if there be great virtue in Stones Woods and Herbs It hath also been proved that the Ships Compact with Iron Nailes Sayling by the Sea of Aethiope and by a Tempest driven to Land to certain Capes or Lands ends have by these stonas either been drawn to the bottom of the Sea or else the Nailes being drawn out by the Virtue of the stone the Ship hath falen in a thousand pieces And therefore the discreet and wary Cantabrians expert Mariners Sayling by the Aethiopian Sea frame their Ships with Pins and Hoops of wood to prevent the danger that might chance on the same occasion This stone is known by colour virtue weight and equality the best colour is said to be like pure Iron shining mixed with Indian or Heavenly colour and is in a manner like Iron Polished This stone is also often times found in Norway and Elua and in certain Regions of the North and is brought from thence to certain Regions in Normandy and Flanders The experience of the virtue of the stone is easie for it attracteth to it a great weight of Iron It is judged to be strong and the heavier also the better By equality it is judged if it be alike in one substance and colour but if it be unequal with chapes as we shall hereafter express together with hollow places indented having red spots here and there it is unapt not so fit for the Art of Navigation or of continual Motion It representeth the similitude of Heaven for like as in Heaven there are two points immoveable ending in the Axle-tree of the Sphere upon which the whole Frame of Heaven is turned as may be experienced by the Art that Christal and other stones are Polished even so the Load-stone reduced into a Globious or round Form laying thereon a Needle or any other like Iron then which way soever the Needle turneth and resteth thereby is shewed the place of the Poles and that this may be done more certainly it must be often times attempted and the Line shewed by the Needle must be observed for such Lines shall cut the one the other in two Points as the Meridian Circles joyn together the Poles of the World but of this also more shall hereafter he said This shall for the present be only instanced That if the round stone as is said be found in the place which often times draws Iron if then the point doe exactly appear part of the broken Needle must be laid upon the sinne and be so often by little and little transposed untill the Style or â—in be Perpendicler or Plummet do directly fall upon the stone for there on the contrary part by like manner shall be found the other Pole A. shall be the true point and B. the false Load-stones let them be of what parts soever of the World have the self same general directive property I mean of shewing the North and South and also the self same Points respective declining or dipping under the Horizon They do likewise agree in their variations and each one will draw Iron and likewise one another Every Load-stone of what form soever it be hath either actually or potentially two points the one Northern the other Southern Actually if either by casualty if it so fall out or by â—ndustry the stone be fashioned that those two oppoâ—â—e points be eminent or perspicious therein Potentiâ—lly if that either the stone be flat and but thin in the dimension of the North and South though broad otherwise for so shall the virtue of the stone be dispersed to the extream parts thereof in the Edges round about or if fit have two opposite points in any concavity then will the stone shew in the eminent Border or Edge of that concavity only a confused dull force and in the concavity very little or nothing at all That stone is also well proportioned for touching which resembleth an Oval form and hath his due points in his ends and is void of any bunch or concavity for the general form of a stone being good every concavity is a diminishing of his force and every bunch is a superfluous Burthen Insomuch that my self have had experience of a stone that of substance was very good and of weight was three and twenty ounces but of disordered form it therefore took away twelve ounces from him and yet diminished not one jote of his force And this I did in a stone that was all of like force but if it be one that is intermixed of divers substances as many such there are and those easily discovered by their colour you may sometimes take away three quarters or more of his substance without diminishing any thing at all of his virtue we have already said the Iron colour is best very black or white seldom proves good gray indifferent the moâ—â— white is in any stone so much the â—â—rse Thâ—â—e are certain that are of an Iron colour mâ—â—glâ—◠〈…〉 of which 〈◊〉 are good and some bu◠〈…〉 〈◊〉 wâ—y you may prove whether a Magnet be goâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 is by 〈◊〉 aâ— Iron with the bare stâ—â—e that other by giving more or less virtue to a Knife on any thing to lift Iron the third is if it will with good strength move a Magnetical Needle a pretty good distance off and readily alter the ends of the Needle without touching them making the North South and the South North the two latter do never fail but the first doth divers times And very certain it is that whatsoever stone doth most stronly impart his force to a Knife or move a Needle with quickness the power and lifting up of Iron is such a one will mightily be increased with a Cap. For this is generally the nature of all Magnets that if there be two of different quantities and of equal strength in lifting up Iron the greater will give the stronger touch and move a Magnetical Needle farther off although the lesser will take as much Iron or somthing more than the greater And again suppose there be a Load-stone of a pound weight that being fitly armed will take up four pounds of Iron and not above if you divide him into very small pieces you shall find of them being orderly used that will lift up twenty times his own weight and a great deale more if they be very small as of three or four Grains weight and yet where the great one will give a touch unto a Knife for to take up four ounces of Iron and will move a Magnetical Needle three Foot off this little one will not give a touch to a Knife to take up a Needle nor move a Magnetical Needle four Inches off that as a Magnet is diminished in substance I mean a Magnet of a regular for it so doth he loose in his virtue and touching and increaseth in his small 〈◊〉 for lifting â—p Iron â—hereby it is manifest that these two properties 〈…〉 joyntly together in the 〈…〉 â—nd here hence it is that many 〈…〉 ally set in
Meridian the common Zenith or Nadir evermore keeping their equal distances from the Poles of the one of them as they do 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 Magnetical Meridian there are no Megnetical Poles but those of the World But as soon as Sayling still under the line you do find a variation it is the Magnetical Meridian that by his swarving from the true Meridian of the World in the Horizon sheweth the quantity of the variation and giveth it also the denomination of Easterly or Westerly and his Axis is the line of variation But suppose the common Zenith to be in any parallel between the Equatour and the Pole then is it not the Axis but some other Diameter of the Magnetical Meridian which sheweth the variation of the Horizon and the Magnetical Meridian ever more cutteth just so many degrees of the Magnetical Almicanter on the one side of the true Meridian as the same Magnetical Pole is distant from the same Almicanter on the other side of the true Mâ—ridian from the Pole of the World And this is to be uâ—â—erstood in correspondent manner as well of the South Hemisphâ—re as of the North. The respective Magnetical M ridian where any variation is is a circle that paâ—â—eth by the Vertical point of the Nadir and both the respective 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 Magnetical Meridianâ— are both one and the self same and so in the like manner are there Diameters Those circles and Poles are termed respective because that in every place where any variation is the Magnetical Needle doth respect them as well in the proâ—erty of direction as of that of declination or inclination For thus also very well it may be termed by the property of direction and I do mean with Doctor Gilbert the Horizontical motion of the Magnetical Needle by the declination or inclination I mean the descending and as it were the sinking motion of the Needle under the Horizon in his proper Azimuth or Magnetical Meridian but if there be no variation the Needle always pointeth to the true Meridian of the Earth and towards the Poles thereof in both those properties The true Poles of the Earth which are those two points equally distant from each part of the Equinoctial of the Earth are always the self same The respective Poles alter with every Horizon where there is any variation but never out of the forenamed Almicanter of that place The cause of the differences of the respective Poles and Meridians from the true Poles and Meridians and so of all Variations are only two the chief and most general is the vastness of the Ocean Sea by moistness whereof the Magnetical collateral force of so much Earth as it covereth is much hindered and dulled And by what means the next great continent hath more power over the correspondent end of the Magnetical Needle then otherwise it would have if all were alike one entire continent and therefore causeth the directive property of the Needle somewhat to swarve towards that way which is that which we call variation but yet the vastness of the Ocean doth not hinder the declination of the Magnetical Needle because the hanging consisteth but in length and bredth and not in the depth For although in comparison of a Pond or River the Sea is said to be of a wonderful 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 mighty magnetical declinatory force of the whole Earth for the greatest depth that ever any man of skill esteemed it at was not above two English â—iles at the uttermost when as daily experience maketh it manifest that a great continent will shew his Magnetical collateral force by causing a variation above 200 miles off from the place and therefore Doctor Gilberts fear in that point I take to be needless supposing a variation of declination The second cause of variation is any great mountainous Region Easterly or Westerly from you it will cause the Needle sometimes to swarve that way But variations of this kind are but of small coâ—tinuance and in Sailing subject to suddain alteration yea many times quite contrary from Westerly to Easterly and afterwards back again within short space as our first Famous Pilot Stephen Burrough found by his experience in his discovery 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 Magnetical force of the whole Earth doth as in all Magnets shew it self most strongly in the two poles thereof and in the places which are under them but always it must be remembred that all the force they have must issue out of the whole Terrestial 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 Terrestial body It is impossible that any variation be above 90 degrees because the virtue of the whole can never be overswayed by the imperfection of a part and especially of so small a part is any one portion of the Ocean is in his very superficies in respect of the body of the whole Earth yea I am verily perswaded that there never was nor never will be any Variation by any good observation found to be so much as 90 neither any shew of so great variation any where except it be very near unto either of the poles where there is small credit to be given to the observing of any variation for the variation being as before said the difference of the pointing of the Magnetical Needle in the Horizon from the true Meridian for as much as in places near the pole there is no manner of certainty of either of these it is not possible to find the variation if there be any The reason whereof is this no man may Travel in those Seas but whilst the Sun abideth on that side of the Aequatour whereby they have continual day and by that means are secluded from any help of the Stars neither if they might be seen would they bring any great help For the difference of height in many hours is so small that by a large Instrument a diligent observer with great pains will hardly find the Meridian Line all the Meridians thereof coming so near one to another and meeting in the Pole and their Horizon being in a manner parallel to the Aequinoctial As for the Horizontical Magnetical Needle to shew their pointing in the Horizon as they were wont to do they coming into the Climate may say Fuimus Troes Their direction is as it were giddy and uncertain and when their center cometh unto the
watery Camp Whereby a Ship that stormy Heavens have whorl'd Near in one Night into another World Knows where she is and in the Card descries What degrees thence the Equinoctial lyes It may well be then that Flavius the Metuitan was the first Inventor of guiding of a Ship by turning the Needle to the North But some German afterwards added to the Compass the 32 Points of the Wind in his own Language whence other Nations have since borrowed it But surely great pitty it is that the Author of such an Invention is not both more certainly known and more honourably esteemed He is better in my judgment to be inrolled and ranked amongst the great Benefactors of the World then many who for their supposed Merits of Mankind were Deifyed amongst the Heathens So that it may be said of the Inventor Exegit Monumentum aere pereunius Regalique sicu Pyramidulum aeltius Questionless those of former Ages were for want of this knowledge so ignorant of the Art of Navigation that they ingraved non Vltra on Herâ—les Pillars that the Nations about Poâ—tus thought no Sea in the World like their own and doubted whether there were any other Sea but that only whereof it came that Pontus was a word used for the Sea in general that the Aegyptians held otherwise a witty people used to coasâ— the shores of the Red Sea upon Raffs devised by King Erythrus And in the time of the Romans the Brittains our Ancestours had a kind of a Boat with which they crost the Seas made all of twigs and covered with Leather of which Lucan the Poet. Primam cuna salix madefacto nimine parvam Texitur in puppim casoque iduta ivenco Vectoris patiens tumidam superenatat aumem Sic Venetus stagnante pado fuscque Brittanus Navigat Ocâ—â—no The moistned Osyer of the hoatie Willow Is Woven first into a little Boat Then cloathed with Bullocks hide upon the Billow Of a proud River Lightly doth it Float Under the Waterman So on the Lakes of overswelling Poe Sailes the Venetian and the Britains so On the outspread Ocean And to the like purpose is that of Festus Aviennus Navigia junct iâ— semper 〈◊〉 â—ellibus Curioque vastum saepe percurrant salum Of stiched hides they all their Vessels had And oft through Sea in Leather Voyage made But that which is more observable is that the Jews were so unskilful in this Art as they commonly called the Mediteranean Sea the great Sea not being in those times as it seems much acquainted with the Ocean And though the Phenicians and Carthaginians the Tyrians and the Sydonians are much renowned in Histories for great Navigators yet it is thought by the Learned that those Voyages they performed was only by coasting and not by crossing the Sea Haec aestas quod fâ—ta negarunt Antiquis totum pâ—â—tuit sulcate carinis Id Pelugi immensam quod circuit Amphitrite This age what fates to former times deni'd Through the Vast Ocean now in Ships do ride Saith Fracastorius and Acosta Equidem Navigationem altissimo Oceano commissam neque apud Veteres Lego neque apud illis aliter Oceanum Navigntum puto quam a nostris Mediterraneum That the Anâ—ients adventured themselves into the Main Ocean neither do I read it in any of their Waters nor do I believe that they otherwise sailed over the Ocean then we do now over the Meditterranean Sea and it should seem they undertook not their longest Voyages without Oares which the Scripture implies in that undertaken by Jonas where the Marriners upon the rising of a Violent Tempest were constrained to use their Oars The perfection then of this Art seems by God's Providence to have been reserved to these later times of which Pearo de Medona and Baptista Ramusio have given excellent Precepts But the Art it self hath been happily practised by the Portugals the Spaniards the Hollandâ—rs and our own Nation whose Voyages and Discoveries Master Hacklait hath collected and reported in several Volumes inlarged and perfected by Mr Purchas and it might be wished as well for the Honour of the English Name as the benefit that might thereby redound to other Nations that his Collections and Relations had been Written in Lattin or that some Learned Pen would be pleased to turn them into that Language Among many others in this kind the Noble spirited Drake may not be forgotten who God being his Guide Wit Skill Valour and Fortune his Attendants was next after Magellanus that Sailed about the World Whereupon one writ these Verses unto him Drake Peregrati novit quem terminus Orbis Quemque semel Mundi vid it uterque Polus Si tacean homines facient Te sidera notum Sol nescit commitis imemor esse sui Sir Drake whom well the Worlds end knew Which thou didst compass round And whom both Poles of Heaven once saw Which North and South do bound The Stars above will make thee known If men here silent were The Sun himself cannot forget His Fellow Traveller P. Columbus being in the company of some braging prating fellows amongst other of their fooleries they fell upon him and said he had done nothing but they could do After he had patiently heard them he called for an Egg and asked which of them could make it stand upon one of the ends they said they could not do it why then says he I can and breaking one of the ends he fixt it Why said they this we can do yes verily says he without doubt this is but an easie enterprise yet this you could not do till you have seen me first do it For the better breeding continuance and increase of Pilots amongst us it would doubtless be a good and a profitable work according to Mr. Huckluit's honest Motion in his Epistle Dedicatory to the Lord Admiral if any Man who hath the means had likewise the mind to give allowance for the reading of a Lecture oâ— Navigation in London in imitation of the late Emperour Charles the Fifth who wisely considering the rawness of the Sea-men and the manifold Shipwracks which they sustained in passing betwixt Spain and the West Indies established not only a Pilot Major for the examination of such as were to takes charge of Ships in that Voyage but also founded a Lecture for the Art of Navigation which to this day is read at the Construction-house at Sevil the readers of which Lecture have not only carefully taught and instructed the Spanish Marriners by word of mouth but have also published several exact and worthy Treatises concerning Marine causes for the direction and incouragement of Posterity and namely these three Alonzo de Chanez Hieronimo de Chanez and Roderigo Zamerum and to this purpose it was a commendable work of Mr. Gelibrand Reader of Gresham-Colledge for the improvement and advancement of the Art of Navigation published a most excelent Book of Logarithmes But to return to the Sobject we have now in hand concerning the nature powerfulness and strange proâ—erties
a Meridian Circle with the Horizon wherein fasten two other pins on which it may easily move and divide the Poles most exactly to the Poles of the World the which if it come well to pass rejoyce that then you have found one of the greatest Miracles of Natural things For you shall by this means see the Ascendent the place of the Sun and the like c. at every Moment But if it fall not out according to your desire you ought not to impute that to the Art but to your own ignorance and negligence For if you execute and perform all things duly and aright according to Art you need not to doubt the success How these Instruments by this Stone may be framed by the which may be found the Azimuths of the Sun and Star that is to say Verticall Circles it shall not here be necessary to shew forasmuch as the same is easily done by the Marriners Compass or by the Box with the Magnes or Load-stone inclosed and floating above the Water with a pin erected and in the uppermost part divided into 360 parts after the manner of Astronomy That you may easily find out the chief points of any Load-stone of what forme soever you must make a respective or declinatory Needle of an Inch or thereabouts in length and giving him his touch fasten him by the Axis upon a little forked stick or any thing like it that the Needle may have free scope then offer the Stone as we said before near the Needle turning of it round about and immediatly you shall see the North of the Needle as it is as yet commonly called because it pointeth toward the North point directly unto the true North end of the Stone as soon as it commeth near unto it and as you turn away the end of the Stone the Needle will point somewhat towards it till the South end of the Stone approacheth as we have in part declared for then will the Needle wheele about the Axis and point directly with his South and to the South ef the Stone But if you hold the Needle near to the Stone in such sort that it cannot turn about at liberty then the force of the Stone may soon change the properties of the ends of the Needle that the one point which was North shall become South and that other which was South shall become North yet the thing it self is easily discerned for the Northerly end will alwayes hang lower And wheresoever the Needle being held nearer to the stone doth stand parrallell unto it not inclineing with either end towards the stone there directly under the middle of the Needle the North and the South properties of the stone do divide and part themselves This matter is much better performed with a small narrow Load-stone of half an Inch more or less in length haveing in the ends his due points of North and South and wrought over with silk of two colours from the middle to each end as for Example Yellow and White that part which pointeth over to the North let it be wrought over with White and the other with Yellow Then if you hang that in the middle by a fine silk thred and apply it to any other Load-stone the South end of the one will readily find out the North end of the other and contrarywise In like manner with this Magnetical Instrument you may see two pretty conclusions The one if you touch a knife with the end of a forceable Load-stone whether it be North or South and hang this wrought on by a silke thred in the middle that it may hang freely the one end will crave towards the point of the knife and the other will not abide it The other is if you hang it end long with the true North end right over the North end of a forcible Load-stone or with the South end over the South end of the other you shall see that it will in no wise being let down come unto the North point of the Load-stone but will contrary to Phylosophycal Principles that heavy things should tend directly downwards by the means of the Silk Thread swim or wheele the end of the Load-stone in the Air yea and lift it self somewhat upwards rather then perpendicularly light down upon it yea that it will doe although you place a Plate of Silver or Brass or any such thing between the stone and it self The second way is to take a Thread of a common Sowing Needle and touch the point of it with the North end of a Load-stone whose points you would find out holding the Needle about an Inch from it and in turning the stone about you shall presently see the Needle point to the North end when by your turning it cometh near The contrary effect ensueth if you touch the point of the Needle with the other end of the stone wherein you may behold that ancient conceived and of late years maintained opinion of the contrariety of the Load-stone and the Theamedes to be no otherwise then a contrary property of one and the self same Magnes The third way is to breake off the point of a Sowing Needle half an Inch or longer if the stone be good but not above a quarter of an Inch if it be a base stone lay it upon the stone and move it to and fro upon the superficies thereof being smooth with the Needles point forwards and as it cometh near any of the two points of force it will raise it self more and more but being brought unto the point it self it will stand there strait upright if the stone be ragged this cannot be practiced otherwise of all other it is the most certain way Now whether it be your North or South end the effect will soon declare The fourth way is that you having an ordinary Dyal or a Sailing Compass or any Magnetical Needle standing on a sharp point hold near thereunto the stone â—â—â—ning it in your hand then will the North end of the Needle I mean the end that pointeth to the North respect the true North point of the stone The fifth way is also if you touch a common soâ—ing Needle the longer the better and put it through a little piece of Câ—â—k not bigger then may well bare it up so that by the means thereof it may swim in a Bason of Water the same if you offer the stone unto it will shew the like effect And here it is to be remembred that none other way whatsoever will more readily or truely define the Magnetical Meridian And therefore as it is very requisite for many purposes that every Traveller by Land but more especially by Sea should always have if he may an aequinoctial Dyal with him so would I not with that any of them should be without some Sowing Needles touched with a good stone which will both serve the proper uses of Sowing without impairing their touch for it is open Air and Rust that are the greatest Enemies thereof and at any
set the same unto the Compass turn the circle about untill thorough the Loops of the middle stay or plate you see the Axis of the Needle right under the Fiducial Line of the middle stay then holding the circle so turn the moveable Ruler with the stringed sight towards the Sun untill the shaddow of the string fall upon the Fiducial Line of the moveable Ruler for then doth the end of the Ruler among the degrees shew the true place or azimath of the Sun from the Magnetical Meridian so that two observations necessarily arise from hence the one in the Forenoon the other in the Afternoon thus made with the several heights of the Sun being one and the very same half the differances of those places of the Sun from the Magnetical Needle is the variation If a man have no exact Instrument to take the height of the Sun he may make some reasonable shift by setting the middle bead towards the top of the string that it may in the Forenoon cast a shaddow upon the Fiducial Line of the Ruler and marking that place with Ink or Black-Lead in the Afternoon attend untill the shaddow of the bead the bead remaining still where it was full upon the place for then shall you have that same height if you will take the amplitude of the Suns rising or setting set the circle and turn the Ruler as before untill the shaddow of the string do fall upon the middle Line of the other sight Then doth the end of the Ruler shew how far the Sun riseth or setteth from the Magnetical Meridian When you will take the Amplititude of the rising or setting of any Star you must use the help of another to hold the circle over the Needle as before and so you turning of the Ruler untill you see the Star in his rising or setting through the two notches on the tops of the sights then doth the end of the Ruler shew your desire The like is to be done in observing any cap or the tendings of any Land for the description of any Coast The Horizontical and Inclinatory motions of Magnetical Needles are both of them but one and the same effect of the Magnet or Load-stone the making of the Horizontical or Dial-Needle it is amongst our Artificers very well known and trivial only they are to be put in mind that they do always make them of pure Steel and not of Iron But as for the making of Inclinatory Needles it is a very curious piece of work it must be of pure Steel and in his right temper the Needle and Axis must be as right Angles the one with the other and must be so hanged on the two ends of his Axis that he be very pliant for his motion and that before he have his touch he be so equally ballanced that the one end be not one jot heavier then the other for if it be all the rest is in vain When you will use the inclinatory Instrument thus you must do hanging by his little Ring turn him about untill he make his least declination or inclination under the Horizon of the Instrument for then is he just in his Magnetical Meridian and there sheweth his due point the which otherwise he can never do But here I must forewarn you of two great errours published in the contriving of this Noble Instrument The one is that he would have a little box with a Horizontical Needle fastened unto the bottom of the Inclinatory Instrument for to direct the Instrument unto the Magnetical Meridian and by his picture of the Instrument his distance should be but a little more then an Inch whereby it is impossible but that the one Needle must needs disturb the other so that neither of them can shew a right yea although they were six Inches assunder and more where the little box will give little direction for that purpose and besides that it is altogether unnecessary because the Instrument will find the Magnetical Meridian by the least declination of the Needle as is before shewed under the Horizon without the help of any other The other errour is this that he would have that end of the Needle prepared to hang towards the North to be framed somewhat higher then the other as it is usual in Horozontical needles what Workman soever observeth this Direction I will assure him that he shall loose his labour and as soon may he wash a Blackamore white as to make such a needle as that turn The reason is because it is only the Magnetical Vertue that worketh this effect the which over-weight in the either end of the needle in this Motion doth utterly overthrow For Horozontical needles in our Northern Climates it is necessary but for inclinatory needles it is utterly untrue in all Climates of the whole World wheresoever The Motion of the Horozontical needle is naturally stronger then the Inclinatory for two causes the one is because his Motion is only side-ways the which is the easier for the Magneaical Motion to work in then that which is up and down and there is no difference which way you place the Box wherein he standeth so that it be parallel to the Horizon whereas the Inclinatory Motion is in a Vertical Circle up and down and must stand only in his Magnetical Meridian to perform his Office The other cause is because of the Diversity of their placing in their Boxes for the Horizontical needle standeth more fitter for his Motion being placed with his Capital upon the point of a sharp Pin than the Inclinatory can do being placed upon the two ends of his Axis although never so near the Points But yet he will do very well if he be rightly fitted and for Navigation under either Pole if there be any passage that way it is the only Instrument of the World for where the Horozontical needle or Compass faileth he is strongest for the nearer the Pole the stronger he is in his â—otion contrariwise it is with the Horozontical needle or compass for he is strongest at the Equinoctial and of no force under the Pole The reason whereof is this under the Equinoctial the Horozontical needle standeth parallel unto the Axis of the Earth and is equally strengthened for his Motion with the two Poles of the Earth but under the Poles he standeth cross-wise at right Angles with the Axis his Center representing the very Pole of the Earth it self so that the Equinoctial and the Horizon being there all one if the needle should have any Horozontical Motion there it must needs be an East or West Motion parallel unto the Equinoctial directly contrary to Nature and to all Magnetical Doctrine Yet at the Pole the Inclinatory needle is at his chiefest strength framing himself to be in the same direct Line with the Axis of the Earth it self so that the Vicinity of the nearest Pole of the Earth holdeth his convenient end of the needle most strongly being nothing at all hindered by the adverse Pole to
join B C by a Line then by 4. of the first the Triangle B H C shall be equal to the Triangle F S G and shall be equal to the Portion F N G by the 17. of Archimedes de Quadratura Parabolae by the help of the first Conception of Euclide I do the like of the Portion of F G X to whom by an equal Triangle O P K then I draw P Q equally distant O K and R V equally distant O P by 31 of the first of Euclide then by 41. of the same O P R shall be half of the Superficies O V. Now then I somewhat portract C H then upon B H I constitute a Superficial of equidistant sides having an Angle of B H A by 44. of the first of Euclide twice assumpt to the Diameter of the first Superficies A P B then by 41. of the same by the first conception of the Trigon A B C shall be equal of the Superficies F G N X. granted which is the intent Aristotle to say the Truth was an excellent searcher of things yet I will not say as some say which have never read the the Works of Aristotle or understand them not that every Word of Aristotle is almost a Sentence and that Aristotle was the God of Phylosophers and that he never erred in one Word but was divine in all things Such miserable men if they knew what it were to speak with Demonstration and what by Experience to the Sense would never have said such things For Sense simply in those things which are not properly sensible we are oftentimes deceived And whereas we cannot perceive the Deception by the Mean of that simple sense then it seemeth to us that the thing cannot be and that it is not in very Deed as it appeareth to the sense As for Example who is he that thinking not a Reflex Form on the Superficial Water immovable to be seen of the same greatness as is by a right Longitude by the mean of a Diaphane gathered of a Radical Line incident and Reflex whereas this is false by G D of the 6 of Vitellio For the Superfities of the Water is Spherical as sheweth Aristotle 2 de Câ—â—lo cap. 4. But better Archimedes in the second Proposition De subsidentibus aquae And therefore when any Star appeareth to us above the Horizon yet is it not indeed as it appeareth by this Demonstration Let the Star be I the Horizon R A T the Earth E A M. whose Center is A and the sight G the Vapours O E then whereas the radical Line passing from any rare thin or transparent in any transparent of more thickness maketh a Perpendicular by the 45. of the Second of Vitellio it is manifest therefore that the Star I to be seen by the Line I D E which Line shall be crooked because that simple Air is thinner then Vapours and Fire thinner then Air. Also the matter or substance of Heaven is thinner then Fire by the 50. of the 10 of Vitellio Furthermore the higher part of the Air is thinner then the lower part the same I say also of Water and Fire if we may call Fire the highest part of the body and near unto the concavity of the Moon and of every Superior part of Elements And so the Star by the Line D E seemeth to be above the Horizon in the point V. But Vitellio also in his 10 Book in the Proposition 49. teacheth perspectively and how it may be instrumentally proved how the Stars may be seen in the Horizon without their proper places by reason of Incurnation or crooking of the Beams whereof it followeth that they do not Mathematically define the Horizon which say it is the Terminer or ender of the sight and of the greatest Circles of the Sphere whereas by the Demonstration before the Circle ending of the sight is cutting the Sphere in two unequal Portions and that the higher Portion be greater then the lower For if the Horizon be the ender of the sight and one of the greatest Circles then the Earth is not equally about the Center or middle of the World or else the middle of the World is without the Earth But if the Earth doth equally compass about the middle ergo the ender of the sight is not of the greatest Circles in the Sphere or contrarity Therefore if we shall see any Star above the ender of the sight we should not therefore think it to be in the twelfth station of Heaven this is to be understood by reasonable manner for the Virtue of the Star appeareth chiefly in the great Circle whose Pole is Zenith passing by the 90 Degree of the Equinoctial from the Intersection or dividing of the same with the Meridian toward the East Furthermore the difference between the ender of the sight and the greater Circle is not only one Diameter of the Star but of Degrees which if it were not we could by no means use the Proposition 49 of Vitellio and therefore it was no small Error of them that said that the Horizon is the ender of the fight and one of the greatest Circles in the Sphere and that ever the middle of Heaven appeareth unto us for evermore then half appeareth unto us for the Incurvation or crooking of the Beams But he that will see more Examples of these things let him read the 4th Book of Vitellio and the Tenth and in some parts the Second and 5th of the same in all of which he shall see somewhat how easily we may be deceived by this sense but the like of other Senses is not to be doubted Therefore not without weak and slender judgment they call Aristotle so Divine a Prince of Phylosophy and Divine Peter Arches did very wisely give Commendation to Aristotle proportionally and no further but only to God forasmuch as it is humane to err Aristotle also might sometime fail We having thus throughly discoursed of Proportions Local we shall now next fall upon the swift Motion by the Art of Navigation which will occasion us to traverse many rare Mathematical Secrets This most swift Motion to the common sort of men seemeth incredible for that the same may be done by sailing in a Ship or other Vessell against whatsoever course of any Outragious Flood or River and against the most furious Winds whatsoever they are even also in the deepest Winter and greatest Sourges of Water Neither is it strange if it be incredible to the unexpert For the common people count that for a Miracle which the expert Mathematicians know to be natural and easie for if it should be propounded to the ignorant people that any man might in the midst of the Waters and Floods descend to the bottom of the River Rhene his Apparel remaining dry and no part of Body wet and also to bring with him burning fire from the bottom of the Water it should seem to them to be ridiculous and an impossibility Which nevertheless in the year 1538. in Toleto a City