THE FIRST LECTVRE, Of an Introduction to COSMOGRAPHIE, (VVhich is a description of all the WORLD) read publickly at Sr. Balthazar Gerbier His ACADEMY, AT Bednall-Greene.
LONDON, Printed by Gartrude Dawson, and are to be sold by Hanna Allen at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley. 1649.
The publique Lecture of an Introduction to Cosmographie (which is a description of the whole World) read publique at Sr. Balthazar Gerbier his Academy at Bednall Green.
Cosmographie is the description of the Celestiall and Elementary Region.
IN the Celestiall region, we learn to know Heaven; its matter, its qualitie, the Planets, their motions, their order, &c.
In the Elementary, we see that most admirable establishment of the Elements, who by their unequall proportioned assemblage doe compose so many sorts of mixtures as we see here below.
This will be held forth with their qualities, properties, and situations.
And we shall see in that which serves for a Center to the universall world, store of satisfying remarkable and necessary things, viz.
- 1. The proofs of its Circular form;
- 2. Which of the Earth or of the Water, doth passe the one or the other in quantities.
- 3. The off springs of Springs and Floods.
- 4. The smalnesse of the Terestriall Globe; not onely in comparison of Heaven; but also of the Sun and of the Stars, how the said earth can be measured in its superficie and Soliditie.
Then wee shall make the description of the Circles, which must be imagined to be in the Heaven; to the end, we may learn the course of the Asters▪ and the effects which we feel of them; as their rising and their going down: The Summer and Winter, the long and the short dayes.
The Solstices and the Equinoxes, from whence proceeds the different Constitutions of the Earth; And thus many things, the curiosity whereof is extreamly commendable, prove to be altogether necessary to those that doe desire to passe for men of knowledge and understanding.
And to make an end in our Sphere; we shall achieve with a Lecture on the Meteors, wherein all the impressions which are made as well of Fire as of Aire, and of Water in the high, middlemost, and low region of the Aire shall be clearly brought and reported unto us.
That is to say, whence proceedeth, in the high region of the Ayre, the impressions of Fire viz. D [...]rds, Lances, Flying-stars and Commets which in the Heaven seem sometimes to be all on fire; the lightning thunders, and thunderbolts in the midlemost and in the lowermost; the wilde-fires, glow-worms, &c.
Next to this, the impressions of the Ayre, as the Windes, Storms, and Whirle-windes; those of the Waters, as the Clouds, the Rayns, Snow, and Haile, both made in the middlemost.
Then wee sh [...]ll proceed to other impressions, concerning that Crown of splendor which is about the Sunne, the Rainbow; and then we shall descend to know, whence proceed Fogs, Dews, Frost, and Ice.
We shall end with the three kindes, Minerall, Vegetall, and Animall; seeing in the Minerall, the generation of the Minerals in the bowels of the Earth, their qualities and allyances; and how they are seven, correspondent to the seven Planets. Then the Stones of all kinde, and the Saps condensing [Page 3]in the Mines, as Vitriol, Alum, &c.
In the Vegetall gender, wee shall consider the nature of Plants, their faculties to put forth, and to multiply by their seed; then we shall conclude by the Animals, which besides the Soul and Vegetating faculty and putting forth, have more and above the sensitive, which gives feeling and motion, and are much above the Plants; all their Organes and naturall parts being much the more perfect.
But there are of two sorts of them, the Irrationall and rationall: Beast and Man.
Wee shall leave the Beast to speak of reasonable.
Let us then say, that Man more worthy then all things hath been created by God; for that by his word all things have been made, Fiat Lux, Gen. 2. the light hath appeared; Formavit Dominus Deus hominem de Limo Terrae, & inspiravit in faciem ejus Spiraculum vitae, & factus est homo in animam viventem; and hath animated him and indoved, besides the precedent said qualities, with an intelectuall Soule, whereof depends the understanding and the will.
Now let us consider I beseech you, how the mercy of God hath always increased some perfection of degree in each body, to make in man a fulnesse of the perfection of all his works; and ha [...]h set him as a King to command, and to make use of the aforesaid things: Et praesit piscibus Maris & volatilibus Coeli, & Besti [...]s, universaeque terrae, omnique reptili quod movetur in Terrae; which are onely made for his use and advantage, for God was no lesse before the world, then he is; and had no need of them to be more glorious: We ought therefore to have a great and deep sence of acknowledgement; and that our labour be not in vain, we must consider that great Architecture, in his wisdome, in his power, in his liberality, and in his bounty; Adore him, honour him, and admire him in all his attributes, and thank him incessantly, not onely for the present means (the vicissitude whereof sufficiently [Page 4]sheweth its vanity) but for the hope of eternals. to which he hath designed us, provided we prove true, and that by Faith, made good by our works, that we doe acknowledge him.
But unhappy man, that the creature is more praised then the Creator, the gift preferred to the Giver; and that which we should but take passing by (as Christian prudence permits and wils) we doe abuse, of it by a most horrid blindnesse, preferring a thing which we all know to be created in the order of Nature, to the Author of it.
With horrid shame and confusion therefore the insensible things tell unto those their Lesson, that dare so boldly and so impudently abuse of that great authour, guider and preserver of all things.
But he will not be abused, doe what thou canst, O enraged Atheist! thou perverst wit, of the perverst time; and he will in the dayes of vengeance make thee confesse thy wilfull malice; for ignorant thou art not, thy senses doe condemne thee, so doe the Elements; who dayly seek their elementary place, the fire being light it ascends; the Ayre being lesse light, remains lower: the Earth the heavier of the foure holds the Center; the Water which is lesse swim's above it.
Now those things that are mixt, as they have one of the elementary qualities in degrees eminent above the others; they likewise seek their Sphere, and do not rest untill they are come where they should be.
A Stone would descend to the center of the Earth if there were an overture; Wood swims above the Waters, and why?
Because there is more ayre and fire in its composition, then in the Water, nor in the Stone: and let man do what he will, it shall ever be so, and why? Because God hath created them, and hath given unto them the light and heavy qualities, who [Page 5]cause that motion, which makes the light things to ascend, and the heavy ones to descend; and this is inviolable, and all obeyeth unto it.
Now let us come to Man, made by God as well as the other Elements, and all things; and wherefore? Is it not to be a beholder of his greatnesse, and to adore him? That is the end: He hath made him to his resemblance, given him a Soule, with a reasonable taste.
To what can it be more fitly applyed, then to follow in all things the design and intent of his Maker, from the beginning to the end: and its without doubt the true reason, and the true vocation of man; and thence it is, man ought no more to depart from it, then the Stones to descend, and the Fire to ascend: God hath created thee O man to this effect; and it is his purpose; but if thou doest not follow him, to what serves thy intelligence, knowledge, and thy will, but to harden thy self against the will of God? and more then all inanimate things, and to hinder the effect of his purpose in thee: O man, think on this, and hold it for certain, that if thou dost imploy that Talent which thou hast, to render more honour to vice, and to thy wilfull unruled sences then to God, thou art unworthy to be put beneath the insensible things; and that instead thou was created for an eternall blisse, to the contrary, thou doest deserve to endure eternall torments.
Whereof God in mercy preserve us all, and grant unto us that true reason which may preserve in us his true workmanship, and enable us to destroy our own: Dele quod fecisti ut Deus salvet quod fecit; saith the great Augustin.
Now let us enter into some particulars concerning this World, and for our present use, disposing our selves to contemplate the same from above with more security.
We shall begin with the Spheare.
What the Spheare is.
THe doctrine of the Spheare, is the knowledge of the World.
The World is the assembling and the order of all that God hath created; it is the composed of Heaven and Earth, or of the Celestiall region, and of the Elementall region: Therefore it is called Vniverse; and for to have a more perfect intelligence of this science, there hath been made an artificiall Spheare; this instrument is of a round form, composed of circles, by the which (though imaginary) the motion of the Heavens is shewed; the reason of the changing of seasons, that of the difference of dayes and nights, according to the places of the earth, in effect, the order of the World to the resemblance of which this instrument hath been made.
What Heaven is.
AS we have not a designe to make a building in the Ayre, but to prove all that which we shall say; it is necessary to prove, that there is a Heaven, before we come to its qualities: but it is a thing very easie, because that nature suffering no emptinesse, it must of necessity be that that space, which is from the Firmament and imperiall, unto the lowermost of the Planets, (which is the Moone) be filled of some matter; now this matter is called Heaven, which is simple, solide, fixt, shining, transparent, incorruptible, and exempted from changing.
Of the qualities of Heaven
ALL Naturall things have two principles; God first, then Nature; to the which he hath given full power to work, by a certain universall spirit which he hath inclosed in her.
The Naturall things are corporall essences, which subsist of themselves, and issue of the union of the matter and of the forme: Now then nature consists in these two points, in the matter of the which the naturall bodies are ingendred, and in the forme which causeth them to be th [...]t which they are; but the matter is susceptible of divers formes, and hath not so soon lost one, but it takes another; and for as much that it cannot receive any before it be deprived of the Precedent; The Phylosophers have established three Principles, the Matter, the Forme, and the Privation.
Now, there is two sorts of naturall Bodies, some simple, and some mixt: The simple are the Heavens and the Elements, because they are simple in their creation, and can never be changed in divers formes; the mixt to the contrary, are those which draw their composition from the Elementall Qualities, and are susceptible of divers formes.
The Matter of the Heaven is then simple, it is also solid and fixe, because that the Starres which from the beginning of the world untill this present move and turne, have never changed, nor varied their figures, nor the distances which they have the one with the other, and this order could not have been conserved without some solid thing which constrained them thereunto, which can be no other thing then the solid and fixt matter of the Heaven; Likewise it's the opinion of the most sensed, and the most approved which is authorized of the ancient Astronomers, Which have writen that the Starres are of the same matter that Heaven is, but more thicke because they stop the light of the Sunne, and not the Heaven (as we shall show hereafter) and said that the Stars were in Heaven, as the knurre in boards; others will have the Sarres and Planets to be in a continued aire, like as Birds in the aire, but there ought to be many particular properties, to maintaine them all in an order so Permanent and unchangeable against the violent swiftnesse of so many contrary [Page 9]motions: I doe also let passe that opinion with the Flight of their Birds.
The matter of Heaven is of an aboundant shining, since that the Sunne, the Moone, the Starres are so, which are of the same matter; but to say better, the matter of Heaven is Transparent, and the Sun and the Stars are not, that the Heaven is transparent, its easie to prove it, and the experience doth to much manifest it unto us; for if the Heaven of the Moon were duskie, it would hinder to see the Sun and the other Stars which are above it: For the Sun, the Moon and the Stars that they are dusky, their eclipses do give it us to understand.
This matter is also incorruptible, and consequently exempt of changing since it is simple, and in its quarters the generation findes no employment.
Of the Celestiall Region.
THE Celestiall Region is the assembling of all the Heavens, it wholy comprehends it; we shall see the order and the course in its place.
Their mater, as we have proved, is solid, of the which are the Stars and the Planets but more compacted together, that is to say, that the matter is more gathered and as Polished bodies receive and cause the light which they borrow of the Sun to reverberate (as we shall prove hereafter) for the Heaven it is transparent.
There is two sorts of Stars, Fixe and Errants; the Fixed are those which never change their figures and have all one the same Motion, which is that of the Firmament; The Errants are the Planets which have all different motions with that of the Firmament, they are seven, to the which the ancient have given the names of their Deities, for the power of [Page 10]their influences, viz. Saturne, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Mercury, Venus and the Moon.
Duskie Matter, is that which gives no passage to the Light, as the Wood, the Stone.
Solid and Fixed Matter, is that which suffers not easily penetration, as the Glasse, the Chrystall.
Penetrable Matter is that which suffers with facility Penetration, as the Aire, the Water, and the Fire.
Transparent Matter, is that which gives passage to the Light, as the Glasse and the Christall.
The Matter of Heaven, is then Solid, Fixe, Impenetrable and Transparent.
That there are many Heavens.
ITs proved that there are many Heavens by the diversity of the motions in this manner.
Since the matter of Heaven is solid, two Planets having different motions cannot be in the same Heaven; by the same reason it ought to be noted that its not the Planet which moves, but its Heaven, otherwise they would penetrate the matter which is solid; But the Sun and the Moon have different motions: For the Sun atchieves its course in a year, and the Moon in a month, then the Sun and the Moon cannot be in the same Heaven; by this reason there being not two of all theseven Planets which have the same motion, there shall require seven Heavens for the seven Planets, the matter of Heaven being fixe and impenetrable.
There can be said against this, that there may be one onely Heaven of an impenetrable matter, in the which many spaces are imagined, by the which the Planets having different motions can make their courses: but this comes alwayes to the point, viz. That there must alwayes be seven spaces for the seven Planets, which must be filled with seven bodyes, [Page 11]which are called Heavens, which are joyned the one to the other.
Of the Firmament or eigth Heaven.
WEE have proved that there are seven Heavens for the seven Planets: we will shew yet that there must be another Heaven for all the fixed Stars, different from the seven others. For the antient Astronomers having observed, that the motion of the Stars was very slow, and did not advance; but from a hundred, to a hundred years a degree: It hath then been necessary to admit an eigth Heaven; In the which are all the fixed Stars, which doe not vary their situation, distance, nor figure; and this Heaven is called Firmament.
If the Stars are infinite, and how the Astronomers divide them.
FOr the fixed Stars, we hold them to be infinite; as the holy Scripture testifies it; its to say, that besides the great infinite number which are seen; there is yet an infinite of others little, which are not seen, as hath been known by certain Prospective glasses which have been made in Italy. That though the Antients have not marked more then 1022. its not that they would say, that there were no more; but that they have onely observed the very chiefest, for to serve to their observations. Those 1022. Stars are divided into 48 constellations or Figures of animals, which the antients have imagined for to discern the one from the others; and have seperated them in three rancks, Septentrionals, Zodiacks, and Meridionals.
If the Stars are shining of themselves and Transparent.
ALL the Stars have no proper light of themselves, but in this manner; all the Stars and Planets are of the same nature; but the Moon hath no other light then that which shee borrows of the Sun, nor then any other Starre. That if its said, that the Moon looseth not its light quite, when she eclipses in the shadow of the Earth, because there appeareth a rednesse in the eclipsed party; and that such rednesse can be her naturall light? I doe answer, that it cannot be naturall, because that if it were so, shee would never quit it: But when shee increaseth, or that shee is in the first quarter. The part of the Moon which is not illuminated of the Sun, ought to be provided of that rednes; which is not so, as the experience giveth us to understand: Then all rednesse is not naturall to the Moon. That if it bee asked from whence it proceeded, its from the reflection of the light which is incountred in the shadow of the Earth: for as the Moon is a polished body, and that the shaddow of the Earth is never destituted of some little light which causes that rednesse in her.
Of all before said, its clear seen, that the Sun is the principle of light. God having adorned her with such an eminent quality.
Furthermore we say, that the Stars are not transparent as the Heaven; as can be seen in the Moon and Mercuri, when they are interposed between our eyes and the Sun; and that they Eclipse her, but that they are thick.
That the Heavens are round, and that they turn the one in the others, from the Orient to the Occident,
VVEE have proved that there are eight Heavens; Now we must prove that they are round, and that they turn the one in the other from the Orient to the Occident; the which manifestly appears: For we see that the Sun, the other Planets, and all the Stars doe rise first in the Orient on the Horison; then by little and little advance to the South; set to the Occident and next day rise again in the Orient (let us fasten our selves but to the Suns) it must be the same Sun or another, it cannot be another; for there would require every day a new one. If it is the same, it must have passed over it, within it, or underneath the earth: It cannot have passed over it, forasmuch that there would be no night: the presence of the Sun causing the day. It cannot have passed within, since it is greater (as we shall shew hereafter) it remains then, that it is passed underneath; and consequently its Heaven turns also about the Earth; and so likewise all the other Heavens are round since they turn the one in the other about the Earth, and that from Orient to Occident.
It is also proved that the Heaven is round, because being the part most Noble of the world and which containes all the rest, it is necessary that it should have the round form, since its the most capable, and the most perfect, If the Heavens had another figure or forme, those which are inferiour to the others could not carry their Planets from Occident to Orient, because of their angles; or else the one must penetrate the others, and then there would bee penetration in the matter of the Heaven, which hath been proved solid and fixe.