Part 4 (1/2)

(for * 21. yeares ago) by certaine earnest disputations, of the Learned _Gerardus Mercator_, and _Antonius Gogaua_, (and other,) therto so prouoked: and (by my constant and inuincible zeale to the veritie) in obseruations of Heauenly Influencies (to the Minute of time,) than, so diligent: And chiefly by the Supernaturall influence, from the Starre of Iacob, so directed: That any Modest and Sober Student, carefully and diligently seking for the Truth, will both finde & cfesse, therin, to be the Veritie, of these my wordes: And also become a Reasonable Reformer, of three Sortes of people: about these Influentiall Operations, greatly erring from the truth.

[Note.]

Wherof, the one, is +Light Beleuers+, the other, +Light Despisers+, and the third +Light Practisers+. The first, & most cmon Sort, thinke the Heauen and Sterres, to be answerable to any their doutes or desires:

[1.]

which is not so: and, in dede, they, to much, ouer reache. The Second sorte thinke no Influentiall vertue (fr the heauenly bodies) to beare any Sway in Generation

[2.]

and Corruption, in this Elementall world. And to the _Sunne_, _Mone_ and _Sterres_ (being so many, so pure, so bright, so wonderfull bigge, so farre in distance, so manifold in their motions, so constant in their periodes. &c.) they a.s.signe a sleight, simple office or two, and so allow vnto th? (according to their capacities) as much vertue, and power Influentiall, as to the Signe of the _Sunne_, _Mone_, and seuen Sterres, hanged vp (for Signes) in London, for distinction of houses, & such grosse helpes, in our worldly affaires: And they vnderstand not (or will not vnderstand) of the other workinges, and vertues of the Heauenly _Sunne_, _Mone_, and _Sterres_: not so much, as the Mariner, or Husband man: no, not so much, as the _Elephant_ doth, as the _Cynocephalus_, as the Porpentine doth: nor will allow these perfect, and incorruptible mighty bodies, so much vertuall Radiation, & Force, as they see in a litle peece of a _Magnes stone_: which, at great distance, sheweth his operation. And perchaunce they thinke, the Sea & Riuers (as the Thames) to be some quicke thing, and so to ebbe, and flow, run in and out, of them selues, at their owne fantasies. G.o.d helpe, G.o.d helpe. Surely, these men, come to short: and either are to dull: or willfully blind: or, perhaps, to malicious. The third man, is the common and vulgare _Astrologien_, or Practiser: who, being not duely, artificially, and perfectly

[3.]

furnished: yet, either for vaine glory, or gayne: or like a simple dolt, & blinde Bayard, both in matter and maner, erreth: to the discredit of the _Wary_, and modest _Astrologien_: and to the robbing of those most n.o.ble corporall Creatures, of their Naturall Vertue: being most mighty: most beneficiall to all elementall Generation, Corruption and the appartenances: and most Harmonious in their Monarchie: For which thinges, being knowen, and modestly vsed: we might highly, and continually glorifie G.o.d, with the princely Prophet, saying. +_The Heauens declare the Glorie of G.o.d: who made the Heau?s in his wisedome: who made the Sonne, for to haue dominion of the day: the Mone and Sterres to haue dominion of the nyght: whereby, Day to day vttereth talke: and night, to night declareth knowledge. Prayse him, all ye Sterres, and Light. Amen._+

In order, now foloweth, of +Statike+, somewhat to say, what we meane by that name: and what commodity, doth, on such Art, depend. +Statike, is an Arte Mathematicall, which demonstrateth the causes of heauynes, and lightnes of all thynges: and of motions and properties, to heauynes and lightnes, belonging.+ And for asmuch as, by the Bilanx, or Balance (as the chief sensible Instrument,) Experience of these demonstrations may be had: we call this Art, _Statike:_ that is, _the Experimentes of the Balance_. Oh, that men wist, what proffit, (all maner of wayes) by this Arte might grow, to the hable examiner, and diligent practiser.

”Thou onely, knowest all thinges precisely (O G.o.d) who hast made weight and Balance, thy Iudgement: who hast created all thinges in _Number, Waight, and Measure_: and hast wayed the mountaines and hils in a Balance: who hast peysed in thy hand, both Heauen and earth. We therfore warned by the Sacred word, to Consider thy Creatures: and by that consideration, to wynne a glyms (as it were,) or shaddow of perceiuerance, that thy wisedome, might, and goodnes is infinite, and vnspeakable, in thy Creatures declared: And being farder aduertised, by thy mercifull goodnes, that, three princ.i.p.all wayes, were, of the, vsed in Creation of all thy Creatures, namely, _Number_, _Waight_ and _Measure_, And for as much as, of _Number_ and _Measure_, the two Artes (auncient, famous, and to humaine vses most necessary,) are, all ready, sufficiently knowen and extant: This third key, we beseche thee (through thy accustomed goodnes,) that it may come to the nedefull and sufficient knowledge, of such thy Seruauntes, as in thy workemans.h.i.+p, would gladly finde, thy true occasions (purposely of the vsed) whereby we should glorifie thy name, and shew forth (to the weaklinges in faith) thy wondrous wisedome and Goodnes. Amen.”

Meruaile nothing at this pang (G.o.dly frend, you Gentle and zelous Student.) An other day, perchaunce, you will perceiue, what occasion moued me. Here, as now, I will giue you some ground, and withall some shew, of certaine commodities, by this Arte arising. And bycause this Arte is rare, my wordes and practises might be to darke: vnleast you had some light, holden before the matter: and that, best will be, in giuing you, out of _Archimedes_ demonstrations, a few princ.i.p.al Conclusions, as foloweth.

+1.+

+The Superficies of euery Liquor, by it selfe consistyng, and in quyet, is Sphaericall: the centre whereof, is the same, which is the centre of the Earth.+

+2.+

+If Solide Magnitudes, being of the same bignes, or qut.i.tie, that any Liquor is, and hauyng also the same Waight: be let downe into the same Liquor, they will settle downeward, so, that no parte of them, shall be aboue the Superficies of the Liquor: and yet neuertheles, they will not sinke vtterly downe, or drowne.+

+3.+

+If any Solide Magnitude beyng Lighter then a Liquor, be let downe into the same Liquor, it will settle downe, so farre into the same Liquor, that so great a quant.i.tie of that Liquor, as is the parte of the Solid Magnitude, settled downe into the same Liquor: is in Waight, aequall, to the waight of the whole Solid Magnitude.+

+4.+

+Any Solide Magnitude, Lighter then a Liquor, forced downe into the same Liquor, will moue vpward, with so great a power, by how much, the Liquor hauyng aequall quant.i.tie to the whole Magnitude, is heauyer then the same Magnitude.+

+5.+

+Any Solid Magnitude, heauyer then a Liquor, beyng let downe into the same Liquor, will sinke downe vtterly: And wilbe in that Liquor, Lighter by so much, as is the waight or heauynes of the Liquor, hauing bygnes or quant.i.tie, aequall to the Solid Magnitude.+

+6.+

[I. D.

The Cutting of a Sphaere according to any proportion a.s.signed may by this proposition be done Mechanically by tempering Liquor to a certayne waight in respect of the waight of the Sphaere therein Swymming.]