing marked the same on both hands by setting down on each side a pricke drawe a secret right line from marke to marke and where the last line crosseth the first line there make a marke for there standeth the place whereto you would goe Which if you would know how it beareth from the first place then lay your ruler both to the Center and also to that marke drawing a right line passing through the Center and also through the said marke from the one side of the circle to the other or els stretch a thred through the Center and the marke and on that side that the mark is you shall sée the name of the winde that sheweth how the second place beareth from you the opposite point whereof is the winde whereby you haue to saile As for example if you would knowe howe Venice beareth from London Nowe if you séeke in the Mappe you shall find London to haue in longitude 23 degrees and 0 minutes and in latitude 51 degrees and 32 minutes Againe you shall finde Venice to haue in longitude 36 degrees and 30 minutes and in latitude 45 degrees and 15. minutes or there abouts The difference of the longitudes is 13 degrees and 30 minutes which because the longitude of Venice is greater then the longitude of London you must seeke it out in the East longitude on the right hand and marke the same both aboue and beneath Againe the difference of latitude is 6 degrees and 17 minutes Which because Venice hath the lesser latitude séeke that out in the South latitude marking the same on both handes That doone laie two threads or els drawe two right crosse lines from the foresaid markes and where those two threads or lines doe crosse make a marke which marke signifieth the place whereunto you would goe which is Venice Then from the one side of the Circle to the other lay a ruler or thread passing through the center and the said marke made for Venice at the end of which thread ruler or line on the right hande you shall sée the winde which sheweth how Venice beareth from London and on the left hand y e wind wherby you haue to saile if y e space betwixt y e 2 places were al sea For in sailing by sea you may not thinke to go alwaies by a right line but often to chaunge your course according as either mainland hedlands Iles Currents Sandes Rockes or such like impedimentes shall giue occasion and therfore though your right course from London to Venice is to go Southwest and by East yet being come out of the Thames to Douer your course from thence to the Cape of Britaine is west Southwest And from thence to the Cape Finis terrae in Spaine it is Southwest and by