Part 5

+‡Of Astrologie‡+, here I make an Arte, seuerall from Astronomie: not by new deuise, but by good reason and authoritie: for, +Astrologie, is an Arte Mathematicall, which reasonably demonstrateth the operations and effectes, of the naturall beames, of light, and secrete influence: of the Sterres and Planets: in euery element and elementall body: at all times, in any Horizon assigned.+ This Arte is furnished with many other great Artes and experiences: As with perfecte Perspectiue, Astronomie, Cosmographie, Naturall Philosophie of the 4. Elementes, the Arte of Graduation, and some good vnderstãding in Musike: and yet moreouer, with an other great Arte, hereafter following, though I, here, set this before, for some considerations me mouing. Sufficient (you see) is the stuffe, to make this rare and secrete Arte, of: and hard enough to frame to the Conclusion Syllogisticall. Yet both the manifolde and continuall trauailes of the most auncient and wise Philosophers, for the atteyning of this Arte: and by examples of effectes, to confirme the same: hath left vnto vs sufficient proufe and witnesse: and we, also, daily may perceaue, That mans body, and all other Elementall bodies, are altered, disposed, ordred, pleasured, and displeasured, by the Influentiall working of the Sunne, Mone, and the other Starres and Planets. And therfore, sayth Aristotle, in the first of his Meteorologicall bookes, in the second Chapter: Est autem necessariò Mundus iste, supernis lationibus ferè continuus. Vt, inde, vis eius vniuersa regatur. Ea siquidem Causà prima putanda omnibus est, vnde motus principium existit. That is: +This =[Elementall]= World is of necessitie, almost, next adioyning, to the heauenly motions: That, from thence, all his vertue or force may be gouerned. For, that is to be thought the first Cause vnto all: from which, the beginning of motion, is.+ And againe, in the tenth Chapter. Oportet igitur & horum principia sumamus, & causas omnium similiter. Principium igitur vt mouens, præcipuum & omnium primum, Circulus ille est, in quo manifeste Solis latio, &c. And so forth. His Meteorologicall bookes, are full of argumentes, and effectuall demonstrations, of the vertue, operation, and power of the heauenly bodies, in and vpon the fower Elementes, and other bodies, of them (either perfectly, or vnperfectly) composed. And in his second booke, De Generatione & Corruptione, in the tenth Chapter. Quocirca & prima latio, Ortus & Interitus causa non est: Sed obliqui Circuli latio: ea nam & continua est, & duobus motibus fit: In Englishe, thus. +Wherefore the vppermost motion, is not the cause of Generation and Corruption, but the motion of the Zodiake: for, that, both, is continuall, and is caused of two mouinges.+ And in his second booke, and second Chapter of hys Physikes. Homo nam generat hominem, at Sol. +For Man (sayth he) and the Sonne, are cause of mans generation.+ Authorities may be brought, very many: both of 1000. 2000. yea and 3000. yeares Antiquitie: of great Philosophers, Expert, Wise, and godly men, for that Conclusion: which, daily and hourely, we men, may discerne and perceaue by sense and reason: All beastes do feele, and simply shew, by their actions and passions, outward and inward: All Plants, Herbes, Trees, Flowers, and Fruites. And finally, the Elementes, and all thinges of the Elementes composed, do geue Testimonie (as Aristotle sayd) that theyr +Whole Dispositions, vertues, and naturall motions, depend of the Actiuitie of the heauenly motions and Influences. Whereby, beside the specificall order and forme, due to euery seede: and beside the Nature, propre to the Indiuiduall Matrix, of the thing produced: What shall be the heauenly Impression, the perfect and circumspecte Astrologien hath to Conclude.+ Not onely (by Apotelesmes) τὸ ὁτὶ]. but by Naturall and Mathematicall demonstration τὸ διότι. Whereunto, what Sciences are requisite (without exception) I partly haue here warned: And in my Propædeumes (besides other matter there disclosed) I haue Mathematically furnished vp the whole Method: To this our age, not so carefully handled by any, that euer I saw, or heard of. I was,

(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 & cõfesse, 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.

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

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

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 assigne a sleight, simple office or two, and so allow vnto thẽ (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. God helpe, God 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

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 noble 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 God, with the princely Prophet, saying. +The Heauens declare the Glorie of God: who made the Heauẽs 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 God) 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 principall 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 workemanship, 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 (godly 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 principal Conclusions, as foloweth.

+1.+

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

+2.+

+If Solide Magnitudes, being of the same bignes, or quãtitie, 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 quantitie of that Liquor, as is the parte of the Solid Magnitude, settled downe into the same Liquor: is in Waight, æquall, 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 æquall quantitie 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 quantitie, æquall to the Solid Magnitude.+

+6.+

+If any Solide Magnitude, Lighter then a Liquor, be let downe into the same Liquor, the waight of the same Magnitude, will be, to the Waight of the Liquor. (Which is æquall in quantitie to the whole Magnitude,) in that proportion, that the parte, of the Magnitude settled downe, is to the whole Magnitude.+

By these verities, great Errors may be reformed, in Opinion of the Naturall Motion of thinges, Light and Heauy. Which errors, are in Naturall Philosophie (almost) of all mẽ allowed: to much trusting to Authority: and false Suppositions. As, +Of any two bodyes, the heauyer, to moue downward faster then the lighter.+

This error, is not first by me, Noted: but by one Iohn Baptist de Benedictis. The chief of his propositions, is this: which seemeth a Paradox.

+If there be two bodyes of one forme, and of one kynde, æquall in quantitie or vnæquall,

they will moue by æquall space, in æquall tyme: So that both theyr mouynges be in ayre, or both in water: or in any one Middle.+

Hereupon, in the feate of +Gunnyng+,

certaine good discourses (otherwise) may receiue great amendement, and furderance.

In the entended purpose, also, allowing somwhat to the imperfection of Nature: not aunswerable to the precisenes of demonstration. Moreouer, by the foresaid propositions (wisely vsed.) The Ayre, the water, the Earth, the Fire, may be nerely, knowen, how light or heauy they are (Naturally) in their assigned partes: or in the whole. And then, to thinges Elementall, turning your practise: you may deale for the proportion of the Elementes, in the thinges Compounded. Then, to the proportions of the Humours in Man: their waightes: and the waight of his bones, and flesh. &c. Than, by waight, to haue consideration of the Force of man, any maner of way: in whole or in part. Then, may you, of Ships water drawing, diuersly, in the Sea and in fresh water, haue pleasant consideration: and of waying vp of any thing, sonken in Sea or in fresh water &c. And (to lift vp your head a loft:) by waight, you may, as precisely, as by any instrument els, measure the Diameters of Sonne and Mone. &c. Frende, I pray you, way these thinges, with the iust Balance of Reason. And you will finde Meruailes vpon Meruailes: And esteme one Drop of Truth (yea in Naturall Philosophie) more worth, then whole Libraries of Opinions, vndemonstrated: or not aunswering to Natures Law, and your experience. Leauing these thinges, thus: I will giue you two or three, light practises, to great purpose: and so finish my Annotation Staticall. In Mathematicall matters, by the Mechaniciens ayde, we will behold, here, the Commodity of waight.

Make a Cube, of any one Vniforme: and through like heauy stuffe: of the same Stuffe, make a Sphære or Globe, precisely, of a Diameter æquall to the Radicall side of the Cube. Your stuffe, may be wood, Copper, Tinne, Lead, Siluer. &c. (being, as I sayd, of like nature, condition, and like waight throughout.) And you may, by Say Balance, haue prepared a great number of the smallest waightes: which, by those Balance can be discerned or tryed: and so, haue proceded to make you a perfect Pyle, company & Number of waightes: to the waight of six, eight, or twelue pound waight: most diligently tryed, all. And of euery one, the Content knowen, in your least waight, that is wayable. [They that can not haue these waightes of precisenes: may, by Sand, Vniforme, and well dusted, make them a number of waightes, somewhat nere precisenes: by halfing euer the Sand: they shall, at length, come to a least common waight. Therein, I leaue the farder matter, to their discretion, whom nede shall pinche.] The Venetians consideration of waight, may seme precise enough: by eight descentes progressionall, * halfing, from a grayne.