The Interloquutors▪

• Philonicus.
• Spoudaeus.

LATELY CAL­lyng to my remembraunce the Race that euery mā in this his trāsitory life haue to runne: and that faultes committed in this course, for want of time, can scar­slye with great difficultie,Men happiest labour, and diligence, any thing be amended: I was of force compelled, to confesseTime the grea test treasure. those most happy, whiche vse this time (being so great a treasure) as repentaunce maye take no place. And on the other part, those most miserable mē (yea, rather Ima­ges,Men most in­fortunate. and pictures of men, then very men in dede) whiche imploy their busy cure & care, in stealing, Idlenes, vayn pastimes, long sleapes, dronkennes, lasciuious toying, swe ring, scraping and gatheryng of Plutos corne together, as though they had more time, then myght be well spent in the exaltyng of Uertue, supplāting of Uyce, and pro­fiting their Countrie, Frindes, and Consanguinitie. In time past, folowing only nature as Ruler and guide, men did more earnestly, (and as it weare with an insatiate mynde) seke Uertu for hir selfe, and abhorre Uise, for [Page 2] the horrible name therof: thē we do in our daies, hauing both Nature, Gods preceptes, and politiquè lawes, as our Capitaines and lodesmen. VVhiche abuse of time, is the greatest cause, that men in our age, are not compa­rableWhy men in our age, ar not so learned as thei wer in old tyme. in any thyng to those of times past. For how many sondry Artes, secrete Sciences, and wonderfull Ingens, throwgh well spending of tyme, did the auncient Philo­sophers in their dayes inuente? Archimedes deuisyd glasses, with whiche the Siracusians might burne theirThe frute sprī ging of well spent tyme. enemies farre distant, on the seas from them. Ptolo­maeus, Atlas, and Alphonsus (being kinges) founde out the maruelous course and sondry motions, of the su­percelestiall bodies: writyng sondry volumes of them, to the great comfort of such, as ar lyuing at this presente. Appollo, first founde Physicke the repayrer of health. And in lyke maner, some one thing, and some an other, of whose Godly trauelles so many precious monumentes yet remayne: yea and the Authors them selues (being dead so many hundred yeares sence) are as freshe in the minde of mā, as it were but yesterday, such is the reward of vertuouse trauell. But whome do I se walking in yon­der grene place, among the pleasaunt byrdes, flowers, and trees, is it not Philonicus? It is he: I will go and sa­lute him. God the giuer of all sapience and science, saue you (ryght reuerent Philonicus.) I accompte my selfe happy, that I haue founde you: for now my hope is, to be deliuered (although not of all yet) of some of the bondes, and chaynes, of Ignoraunce.

You are vnfaynedly welcome to me at [Page 3] this present: and lyke as your name is Spoudaeus: so youWhat Spou­daeus signifieth do in no point degenerate frō the same: but are diligēt in seking knowledge, eschewing idlenes, and vain pastimes.

That I learned, taking at you exam­ple: for you euer keping perpetual warre with ignoraūce,The interpre­tation of Phi­lonicus. and vise of euery kinde: (for rewarde wherof vertu also gaue you that name) do vse to reade, and reuolue the tre sure of Sapiēce, I meane, the secrete workes of Nature shut vp, or rather conteyned, in the worthy and auncient writers. And in reading certaine of them, I haue found not only matters of great difficultie: but also (as to me it semeth) of muche vntruthe.

You must iudge well of their laboures whiche haue before our dayes written: for time bryngethThe olde wry­ters excused. thinges to their perfection. If we without any grounde, should by our vigilancie, fynde out suche misteries, yea and (as I may terme them) hid secretes of Nature: I assure you, we should haue left many more errours to our posteritie, then they haue in their writynges vnto vs. Yea and there are many thinges whiche seme false and vn­true: bycause the grosse capacities, of vnlearned persons, can not redely comprehende the same. But wherof doe those Authours intreate, in whiche you haue so latelye traueled?

They be wryters of Cosmographie, Geographie, Hydrographie, or Nauigation. But be­cause that ether they obserue no order, or Methode in their teaching, ether that they digresse from that they take in hande (and fyll their volumes with other sciēces, [Page 4] rather then Cosmographie.) I haue very lyttle profyted by my trauell.

I reioyce that your fortune was to take in hande suche authors. For Cosmographie in my iudge­ment is mete for euery estate, and moste excellent of all other naturall science. Wherfore be you nothing discom­fortid, and amasyd with the difficultie of their wryting. For howe muche the thinge transcende in worthynes o­ther knowledge not so plausible: so muche the more it is companion with dificultie. And where as you alleadge, that the most part of them obserue no Methode, and or­der: in that I will doe my indeuour, (as also in the other, where place shall require) to suplie that wante in that behalfe.

You shall meruailouslye incourage me, and take away the greatest trouble in this my study, if you do not only showe me the knowledge therof in suche order, as I may best conceiue it: but also explicate, and opē such placis, as are obscure and darke for me to vnderstande.

Yet before we take in hande this studie, there is one thing, of whiche I must haue knowledge (that is) whether you haue redde any authours of Arithmetick,Arithmetick and Geometry necessary for this art. and Geometry: els you had best reade some of them, and resorte to me againe at some other conuenient season.

Yes sir I haue redde the ground of Artes, The whestone of wytte, and the path way.

That I am glad to vnderstande: so shal it be the easier for me to instructe you, and you better to conceyue, and also retayne the surer, suche thinges as [Page 5] shalbe taught. For he that wyll couer the roufe of his house, before he haue made the foundation, and buildyd the walles: besyde the losse of his cost, shall be thought scarse a wytty builder. But I wil exhort you as time shal seme mete also to reade with great diligence OrontiusOrontius. Scheubelius. Euclide. Theodosius. Arithmeticke, Scheubelius Algeber, Euclides Elemē ­taries, and Theodosius of spherike Demonstrations: not only for this studies sake whiche you now haue in hande: but for all other artes (whiche taste of the Mathemati­calles) that you shall here after trauell in. But nowe to the scope that you desire. And because that you maye knowe, wherof the matter depende of whiche we shall in­treate, let me here what you call Cosmographie.

That semeth vnto me to be none other thing,What Cosmo­graphie is. then the arte whiche doe set forth, and describe the vni­uersall worlde.

You haue sayd rightly, for so the Etymologie of this word Cosmographie doth sound. But is there no dife rence betwixt this worde Cosmographie, and Geogra­phie?

It should so seme to me, for both do describe the worlde.

Then define you Geographie, after suche au­thours myndes as you haue redde.

That wyll I doe gladly. Ptolomaeus in his geo­graphieLib. 1. cap. 1. defineth it in this sorte.

‘ [...].What Geo­graphie is.’

Whiche sentence I turning into Latyne soundith in this sorte.

‘Geographia est vniuersarum terrae partium cognitarū, vnà cum hiis, quae ei veluti vniuersaliter coniuncta sunt, picturae imitatio.’

Whiche in our tongue is as muche to saye as.

‘Geographie is the imitation, and discriptiō of the face, and picture of th'earth, with her partes knowen, and of such things as are to it cō ­nected and ioyned.’

You haue truly repetyd Ptolomaeus wordes. Now I wyll proue by your difinition, that you haue er­red two wayes, in putting no diference betwixt Cosmo­graphie, and Geographie. First Cosmographie teachethThe diference of Cosmogra­phie and Geo­graphie. the discriptiō of the vniuersal world, and not of th'earth only: and Geographie of th'earth, and of none other part.

Why syr, make you a diference betwixt the worlde, and th'earth?

Yea verely, and that as much as betwixt a mā, and his litle finger, but of that, you shal heare more or we departe. The seconde way you erryd in the order of diui­ding th'earth: for albeit Cosmographie describeth the face of th'earth, yet it is by noting and obseruing certaine diuisions, answering vnto. v. principal paralleles or equi­distant circles in the heauens. As they dwell in the mid­des of th'earth that inhabit vnder th'equinoctiall lyne, and the like of the dwellers vnder th'other circles, is said On th'other parte, Geographie doe deliniat, and set out the vniuersal earth, no respect had vnto the fornāed cir­cles of the heauēs: but by Hylles, Moūtayns, Seas, flud­des, and such other notable thinges, as are in it cōteined.

Then by your wordes I also gather, there is some diference betwyxt these two, and Chorographie.

Yea and that Ptolomaeus in the place of youWhat Choro­graphie is and howe it dife­reth from the other two. alleadgid, do playnly expresse. For lyke as Cosmographie describeth the worlde, Geographie th'earth: in lyke sorte [Page 7] Chorographie, sheweth the partes of th'earth, diuided in themselues. And seuerally describeth, the portes, Riuers Hauens, Fluddes, Hilles, Moūtaynes, Cities, Villages, Buildinges, Fortresses, Walles, yea and euery particu­ler thing, in that parte conteined. And is in respect saith he, of Cosmographie and Geographie, as if a paīter shuld set forth the eye, or eare of a man, and not the whole bo­dy, so that Chorographie consisteth rather in describyng the qualitie and figure, then the bignes, and quantitie of any thinge.

Although by your wordes, I haue receiued more commoditie at this present, then by all my readyng touching the true diference of these three names: yet if itThinges seene are lenger in mynde, then only harde. may please you to geue me the figures of euery of them, I shall so stedfastly printe it in my mynde, as I truste not to forget them, for it is truly said, thinges sene haue longer impresion then only harde.

I wyll gladly fulfill your request. Marke nowe this example folowing. Here first you do see the heauens conteine in them th'earth. Whiche earth is deuided into fiue principall partes, accordinge to the fiue Cir­cles in the heauens: the names of whiche for bre­uitie I omytte vntyll con­uenient place, lest thorowe oftē repeting things thei at length seme tedious. The

[Page 8] other fygure without circles, representeth th'earth, set forth with Waters, Hylles, Mountaynes, and such like.

And finally for Chorographie, I haue placed th'excellēt Citie of Norwyche, as the forme of it is, at this present 1558. Nowe that you haue learned their difference, declare in which of thē you most delight to be instructed.

I thanke you syr, I shall neuer be able (more then with praier) to recompence your paynes. But senceCosmographie excelleth Geo­graphie and Chorographie. Cosmographie is more excellent then the other two, both for the manifolde vse, and that it cōteineth and compre­hendeth the other in it selfe: I would imploye my whole industrie herein.

Then seing that Cosmographie describeth the worlde as you haue sayde, (and that rightly) it is neces­sary to know what the world is, what the partes of it are,The argumēt of the whole worke. and how many, yea and finally, by what meanes, as well the world, as also the partes of it, ar described. This per­fitly lernyd, haue you then for this present, your whole desire?

Yes verely.

[Page] [Page]

[Page]

A

Thorpe VVoode.

B

S. Leonardes.

C.

The place where men are customablie burnt.

D.

Bishoppes Gate.

E.

The Cathedrall church, called Chri­stes Churche.

F.

S. Martins at the Pallis Gate.

G

Pokethorpe Gates.

H.

The Suburbs called Pokthorpe.

I.

Magdalene gates

K

S. Butholdes.

M

S. Clementes.

N

S. Augustines.

P.

S, Augustines Gates.

Q.

S. Martines Gates.

R.

S Martines at th'Ooke.

S.

The new milles.

T.

Hellgates, the Suburbs ioyning to it, called Heiham.

V

S. Benets Gates.

VV

S. [...]les Gates.

X.

S. Stephens Gates.

Y.

Brasen dore.

Z.

S. Iohns gates.

&.

Lakenam VVoode.

AA

Chappell in the fielde.

BB

Eaten VVoode.

CC

The Castell.

DD

The hospitall.

EE

The market place.

FF

S. Peters permantigate.

GG

S. Martines on the hill.

HH.

S. Iohns on the hill.

II

S. Michaels.

LL

S. Iohns at the gates.

MM

S. Stephens.

NN

Thorpe.

QQ

In the righthand is that part of the ri­uer Yërus coming from Yermouth, and renneth thorow the City.

QQ

The left hand th'other part of the for­said riuer going hier into the coun­trye.

This Picture must be placed before the 9. leafe.

Then let vs beginne with the defi­nitionLib. primo in initio. of the worlde, whiche the auncient Cleomedes de­finith in this maner.

‘ [...].What the Worlde is.’

And I do translate it into Latine as foloweth.

‘Mundus est ex caelo, terra (que), ac naturis deni (que) in eis compraehensis, compages. Is autem corpora in se singula continet, nec extra eum, prorsus quicquam cernitur.’

‘That is, the world is an apte frame, made of heauen, and earth, & of thinges in them conteyned. This comprehēdeth all thinges in it self, nether is there any thing without the lymites of it visible.’

Whiche definition differith not from Aristotle and o­therAristotle. famous writers. So that what so euer is betwixt the seate of the almighty gouernour of all lyuing creatures, and the center of the earth: is called the worlde. And is compared to à round ball and globe.

Then all that we ether by syght may decerne, or by arte conceiue, that same is the worlde. And conteyneth in it what so euer the eternall Creater, by his wounderfull worke haue in this circuit blessed, and made.

True it is.

Then I perceiue my error before cōmitted,The Worlde and the earth not one thing. wheare I applied this worde worlde, only to the earth.

So in lyke sorte it is otherwayes abu­sed, but note you diligently that is saide before of Cleo­medes and it shalbe sufficient.

And is there nothinge beyonde this worlde? my imagination, leadeth me to the contrary.

Indede Pythagoras folowing ima­gination, more then Reason affirmeth sumwhat to bee,Pythagoras error. whiche is not comprehendid with in the worlde: and na­meth [Page] [...] [Page 9] [...] [Page 10] it Vacuum. But Plato, and Aristotle, doe ouer­throwePlato. Aristotle. this assertion. And seing that it transsendith the knowledge of mā let it passe, & retorne we to our matter.

What be the partes of the worlde?

The worlde is made of two partes, that is to saye, of the Elementary Region, conteinyng inThe Worlde made of two partes. it the foure Elementes, Fyre, Ayre, Water, and Earth: and what so euer of them is compounded and made, of whiche hereafter we shall intreate: and of the heauenlye region, of which at this present time we wil make mētion.

This region do in it contayne. x. spheres, in suche sorteThe number of the heauens. as the greater comprehendith in him the lesser, as the. x. heauen or Primum mobile, comprehendith the. ix. hea­uen callid also Cristalline. This heauen compasseth the viij. heauen, called in greke [...] because the sterres kepe one vniforme distance in mouing, and for that cause are namid fixid. And so this receiue in this compasse the sphere of Saturne, Iupiter, Mars, the Sonne, Uenus, [Page 11] Mercurius, the Mone, and the foure Elementes.

Why should not the spheres of the Sonne, andAn obiection Mone be aboue the other Planetes, as wel as in that or­der, you haue rehersed them?

This serueth not for our purpose, but it is ex­cellently proued of Ptolomaeus, Alphraganus, Tebi­tius, Archimedes, and other, with suche inuinsible rea­sons as can not be denied. But me thinke the pleasauntPtolomaeus. Alphraganus Tebitius. Archimedes. Poet Ouidius, maketh a good reason to proue the Sonne to haue his sphere, in lyke order as is aforesayde, whan as he speaketh vnder the parson of Phebus, vnto yongeLib. 2. Meta­morphos. Phaëton (entring into his Chariot) in this maner.

In our english tunge, the meaning of these versis is thus.

The cause is so manifest, that it nede no len­ger declaration. So that I suppose theis excellēt wryters aforesaid, haue found out the true order of the spheres as you haue repeted them. And that Crates with his com­pany,The error of Crates Albetragnius Democritus and Plato. haue no lesse erred, placing the luminaries aboue the eyght heauen: then Albetragnius whiche supposeth Venus: and Democritus, whiche affirmeth Mercurye, to be higher then the Sonne.

Yea and Plato, (whiche otherwyse is a graue Philosopher) did no lesse erre then the other, imagi­ning the luminaries to haue their course vnder all the other Planetes.

Well let them passe, and now to the nomber of the heauens, whiche you affirme to be. x.

You haue ryghtly spoken.

I remember among other thinges that I haueThe Aegiptiās found out but 8. heauens. redde in Diodorus, howe that the Aegiptians supposed there were but eyght heauens: and that by this perswa­sion. They gaue to the seuen Planetes. vij. heauens. And bycause they perceiued that heauen (whiche you call the firmamēt) to cary the fixed sterres in it, and to kepe one vniforme order and distaunce in rysing, none steed, and going downe: to circuit th' earth also in. 24. houres: and finally, to cary the heauens of the Planetes, by his swift­nes about th' earth with him, contrary to their naturall motion, they supposed (of whose mynde I also am) that there ware but eight heauens. And that, which you call the eight heauen, they name primum mobile.

You may not to rashely adicte your selfe to any of their opinions, before you are certaine they are eyther trew, or els receiued as moste probable. For by the lykePtolomaeus found out the 9. heauen. reason, I can compell you to confesse there are. ix. hea­uens, as Ptolomaeus affirmeth. But for shortnes of time, and that it sumwhat swaruith from our purpose, I wyll omytte it: and leane to th' authoritie of the famous king,Alfonsus first founde the. 10 heauen out. and graue Philosopher Alphonsus: whose name by his trauell, is made immortall.

Thus I perceiue your saiynge to be verified (when you excused the olde writers) that tyme, bryng all thinges to their perfection. But I haue redde also of an heauen, whiche in greke is named [...], Empyreū.

It is so named of the wonderful brightnes, and beautie. But because it is imoble, and without any mouīg I exclude it out from the nūber of the mouable heauēs: and that, as not seruing to our purpose. And thus you haue learned what the worlde is, and also the heauenly region. But for the redier conceiuing of that whiche is now spoken, behold the figure insuing.

Wil it please you now to procede with th' elemē ­tarye region, which you de­clared to be th' other parte of the world?

Be­fore we shall take this part in hande (for the easier a­uoyding often repetitiō of one thing) I wyll giue you some introduction into the celestiall sphere, touching such cir­cles as must of necessitie serue in this arte.

And that fault haue troubled, yea right excel­lent authors, for they obseruīg no methode, were cōpelled to repete one thing diuers, and sondry times. But becau­se you made mention of a sphere, maye it please you to make definition of it?

All suche as haue wryten hereof, do accorde in one as Theodosius, Proclus, Euclyde, Orontius, IohnTheodosius. Proclus. Euclide. Orontius. Iohn Halifax Halifax our worthy countryman, (called also Iohn de sacrobosco.) &c. But as well for th' authoritie, as also elegancie, I wyll repete vnto you Theodosius definition, who sayth in this wyse.

‘ [...].Lib. 1. prop. 1.’

‘Sphaera est figura solida cōprehēsa vnâ superficie, ad quā ab vno eorū pūctorū quae ītra figurā sūt, oēs rectae lineae ductae sut inter se aequales’

‘A sphere is a sound body, conteined within one platte forme and bounde, vnto whiche all right lynes drawen from the Center, (they being cōteyned within the figure) are founde aequal amōg thē selues.’

To the vnderstanding of whiche definitiō, is requisite to knowe both what the center, axe tree, and diameter of a sphere is.

Now I perceiue the reading of the pathway doth not a lytle helpe me, in vnderstanding this definitiō of Theodosius: as also suche wordes, whiche are vsuall in Geometry. But what is this axe tree of the sphere? for I vnderstand that by a center is nothing mēte, but a prickWhat a cēter is. in the myddes of any circumference.

Theodosius, calleth the axe tree, a certain rightLib. 1. prop. 3. line drawen by the center, both endes of it ending in the plat forme of the said sphere, the sphere being turned a­boutWhat the axe tree is. it: and yet this axe tree to remaine fixid & without motion. As in exāple. Here you se A. B. C. to represent the halfe sphere, the axe tree also drawen through it is A. D. C. whiche being fixid, & the halfe spheare turnynge

[Page 15] round about, maketh a parfait roūd body. As this figure here placed maketh true mention.

I pray you what difference is there betwixt the diameter of a spheare and the axe tree.

I wil showe you, omitting th' auctors namesWhat a dia­meter is, and how it dife­reth from th [...] axe tree afor­sayd. for briefnes. A diameter of a sphere, or globe, is any lyne drawen thorowe the same, goyng by the center of the sphere, or globe. And so there may be (yea and you wyll). xx. diameters, or as many as you please in a sphere: but there can be but one axe tree, on whiche the sphere, or globe, is reuoluid. And this axe tree is voyde of all motion.

I wil (and it please you) make a profe wherby you shal perceiue, if I rightly vnderstād your meaning.

do you so.

Here I wyl make a sphere, in whiche I drawe right lines, frō the one part of the circūfe­rēce, by the cēter, & so to th' o­ther. Such right lines, or dia­meters, are AD: CF: BE: but I do imagine only A. D. to be the axe tree, and imoble.

Very wel wrought. Now procede we forth. You must also consider that the sphere is deuided, into a right sphere and into an oblique or crokyd sphere. [Page 16] they only haue a right sphere which dwell vnder th' equi­noctiall,The spheare is taken two wayes. A right sphere The poles of the worlde what thei are. and haue both the pole arctike, and antarctick in their Horizont.

Do you not call the two pointes or endes of the axe tree, the fornamed poles?

It is so, and for firmer printing it in memory, beholde here the type of them that haue a right sphere. As A. D. C. representeth bothe the axe tree, and the right Horizont: and A. C. the two poles: Yea and B. D. the half parte of th' equinoctiall.

So that a mā inha­biting vnder B. D. which is th' equinoctial, do perceiue both A. whiche is the North pole, and C. whiche is the South, leuell with th' earth, and his verticall point, in the for said Aequinoctial.

You do well perceyue it.

Then it foloweth, that where ether of the po­les, is eleuated aboue th' earth, they dwell not vnder theAn oblique or croked sphere. aequinoctial, and so haue a croked, & an oblique sphere.

And that doe this figure perfitly proue. Here C. E. is the halfe of the axe tree aboue th' earth, B. E. is the halfe of th' equinoctial. C. the one pole aboue th' earth. Whiche maketh the halfe sphere. A. B. C. D. to be oblique, and croked, accor­ding to my first meanīg.

I vnderstād this perfitly

Then is it expediēt for you to cōsider, that this [Page 17] sphere doeth in it conteine many Circles.

Your wordes bringe me in à doubt. For I per­ceiue that à circle, & à sphere are both rounde, & haue like Centers, & Diameters.

They haue no lesse, yet they do as greatlye differ as the worlde, & th' earth (of which we made mention) as this definition of Euclid, do manifest plainly. ‘ [...].Lib. 1. defi. 14.’ which Scheubel. excellētly (after his maner) trāslateth.

‘Circulus est figura plana, vna linea compraehensa, quae circumfe­rentia appellatur, ad quam ab vno quodam puncto eorum, quae intra figuram sunt posita, omnes cadētes rectae lineae inter se sunt aequales.’

And is thus much to say with vs.

‘A Circle is à plaine and flat figure comprehended within one line, which is called à circumference: vnto whiche, if lines be drawne from the Center, or poynt of the circle, vnto the circumference, they beinge conteined within the same, are found to be equall one to an other.’

As in this example. A. is the center of the Circle: B. C. D. E. the Circum­ferent line. &c.

By these wordes I finde à two foulde diffe­renceHow a sphere and a Circle differ. betwixt à sphere, & à circle. First, that à circle is à playne, & flat figure, & à sphere of roūde fourme, like vnto à Ball. And then that à Circle is cōpraehended within one line, & a sphere within one plat fourme▪ But now I pray you declare such Circles, as are imagined to be in the sphere of the worlde, & most necessary for an introduction.

In This sphere chiefly x. Circles are imagined:The principall circles in the Sphere of the world are x. in numbre. Of whiche 6. be great, & 4. be small: whiche in order I will set out. And therfore answer me: Haue you not read among your authours of the Horizōt circle? we will be­ginne with that firste, because necessitie inforseth suche order.

Yes sir: Proclus defineth it in this sorte.

‘ [...].What the Ho rizont is.’

‘Horizon est circulus qui diuidit nobis mundi partem, quae vide­tur, ab ea quae non apparet: & qui ita in duas partes aequales [...]otum dis­cindit mundi globum, vt eius dimidia pars altera supra terrā extet, dimidia altera sub terra sit.’

Which sounded in our language in this maner.

‘The Horizont is à Circle which deuideth, & parteth that part of the world which we see, from that which do not appere [...] & which par teth the worlde in two equall partes, in suche facion, as th' one halfe is euer aboue th' earth, th' other alway vnder.’

Th' use of this Circle is right excellent, for by it we finde out the rysing, & goyng downe of euery Planet & Starre. In this Horizont the daye & nyghte, haue also theyr beginning, & ende.

So that this Horizont is â lyne imagined to go rounde about by the face of th' earth, parting the hea­uens in two partes, and is saide of [...], whiche signifieth to decerne, or ende. But standing on an hie Mountaine,A question. steple, or suche lyke thing, shal I se but halfe the heauēs,

Yes verely, you shall see more then an Hemis­phere (for so call they the halfe sphere) as also beynge inTh' answere. à valley and lowe place, you shall not see youre Hemis­phere totally. And althoughe you may obiecte, that this Horizont deuideth not the heauen in two equal portiōs, [Page 19] yet it is proueth nothinge: for th' Astrologians alowe no suche Horizont.

And is this Horizont à fixed Circle or not?

It is fixed, and without motion.An obiection

It should seme contrary. For I beynge at Lon­don haue one Horizont, and goyng to Andwerpe, haue an other, and so at Colein an other, and at Heydelberge another. &c.

I confesse no lesse, but that proueth nothingeTh' aunswere. that the horizont moueth, for loke into what errour you shoulde fall: you muste graunte (if the horizont moue) that with the turning of the heauens, your horizont Cir­cle must come ouer your verticall poīt, once in 24. houres.

Nay, I will not graunt suche absurditie in any case: wherfore I see that it is my chaūgyng that ma­keth me to haue à newe horizont, and not the horizont to moue with me.

You hit the naile on the head (as the saying is)The Horizont deuided into two partes. Nowe your authour deuideth the horizont, lyke to the sphere: that is, into à ryght horizont, and into â croked or oblique.

What be they that haue a right horizont?A right Ho­rizont.

They haue a right horizont, whan as this circle crosseth th' equinoctiall rightely in two partes, and they haue a croked horizont, whan eyther of the PolesA croked Ho rizont. is aboue th' Earth, and th' other vnder: suche is oure Ho­rizont whiche inhabit Europe. But for the better vn­derstanding, I haue made here a figure, in whiche C. A. and E. is th' equinoctiall. And because B. A. D. cros­seth [Page 20] it rightely: It is the right Horizont. Also B. D. are the two Poles of the worlde: & because B. is eleuated aboue th' earth, it maketh F. A. G. to be th' obliquè Horizont, as these ij. pictures here pla­ced do shewe.

Seyng that the Horizont semeth onely neces­sary for to know the true risinge, & goynge downe of the Sonne, Mone, Planetes, & fixed sterres, it can not any thynge helpe for to knowe whan anye of them are at the hiest aboue the Horizont for that daye, in whiche place whan as the Sonne cōmeth: it is midday. For I perceiue euery Planet, & Starre, to ascende by litle, & litle a­boue th' earth, vntyll they be at the hiest: & then in lyke maner do continuallye descende, vntill they come to the Horizont in the West.

For this & diuers other occations (in times [Page 21] past) they imagined a circle whiche they called the me­ridian circle and Proclus, in this sorte setteth it out.

‘ [...].What the Me ridian is.’

‘Meridianus circulus is est, qui describitur per polos mūdi, & per ver­ticis punctum, in quo cum fuerit sol, facit diei noctis (que) dimidium.’

‘The meridiane or middaie circle (saith he) is describid and dra­wen by the poles of the worlde, and the point directlye ouer oure heades called Zenit Zenit is that point or prick imagined to be directly ouer our heades & is alwaye. 90. degrees frō the East, South, Weast, and North. Lib. 1. prop. 3. in whiche whan the Sonne entreth (whiche is twyse in a naturall day) it is mydday, or mydnight.’

Yea and this meridiane by Theodosius pro­bation, shall in all places crosse rightly the Horizont, & is also a fixid circle as the Horizont is.

And that was one of the greatest reasons (if I be not deceiued) whiche prouoked the Astronomers to make their computation from midday. And as many as dwell either plaine North, or South, haue the same me­ridiane that you haue: and suche as are either East, or West, haue an other meridian, and not the same whiche you haue.

Then by your wordes I gather that the inha­bitantes whiche be directly vnder vs (the GeographersAntipodes. name them Antipodes) are vnder the same meridiane lyne, that we be.

Verely it is true. But we wyll omyt the de­claration of them vntyll our next metinge, and I wyll gyue you example of the meridiane circle, ioy­ned with the Horizont. Here you se A. E. C. re­present

[Page 22] the verticall point, B. D. the poles of the world, by whiche and A. (being the vertical circle) is the me­ridiā circle A. B. C. D. delineated and drawē. Whiche crosseth also B. E. D. F. being the Horizont circle.

This circle I do wel remembre, but I do furder perceiue that the Sōne riseth not alway at one time, and therfore is sometime longer or he come to the meridian, and sometime shorter, so that the daies increase and de­crease continually, except twyse euery yeare. (Which is to saye the. x. of Marche, and the. xiiij. of Septēber) and then the daies, and nightes are equall, and he ryseth di­rectly East, and setteth playne West: whiche in other ti­mes, he do not, as we may dayly vnderstande.

The diference of the tymes, ingendred by the course of the Sonne, you shall easely fynde by th' qui­noctiall.

you renew that, whiche almoste was out of my memory. For I reading the for sayd Proclus, remēber he maketh mention of th' equinoctiall circle in this wyse.

‘ [...].What th' qui­noctiall is.’

‘A equinoctialis autem circulus est horum quinque parallelorū maxi­mus, ita ab horizonte in duo sectus, vt eius dimidia pars altera sit su­pra terram, altera vero lub terra: in quo cum fuerit sol, aequinoctia fa­cit duo, vernū & Autumnale.’

‘Th' equinoctiall is a circle greatest of all th' other. v. Paralleles, and is so deuided, and parted of the Horizont, that th' one halfe is euer a­boue th' earth, and th' other halfe vnder: into whiche, whan the Sonne enter (whiche is twyse yearly spring tyme, and haruest) the dayes and nightes are equall thorowe the whole earth.’

Moreouer you must further consider that this circle difereth from the other two afore said because it is mouable, and caried about with the heauens, where the other are stedfast and fixid.

It must nedes so be. But are not the poles of this circle, the poles of the worlde?

Yes verely, and they that dwell vnder th' equi­noctiall haue the signes equally ascending, and descen­ding, whiche should not be, if the poles of it, did varie frō the poles of the worlde. That they do ascende, and also descend equally, Lucan th' excellent Poet, do aptly set out, where he describeth Cato his voyage into Lybia,Lib. 9. which is towarde th' equinoctial, in these versis annexid.

The meaning of whiche versis in English meater is,

I shall and it please you make a proue hereof as I did in the other, wherby you may correcte my error, if any shall folowe: and then you may procede with the o­ther circles.

Doe you so.

I haue here made a figure in whiche C. E. do represent th' equinoctiall. B. A. D. the axe tree of the worlde. B. the north pole or arcticke, and D. in lyke sort [Page 24] th' antarcticke, whiche are also the poles of th' equinoc tiall.

I do muche com­mende you. Nowe further more you maye consyder, that lyke as the rising, and going downe of the Sonne, Moone, and Planetes, is founde out by the helpe of the Horizont: their true height by the meridian circle: and the varietie of tyme by th' equinoctiall: (comparing the quantitie of the daye present, vnto the quantitie of the day whan as the Sōne is in th' equinoctial) so there is also a proper path, or way, in whiche the other Planetes, as well as the Sonne do fi­nyshe their reuolutiō, and course, according to their true tyme. Whiche circle is very nedefull for Geographers, as hereafter you shall vnderstande.

I pray you sir, is not that the circle, whiche I haue in a starry nyght decernid lyke a brode gyrdle full of starres, in whiche also in some part is the mylkey way called as I suppose [...] of Ptolomaeus, and of Tully lacteus orbis?

It is the very same, and Proclus describeth it in these wordes.

‘ [...].What the zo­diack is.’

‘Circulus autem obliquus est zodiacus, qui duodecim signa conti­net, [Page 25] ipseque ex tribus circulis parallelis constituitur: quorū duo la­titudinē eius definiunt, tertius vero per media signa ducitur. Hic at­tingit duos circulos aequales & parallelos, nēpe Aestiualem tropicū in prima parte Cancri, & Hiemalem in prima parte Capricorni. La­titudo autem Zodiaci est partium duodecim, & dicitur obliquus hic circulus, propterea quod parallelos secat circulos.’

‘The crokyd, oblique, or thwarte circle, is called the Zodiacke, whiche in it conteyne the. xij. Signes, and is made of thre parallele cir cles, of whiche two do conteyne in them the bredth, and latitude: the thirdThis lyne is called the e­cliptick, becau se in it is the cōtinual cour­se of the Sōne and that all Eclypses as well of him as of the mone can not be but in this lyne. do deuide the Signes equally in the myddes. This Zodiack, ex­tendith vnto two equidistant circles, or paralleles. That is to say the somer tropike, in the beginning of Cancer: and the winter in the be­ginning or first degree of Capricorne. The latitude and bredth of the Zodiack is. xij. degrees, and it is called thwarte or croked, because it crosseth the parallele circles.’

And here you must note for eschewing further error, that th' author menith by crossinge the parallele circles, that the zodiack goeth ouerthwarte them, and not rightly as th' equinoctiall, and the right Horizont doth.

And this circle, is deuided into. xij. equall partes whiche you call signes.What a signe is.

You haue truly spoken: yea and euery signe, is deuided into. xxx. partes, whiche they call degrees: and euery degree, into. lx. minutes. &c. But this seruethWhat a degre is. rather for Astronomers.

By your wordes I gather the lengthe of a de­greeWhat a mi­nute is. to be the. 360. parte of the heauen (for. xij. tymes 30. maketh. 360.) and not any determined, or appointed measure, as a yarde, a forlong, a myle. &c.

Vnto this circle and th' equinoctiall, al the mo­uing of the Planetes, and fixed starres is referred. For by them we fynde out their longitude, latitude, and also [Page 26] th' eleuation of ether poles, whiche is so necessary in this arte, as without it you shall little or nothing profite. But nowe I wyll set before your eyes the signes, with their names in Greke, Latine, and Englishe, adding also cer­taine characters of euery one of them, which the Astro­logians do vse both in their wryting, also in their instru­mentes.

These names I haue often red in Homer, So­phocles, and other greke Poetes: and the latin, in Virgil, Ouide, Horace, Palingenius, and euery other Poet wel neare do make of them mencion: and I do perceiue th' use of this circle to be very expediēt. For of it consisteth theThe vse of the zodiack. quantitie of the yeare, the. iiij. tymes of the same, as the Spring, Somer, Haruest, Wynter. But I perceiue also o­ther configurations, and formes, as well out of the zodi­acke, as also in it. And the Poetes make mētion of many of them, as Charles wayne, the Dragō, Bootes, Th' egle, the flieng Horse, the seuen Starres, the great Dog, and others: of whiche you make no mention.

No, nether do I intende, lest that I shall seme to espie a mote in an other, and not a beame in mine own eye. For I wyll digresse as litle as possible I may, frō our

[Page 28] first institution. But I wil geue you here a table of many notable fixed starres, which are profitable for the trieng out of the latitude of any country and place.

This table seruith vnto smal vse (if my au­thors deceiue me not) onlesse that I haue in lyke sorte the declination of them.

You saye ryghtly, and to satisfie your expecta­tion, I wyll also place here a table of declination of the­clipticke lyne from th'equinoctiall, whiche shall extende vnto. 23. digrees. 28. minutes, the trew declination of the sonne, of this our age.

I pray you sir, what call you the declination of the sonne, or other planet and sterre?

It is no other thing then the distaunce of anye sterre from th'equinoctial vnto his true place in the zo­diack. And here marke that euery sterre hath two decliEuery Planet haue two decli nations. nations, the one is hauing ther course in the zodiack frō the beginning of Aries, vnto th'ende of Virgo, and they are North frō th'equinoctial. Th'other from the begin­ning of Libra, vnto th'ende of Pisces, and they are said to haue their declination south from th'quinoctiall.

haue this declination of the sonne, bene alway one, or it doth varie?

I wyll shewe you, in the tyme of Ptolomaeus as (his workes do testifie) the sonnes greatest declination from th'equinoctiall was. xxiij. degrees. lj. minutes, andThe diuersitie of the Sonnes declinatiō, frō Ptolomaeus ti­me, vnto our age. xxx. secondes. Almaeon found it .xxiij. degrees .xxxiij. mynutes, and .xxx. secondes. Iohannes de monte Regio, tried it to be .23. and but .30. minutes. And George Pour [Page 29] bachius .23. degr. & .28. mi. which agreeth with our time

This diuersitie of obseruatiō, may arise rather of the instrumentes not exactly made, then that he do so vary in his declination.

Nay verely. I attribute the cause here of vnto that mouing of the heauē which is called of Tebitius & Alfonsus, motus trepidationis.

How may I finde this varietie of declination, by myne owne diligence.

Although it vary not in a mans lyfe any thing sensible, yet because you may both know the obseruing of it exactly and also teache other that hereafter shal lerne as you are now instructed your selfe: I wil in fewe wordes open the whole labour. Take a quadrant (the making ofHow to finde out by Instru­ment the Son­nes Declinatiō whiche you shal see among the other instrumentes) and and set it directly vpright vpon some playne in the meri­dian lyne (the finding of whiche you shal see in the next treatise) and is here marked A. B. as also C. A. dore present, the zenit or verticall point, then rayse vp and downe the ruler (hauing two sight holes made in it) vn­to the sonne, whan as he is in the meridian line: and ob­serue diligētly that height, in the circle of degrees noted in your quadrant, frō B. to C. the .xi. or .xii. day of Decē ­ber, which is B. D. vntill you finde he goeth no lower: and againe in like case the .xi. or .xij. of Iune, vntyll you perceiue he increaseth nothinge in height, and is noted here B. E. and so the distaunce of D. E. is the distaunce of the .ij. tropick Circles.

What meane you by those tropick circles?

You shall knowe, our conclusion ended. This distaunce in our dayes is founde .46. degrees .56. minu­tes,

which beyng parted in two equall parts, & reconed from th' Equinoctiall. B. F. sheweth the Sonnes grea­test declination Northwarde from the forsaid Circle, 23. degrees .28. minutes. And in like case Southwarde in Winter. And thus shall you alwaies find his declination.

This rule will I put in practise whan the tyme of the yeare doeth insewe.

Well now behold this table of Declinatiō, which shall serue thy vse more largely thē Orontius, or D. Re­cordes Table: & is not so proplixe, as E. Reignholdes.

[Page 31]

I pray you learne me th'vse of this table.

That I wyll reserue vnto his necessary place?

Then or we procede any further, show me what the poles of the zodiake be, for euery circle haue his pro­per poles: yea and whether they be all one with the poles of th'equinoctiall.

I will fulfill your request. The poles of the zo­diacke, do muche differ from the poles of th'equinoctiall, as you may easely perceiue by this figure here placed. In which I haue made C. H. E. I. for th'equinoctial: [...]. H. G. I. for the zodiacke, and A. for th'earth. Now if I make B. D. the poles of th'equinoctiall as they must nedes be: thē can thei not be the poles of the zo­diack, as herafter you shal heare, but K. L. being the endes of th'axe tree of the sayd zodiack, shall be the poles.

I vnderstande your mynde. Wyll you now de­clare vnto me the meanyng of the two tropikes, of which you lately made mencion.

Yea and that right gladly, vsing Proclus autho ritie as in the other circles whiche saith.

‘ [...].What the som mer tropick is.’

‘Aestiuus Tropicus, ē circulus oīm quos sol describit, ꝓxime Septē ­triones vergens, in quo cum fuerit Sol, reuersionem aestiuam facit: Vbi omniū totius anni lōgissima dies, nox vero breuissima habetur. Nam post reuersionē aestiuam, non vltra ad septētriones ꝓgredi Solē [Page 34] videris, sed ad alteram mūdi partem reuerti: vnde circulus hic, Tro­picus appellatus est.’

‘The Somer Tropick (saith Proclus) is the most northely circle which the Sonne describeth, in to whiche whan as he enterith, it is the lon­gest daye, and shortest nyght in all the yeare. For after this somerlye reuerting, the Sonne is not perceiued to decline farther North, but directly to the contrary coost: for which cause this circle is called a tropike (or circle of reuerting and turning back.)’

And what calleth he th'other tropicke?

The wynter tropike or circle of retorning from the South: as these his wordes folowyng do testifie.

‘ [...].What the winter Tro­pick is.’

‘Hyemalis vero tropicus circulus est omnium, quos Sol per mūdi cōuersionē describit, maxime australis, in quē cū sol puenerit hyema lem reuersionē facit: vbi maxima oīm totius anni nox, dies vero mi­nima conficitur. Nā post hyemalē reuersionē, sol vltra nō pergit au­strum versus, sed ad alterā mūdi partē reuertitur, vnde & huic quo (que) circulo tropici nomen inditum est.’

‘The tropick of winter, is the furdest south circle of al other that y^• sonne by the tournynge of the world doth describe: into whiche whan he doth enter, he maketh his wynterly retorne backwarde, at which season it is the lōgest night in all the yeare, and shortest day. For after this retourne, the sonne goth not further south, but doth approche to the contrary part of the worlde: for whiche cause, this circle also was called a tropicke circle.’

Proclus here meaneth (as by the repetitiō of his wordes I gather) that these two tropikes, ar as it wer the boūdes, & lēgth of the Sonnes iournay. For goyng from the Sommer tropicke in the begynning of the Crabbe, he directeth his course in the zodiacke towardes Libra in th'equinoctiall: and so leuing it, draweth vnto the Wyn­ter Tropicke in the begynnyng of the Goate, beyonde which he can not goe, but retourneth backward agayne, [Page 35] vntyll he cum to the head of the Ramme.

It is so, and by these wordes you maye also ga­ther,The foure ty­mes of the yeare whereof they take be­ginning. that the. iiij. tymes of the yeare, Spryng, Sommer, Haruest, and Wynter, haue their beginnīg in these. iiij. pointes (that is) the two Aequinictiall pointes, and the tropickes.

You haue here iust occation to speake of the di­uersitie of daies, and nightes, and it please you.

Yet that shalbe omittid vntill we make mentiō of clymates, and the paralleles: and at this present wyll speake of these circles whiche do deuide as wel Th'equi­noctiall, as also the zodiacke, into. iiij. equall partes: so that the Sonne being in any of them do make one of the forsayde tymes.

These circles also are necessarye, but what are their names?

They are called Colures, of which th'one is dra­wen by the beginning of Aries and Lybra, and of that is named th'quinoctiall Colure, and th'other by the be­ginning of cancer, and Capricorne, and called therof the solstitiall Colure, and are definid of Proclus in this maner.

‘ [...].What the two coloures are.’

‘Per polos mūdi ducūtur circuli, quos aliqui coluros vocāt: quibus accidit, vt in sua circūferētia polos mundi habeāt. Coluri vero dicti sunt, ꝓpterea quod eorū partes quaedā non videātur. Nā reliqui cir­culi per mūdi cōuersionē toti cernūtur colurorū vero partes quaedam [Page 36] nunquàm videntur, eae scilicet, quas sub horizonte nobis condit cir­culus Antarcticus. Caeterum ducūtur hii circuli, perpuncta tropico­rum, & in partes duas aequales diuidunt eum circulum, qui est in zodiaci medio.’

‘There are circles drawen by the poles (whiche some men call) Co­lures: and conteine in their circumference the Poles of the worlde, & they be named Colures, or trunckid circles, for this consideration, be­cause that some partes of them are not at any tyme sene. The other circles by the turninge of the worlde are all apparantly seene: but some partes of the colures, be neuer decernyd. Suche are these partes as are vnder our Horizont in the circle Antarctike. These circles also are drawne by the. ij. tropike pointes, deuiding the eclipticke in two equall partes.’

Is there yet more circles to be obserued?

Onely Th'arctike, and Antarctike circle re­mayneth, and then you haue learned all suche circles of the sphere, as shall serue for our purpose at this present,What the are ticke circle is. and therfore I wyll make definition of them.

‘ [...].’

‘Arcticus circulus omnium maximus orbiū, qui nobis semper vi­dentur, qui attingens vno puncto Horizontem, totus extat super ter­ram: inter quē inclusa sydera, nequè oriuntur, nequè occidūt, sed tota nocte mundi lustrare polum spectantur.’

‘The Arctike circle is the greatest of suche circles as do at all times totally apeare: whiche touchinge in one pointe onlye the Horizont, is in all partes aboue th'earth. And all sterres with in this circle inclu­ded, do nether rise, nor yet set, but turne round about the pole, all the longe nyght.’

What calleth Proclus the antarctike circle?

I wyll repete his wordes.What the An tarctickcircle is.

‘ [...].’

‘Antarcticus circulus, est ac parallelus aequalis Arctico orbi, attingēs Horizōtem vno puncto, & totus sub terra conditus: intra quem, cō ­plexa sydera nunquàm à nobis cernuntur.’

And may aptly be translated into English as foloweth.

‘[Page 37]The Antarctike circle, is an equall parallele with the circle Arc­tick, touching the Horizōt in one only point, and is totally vnder the Earth: & the Sterres whiche are within it comprehended, do neuer rise aboue the Horizont.’

Yet I haue harde, that such as inhabite the South partes of Spaine, & in Calecut, Guinea, & di­uers other cūtreis, do see many goodly & bright Serres, yea & the southe Pole figured with sterres like à Crose.

It is as you haue said. But of that we will speake in the treatise of Nauigatiō, & to retorne to Proclus, he meaneth not that the Antartictick Circle & pole of the same is vnder the Horizōt to all men: but to vs that are on this side th'Equinoctiall, & therefore it is spoken no lesse trewly, then pleasantly of the swete Poët Virgilius.

And what is the Axe tree, & poles of this circle?

The same, that are of th'Equinoctiall, & the two tropike circles. For seyng th'Equinoctiall, the ij. tro­pikes, & the circles Arctike, & Antarctike, be equidi­distant paralleles (as Proclus affirmeth) it must thē of necessitie folow, that they are reuolued, & turned vpon the same Poles, & haue all one Axe tree. Theodosius also confirmeth the same in these wordes.

‘ [...]’

‘In Sphaera, paralleli circuli circaeosdem polos sunt.’ Li. 2. Theor. [...]

‘In à Sphere the parallele or equidistant Circles, haue all one Pole.’

But I will not burden you (& especillye in à trewe cause) whiche suche graue authoritie, but giue you [Page 38] the figure of these. vj. last Circles, & then procede fur­ther herein. In this figure is set all the. v. Paralleles, the ij. Colures, & the Zodi­ake. And first B. D. is the Equinoctiall. E. F. the tropike of Cancer. H. G. the tropike of Capricorne. K. M. the Circle Arctike, & L. I. the circle An­tarticke, A. B. C. D. the Solstitial colure, A. N. C. O. th'Equinoctial colure, E. G. the Zodiake, & A. C. the Axe tree, which goeth thorow the Center of th'Earth di­rectly, & endeth at the Poles.

I must confesse the wordes of Theodosius, & Proclus, to be trew: but yet musinge with my selfe, I can not conceiue by what reason this Axe tre should stey the Earth. And it standyng fixed, the heauens as well vnder it, as also aboue th'Earth, should be turned, & reuolued in like maner, as we see: & I euer feare lest th'Earth, beynge so heauie, & ponderous, as it is, should fall to the other part of the Heauens, which is vnder it.

I perceiue you are not yet free from the fond imaginations of the grosse witted people, but yet you are the more to be excused, seyng Lactantius beynge so lear­nedLactantius petulancie. à man, was so folishe (whether it sprong of petulan­cye, or ignoraunce, I knowe not) as to affirme the Hea­uens to be flat, & not to go vnder th'Earth. [Page 39] But now to your doubt, I answere: if God by his wōder­full prouidence, & power, did not steye it in the place where it is, there could be no axe tree whiche mighte su­steine so vnknowen à burthen, & weighte: & therefore you must rather imagine à streight line, to be the forsaid axe tree, (as also the Circles of which we haue intreatid, beyng voide of Latitude, and Profunditie) then to be­leue any such circles, or yet axe tree to be in the Heauēs visiblie:

I perceiue your meaning right well.

Nowe you haue learned what the vj. great circles of the Sphere ar, as the Horizōt, the Me­ridian, th'Equinoctiall, the zodiake, th'Equinoctiall, & the solsticiall Colures: as also the iiij. lesser Circles, whichWhy sum Cir­cles are called greater, and some lesser. are the tropicke of Cancer, the tropick of Capricorne, the circle Articke, and the circle Antarticke.

I haue so, I thank you sir. But for what cause be the vj. called the greater Circles, & the iiij. the lesser?

Iohn de Sacro Bosco, doeth answere your que­stion in these, or like wordes. We call that à greater Cir­cle of a Sphere (saith he) which beyng drawen in the cō ­passe of the Sphere vpon his Center, do diuide it into two equall portions: & that a lesser Circle, whiche beynge drawen as th'other, do not diuide the Sphere into equall partes, but inequall portiōs, such ar the iiij. lesser Circles.

If I shall for the better vnderstanding such thin­ges as herto are spoken, make a Sphere of Hopes, & ap­plie your preceptes to the instrumēt, by what order maye I gather the trew proportiō of one of them, to an other?

Because the tyme doth so faste rōne, & I haue also other matters to intreate on: I wyll reserue the making of the Sphere, vntyll I shewe you the cōposition of other instrumentes required in this Art, in my Orga­nographie. But nowe for this present, let this figure (re­presentyng the forme of the Sphere, with all the princi­pall Circles to it belōging) satisfie thine expectation.

Then will it please you to takeTh'other part of the diuision of the worlde. in hande the secōde part of your diuision of the worlde, for hi­therto (if I be not disceiued) stretcheth the declaratiō of the heauenlye Region.

Trewe it is, for oure talke as yet either was of this re­giō, or els of thynges giuynge lyghte to the same: and now let vs conuerte oure style in like maner vnto th' Elemētary Region. This in it selfe, cōteineth the iiij. Elementes, Fyre, Aëre, Water, & Earth, (these are not corruptible) also whatsoeuer is cō ­teined within the circuit of the heauen of the Mone, as well bodies perfite, as also imperfite, made of the forsaide

[Page 41] Elementes (the Latinistis call them) corpora mixta.

And wherfore are ther but iiij. Elementes?Why ther can be but iiij. Ele mentes. Lib. 2. de gene ratione.

Aristotle doeth giue à sufficient reason: saying, there are so many Elementes as ther is combina­tion, & mixture, of the simple and first qualities, which can be but foure: hoot, and drie, propre to the Fire: hoote and moiste, of th' Aëre: coulde and moist, which is resem­bled to the water: & could with drynes, to th' Earth. As for heate and couldnes, are so repugnaunt that ther can be no mixture of them: no more then of moisture & dry­nes. There is also an other reason made of Aristotle, ta­kenLib. primo de Coelo. of the diuersitie of motion, whiche I do at this time wyllingly ouer passe.

We are agreed of the number of th' Elementes, but what is theyr order, whiche of them is higher, and which of them lower?

That Element is higher then the rest, which is lyghtest, most fugitiue, and subtile. For it is a generallA generall maior. maior among Philosophers, that al light thynges cōtend vpwarde: & all grosse and pōderous, to the Center of the Earth.

By this propositiō I gather,The situation & place of th' Elementes. that the Fyre beyng more subtyl than th'other thre, shal ascend aboue them, & be next the Globe of the Mone. For you said, that ther may be no place emptie, & void. And then next him the Aëre, then the Water, & laste of all th' Earth.

It is in like order as you haue said. And the Fire, conteyneth in him the Aëre: Th' Aëre, in his compasse the Water: & the Water also doth cōpasse & inuirone

[Page 42]The Earth, not rounde about as th'other do, but in diuers parts, so that the water, & th'earth, rather make one vnifourme Globe: as this Figure here annexid doth plainely declare.

Ther se­meth in your des­cription to be fiue distincte Regions, How may that be, seyng that ther are but iiij. Elemētes?

Ther are as you haue saide, but the Aërie Re­giō, is deuidid into iij. parts, springing thorow Heate, and Colde: as the hierTh' Aere deui­did into thre Regions. part of the Aëre signified with A. being nere to the Orbe of the Fier, and is daylie caried about, (as Cometes andWhere Come­tes and blasing Sterres are in­gendred. blasing Sterres ther ingendred, do apparantly declare.) and is made more hoote thē the middle Regiō is: againe, the lower region next vs, markid with C. is thorowe the reflextiō of the Sonne beames rebounding from th'earth also made hoote, therfore the middle region B. beynge voide of heate, is alway coulde: yea and so much the coul­der, howe muche the heate is more vehement in th'other two regions.

Then in this middle region I suppose all Haile,Where Haile and Snow is ingendred. Snow, and suche like is ingendrid.

It is so, but I let that passe, and intreate of th'use [Page 43] of them, touching our first meanyng.

Because the Fire, and Aëre, should seme litell to profit in this place, wil you somwhat speake of the Wa­ter, and Earth?

I will speake nothing of the Water (but referre it vntil we intreat of Nauigatiō) but only in this place, make mention of th'earth, and so depart vntill to morow.

And it weare not more for troblynge you, then any werines that I haue, I would wishe the day to be. x. daies in length, I haue receiued suche pleasure in youre instructions. But sence the Sonne sumwhat declineth to the weste Ocian, I will giue diligent eare vnto your wor­des, for the short time ther is yet remaining.What th'Erth is.

I reioyse much to vnderstand your feruent desire to knowledge, which I will to my vttermost furder. And now touching th'Earth, consider you that she is lowest of all Elementes: blacke, ponderous, and round, inuironid, and inclosed within th'other thre. She is called the mo­ther of fruites, the roote of all plantes, the norishe of ly­uing creatures, the foundation of all buildinges, the se­pulchre of the dead, the Center of the beautifull frame of the world, the matter and substaunce of mans body, and the receptakle of heauenly influence. She is also gar­nished with fragrāt flowres, of Man, Beast, and Foule, inhabited, and comfortablie quickened by the norishing beames of the Sōne, Mone, Planetes, and fixed Sterres.Diuersitie of opinions tou­ching th'Erth his fourme. But you shall note for all that here is spoken, that there is great controuersie touching th'Earthes fourme: which must be descidid and put away, or we can safely procede [Page 44] further. As th'opinions of those which affirme th'Earth not to be rounde, like à Globe or Boule. Those that af­firme it to be of pyller forme. Those that will not haue it to be the Center of the heauen. Those that suppose the Earth to moue: with other like. But the greatest of all, is the errour of those that speake againste the roundnes of th'Earth. Wherfore I will touche it principallye, whiche thing done, th'other are manifest of them selues.

You enter into that question, in whiche of all other I desire moste especiallie to be satisfied, for I also am in that errour (if it be an errour to say th'earth is not rounde.)

Bring forth suche reasons than, as inforseth you so to iudge, and I will an­swere them.

It semeth sufficient toAn obiection, against the round fourme of th'Earth. credit th'Earth not to be round, if we consider the greate deepe valleis, that are in it: the Cities, Towres, Castels, and Trees, with suche like placed vpon the face of the Earth: but moste of all, the hougie and hie Mountaines, and Hilles: Of whiche, some of them are supposed to beThese Hilles are the grea­test in all the Earch. 60. miles in height. As the Hille in th'Iland Teneriffa, (whiche Ptolomaeus nameth one of the fortunate Ilan­des) and is beyonde Hercules Pillers. Also an other in Thessalia, called (of Solinus) Olimpus, This is the fa mous Hill of which Poëtes so muche in­treate: in the top of whiche the Gentils builded an aul ter making to Iuppiter Sa­crifice. beyng of suche height that the ashes (ther daies of Sacrifice beynge en­ded) remaine à whole yeare in the toppe of the same, not moued with troublous tēpestes, or vehement blastes: but thorow his great height, is free from all violence of win­des. What shall I speake of the Hill Caucasus, which di­uideth Albania & Colchis, from Sermatia (as doth ap­peare [Page 45] in the seconde Table of Asia, in Ptolomaeus Geo­graphie) which Aristotle doth esteme to be of such hight, that it may be sene at the mouth of the riuer maeotis. The distaunce of which, is from theforsaid Hill. 620. English miles. Moreouer you shall see no place, but either flat, or els full of Hylles, Dales, Valeis, or suche like, whiche is farre from â Globe forme, & figure.

Yet do all these wordes nothing cōclude. Do you not cōsider, that the sight is deceiued in thinges from it,Th'answere to the first obiec­tion. farre distaunt. And therfore I will in fewe wordes an­swere you, that these Hilles, Mountaines, & Vallies, are no more in quantitie (respect beyng had to the whole Earth,) thē the Pittes & holes of à rough polished Gū ­stone, to the stone: whiche although it be not smoth, yet it argueth nothing lesse then this gunstone not to be roūde, & like a Globe in fourme: yea, & then the bodye of theTh'earth is a stone. Earth beyng a rough stone, harde, & not so apt to be po­lished, as the body of the Water, doth remaine with such vallies & Hilles as you haue saide, & in manye places these vallies ar filled with water, to the more apt propor­tiō of à Globe. Moreouer, Nature cōsidering the neces­sitie of th'inhabitauntes in this Center, left suche fourme vnto it as might for ther vse most cōueniently serue.

For what cause suppose you th'Earth to be à stone?

If it were not à stone but Sande, or Clay in substaunce, then the water being mixt with it, they both should be cōfounded in them selues: yea & the hie Hilles, & Moūtaines, (of which you made mentiō) shoulde sinke, & settle downe to the Center of [Page 46] th'Earth: seynge, they are so ponderous, & heauie, & not be sustained, & borne vp as they are in the face of th'Earth. But for the further cōfirminge you in that, which is spoken, aunswere me. Imagine there were à great rounde trunke of Timber, which went thorow the whole Earth directly by the Center, & then there were à great heauie stone put in at this Trūke: how farre sup­pose you this stone should descende?

Vntill the center of th'Earth, & myddes of the Trunke.

In like case, if th'earth were not an hard, & stonie substaunce, but Clay or Sāde (as to our sightes doth appeare) these Hilles, & rockes beyng much heauier then any stone, should in like sort go to the Cēter of th'earth. But haue you any other doubtes?

Yea verely, & that is, th'Earth to be flat.The 2. obiectiō

What prouoketh you so to iudge?

This reason, that th'Earth must be in forme most agreable to the Heauens. And that the Heauēs be flat, I can proue by th'authoritie of Lactantius Firmianus.Th'answere.

It is truely said, that knowledge hath no ene­mie but ignoraunce. There are nowe at these daies, no small numbre of Lactantius sort, not scrupulous enemies onely, but also Physicians, of whome I am ashamed to speake, & they do contempne that knowledge (whiche is the greatest & suerist token of Gods prouidence for mankind) either by peruerse interpreting the scripture, or els of mere follie, dispisinge that, of whiche they neuer tasted, & are vtterly ignorant in. But such wer very ill to be Iudges, for they would condemne the man, or they [Page 47] knew the crime of whiche he were accused: but let that passe. As touchyng your opinion, that th'Earth is flat, I will proue it to be rounde from th'East to the West: and in like maner, from the North, to the South.

Then must I nedes graūt that it is in like sorte rounde in all partes.In lib. 1. de Mundo.

I wyll vse the same argumētes that Cleomedes doeth. If th'Earth were flat, then the sterres should rise at the same moment to vs, that they do to them whiche dwell in th'East parts of the world: & it should be mid­day with vs, & them at one instaunt: yea & the same Starres should set in the Weast in lyke maner with thē, and vs.

That they do not, I am most sure: for at Alexādria, à citie in Egipt, it is day iij. hou­res sooner then with vs: & night in like sorte. Yea & at Compostell in Spaine (which is West from vs) the daye begynneth with vs sooner by one houre & a halfe, then with them: and is daye with them, after the Sonne is set with vs, in like sort one houre, & xxx. minutes.

And all this cometh, because th'Earth is round, causing vs & them not to haue one generall Horizont. The like reason is to be said of the diuersities of times, in the beginning of an Eclipse, either of Sonne, or Mone. As for exāple, th'Eclipse of the Mone, which was 1556.Example of ij. Eclipses of the Moone. the 17. day of Nouēber, at one of the clocke in the mor­ning, with vs at Norwiche, (& for the moste parte of Englande) which in the Horizont of Calicut, began at vij. of the clock. In like sort, ther shall happē an Eclipse of the Mone, in the yeare of Christ our sauior. 1562. the [Page 48] 16. daye of Iuly, at two of the clocke, iiij. minutes in the morning: at which time she shalbe totallie darkened, & continew from the beginning to th'ende iij. houres, and yet th'inhabitauntes at Calicut, shall not see anye parte therof: whiche moste euidently sheweth the roundnes of th'Earth to be the cause, as this Figure here folowing do more plainely set out: in which, E. signifieth th'Earth: A. the East: C. the West: D. the verticall pointe for Nor­wich: & B. in like maner, the Zenit of Calicut. Wher­by it is manifest that the Mone shalbe perfitly sepera­ted from the Sonne, or she shall appeare in the Horizōt of Calicut. And yet we in England, & diuers other places East, shall se bothe beginning, & ende of her Eclypsing.

These are suf­ficiēt probatiōs to declare th'Earth roūd, frō th'East to the West: but by what argument can you shewe it to be also rounde from the South to the North?

That is very easie to proue. For if th'Earth were flat from the South, to the North, then we should se the south Sterres vnder th'Earth: as well as those that be North alway in our sight. And againe, the Sonne, Mone, & Sterres, at midde day through the vniuersal yere, should be euer in one height: which also is false.

Yea, for I haue had practise of that thinge, [Page 49] saylinge in à shippe, for we goynge from th'Equinoctiall Line northwarde, did see the North, & south Poles, equall with the Water. But directing our course more to the north coast, & leauing th'Equinoctial, we reared the north starre in short space. xij. degr. & at lēgth, 30. deg. & loking south, we could not se the southe Pole, nor yet many other sterres which in th'Equinoctial, were visible to vs.

Yea, & wher your north starre was eleua­ted xxx. degrees, your south Pole was xxx. degrees de­pressed in like maner: But for the firmer fixynge it in your memory, behould this Figure: in the which C. signi­fieth both th'Earth, and water, A. the north Pole, & B. the south, therefore if one go from B. to A (the earth being roūd) he must haue B. so muche vnder him, as A is aboue his Ho­rizōt. There are besides these many, & sūdry rea­sons, to proue this thing: which I may omit (as I suppose) to you, which nede no lenger probatiō, in that whiche is most manifest.

Yet theis argumēts shall not onely stay my mind in à trueth, but also with the same I shal cō fute th'errors of other, if any shal spring about this mat­ter.Ptolomaeus. Cleomedes. Philo. Aristotle. E. Reignholt. Orontius.

Then I wyll exhort you, wher these shall not seme sufficient, you will gather more & stronger out of Ptolomaeus Almegiste, Cleomedes de mundo, Philo de mundo, Aristotle, Erasmus Reignholt, Orontius, [Page 50]

[Page 51] Iohn de Sacrobosco, & oure countreyman master Re­corde, which doeth almost repete all their argumentes, in the Castell of knowledge. And nowe behold the Type of the world, conteinyng in it, as well the heauenly Re­giō, with suche Spheres, & Circles, as haue bene in sun­dry partes before set forth in this treatise: as also th'Ele­mentarie region, comprehendyng the Fier, Aëre, Wa­ter, & Earth: in suche order & forme, as is cōsonant & agreyng both with Reason, Practise, and Authori­tie of most approued authors. And for this time we will depart: for beholde the Sonne is gone to rest, & Hespe­rus do shewe in the West verie brighte, all other liuynge thinges also do apply them to take rest: therfore let vs go downe this Hill into the Citie, refreshyng our selues, & quickening memorie, & to morow I wil mete you in this same place agayne.

I thanke you hertly.

Let me here & you can repete the summe of such thinges, as we haue taken in hande this day, as we walke downeward.

With à right good wyll.

• 1 Firste, you shewed me what Cosmographie was, what Geo­graphie, and what Chorographie, yea, and wherein euery of them differeth from other.
• 2 Next, what the world was, with his partes (that is to saye) the Heauenly Region, & Elementary: with à briefe Dis­course, touchinge the Partes, and order of the Heauenly Region.
• 3 Thyrdly, what a Sphere is, howe it is deuided into a Right, and Croked Sphere: And howe it differeth from a Cirle.
• [Page 52]4 Forthly, what a Center was, what an Axe tree, what a Dia­meter, and of theyr difference.
• 5 Fiftlye, of the Principall Circles whiche are saide to be in this Sphere. As the Horizont, Meridian, Aequinoctiall, Zodiake, two Colures, the two Tropickes, the Circles Arc­ticke, and Antarctick. Also that the Horizont; and Meri­dian Circles be stable, and without motiō, with diuers other thinges herto belonging.
• 6 Last, you proceded to the second part of the world, which is th' Elementarie Region: In which you refuted sundry opini­ons, touching the forme of th' Earth.

Nowe I perceiue bothe your apte nature in conceiuing such thinges as are spoken, & also your firme memory in reteining the same. Wherefore you shall en­courage me, to geue you further instructions. But for this time I must bid you fare well.

God preserue you, & graunt you life to ac­complishe your desire, in profiting your countrey, as you do entende.

Amen.

MORPHEVS THE God of dreames, with his slepie rodde, so much this last night frequented my companie, that (my bodye taking rest) my mind was much more busilie traue­ling in such conclusions as I had learnid of Philoni­cus, thē it was in the time of his teaching. For some time Morphêus shewed me the Sonne, in the tropicke of Ca­pricorne,Whā the Sōne is in the Tro­pick of Capri­corne. In both Aequi noctiall poin­tes. farre in the South, among the cloudye skies, as he comenly is the. 13. day of December: And next he ap­pered in th' Equinoctiall pointes, as it is the tenth daye of March, and the. 14. of Septēb. willing me with great di ligēs to note that parallele circle. Shortly after the sōne appeared in the tropicke of Cancer, in whiche place he isIn the Tropick of Cancer. the. 12. daye of Iune, causing in our region the lōgest day in the yere. & imediatly the time semed as it were mid­night, & Charles Wayne, with Bootes, & diuers other sterres, turned about the Pole. But as he wold haue ca­ried me about the heauēs, to haue shewid me the North [Page 54] Crowne, stronge Hercules, Cassiopeia, th' Egle, the flieng Horse, mightie Orion, the two Dogges, & the famous, & great shippe Argo. &c. Mercury the messenger of the Godes came to my bedde side, & saide, Aurora did appeare, & Phebus with his goldē beames, was entred his chariot, minding to finishe his diurnall Arcke: so that it was à reproche for me, any lōger to play the sluggard: declaringe more ouer that Philonicus was in the fildes. And surely I suppose no lesse, but I shall not from him be longe absent. I am iustly reprehended of Mercury, be­cause the time that is cōsumed with slepe more then na­ture requireth, is all lost: for ther spring no profit therof, but sicknes & disquietnes, both of body & minde. But what is he that calleth Spoudaeus, & beckneth with his hand? It is Philonicus. I will make spede to mete him.

God saue you Spoudaeus.

And you also, moste hertilie I require the Gods: you know th' occasiō (I trust) of my resorting into this place.

For to be further instructed in the knowledge of Cosmographie.what is taught in this seconde Booke.

It is verely my desire, & specially to know the Longitude, Latitude, & circuit of th' Earth, and of the diuisiō of it into Climates, to know the meanyng of Zo­nes, & paralleles: to finde out the Meridiane line, the longitude & latitude of any place: because they haue à singular vse in this Arte.

You haue repeted matter ynough to cōsume this day in, & I wyll if tyme permitte, willingly satisfie your request. But seynge this thinge doeth depende chiefly of [Page 55] dimention, & measuringe: it is requisite to knowe that first, yea & the principall partes of it.

Dimention is no other thing, then à lōgitudeWhat Dimē ­tion is. knowen, & practised: by which we maye in like maner, measure th'vnknowē distaunce of places by the same ex­perience.

Trew it is. And there are thre thinges only which may be measured. For either it is à line, as Longitude: or els à Plat forme, as Latitude: or last, à body, as thicknes, or profunditie.

Glarianus hath the like saying, & Campanus sheweth wherof these three do spring, in this maner. AWhat a Point is. What a Lyne is. point (saith he) is that which haue no partes, yet by the mouyng of it, à lyne is described. And a lyne, moued be­cause it hath length (beynge voide of breadth & depe­nes) cā but describe a platWhat a Plat fourme is. forme. This plat forme, is both a rounde plat forme, & also a flatte, as in these figures. And a plat forme moued, because it hathe lēgth & breadth, descri­beth a Body, hauing bothWhat a Body is. length, breadth, & depe­nes.

Hereto agreeth youre Pathway. Now proced we further. Because in this Arte, the chiefe measures we vse, is a Pase, a Forlōg, a lequè,

[Page 56] a Mile, a Degree &c. I wil set before your eyes in this Table both the diuersitie of miles, & also their exacte length, placing a Barly corne (being the least measure) as the rule, wherby other measures shalbetried. And like as progression is made from the least vnto the moste, as from a point, to a lyne: from a lyne, to a plat forme: and from a plat forme, to a body: euen so in the quantitie of measures, we do go frō a barly corne, to a finger breadth: from a finger breadth, to an vnch: frō an vnch, to an hād breadth: from an hand breadth, to a spanne: frō a spāne, to a fote: from a fote, to a pase: & so forth to a pearch, a furlong, a lequè, a mile, as in this Table is manifest and playne.

A Barly corne is the least mea sure, yet from it do all other mea sures procede, as

• A Finger breadth,
• An Vnche.
• A Hande breadth.
• A Spanne.
• A Fote.
• A Geomtricall Pase.
• An Englishe Pearche.
• A Furlonge.
• An Englishe Furlonge.
• A Leque.
• An Italian mile.
• A comon Germaine mile
• An Englishe mile.

Contey­ninge in it.

• 4 Barly cornes in thick­nes.
• 3 Fingers.
• 4 Fingers.
• 3 Hande breadth.
• 4 Hande breadth.
• 5 Fiue fote.
• 16 Fote & a halfe.
• 125 Pase.
• 660 Fote, or 132. Pase.
• 1500 Pase.
• 1000 pase, or 8. furlōgs
• 32 Furlonges.
• 8 Furlonges.

There is also diuersitie what a Furlong should con­teine in length, & it should appeare that Ptolomaeus, Strabo, & Plinius, do not agree herin.Lib. 2. cap. 23. Natura. hist.

What call you this worde Furlong?

That which the Grecians call [...] & Pli­nie name it stadium [...]. That is, à statione. And it is vsurped, for a place where men exercise ther horse, ronnyng a rase, which length Plinie determineth to be 125. pases, or. 625. fote, by which reason. 8. of these fur­longes [Page 57] do make an Italian or Englishe mile, which be­yng multiplied by 4. makes. 32. furlonges, the length of a comon Germanie mile, I call it à common Germaine mile, for that in Heluetia not obseruing any true distāceHeluetian mi les. in theyr iorneis, they vse 40. or. 50. furlōges for a mile.

Those are Robin Hodes miles as the prouerbe is.

There is also a diuers order in measure obserued, as th' Aegiptians by signes: the Gretians by furlonges: the Spaniardes, & French men by leques: the Italiās, Germaines, & Englishmen, by miles: which I thought mete to declare, more for that it may further you in rea­ding theyr workes, then that I entende to introduce in place any of ther waies, but wil vse only th' English mile,The quantitie of an Englishe mile. writing to Englishe men: the quantitie wherof as I said, is 8. furlonges: euery furlonge conteining 132. pases: eue­ry pase 5. fote: euery fote, 4. handbreadthes: euery hand breadth, 4. fingers in thicknes: euery finger, 4. Barly cornes rounde & dried. So that an Englishe mile con­teineth in length. 253440. Barly cornes, as by the rules of Arithmetike, is manifest & plaine.

This semeth very straunge, yea rather incre­dible, yet surely to be trew, I am assured.

You shall vnderstande matters, both more straunge, & pleasaunt then this, which is founde out by th' infalible rules of Arithmetik, & Geometrie: & now procede we to our purpose, beginning with this word Lō ­gitude.

I take it for no other thinge then the distaunce of à Starre, or part of à signe, from the be­ginning of Aries the first signe, in the Zodiake. As the [Page 58] Virgines spike, in the xvij. degree. xlij. minutes of Li­bra: is vj. signes, xvij. degrees, & xlij. minu. or 197. de­grees. xlij. minu. from the head of Aries.

That signification of Lōgitude, is vsed amongLongitude ta­ken two waies th' Astronomers: but in Cosmographie it is otherwise. For they call the Longitude of any Region, the portion of th' Equinoctiall Circle, which is included betwixte the Canarian Ilandes, (in the West beyng the first degre of Longitude) & the Meridiane of the Regiō, that thou wilt describe. Such portiō of th' Equinoctiall in the mid­des of Englande (from the fornamed Ilandes) is about xxij. degrees.

Then in describinge the face of th' Earth, Cosmographers do place the first degre of Lō ­gitude in the West fortunate Ilandes, & so proced tho­row the whole face of the same, vntill they come to that place agayne.

It is so as you say. So that the myddes of th' Earth is 180. degrees, from the West. Such are th' East Indians, & 360. is the furdest that one can be from the West.

But could not the de­grees of Longitude be accompted from some other parte of th' Earth, as well as from th' Iandes afore said?

Yes verely: but Ptolomaeus the restorer of thisPtolomaeus. Art, placed the first degree of Longitude in them, as the furdest point of the confines & boundes of Afrike, &Hercules Pil­lers. Europe: as the famous, & excellent pillers of Hercules (called of Diodorus (alpe, & Abyle) doth declare. The cause which moued Ptolomaeus thus to do, you shal findeIn Prologo li. 2. Geographiae in his Geographie.

And is ther the like difference, betwixt Cosmographers & Astronomers cō ­cerning [Page 59] the signification of the Latitude of à region, as ther was in the Longitude?

No verely: For they meane nothing els by theWhat Latitud is. Latitude of à region, but th' Arke, or portion of the Me­ridiane circle, conteined betwixt the Pole of the world, & the Horizont of the same region.

And is not this Latitude, reconed frō th' Equi­noctiall vnto either of the Poles?

It is, as in like maner the Longitude, from the West to th' East.

Yet Glarianus accōp­tethGlarianus errour. the Latitude from the North to the South, & not from th' Equator towarde either of the Poles.

It is à small errour, & you your selfe are able to refute it. But nowe will I shewe vnto you howe muche the circuite of th' Earth is, & then make mention of the Zones.

Sir, neuer take it in hande, for the comon people will iudge you madde: seynge you neither haue gone about the viij. parte of it, neither yet for want of yeres you might acheue such an enterprise, althoughe you had so long life giuen you, as Nestor had, because of the hougie Seas, greate Riuers, & depe Lakes, besides Wodes, Rockes, deserte places, & innumerable perils: which I can not repete.

You haue trewly sayd, if ther were none other way to atteine to it, thē by traueling about it: but it shalbe sufficient to haue traue­led any portiō of this great circuit. For Ptolomaeus she­wethHowe to finde out the Circuit of th' Earth. how to find out the Circuit of th' Earth, by searching the distaunce of à great Circle, cōprehended betwixt the vertical points of two (or more) places, distaūt à sunder.

By what meane shall I finde out the vertical pointThe verticall Poynte, Zenit or Pole of the Horizont, is so much distance from the E­quinoctiall, how much the Pole is eleua­ted aboue the Horizōt. And like as the me­ridian, euer do describe the Northe and Southe costes: so dothe the verticall Pa­rallele, the East and West.?

It is equall to the Pole Arctike (the finding of whiche, hereafter I will teache you) & you maye vse th' one for th' other: thē you also in like maner must know the distaunce in miles of these places, after diuid the di­staunce of the two places, by the differēce of the two ver­ticall pointes, & the quotiēt shall shew you howe manye miles do answere to one degree of the saide Circle in the Heauēs. But or we further proced, marke this figure, in which C. is th' earth, A. B. the distaunce of two placis in th' Earth, D. E. the space of the greate Circle in Heauen, betwixte the two verticall pointes.

Now diuiding the space, A. B. by D. E. the quotiēt shal shew the nūber of mi­les. As for exāple: I take th' eleuatiō of the pole at Ports­mouth, whiche is the furdest place on the south shore of Englande, & finde it, 51. degr. 20. minutes: & in likeAn example. sort at Barwike, the furdest place North, whose Lati­tud is 56. deg. 50. mi. The differēce of these. 2. eleuatiōs is. 5. degrees, 30. minutes. Also the directe distaūce from Portsmouth to Barwicke, is 330. miles. Therefore diui­ding the. 330. miles (which is the portiō of th' Earth, an­swering the differēce of these 2. Eleuatiōs) by the 5. de­grees, & 30. minutes, which is the difference: I find the [Page 61] quotient to be. 60. Wherefore in all places in Englande 60. miles, answer to one degre of any great Circle in the heauen.

Then I pray you retorne to your fi­gure againe, and conferre it with your example.

I wil so do. First. A. do represent Barwike. B in like maner Portsmouth, whose eleuations of the pole Arcticke is set ouer their heades. The distance frō. A. to. B. 330. miles, the portion of the heauen betwixte the ij. eleuations is. 5. degrees. 30. minuts: by which I did de­uide the distance of th' Earth. A. B. findinge the quo­tient. 60. And in like sorte you may worke with anye o­ther places in th' Earth.

This serueth well for to knowe what portion of th' Earthe in Englande, answereth to th' Arke of anye greate Circle conteined betwixt the Zenit of two seue­rall places. But what is thys in respect of the Circuit & compasse of the hole Earth?

Yet by this you are able to declare how manye miles answer to. 30. degrees?

Yea verely, and that easely.

And by the same ordre you may find that. 21600. English miles, answere vnto. 360. degrees whyche is the compasse of the heauēs.

This is so euident that all men must nedes cōfesse it, but it semeth very meruailus.

What say you then (which is more) if I make you presentlye to find how many barly cornes in thicknes wil go about the Horizont, if thei might be placed equally?

It se­meth impossible to be brought to passe by any mans de­uise, & therfore you had best omit the worke.

You know how many barly cornes will extend the lēgth of an English mile.

Yes sir, you said. 253440. maketh a mile in length.

Thē if. 253440. cornes make à mile: shall not 5474304000. barly cornes an­swer to. 21600 miles.

And is there any differenceDiuersitie of opinions tou­ching th'earth his circuit. towchīg the cōpasse of th'earth?

Yes for Ptolo. saith 22500. mil. the circuit of th'earth. Tibitius & Alphra­ganus but. 20400. Eratosthenes. 31250. & Hipparchus 34625.

And you differ frō thē all: but wherof doth all this diuersitie spring?

Ether of the diuersitie of the measures, or els that the places Latitudes wer not exactly knowē. As Ptolom. making example of Alexā ­dria & Rodia, calleth Rodia 36. deg. & 50. mi: Wher it is 38 degr. &. 30. min. now behold the Figure.

[Page 63] And seyng you haue learned sufficiently what the Lō ­gitude, Latitude, Circuit, or Compasse of th'Earth is: it should seme very requisite to make playne relatiō, which places of th'Earth are habitable, & which be not.

That thing is very expedient aswel, for the conseruation, as also reperation, & restoring a man vn­to health lost. For by that inuention the temperature of th'Aëre, is easely founde out.

You haue well spoken, & therfore we wyll con­uerte our talke vnto the zones.

It should seme first requisite to declare the na­ture of Paralleles, for by the distinction of them (as I remēber) the Zones are founde out.

It is so, but here note that there are Paralleles which diuideth the Longitude of Regions, & are called Paralleles of Longitude, & also Paralleles of Climates (which in there place I will declare) makinge here men­tion but of v. onely, which haue principall vse in the di­stinctiō of zones. As th'equinoctial, the ij. tropikes, theWhat a Zone is. circles Arcttike, & Antarctike. And these deuide the face of th'Earth in fiue portiōs, or partes, & are called zones, in French bēdes, & we may aptly call thē equi­distaunt places, or Girdles.

And howe is th'Earth diuided into fiue Zones according to the v. parallele Circles?

I will shewe you after Par­menidesParmenides. Possidomus. mind, vnto whō Possidonius (as Strabo witnes­seth) ascribeth th'inuentiō. First directly vnder th'equi­noctial in the heauēs, ther is also in the mides of th'earth an Equino. imagined, & vnder the tropick in the heauē, [Page 64] two tropike Circles in th' Earth: and finallye, vnder the two polary circles in the Heauen, two circles in th' Earth answering in like proportiō: so that th' Earth is parted in v. equall portiōs, which are called zones, as this Figure doeth manifestly set out.

Do you not in this Figure call euery portion betwixt two paralleles: à zone?

Yes verely, as the space betwixt the tropike of Cacer, & Capricorn, in Graeke is called [...], with vs the burning zone,The bur­ning zone. because the sonne goeth ouer th' inhabitauntes heades cōtinually. Also betwixt the tropicke of Cancer, &Temperate zones. the Circle Arctike, [...]. or the temperate zone.

And the portiō betwixt the circle Arctick & the northFrosē Zones Pole [...] we call it Frosen. In lyke maner with th' o­ther two zones southe from th' Equinoctiall, the tempe­rate south zone is called [...], and the frosen zone, [...].

Yet by my computation your table sheweth sexe zones: Two frosen zones, two temperate, and two bur­ninge zones: for the space betwixte the two Tropicke Paralleles, is deuided equally of th' Equinoctiall.

You are in the same error that Polybius was (asPolybius er­ror. testifieth Strabo) but Proclus hereto do aptly answer, where he speke of zones, and I will repeate his wordes of this burning zone only, omitting the rest, whereby it [...]. shalbe euident vnto you, that there are not two, but one burning zone, his wordes are these.

‘ [...].’

‘Reliqua quae inter memoratas quatuor medium locū tenet, quod sub ipso Solistransitu iacet, torrida nuncupatur: à terestri equato­re in duas partes diuisa.’

Th' other zone (saith Proclus) which is in the mids of the. iiij. aforesaid, because it lieth vnder the course of the sonne, is called burning: and is deuided of th' earth­ly Aequinoctiall, in two equall portions.

But what compelled Proclus to saye that it is but one zone: Seinge it is deuided in two, by the aforesaide earthlye Aequinoctiall? I wil tel you, because ther is no alteratiō of the quality, & tēperature of the heauēs betwixt the space and distance of the. ij. Tropikes, but continuallye hote al the yere (by resō of the sōnes iornay in the zodi­ake as in the figure you may se) therfore not only Pro­clus but also Plato, Aristotle, Strabo, Ouide ād Uirgil yea & al authors do make their accōpt but of. v. zones.An obiection.

It shuld seme that this burning zone, for the fer­uēt heat, & the. ij. frosen zones so far distant from the sōnes course, shuld not be habitable, as Ouide doth rightLib. 1. Meta­morphos. excellently in these verses set out.

Well, bycause I will not haue you to erre withThe Answer. Poëtes, & other that suppose these not habitable, I will take the more diligence to driue this Heresie out of yourPtolomaeus. Auicenna. heade, & althoughe Ptolomaeus, & Auicenna were of sufficient authoritie, to make you credit this thing, affir­minge that they haue sene men whiche did inhabite be­twixt th' Equinoctiall, & the tropike of Cancer: yea, & that, ther ar many notable Cities, & Villages: yet I wil vse other reasons then testimonies in this behalfe. And first answer me: Is not the heate of the Sōne cause (that in the Sūmer ceason he inclining toward our habitatiō) that mens colour in ther faces & hādes are made blac­ker, then naturally they are?

Yes verely: & I haue sene some dwellers in litle Vilages, as Plowmen, Heardmen, & Shepehards maruelously sonneburnt.

What wil you cōiecture then of those people that are blacke, face, body & all externe partes of them, doeth it not come of the heate of the Sōne?

It muste nedes so be, and I haue sene men of that colour, & we call them [Page 67] Aethiopians.

Very well, & do not you be­leue that the countrey where they dwell, must of force be vnder the beames of the Sōne?

Els it could not folow that ther colour should so much differ frō ours.

And there is no place vnder the perpendi­culer Sōne beames, but only this burning Zone: & Ara bia (sumwhat frō the Sōne beames situated) is the cause that th' inhabitauntes, are not so blacke as the Aethio­pians: nor the Spaniardes, as th' Arabians: or Frēchmē, as the Spaniardes.

And the Germaynes haue their skinne whiter then the Frenchemen: & we here in Englande, then all these: so that the furder from this burninge Zone, the whiter the skie: and the nerer th' Equinoctiall, the blacker, & more adust & burnt.

Moreouer the Nauigatiō to Calicute, (ofVesputius Columbus. which voiage Vesputius, & Columbus were the first au­thors, & nowe more frequented of the spanierdes, then sayling into coūtreis nie adiacēt to vs) do witnes beare, that vnder this burning Zone there are inhabitaūtes.

by these wordes it is manifest, that the burning Zone is not habitable onely, but also inhabited. And as touchinge the temperate Zones, no man is so folishe, or madde, as to denie them to be replenished with all liuing creatures abūdantly: wherfore if you can proue that the two Zones, next the Poles are also habitable, you shall as farre banish this errour frō me, as the Sōne doth dar­kenes.

Although Ptolomaeus do not describe any parallele beyonde Thylim, whiche is two degr. & more of this side of the Circle Arctike. And [Page 68] that for the situatiō of it, farre distant from the beames of the sonne, and therfore the Waters cōtinually frosen and th'Earth with Snow couered: Yet Erasmus Reign­holtErasmus Reignholt. (and that truley) describeth a Parallele by Hiel­so, an Ilād in Norway which is. 9. degrees beyonde the polary or Arctike circle. Also the grene lande, and in di­uers countreis there inhabited, and the inhabitants are called in Greke [...] in Latine Periscij, and we may call them aptly inhabitantes which haue there shadowe daily declininge vnto all partes of the Horizont.

Then I perceiue that both the burning zone, & also the frosen are habitable and not that only, but also inhabited, although not so plentifullye as the temperate zone. But nowe sence ther is offered good occasion to in­treat of shadowes, and their diuersitie▪ yea and the place serueth aptly for it, or we do further procede. Wherfore I require you, to turne our cōmunicatiō to this matter.

With a right willing mind. You must first vnder­stād that of the diuersitie of shadowes, ther ar. iij. diuers distinct habitatiōs of people found, that is to say, [...]. whiche names also the latinest vse, Am­phiscij, Heteroscij, Periscij, & we wāt apt English ter­mes for them, yet I will make it plain thoughe I vse the more wordes. And first I wil speke of those which we call Amphiscij. You do marke wel that the sonnes course, &Amphiscij. recourse continuallie in the Zodiak maketh the shadow long, and short?

I know that well, and the ne­rer he cometh toward vs, the shorter is the shadow, and the furder he goeth frō vs, the lōger he geueth a shadow.

It is so as you say. But how thinke you, is ther not some place that hath no shadow?

There can be no such.

If the greatest declination of the Sonne from th'Equinoctiall nere to the zenit, & ver ticall poynt, make the shadow shortest that can be in thy region: then where he goeth ouer any zenit, there muste be no shadow.

It should seme to follow.

Yea it muste of necessitie so be.

But where is there any such, ouer whose heades the Sōne di­rectly goeth?

Suche be those that dwell in the burning Zone, which (as I said) is betwixt the two Tropikes, so that when the Sonne is in the beginning of Aries, and Libra, they haue no shadowe, and thereforeAscij hath two Somers & two Win­ters. lib. 9. Plinius calleth thē [...], Ascij, or people withoute sha­dow. And because he is twise yerely in these poynts, thei haue two sommers, and in like case two winters, for that he declineth to the Tropikes of Cancer, and Capricorne.Libro. 9. Wherfore Lucanus spake of such inhabitants very apt­ly, in this these verses following.

I remember that Ptolomaeus in his Alme­gistLib. 2. cap. 4. maketh mention of such inhabitantes, and nameth also such as dwel vnder the tropikes Ascij, but yet I shuld not haue called it to mind if you had not geuē th'occatiō.

Yet thys people whan as the sonne declyneth Northward from them, haue a shadow, which shadow falleth at none stede directlye southe (for of other sha­dowes [Page 70] I make no accompte).

It must neades so be, for the sōne is North frō that thing which geueth the shadowe.

And whan the sonne is in the winter poynt, vnto what coste do the shadowe decline?

It shall fall directly North by the reason of you aleaged.

Here then you se the cause wher of these inhabitauntes were called Amphiscij, and we maye call them double or two folde shadowed.

I vnderstand your meaning.

TheHeteroscij. second be those, which haue the shadow continuallye, to­ward one coste, ether North or South.

Then we be in the numbre of those, for we haue oure shadow directly North.

And such be those that dwel in th' opposite place ofAntipodes. th' earth against vs (& therfore called Antipodes. For the so ne neuer comminge ouer their zenit, they haue the shadow into the South coste perpetually declining, as we haue into the Northe.

This muste nedes be certainly true, but yet I do much meruaile therat.

What so euer is rare, and not commonly sene and hard, is euer meruelous. And the Arabians commynge into Europe, meruailed as muche to see the shadowe Northwarde, as you do to here it is declined (with the aforesaid inhabitants) toward the South cost, & ther­fore Lucanus speaketh of them in this sort.Lib. 3.

There remaineth yet to speke of the thirde sort of people which you named Periscij.

They tokePeriscij. that name because thei (dwelling within the circles arctike & Antarctike) haue the shadow going round about the Horizont.

But yet the shadowe moueth not so swiftlye aboute th' Earth with them, as it doeth with vs (and those you call Amphiscios) for wyth vs it goeth about from the West by the Northe, & so to the East in the space (that the sonne is in oure Hemisphere, & aboue th' earth, whiche at the most is in. xvij. houres.

It is so.

Thē seing the sonne goeth not out of ther sight for the space of. 182. dais, & xij. hours, whiche is there continuall daye: then it should go aboute the horizont but in that lōg place.

That is false. For how think you, doth not the sonne circuit th' earth in xxiiij. houres continuallye?

Yes verely.

Thē doth the shadow go about their Horizōt in the same space of time, except you imagin those Perisci­os, to dwel without the circuit of th' earth.

That were a poynt of demency or madnes: so that as oftē as he circuith th' earth, so oftē in lik case do ther shadow turne about the place of their horizont, which must neades be 182 times.

I am glad you vnderstand the reasō of it, and now behold the table of shadowes.

[Page 73]Ther may many cōclusions by this table be wrought as you shal know or we depart: but now let vs furder proced cōcerninge our talke of zones, in which you must cōsider that these zones of which we haue intreated, ar deuided into climates, & regions.

How doth à climatand à zone differ, they both wer for this cause first inuented, to make diuision of the face of th' earth into sōdry parts.

I confesse no lesse, but they differ in this poynt,How a Zone & a Climate differ. that à Zone doth in it cōtain the fift portiō of th' earth, and à climate but only so much of th' earth, & the lōgest day in that place, do differ from th' equinoctial. xxx. mi­nutes, or half an hour, and are named. vii. in numbre, of all th' auncient Geographers.

Then the first climate shalbe in latitude. xvi. degrees. xliiij. minutes from th' equinoctiall, and the lō ­gest day, shall excede. xij. houres (whiche is the quanti­tie of the daye vnder th' equinoctiall) one houre: for so saithe Ptolomaeus.

It is true, but heare you muste consider, thatPtolomaeus de uision of Cli­mates. Ptolomaeus deuideth euery climate in. iiij. equall porti­ons, & nameth them Paralleles: euery one of them cō ­teining in latitude. iiij. degrees, xviij. min. incresing the quantity of the longest day. xv. minutes: so that Ptolo­maeus (making the first climate xvi. degrees, xliiij. min. in Latitude from th' equinoctiall) meaneth the middes, and not the beginning of the climate.

I praye you or we anye further proceade shewe me the significa­tion of a Parallele.

[...] in Greke (whicheWhat a Pa­rallele is. we also do call à Parallele) is à Circle equally distaunt, [Page 74] from that which is drawne next him, and are described by the course of the sonne and starres, of which the grea­test is th' equinoctial: for that he is furdest frō the Poles, so that the nerer the poles, the lesse is the parallele: and the number of them Ptolomaeus maketh. xxj. as in this figure, in which I haue made. xxj. paralleles frō th' equi­noctiall,

vnto both the poles Arctike & Antarctike, and now to our matter againe from whence we did digresse. You shall consider that euerye Climate hathe à proper name, for the suerer difference of one from an other: [Page 75] & taketh his name of some notable Citye, Mountaine, or Riuer, ouer which the mids of that Climate is drawn As for example.

• The middes of the firste Climate goeth ouer a nota­ble Ilande of Nilus, called Meroë & of that we name it Dia Meroes, that is, the climat going ouer Meroë.
• The seconde Climat is called Dia Syënes of a ci­tye in Egipt called Syënes.
• The middes of the thirde climate is drawen ouer A­lexandria, an other Citye also in Egipt & therfore cal­led Dialexandrias.
• The fourth goth ouer th' Iland of the Rodes, now in subiection to the great Turke, and is named Diarhodou.
• The fift climate Dia Romes going ouer Rome som­time the head of the world, at this preset the sinck of sin.
• The sixte Climate is named Dia Pontou, because it goeth ouer the Pontike seas named Euxinus.
• The seuenth is drawē by Boristhenes a Citye so cal­led & therefore named Diaboristheneos, & not by the Ri [...]hean Mountanes as the vnlerned sort suppose: seing that they ar at the lest. x. deg. frō this climate distaunte.

And what was the cause that they described no places, beyōd the. 7. climate: seing that ther are ma­ny inhabitāts, (as by your words do appeare) wher you made mention of the habitable places in th' earth?

It was, ether because they supposed those pla­ces scāt, or with muche paines habitable for th' extreme cold: or els, that they knew not the parts North frō thē situated, as now we do,

And do they not make [Page 76] mention of Climates drawne South from th'equinoctiall as of the North, of whiche you haue spoken?

They do in like maner deuide that portion, into vij. Climates: but for that they knewe no notable places,South Clima­tes. (as in the north partes from th'equinoctiall) they gaue them the names of the North Climates, with this addi­tion Anti (that is to saye oppositie or againste) as An­tidiameroes, the Climate Southe from th'equinoctiall, opposite or agaynst the north Climat, drawn by Meroë. And so in like sort with th'other, as this figure shewith, in

[Page 77] which .A. B. C. D. do represente the meridian circle, A. the Northe Pole, and .C. the Pole Antarctike .B. D. th'equinoctiall .E. F. the Tropike of Cancer: G. H. the Tropike of Capricorne: the Polary circles .I. K. and .L. M. The Climates of themselfes are euident, hauinge their proper names, to them ioyned: & are drawn from B. D. th'equinoctiall, toward the poles .A. C.

Now I pray you declare the cōtinuation of the Climates, & paralleles.

I wil fulfill your re­quest. The partes of th'Earth Northwardes beinge by painfull, & dāgerous nauigatiōs found out, are deuided also into Climates, we folowing the same ordre that Pto lomaeus, and th'aunciente Geographers vsed: tbat is, e­uery parallele to be distaunt from an other. 4. degrees, 18. minutes: and euery climate one from an other 7. de­greesThe quantitie of climates & Paralleles. 27. minutes: geuing them in like sort apte names of the places ouer which they are drawne: so that in our time, there is founde after the same inuention 96. Pa­ralleles, of which are made 24. climates, and for that it shall not easely be breuied in the poke of Obliuiō, behold I haue drawne out a Table, conteining in it the paralle­les & Climates with the places ouer whicb they directli are described: as also th'eleuation of the pole Arctike, vnto 90. degrees: and the quantity of the longest daye, answeringe vnto euery one of those degrees, whiche Table shall muche pleasure you, as hereaf­ter it shall be euident.

[Page 78]

Can they not in like maner, draw paralleles from th'Aequinoctiall Southward as they do North yea & geue them the same names of the Northe paralleles, with the Greke proposition anti, as thei do in climates?

Yes verely, & they so do, vntill by their trauelsSouth Paralle les. they haue found out the Regiōs, Ilands, Hilles, Riuers & such notable things, of which in like sort the south cli mates & paralleles may take denomination. As at this presēt ther ar South paralleles, which are opposite to the North, & places foūd out, of which they may veri apt­ly take name.

• As the parallele (opposite vnto the North pa­rallele, which goeth by the Canarian Ilands, is drawne by the Riuer Nilus, and Mons Lunae, the Mount of the Moone.
• The parallele opposite to that which is drawne by Syëne, goeth by the Ilandes Mendacascar, Peuta, Necura, the greater Iaua, Candin, and the kingdome of Coilum.
• The parallele opposite to that whiche is drawne by Damascus, goth by the promontory of good hope, cal­led promontorium bonae Spej.
• The opposite parallele, to that goeth ouer the Rhodes, is described by th'Ilands Seilan, & Augama. & they are antipodes vnto Italy, which dwell in Iaua
  Antipodes.
  the lesser. The antipodes to the Lucitanians, are those in the Isle of Seila. There be also diuers other places to­warde the south coast, of which neither I haue heard of any credible person, nor yet red: & therfore can not af­firme [Page 81] any certeine trueth: & will omit it vntill an other ceason.

Yet or we procede further, I must trouble you with one doubt: & that is gathered of the Arabian Phisician Auicenna, who saieth, that th'Aëre is of bestAuicenna. temperature vnder th'equinoctiall, & they are more fre from infirmities of the body then we are, whome you af­firme to dwell in the North temperate zone. For if the paralleles be of this nature, that howe muche the nearer we are th'equinoctiall, so muche the greater is the heate: and howe muche the furder remoued from th'equinocti­all, so muche the colder the qualitie of the aire is: there must seme à manifest repugnancie, betwixt Auicenne, & the Geographers.

I will answer you. Auicenna meaneth not thatAuicenna de­fended. the temperature of th'Aëre is in à meane, neither vehe­ment hote, nor yet extreame could vnder th'Equinoctial, for that were an euident errour, but because the Sonne declineth not more then. 23. digrees. 28. minutes frō the verticall pointe, therfore ther can be no cōtrary qualitie ingendred: as horible could, so that th'Aëre is not subiect to alteration, & contrary qualities, as oures is. & that is the cause why Auicenna thought it most temperat, &Aphoris. 3. proposi. [...] hereto agreeth Hippocrates: ‘ [...].’ ‘Mutationes temporum maximè pariunt morbos, & in ipsis tem­poribus magnae mutationes aut frigoris, aut aestus, alia (que) congruenter ratione eodemmodo.’ [Page 82] that is. ‘The mutation of times do chefely ingender sicknesse: and in the same times, great chaunge either of heate or colde, or other quali­ties in like sorte.’

Then seyng there is no mutation of qualitie of th' Aëre, it is thought temperat. And for that this place is iudged most temperate, there be some that suppose Can Eden, that is to say, Paradise, to be situated vnder th' Equino­ctiall,Pardaise where. as à place of pleasure, voluptiousnes, voide of Al­teration, & cōtrary qualities: Yea, & Lira, interpre­tingLira. Genesis, (where Moses speaketh that Adam, being expulsed from this place of pleasure & ioye, for brea­kyng the cōmaundement: Cherubyn kepte it with à firieEratosthenes. Polybius. sword) saith that the fiery sword is no other thinge then the burning zone. And Polybius with Eratosthenes (as Strabo witnesse) doth affirme the temperatest dwelling to be vnder th' equinoctiall.

Seinge you have made mention of the place most excellent of other in the Earth for pleasure. I pray you let me heare your mindeHell where. concerning Hell the place of all other most horrible, & painfull, as bothe Christians and Ethinckes do confesse.

I will not much of that thing speke, but if Hell be in that place whiche is furdest from the heauen, as paine & grief is furdest from pleasure, and ioye: then it must nedes be in the center of th' Earih, whiche is to saye that part that is in the mids of the same, for that is of all other parts furdest from the heauen. Whych is the cause that not onlye we, but also the Poëts in their tragedies, introduce persons comming out from vnder th' earth & call that place Hell, amonge other, Senica introduceth [Page 83] Thyëstes, coming out of hell, in this maner speking.

But we will leaue such curious questions, and spend the day (which so fast consumeth) in more necessary talke: for behold by my Astrolabe the sonne (being in the xxj. of Gemini) is eleuated. 54. degrees, aboue the Horizōt with vs here in this plaine, and therfore he will shortlye approch to the meridian line.

Then I muste earnestly require you, to teach me some way how I may find him beinge in this line, as also other starres: for my authors make mentiō herof, affirming also that it is one of the chefe things wherwyth to find out the Longitud, and Latitude of places.

I will gladly, keping not backe such waies as I also haue deuised to finde out th' aforsaid line. And first I wil begin with th' inuentionTo finde out the Meridian Line after Glarians ma­ner. of Glarian to find this none stede line, whiche is in thys manner. In any leuell and plaine place, with your com­passe make à circle: in what quātitye you please, in the center of whiche, you shall place a right Wyer, directlye standing vp, that it may geue a shadowe on the circle a­foresaid. Then mark the shadow which the sonne in hys rising & going down in thy Horizōt giueth, as for exā ­ple. A. Is the Wier reared right vp in the center of the Circle: C. the East, & B. the West. The longest shadow that the Sonne maketh aboue the Horizont is A.D: Thē he ascending hier, makes his shadow shorter. A.E. the None steade or Meridian shadow, whiche is shor­test [Page 84]

is A. F. and th'other shadowes G. A: H. A. are in the like sort the shadows which the sōne casteth into the East, after he is past the meridian circle, descending in­to the West.

Shall it be necessary for to obserue the shadow of the thing erected as well th'after noone, as I do from the sonnes risinge vntil noone?

No verely, for whan the shadow doth no len­ger decrese, you drawing from the center to the circum­ference a straight line, shal haue your own desire. Other willing to exchew the tediousnes of time in obseruation,The seconde way. do prouide a Plate of Meatall, well pullished, or some thick planke smothe, and plained, in whiche is drawne à circle as in th'other aforsaid, with a Wyer or like thynge set vp right in the center, and do diligently before none obserue whan the shadow of the Wier in length is equall with the circumference: and at th'end of it make à prick. In like sorte after noone whan as the shadowe commeth vnto the circumference, and make there also à prick, thē [Page 85] with the compasse, deuide the space betwixte these two prickes in the middes, and make there à note or pricke: after draw à right line from the center, to that middle pricke, and it shall alwaye shewe the whan as the sonne is in the meridian or middaye line, for that eleuation of the Pole as in this example.

A. Is the Center B. E. C. F. the Circle drawne in the planke or plate of me­tall A. D. the Gnomon, or thing which geueth the shadowe, AE. the sha­dowe before Noone. A. F. the shadow after none: nowe deuidinge the space E. F. in the middes, whiche is .C. and drawne à righte line from A. beinge the Center, vnto C. and that is the true Meridian line.

This way semeth muche easier, and facile then the other.

Yea and it is also as certaine as th'other, and it was inuented as I suppose of Iohannes de monte regio, or Vitruuius. But Uernerus vseth no other way to findThe. iij, waye. oute thys Line, then onelye a Diall hauinge à perfaite nedle, placinge it on some plaine, and smothe place: & whan the nedle standeth stedfastlye in the righte Line wythin the Diall, it dothe as it were poynte directlye North and South.

This waye in my iudgement doeth ex­cell all the rest, both for the easines therof & also (which you can not do by th'other) that you maye by it finde the Meridiane, or middaye Line, at all tymes bothe daye, nyght, & houre.

You may so, but the neadle doeth sometime erre from right north, & south, as hathe bene obserued, & I will shew you in the treatise of Nauigation: Yea, & how you shall also correct your neadle. but I also haueThe iiij. way. inuented two waies, the first is, I make a plaine & roūde plate, in the mids of which I fix à ruler, hauing two sigh­tes to loke thorow, then whē the sonne risith halfe aboue the Horizont, & half vnder, I (placing my Instrument flat on th'earth) do direct the ruler vnto the same, so that I may see him thorow the sightes: then my ruler not mo­ued, I drawe with à Chalke, or like thing, à right lyne frō the Center, vnto the Sōne, & whan the Sōne goeth down I do in like maner drawe an other Line: then I drawe à right Line from the Line of his rising, vnto the Line of his goynge downe, & diuide this Line in the middes: af­ter I drawe a right Line from the Center, vnto the mid­des of the ouerwart Line, thē I fixe in the Center an vp­right wier, the shadow of whiche at all times shall shewe when as the Sonne is in the Meridiane Line in that habitation: but or we further procede, I wyll giue you hereof an example, in which I do make A. for the Cen­ter, then putting vpon it à wyer, or pricke, I do fasten the ruler ther on: this beyng done, I place my instrumēt flat, [Page 87]

& applie the ruler with his sightes. G. F. vnto the Sōne, & drawe there à Line A. D. in like sorte, whan he is goyng downe, & make an other Line A. C. then I draw à right Line from C. vnto D. which I diuide in the mid­des E. & crosse it with à Line A. B. which is the Line at midday. But in place where I cannot haue this, or otherThe v. way. like instrmēt (whē as I se the sōne to draw very nere the south) I pricke vpright in the groūde à knife, or such like thīg, markīg diligētly how lōg the shadow doth decrease, & whā as I perceaue it decreaseth no more, but rather [Page 88] waxe longe againe, I drawe à line from my knife, to the shadow which serueth for the Meridian line.

I thancke you sir, for this, your gentlenesse, in beating these things into my grose, and dulhed: And I wil put them all in practise whan conuenient time shalTo finde the Noonesteade Line by night. serue, but in the night (I mīding to take the true height of anye Planet, or fixed sterre in the nonestead lyne) what ordre shall I obserue, for then there is no shadowe, which will do pleasure.

Therfore wyth some Quadrāt, Astrolabe, or Ptolomaeus ruler (the fation of whiche I do here place, and the makinge you shall finde amonge th'other Instrumentes) and marke what hys

[Page 89] altitude is, then you may staye a season: after à while ob­serue his hight again, and so from time, to time, vntill he increase no hier, which is a perfect token that then he is in the Meridian line. The same you maye do also with the sonne. And for that nightlye trauell hearein semeth somwhat combrous and painfull, behold here is a Table of the sonnes height, for euery degree of the signes in the Zodiake: his greatest declination being. 23. degrees. 28. minutes, and th'eleuation of the Pole arctike, aboue the Horizont. 52. degrees, 10. minutes.

As concerning the vse of the Table, I wil speke no­thing, but will reserue it for his due place, only admoni­shing you at this present, that first you finde out the place of the Zodiake in signes and degrees, (by some Ephe­merides,Gazophilaciō Astronomicū. or out of my tables in the Gazophilaciō Astro­nomicum) then loke in the ouerpart of the Table, and if that signe be there mensioned, descend downward in the first columne & finde out also the degre, and directly a­gainst it, shalt thou haue the sonnes Meridian altitude. But and the signe be found in the lower part of the Ta­ble, then you shall serch out his degre in the last column, and against it toward the left hand, you shal in like ma­ner finde the Altitude answering hereto.

I praye you geue me example hereof, or you do take in hande any other matters.

The thing is so easy, as it nede no farther wor­king▪ yet I will not refuse in so litle a request, to satisfye your desire. I find the sonne, the first day of the new yere 1558, in the signe of the Goate. xx. degrees) the. 37. mi­nutes

[Page 91] I omit, as not requisite in this businesse) then first I found in the hier part of the table, Capricornus, ther­fore I descending downward (in the second columne a­gainst the. 20. degre of Capricorne) founde. 15. degrees 39. minuts, the altitude of the sonne for the mids of that day. In like maner the same yere, the. 6. day of Septem­bre the sonne had his course in the. 24. degre of the vir­gine, and because I finde Virgo in the lower parte of the Table, ascendinge in the last colunme vpward, find the 24. degre, and against it in the columne of Uirgo. 40. degrees 25. minutes, the Meridian altitude of the sōne, answering that degree: in like sort, do with any degre of th'other [...]gnes, whan as occasion is ministred.

This now shall I alway kepe surely in memo­rye, and because you haue heare apte place to geue me some precepte for th'eleuation of the Pole Arcticke, I desire you herein to show me some instructions.

I will so do, and the rather for that wythoute it you can little preuaile in this Arte: and with knowinge it, and the longitudes of regions, you shall meruelouslye profit.

I praye you then begin firste with the finding out of the latitude of any place.

Whan as the sonne is in either AequinoctiallTo finde oute th'eleuation of the Pole a­boue the Ho­rizont. poyntes, by the helpe of your none steade shadowe, you shal find when he is in the meridian line: then with your instrument take his altitude, whiche you shall subtracte from. 90. degrees, and the remanent shallbe the iust ele­uation of the Pole, as for example.

[Page 92]At Norwich. 1557, the 10. of march, I found the me­ridianeAn obserua­tion. altitude of the sōne by my Astrolabe 37. degrees and 50. minutes, which I did subtract from 90. degrees, and there remained 52. degrees 10. minuts, the true height of the Pole, and latitude of Norwich.

And do you not marke his declination at that time?

I cannot marke that, whiche is not. For inFol. 31. & 32. these poynts he hath no declination, and that you might se in the table seruing that vse which is in the first boke. But although this way is very perfect yet carieth it this discommoditie with him: that you can but twise yearely, take th'eleuatiō of the Pole. And therfore I will showe you also how to find it whan he is in the Tropick poynts.

That is in the beginning of Cancer and Capri­corn.

It is so, you shall finde oute (as afore) wyth your instrument the sonnes height at middaye, whan as he is in the first degree of Cancer.

That time can I finde oute by the helpe of an Ephemerides.

From this height, you shall take away, as your table sheweth 23. degrees 28. minuts: this numbre you shall subtract frō 90. degrees, & the rema­nant shalbe th'exacte Eleuation of your pole, as for ex­ample. I find the height of the sōne at midday in the be­ginning of Cancer. 61. degrees. 18. minutes, from which I take 23. degrees 28. minutes, and there shall remayne 37. degrees 50. minutes, this nomber I take from. 90. degrees (being an hole quadrant) there remaineth 52. degrees 10. minutes, th'eleuation of the pole.

I will proue by your licence, and I can do in [Page 93] like case whan as he is in Capricorn.

Do you so.

I imagine his none steade heighte to be. 14. de­grees. 22. minutes, for because he is farre from our Ze­nit: from which I cannot substract the greatest declina­tion of the sonne, answering the first degre of Capricorn, in the table of declination.

Nor you shall not make anye subtraction. For like as whan he declineth North, from th'equinoctiall (which is from the begin­ningThe Sonnes de clinatiō north. of Aries vnto th'end of Virgo) you shall subtracte his declinatiō from his altitude: so in like maner, hauingThe Sonnes de clinatiō south. his declination South (which is from the beginninge of Lybra vnto th'end of Pisces) you muste adde his decli­nation to the meridian altitude: and subtract thē bothe from. 90. degrees.

Then I wil end my example. I do adde. 23. degrees. 28. min. vnto 14. degrees 22. min. (the nonestede height) which make 37. degrees. 50. mi. & I take this frō. 90. degrees, as you commaunded, and ther remaineth 52. degrees. 10. minutes as afore.

You haue truely wrought.

But is it not possible to finde th'eleuatiō of the Pole euery day? for in traueling it shuld pleasure me.

It is possible to find it not only euery day, but al so euery hour: but I will reserue that vntill an other sea­son, and will shew you how to find the height of the Pole euery day, for whiche thinge I will geue you two sondrye wais: th'one without any other instrumente more then a staffe, or other thing erected to geue à shadow (whyche I haue inuented) th'other way is by the helpe of an instru­ment,The third way with which I will begin. Take the sonnes heighte [Page 94] as before beinge in the Meridian line, then take oute of some Ephemerides his place in the Zodiake, in degrees, & minutes, with which you shall enter into the table of declination, & ther find his declination from th'Equi­noctiall, answering to the said degrees, & minutes. And if it be North, thē subtracte it from th'Altitude Me­ridiā: or if it be South, adde it to the said Altitude: then addyng, or subtracting that numbre from 90. Digrees, there shall remayne the trewe Eleuation of the Pole.

Wyll it please you to let me proue this rule by an example?

Right gladly.

I finde the Sonne in the sixt Digree of Gemini, whose heighte as you see is 59. Digrees 28. minutes, well nye. And nowe I finde in the Table of the Sonnes declination vnder the 6. Digree of Ge­mini. 21. Digrees. 37. minutes 58. secondes. Whiche I subtracting from the sonnes height, ther doth remaine 37. digrees 50. minutes, this I take from 90. digrees, & finde the place in height 52. digrees 10▪ minutes.

Let not this slide out of your memory, because it hath a singuler vse in this art, & by it you may in al pla ces wher you trauaile, finde out the height of the Pole. And nowe I will shewe you my waye howe to finde th'a­foresaideThe. 4. way. eleuation.

And shall your way serue in like maner for eue­ry day in the yeare?

I find out the height of the North starre by the shadow ether. iiij. times in the yere, or els euery day the sonne being in the meridian line.

Then I require you shew me first howe to finde the latitude of any Citie or towne.

right willingly. You shall proueide a staffe, or any rightwand, in what length you please, this you shall deuide into. 60. equall portions. Then take oute of some Ephemerides, or Almanach, the day whan as the Sōne entreth into the first digree of Aries, Cancer, Libra, & Capricornus. At which times set your staffe vpright in some place: And marke the shadow how longe it doth de­crease, & whā it is at the shortest, the sōne is in the noon­stead place. Then at that instaunt take the length of the shadow, & enter into the Table of shadowes: & there thou shalt finde th'exacte Latitude of thy Citie. As for thy better instruction: I find in an Ephemerides the sōne to be in the firste Digree of Aries, 1558. the 12. daye of March. Therfore whan as the sonne approche towarde the south, I set my staffe directly vp, & find the shadow at midday 77. parts, 13. minutes, with which I enter the Table of shadowes (vnder this title, Aequinoctiall sha­dow) & can not finde my number expressed, therfore I finde next vnder my nūber seuentie sixe, 48. vnto which 52. digrees in Latitude do answere, wherfore I workinge by proportion, finde correspondent vnto 77. parts, 13. mi­nutes: 52. digrees, 10. minutes.

Then your minde is, that I shall vse the rule of proportion, in all Tables, where as the perfect nūber is not expresedly founde.

Yea certainly.

Now shew how I may work euery day the same cōclusiō.

It differeth in no point frō the former [Page 96] order, sauinge that in the table of shadowes, you muste only haue respect to the columne of the sonnes altitude, & the shadow answering hereto. Then to finde the de­gre he is in at that present: next in the table of declina­tion to seke out the declination of the same degree, & if it be North, subtract it from the altitude, so the rema­nent from. 90. degrees, & you shall haue your owne de­sire.

But & I finde him to decline Southe, must I adde it to his altitude, & subtract both from. 90 degrees, as you did in the other?

In the same maner in all poyntes. There is al­soThe Astrono­mie▪ Ringe. an other waye to finde the latitude of Regions and Cities by the helpe of the Astronomy Ringe, whiche you shall finde in my boke touching that matter, in whiche I shew the making, as also th'use of the same.

But in the night seasō, how may I find the said Eleuation of the Pole in anye place.

The Mariners vse to find out the latitude of the place by findinge the height of the Northe starre, which they call the lode starre, esteming à degre, or two, in obseruation as no error. But you shall worcke in thys maner: first find out any notable starre (that you knowe perfaitly) in the table of fixed starres, & with Ptolo­maeus rule, or other instrumente, obserue his heighte in the meridian line: then in the table of declination, you shall find how much he declineth North or South, from th'equinoctiall, & obseruing th'order, as you do with the searching out of the Pole by the sonnes altitude Meri­diane, and declination: you shall haue your hole desire.

Will you nowe shewe the findyng out of the Lō ­gitude of any place from the Canariane Ilandes?

It is not so easie, & facile à thing, to trie th'e­leuation of the Pole: but it is as harde, & laborus, to get the Longitude, which was the cause that the Auncient Geographers had onely one way, & that is by obseruing of th'Eclipses of the Mone.

I remember Strabo affirmith the same.Lib. 1. fol. 6.

There is in dede no way so parfit, & suer, as by th'Eclises: therfore king Atreus is worthy eternall fame,Atreus found first oute the time of Eclip­ses. which was the finder out of th'Eclipses of the Sonne, & Mone, (1205. yeares before Christ our Sauiours incar­nation) by whose trauaile we receaue this benefite.

Not we only, that are presētly liuing: but also such as haue bene before vs, & also those that shall here after folowe. But what is the cause of hyr obscuration, doeth not she at that time lose in dede hyr light?

No verely: For it is directly against Aristotle,Aristotle. & all Philosophers well neare, to confesse that the su­percelestiall bodies are subiect to alteration, yea or to af­firme, anye coloure in them. But I wil let that passe, & wil show you the cause of her eclipsing, which is no otherThe cause of the mone E­clipsed. thing, thē the mone being (in oppositiō of the sōne) ether in the hed or tail of the dragō: the shadow of th'erth is be twixt the mone, & our sight. So that as longe as she is in perfit oppositiō & without latitude, so lōg doth she cōti­nue in darknes.

And is she not Eclipsed at no other time then only at the Ful?

No certeinly & ther fore Lucan doth aptly in his first boke opē the cause, & [Page 98] time of the mones Eclipsation, in these versis.

These verses are short, & very full of eloquēce.

Yea & they are also easy to be vndarstand, for she neuer resembleth the figure of the sonne (whō Poëts call her brother) but only whā she is at the ful, at which time beinge in th'opposite place to him, th'earthe (as I saide) shadoweth her from oure sightes. But let that passe, and beholde to serue thy vse in this behalf, I haue calculated such Eclipses of the mone, as shall happē frō the yeare of oure Lorde. 1560. vntill the yere. 1605: Applying the time of ther beginning, in yeares, daies, houres, & minuts, vnto the meridiā of Norwich ex­actly, whiche is. 22. degrees, and. 30. minuts, from the Canarian, or West fortunate Ilandes.

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[Page 103]Whan as thou wilt finde the longitude of any Regi­on,Howe to finde the Longitude of Regions by an Eclypse. Country, or Uillage, by an Eclipse, do in this manner. Obserue diligently the perfaite time, whan as she begin­neth to be eclipsed (either by some perfait Dial, or clock, or els by the heighte of some fixed sterre) and if the time of hyr beginninge, do agree with that whiche thou shalt find here calculated, know certainly that thy Meridian and longitud, is all one with Norwich: but if they differ, do in this order. Subtract the lesser time, from oute of the greater, & the differēce turn into degrees, & mi. of the Equinoctial. Thē if the time in the beginning of her ob­scuration be more, then that which I haue heare placed: adde this difference in degrees, and minuts, vnto the lō ­gitude of Norwiche, (because the place is East from it, and you shall haue the perfait lōgitude. But and she be­gin soner with the, to be Eclipsed then is here mētioned, subtract the difference aforesaid in digrees & minuts, from the Longitude of Norwiche (because thou arte West from it) & you shal haue the Longitude desired.

Howe shall I torne the houres, & minutes of the day into digrees, & minutes of th' Equinoctiall?

You must giue to euery houre, 15. digrees: &How to turne the houres of the daye into degrees & mi­nuces. to euery 4. minu. of an houre, one digr. of th' Equinoctial: & euery minu. of an houre, 15. minu. of th' Equinoctiall: as this Table folowyng shall alway declare. And nowe I wyll giue you à twofould example. Anno. Christi. 1558.An obseruati­on of an E­clipse. the second day of Aprill, there was à great Eclipse of the Mone, so that she was darkened x. pointes well nere, & began to come vnder the shadowe of th' Earth at Nor­wich, [Page 104] at x. a clock 37. minutes at night (as by taking the height of à fixed sterre, called the virgins spike, did eui­dently appeare) now willing to note mens obseruations in other places, I finde that Leouitius Cyprianus, in hys boke of Eclipses, apoynteth it to begin at Augusta in Ger many 23. min. after xi. a clock at night. Then to find the longitude of Augusta frō Norwich I subtract. x. houres 37. min. frō xi, houres 23 min, ther remaine 49, minuts,

[Page 105] with which I enter into this tahle, & finde answeringe to. 46. minutes of time. 11. degrees. 30. minu. of th' equi­noctiall, & because that the beginning of the Eclipse, is later at Augusta▪ then at Norwich, it sheweth the situ­ation to be East from it. Wherfore I adde the difference of time tourned into degrees vnto 22. degrees 30. minu. (the longitud of Norwich) & ther ariseth. 34. degrees the longitude of Augusta. In like manner 1559. the. xvi. day of September, at 3. of the clock 19. min. after dinner, the mone shall begin to be darckened at Norwich, whi­che at Tolet in Spain shall happen at 2. of the clocke. 22. minutes. The difference in time is 47. minuts. I conuert them into degrees, & minutes of th' equinoctiall (as be­fore) & finde 11. degreet 50. min. And because that the Mone is darkned soner at Tolet, then Norwich, I sub­tract this difference frō Norwich & finde. 10. degrees, 40. minutes, the longitude of Tolet which is West from Norwich.

But this Eclipse of the Mone, shall not be sene in the beginning, nether ende at Norwiche, or Tolet?

True it is, because the Mone being in the perfit opposition of the sonne, can not shew her self aboue our Horizont, before the sōne be vnder th' Earth, which is not vnto. 6. of the clocke.

How can you then shew the true time of her be­ginning at Norwiche, or Tolet, whan as she is not sene of their inhabitauntes?

right perfetlye. Con­ferring the meridian of Norwich, or Tolet, wyth other places East from them, whereas the beginninge shallbe plainly of these inhabitants perceiued. But in this place [Page 106] it is broughte in onlye for example. And althoughe thys waye of finedinge the true longitude be bothe certain, and mooste easiest of all other: yet it hathe this dis­comodity, because th'eclipses happen rarely, and seldom, as twise in à yere at the most, & sumtime but once in .ij. yere. Furthermore ther hapeneth sumtime impedimēts that at the time also of her Eclipsing, we cannot obserue her beginning or end, either because the cloudes are be­twixt our sight, & her, & so is shadowed: or els that she is vnder our Horizont, at that presēt season. Wherfore P. Apiā practised an other way, how to find out th'afor­saidApians waye to find out the Longitude of places. Longitude, yea & that euery night & hour of the same, so that the Mone be aboue the Horizont, & the aire cleare and faire.

We are bound to haue him in much estimatiō, which by his labours, hathe supplied that we did wante: but what is his inuention?

I will shew you, ther are thre thinges required vnto this busines, the Astro­nomersIacobes staffe. staffe, also called Iacobes staffe (the makinge of which you shall finde among th'other instrumentes) the second is the true place of the Mone in the Zodiake, in degrees, & minutes, for the hour you make obseruatiō, (whiche you may take out of an Ephemerides) and the iij. is the longitude of a fixed sterre, which you may take out of the Table of fixed sterres in my firste boke. TheseFol. 27. had, you muste take your staffe with the Crosse on it. and applye the one ende of the Crosse to the Center of the Mone, and the other vnto the sterre: which thing to do, you shall remoue the Crosse vp and downe, vntill [Page 107] the endes of the staffe touch both the center of the mone & also of the sterre. Thys ended, the crosse shall shewe you what the distaunce of the Mone, & starre is in de­grees & minutes. Then take the distaunce in degrees, & minuts of the Mone, & fixed sterre, which you had before the obseruation: And substract these .ij. distances, th'one out of th'other, the remanet deuide by the portiō that the mone moueth in one hour, And that shall shew you the time, whan as the Mone was ioyned wyth the starre (if the starre be West from her) or whan she shall be ioyned with the starre, if it be East from the Mone. This time being had, you shall turne it into degrees, & minutes of th'equinoctiall, (as I said in th'other precept afore, & the table sheweth) & if the mone be West ofWhan the Mone is West of the Starre What is to be wrought. the starre, do in this manner. Marcke whether the dif­ference of the mone, & starre found by thy obseruation, be greater then the difference foūd by the ephemerides, & the lōgitude of the fixed starre: if it be lesser, thē sub­tract the time turned into degrees, & mi. from the me­ridian for whiche th'Ephemerides are Calculated, because thy place is west from it: but and the difference be greater, then adde the degrees, & mi. to the Longi­tude (for which th'Ephemerides ar supputated, because thy place is East from it) & so shalt thou haue the true Longitude desired. Moreouer thou must consider if theWhā the mone is Easte of the Sterre. Mone be East frō the Sterre, then thou shalt worke con­trary (that is to say) if the distaūce found by obseruatiō, be lesser thē th'other, you shall subtract it frō the lōgitud knowē, because thi place is west frō it, but & this differēce [Page 108] be greater, then adde it to the fornamed Longitude, be­cause thy place is East from th'other: & so withoute er­roure, thou shalt haue thine owne desire. And this waye also, is excellente to correcte the course of the Mone, and amend the tables, out of which hir mouinges are taken: if they do erre at any time.

I must neades con­fesse your words true, whā you said how much any thing excelled other in knowledge, so much the more it was cō ­panion with difficultie. For except you geue me an exā ­ple, I shall neuer attain the perfait meaning hereof.

I will geue you an exāple of that time, which I obserued my self to find out the lōgitude of Norwich.

Anno. 1558. the second day of February, at. x. a clockeAn example, at night, I found the place of regulus (called also the li­ons hart) in longitude degrees. 23. 32. minut. in Leo: the Mone also at that present, in the .xxi. degree .xl. min. of the same signe (hir place being calculated for Anwarp, which is xxvi. degrees. xxxvj. minutes) I subtracte the place of the mone, from the longitude of regulus, the di­stance .j. degre .lij. min. that she is West, from the sterre. Then I take my staffe & (with one eie closed) I moue the crosse vp & down, vntill th'one end was equall with the Center of the Mone, th'other ende with the Starre. Then I find by that obseruation, the Mone to differ frō regulus, j. degree. 43. min. This numbre I take from the first difference, ther remaineth 9. minutes. Thē inquire I out, how many min. of time, answer vnto. 9. min. of the Mones course, (making the Mone to moue in one hour xxxv. minutes, & find .xvj. minutes of time: which tur­ned [Page 109] into degrees of th'equinoctiall, make. 4. degrees: & because the Mone is West of the sterre, & the distance found by the staffe lesse in number, therefore I subtracte the. 4. degrees from the longitude of Anwarpe, & there remaine. 22. degrees. 36. minutes, which differ littel frō the other obseruations.

The difference of. 6. minutes in Longitude, is small or no error, whan as. 15. minutes of th'equinoctiall, make but one minute of time.

True it is.

By youre exāple, the precept semeth more eui­dent, & I mistruste not, but with diligence to make in other places, the like obseruation.

I will open vnto you an other waye to finde theAnother way. Longitude of any region, in euery place, as well daye, as night, & that euery houre, most necessary for thē, which either sayle, or trauell.

But you do then obserue the distaunce of the pla­ces, in miles.

No verely, for if I were caried by lande into places vnknowē (blindfilded, as they terme it) or by the violence of troublesome wether, on the sea, driuen from my course, I can declare how many miles I am from my countrey, & how many leaques from my proper course.

Then surely, it must haue in it muche diffi­cultie, seyng that there springeth of it so muche vtilitie, and profite.

The waye is very facile, & without great la­boure, & I will no lenger make you muse theron. [Page 110] You shall prepare à parfait clocke artificially made, such as are brought from Flaūders, & we haue thē as excel­lently without Temple barre, made of our countrymen.

Do you not meane such, as we vse to weare in the facion of à Tablet?

Yea truely, when as you trauell, you shall set the nedle of youre Diall exactlye on the hour found out by the sonne on the daye, & by some starre in the night: thē traueling withoute intermission, whan as you haue traueled .xx. yea .xl. miles or more (if your next place, whose longitude you desire be so far di­stant) then marke in your Diall, the houre that it shew­eth: after with an Astrolabe, or Quadrant, finde out the hour of the day in that place: & if it agre with the same which your clock sheweth, be assured your place is north or South frō the place you came from, & therfore haue the same lōgitude, & meridiā line. But & the time dif fer, subtract th'one, out of th'other, & the differēce turn into degrees & minut. of th'equinoctiall as before, then adde or subtract, as in th'other .ij. precepts, going before. But now behold the skie is ouer cast with cloudes: wherfore let vs haste to our lodgings, & ende our talke for this presente.

With a righte good will.

SEINGE THAT in oure laste daies talke, it was made euidente vnto you, what the Longitude, Latitude, & Circuite of th'Earth was, how you al­so might find the same by diuers & sondrye waies: moreouer the deuision of th'Earth into zones, by the helpe of Paralleles: it shuld seme nowe conueniente, to shewe you the cause where­fore all these are learned, & to what finall end they are desired. Therfore, leaste you shulde be lefte destitute ofThe principall part of Cosmo­graphie. the principal tresure of Cosmography, that is to delineat, protract, or set forth the platforme of th'vniuersall face of th'earth: or els perticulerli any one portiō of the same: I will this day also do my endeuor, to shewe you the waye how to attain hereunto.

Wold to god, that fortune had vnto me geuē of her tresure, that I might sōwhat (al though not recōpēce) yet shew forth my good wil for this your great pains, & trauell. For in dede siluer & gold,The noble re­warde, of lear­nyng in times paste. is to base to recōpence knowledge with, & that did the famous kinges & princes in th'old time well perpende: [Page 112] Whan they did not only geue th'inuentors (of any new Science, Art, or profitable thing for à publike weale) a­boundaunce of treasure: but also for perpetuall memo­rye, made an Image to represente suche à persone, and called him à God for his inuention. So was Neptu­nusNeptunus. called God of the seas, for that he founde the Arte of sayling. Aeolus, the God of windes, because he inuen­tedAeolus. the true vse of them. Ceres à Goddesse, for finedingeCeres. out tillage. But what make I discourse in these thinges to you, whiche knowe them muche better then I.

Heare by I gather your good will to th'aduance­mente of learning. But it is not treasure which at youre handes I craue, but only that you shew your selfe enemy vnto ignoraunce, thorowe your industrious labour, both in profitinge your selfe, & also your natiue country. But or we procede further in thys oure busynesse, I wyll brieflye open vnto you certaine names, whiche we vse in Geographie, with th'interpretation of the same: and hi­stories with Poëtes abound also with them. And firste you muste consider that th'Earthe beinge inuironed, & compassed aboute with the greate Ocian seas, semeth as it were an Ilande (after Strabo his minde) notwith­standinge there is à greate difference betwixt an Iland,What an I­lande is. and th'Earthe: for an Ilande, is a portion of th'Earthe seperated from the hole, by waters whiche do circuite it on euerye side, so that you can not iourney by lande, ei­ther from Europe, Asia, or Afrike vnto your coūtry, but muste vse herein Nauigation.

Unto your description do agree, America, Si­cilia, Iaua, the Rodes, Candie, Delos, Therasia, and England, in which we inhabite.

It it true, now you shall furder note that the seas deuide th'Earth. 4. sundry waies, for either it is an Iland, or little differing there from (and therfore cal­led Peninsula) or Isthmus, or Continēs.

So that Peninsula, differeth from anPeninsula. Ilande, because in some parte, it is ioyned to à greater portion of th'Earth wythoute seperation: as Tauricà, Thrasia, Cherronesus, also Cymbrica & Aurea, in India.

Isthmus, doeth differ from them botheIsthmus. & signifieth à portion of th'Earthe, hauynge of eyther sydes the raginge Seas: suche are founde agreable to this description properly, Corinthiacus, and Thra­sius.

But howe doeth Continens differ from theseContinent. three?

I will shew you, it is à portiō of th'Earth, which is not parted by the Seas à sounder, but is continually in length, so that you may go from one parte vnto another without nauigation: as Saxonie, Bohemie, Sueuelande, &c.

By these I gather there is no portion of th'Earth, but it is either an Ilande, or that whiche you call Peninsula, Isthmus, or Continens.

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No verely, but nowe beholde the figure. Yet ther remaineth to shew you what this worde, Oceā Sea, meaneth, what we call Promontorium, Fretum, La­cus, Stagnum, Fluuius, Palus, &c. which I reserue vn­till we speake of Nauigation: And nowe we will tourne to our scope. You shall cōsider that the face of th'Earth is protraste, & drawne two sundry waies: either on à roūd plate forme, for which inuention the Globe moste aptlye serueth: or els on à plaine plat forme, as à Card in which we drawe th'vniuer sall Earth, or els but the half, or the one part: yea, & you please but one particuler Region: which is proper to Chorographie (as I said to you in the first booke.

Th'inuention should seme much bet­terAn objection against the te restriall Globe. to drawe th'Earth in à playne plate fourme, theron à Globe, for in it, we maye behoulde the whole face [Page 115] of th'Earthe, wythout anye remouynge or tournynge of the Carde: & on the Globe you shall be compelled to turne firste one parte, & then another, or you can vew any great portion of it.

Yet because it doeth most euidently in figure,Th'Answere. represent the forme of th'Earth, it should seme more apt for this institution. But I will leaue his composition vn­till I shewe you the making of it among other instrumē ­tes. And your cause alleaged against this forme, as I sup­pose, did minister occation to Ptolomaeus, to delineat, & describe th'Earth in à plaine forme. And bicause that right lines onely vsed in this busines, did cary errour with them (as the fornamed Ptolomaeus noted in Ma­rinus the Geographers inuention) therefore he vsed in this protraction, suche lines as might answere proporti­onallye, the lines discribed in a Globe: But nowe I will leaue to vse more wordes herein, & will begin the work it self. And least that the difficultie of the thing mighte somwhat discouragie you, I will first nosel & traine you vp in making a cart for à Region. But here note that àA particuler carde, made. ij. waies. perticuler card is made by knowing the distance of pla­ces: without Longitude & Latitude of Regions, which forme of working I wyll here after open: or by Longitu­des, with which firste we will begin. And then shewe you the making of à Carde, for the eight part of th'Earth, af­terThe argument of the third [...] booke. for halfe th'Earth, & last for the hole vniuersal face of th'Earth.

I thanke you sir, & nowe I perceiue your great care in obseruing à methode, & or­der in teaching, with the manifolde vtilitie springing of [Page 116] the same: But seing you wil begin first with the descrip­sion of à Regiō, I pray you let your diligence that waye bende, to the settyng out of our countrey. So shall the ex­ample be the more familier, & your paines nothing the greater.

I wyll accōplish your desire, in describinge à per­ticuler Regiō, Countrey, or Prouince, Firste you shall drawe à right line in such length (in the middes of yourThe maner of making a per­ticuler Carte for any Regiō. parchement, or paper) as it will aptly receiue. This line shall represent the meridiā Line for the middes of that Regiō. Then diuide this line into so many equal portiōs, as the latitude of the regiō is: drawynge right Lines, or paralleles, in euery of the same diuisiōs, according to the capacitie [...]f the plat forme of thy paper, or parchement, & write on th'endes of these paralleles, 32. 33. 34. or 40. 41. 42. according to their distaunce frō th'Equinoctall. after you shall cōsider howe many digrees the north part of your regiō is frō th'equinoctiall, & entringe into this Table folowing (which is intituled the quātitie & pro­portiō of th'Equinoctall, or any great Circle, vnto euerye parallele both North and Southe from them) searche how many minutes, and secondes answereth to the fur­dest of these degrees in latitude, & with thy compasse, take the like space in anye of the diuisions of latitude: and then beginninge at the hier parte of the Carte (for that shall represente the Northe parte) make prickes with thys compasse from the Meridiane line, on bothe