Isthmus, or necke of land betwixt Peloponessus and Greece,
returned him answere that they found by their Instruments
that that part of the Sea which was on Corinth's side was
higher than it was at Cenehree. The like is also storied of
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THE PREFACE.
Sesostris, one of the kings of Egypt, who, going about to
make a passage out of the Mediterranean into the Arabian
Gulfe, is said to have desisted from his purpose because he
found that the superficies of the Arabian Gulfe was higher
Aristotle, than was the Mediterranean, as it is reported by Aristotle in
the end of his first booke of Meteors. The like is also said
in the same place by the same Authour to have happened
afterward to Darius. Now whether the Architects or
Water-levellers employed by Demetrius, Sesostris, and
Darius deserve more credit than those whom Patricius
nameth I shall not much trouble my selfe to examine. Yet
Strabo inveigheth against Eratosthenes for attributing any
such eminences and depressions to the superficies of the Sea.
And Archimedes his doctrine is that every humid body
standing still and without disturbance hath a sphrerieall
superficies whose centre is the same with that of the Earth.
So that wee have just cause to regret the opinions, both of
those that contend that the superficies of the Sea is plaine,
as also of those that will have it to be in some places higher
than in other. Although wee cannot in reason but confesse that
so small a portion of the whole Terrestriall Globe as may be
comprehended within the reach of our sight, cannot be dis-
tinguished by the helpe of any Instruments from a plaine
superficies. So that we may conclude Patricius his argument,
which he alleadgeth from the experience of Water-con-
veighers, to be of no weight at all.
But hee goes on and labours to prove his assertion from
the elevation and depression, rising and setting of the Poles
and Starres, which were observed daily by those that traverse
the Seas ; all which he saith may come to passe, although the
surface of the water were plaine. For if any Starre be
observed that is in the verticall point of any place,
which way soever you travell from that place, the same
Starre will seeme to be depressed, and abate something of
its elevation, though it were on a plaine superficies. But
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15
there is something more in it than Patricks takes notice of.
For if wee goe an equall measure of miles, either toward the
North or toward the South, the elevation or depression of
the Starre will always bee found to be eqnall: which that
it can possibly bee so in a plaine superficies is more than
bee will ever be able to demonstrate. If wee take any
Starre situate neare the ^Equator, the same, when you have
removed thence 60 English miles, will be elevated about a
degree higher above the Horizon, whether the Starre be
directly over your head, or whether you depart thence that
so it may bee depressed from your Zenith for 30 or 50 or
any other number of degrees. Which that it cannot thus
be on a plaine superficies may bee demonstrated out of the
principles of Geometry. But yet methinks this one thing
might have persuaded Patricius (being so well versed in the
Histories of the Spanish Navigations, as his writings suffi-
ciently testifie) that the superficies of the Sea is not plaine,
because that the Ship called the Victory, wherein Ferdinand
Magellane, losing from Spaiue and directing his course to-
ward the South-west parts, passed through the Straits,
called since by his name, and so touching upon the Cape of
Good Hope, having encompassed the whole world about,
returned again into Spaine. And here I shall not need to
mention the famous voyages of our owne countriemen, Sir
Francis Drake and Master Thomas Candish, not so well
knowne perhaps abroad, which yet convince Patricius of the
same errour. And thus have we lightly touched the chiefe
foundations that his cause is built upon ; but as for those ill-
understood experiments which he brings for the confirmation
of the same, I shall let them passe, for that they seeme
rather to subvert his opinion than confirme it.
Thus, having proved the Globe of the Earth to be of a
Sphericall figure, seeing that the emineney of the highest
hills hath scarcely the same proportion to the semidiameter
of the Earth that there is betwixt 1 and 1,000, which how
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THE PREFACE.
small it is an)' one may easily perceive; I hold it very
superfluous to goe about to prove that a Globe is of a figure
most proper and apt to expresse the fashion of the Heavens
and Earth as being most agreeable to nature, easiest to be
understood, and also very beautifull to behold.
Now in Materiall Globes, besides the true and exact
description of places, which is, indeed, the chiefest matter
to be considered, there are two things especially recpnred.
The first whereof is the magnitude and capacity of them,
that so there may be convenient space for the description of
each particular place or region. The second is the light t-
nesse of them, that so their weight be not cumbersome.
Strabo, in his eleventh booke, would have a Globe to have
tenne foot in Diameter, that so it might in some reasonable
manner admit the description of particular places. But this
bulke is too vast to bee conveniently dealt withall. And in this
regard I think that these Globes, of which I intend to speak
in this ensuing discourse, may justly bee preferred before all
other that have been set before them, as beinge more capa-
cious than any other ; for they are in Diameter two foot and
two inches, whereas Mercator's Globes (which are bigger than
any other ever set before him) are scarcely sixteene inches
Diameter. The proportion therefore of the superficies of
these Globes to Mercator's will be as 1 to 2|, and somewhat
more. Every country, therefore, in these Globes will be
above twice as large as it is in Mercator's, so that each par-
ticular place may the more easily bee described. And this
I would have to bee understood of those great Globes made
by William Saunderson of London ; concerning the use of
which especially we have written this discourse. For he
hath set forth other smaller Globes, also, which as they are
of a lesser bulke and magnitude, so are they of a cheaper
price, that so the meaner Students might herein also be
provided for. Now concerning the geographicall part of
them, seeing that it is taken out of the newest Charts and
THE PREFACE.
17
descriptions ; I am bold to think them more perfect than
any other : however they want not their errours. And I
thinke it may bee the authors glory to have performed thus
much in the edition of these Globes. One thing by the
way you are to take notice of, which is that the descrip-
tions of particular places are to be sought for elsewhere,
for this is not to be expected in a Globe. And for these
descriptions of particular countries, you may have recourse
to the Geographicall Tables of Abrahamus Ortelius,1 whose
diligence and industry in this regard seemes to exceed all
other before him. To him, therefore, we referre you.2
1 In the edition of 1659 the name of Gerardus Mercator is substi-
tuted for that of Abrahamus Ortelius.
2 In the Dutch editions here follows a long note by Pontanus,
describing the globe of Tycho Brahe at Prague, and those of the
Duke of Tuscany ; and giving the definitions of Euclid.
C
THE FIRST PART.
Of those things which are common both to the
Ccelestiall and Terrestrial! Globe.
CHAPTER I.
What a Globe is, vjith the 2>arts thereof, and of the Circles of
the Globe.
A GLOBE, in relation to our present purpose, we define to be
an Analogicall representation either of the Heavens or the
Earth. And we call it Analogicall, not only in regard of its
forme expressing the Sphrericall figure as well of the
Heavens, as also of the Terrestriall Globe, consisting of the
Earth itselfe, together with the interflowing Seas ; but rather
because that it representeth unto us in a just proportion and
distance each particular constellation in the Heavens, and
every severall region and tract of ground in the Earth ;
together with certaine circles, both greater and lesser, in-
vented by Artificers for the more ready computation of the
same. The greater Circles we call those which divide the
whole superficies of the Globe into two equall parts or halves ;
and those the lesser which divide the same into two tmequall
parts.1
Besides the body of the Globe itselfe, and those things
which we have said to be thereon inscribed, there is also
annexed a certain frame with necessary instruments thereto
belonging, which we shall declare in order.
1 Here Pontanus inserts another long note, in the Dutch edition,
respecting a discussion between Tycho Braye and Peter Ramus, on
the method of astronomical computation in use among the ancient
Egyptians.
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A TREATISE OF THE
The fabricke of the frame is thus: First of all there is a
Base, or foot to rest upon, on which there are raised perpen-
dicularly sixe Columnes or Pillars of equal 1 length and dis-
tance ; upon the top of which there is fastened to a levcll
and parallel to the Base a round plate or circle of wood, of a
sufficient breadth and thicknesse, which they call the Hori-
zon, because that the uppermost superficies thereof performeth
the office of the true Horizon. For it is so placed that it
divideth the whole Globe into two equall parts, Whereof
that which is uppermost represented unto us the visible
Hemisphere, and the other that which is hid from us. So
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