The FIRST LECTURE of an Introduction to COSMOGRAPHIE: BEING A Description of all the VVORLD.
Read Publiquely at S r. Balthazar Gerbiers ACADEMY.
Imprimatur, Hen: Scobell, Cleric: Parliamenti.
Printed at London for Robert Ibbitson dwelling in Smithfield neer Hosier Lane, 1649.
To the Right Honorable William Lenthall Esq; SPEAKER Of the most Honourable Assembly of PARLIAMENT.
I Shall not need (as I humbly conceive) to seek farre for a just argument that the Dedication of this Lecture (being an Introduction to Cosmography, read in the Academy, which I doe zealously labour to settle, for the glory of God, the honor of this Nation, the encouragement and improvement of all Lovers of Vertue:) belongs to your eminent place of Trust, And from whose determinations, as from the highest Influences of so many Stars, guide, direct, move, and preserve the whole Body of this Common wealth.
My Academy-Reader in part to make good my more large intentions, having begun with Cosmography (as the most noble subject to read on) presents therefore these his first productions to your honourable hands, as an unquestionable duty, and with all Submissivenesse, and possible reverence, wishing that the [Page] State may please not only to protect these hopefull beginnings, but likewise to cherish and promote them.
That all Lovers of Vertue may receive content and profit thereby, and the Nation glory, that such capable spirits need not to runne unto Salamanca in Spaine, to Padua in Italy, no [...] to Paris in France, there to seek (with hazard of their godlinesse, goodnesse and Loyalty to their Native Country) that which they may have at home, with more ease and safety, and with lesse charge to themselves.
And if in this case the lawfull interest of a particular zealous well-wisher to the State may be comprehended, I shall with a joyfull confidence conclude, that I have not been ill-perswaded thereunto, nor can I have a greater hope, or reap a greater contentment, than by putting my hand to so good a work, which giving me an assured confidence that my indeavours may meet with a favourable acceptance from Your Honour, unto whom I shall remaine as I was long since,
The First Introduction to COSMOGRAPHY.
COSMOGRAPHY is the description of the celestiall and elementary Region.
In the celestiall Region, we learne to know Heaven, its matter, its qualities; The Planets, their motions, and their order, &c.
In the Elementary Region, we see the most admirable construction of the Elements, the which by their unequall proportioned assemblings, do compose the severall sorts of kindes, of mixt ones, which wee see here below.
All this we shall particularly describe with their qualities, properties, and scituations.
And in that Region which seemes for a Center unto the universall world, we shall see an innumerable number of most remarkable, satisfying and most necessary things to be observed, viz. The proofes of its circular forme: whether the Earth or Water exceeds the one or the other in quantity: The scourses [Page 2] or heads of Springs and Floods, the smallnesse of the terrestriall globe, not onely in comparison of the Heavens, but also of the Sun, and of the Stars: And how that the said Earth may be measured, both on its superficies, and on its solidity.
Afterwards we shall describe the circles which are to be imagined in the Heavens, That so we may learn the course of the Planets, and the various effects which we feele by them.
As the causes of their rising and setting, of the Summer and Winter, of the long and the short dayes, So also we must have regard to the Solstices, and Equinoxes, from whence the different constitutions of the Earth do proceed, and severall other things, the curiosity whereof, as its extreame commendable, so its familiar incidents prove altogether necessary unto those who are desirous to passe for men of knowledge and understanding.
And that we may end in our owne sphere, we will finish with a Lecture on the Meteors, wherein all the impressions that are made as well of Fire, as of the Aire, and of the water; both in the high, middle, and low Region of the Aire, shall be clearly shewed and set forth unto our view.
That is to say, whence the fiery impressions proceed, and how those impressions are framed which are seen in the high Region of the Ayre, viz. Like unto fiery Darts, Launces, Flying Stars, and Commets, and how it happens that the Heavens themselves seem to be sometimes al on fire, whence the lightening, thunder and thunderbolts proceeds: whence the wild fire, glowwormes, and such like, have their being: And so consequently, [Page 3] we will treate of the impressions framed in the Aire, as the winds, stormes, and the whirlewindes: Those of the Waters, as the Clouds, Raine, Snow, and Hail, which are framed in the middlemost Region. Then we will proceed to describe other impressions which are not real ones, as that Crown of resplendant rayes, which seems to be about the Sun, the Rain-bow, and the like; from thence we shall descend lower, and observe from whence all Fogs, Dewes, Mists, Frosts, and Ice proceeds.
Finally, we will end with the three kinds or species contained in the Earth, as Mineralls, Vegetables, and Animalls; observing in the Mineralls, their generation in the bowells of the Earth, their qualities, and connexions, and how they chance to be seven, correspondent to the seven Planets.
Moreover we will treate of all kind of Stones, as also of the sappes conducing in the Mines, like unto Vitriol, Allum, and such like, which depend of these.
In the ingendering of the vegetables, we are to consider the nature of plants, their faculties in producing their severall effects, and their multiplying by their seed; after all, wee will conclude with the Animalls, the which besides their vegetating Soule and faculty of budding, and shooting forth, have over and above the sensitive part, which gives them both feeling and motion, and these are much esteemed above the Plants, all their organs, and naturall parts being much perfecter then those of the others. But of these these are two sorts, the rationall and irrationall, Man and Beast; but we shall leave the beasts, for to speake of rationall creatures, it being more proper in this place, [Page 4] Let us then say that man, far more worthy then all other things, was created by God, for that by his word all things were made, fiat lux, Genesis the second, and the light straight appeared: But when God came to make man, he formed him, Formavit Dominus Deus Hominem de Lima Terrae: Et inspiravit in faciem ejus spiraculum vitae, & factus est homo in animam viventem, And both animated and endowed him (besides the precedent said qualities) with an intellectual soule, of which both the understanding and wil of man depends.
Now let us consider I beseech you, how the Mercy of God hath alwayes augmented some degree of perfection in each Body, for to compleate in man a fulnesse of the perfection of all his workes, and how hee hath placed him as a King to command over, and to make use of the aforesaid things, Et praesit piscibus Maris, & volatilibus Coeli, & bestiis universa (que) Terra, omni (que) reptili quod movetur in Terra. All which are only made for mans use and advantage. For God was no lesse before the world then he is now, and hath no need of any of the creatures to bee more glorious, wee ought therefore to have a great and deep sense of acknowledgement.
And that our labour be not in vaine, we must consider that great Architector in his wisdom, in his power, in his liberality, and in his bounty, we must adore him, honour him, and admire him in all his Attributes, and thanke him incessantly, not onely for the present meanes (the vicissitude of which sufficiently shew their vanity) but for the hope of eternall blessings, to which hee hath designed us, provided that we prove true by faith, and that we make good by our [Page 5] workes, that we acknowledge him above all things; but alas! unhappy men as we are, in what an Age doe we live? wherein the creature is more praised then the Creator, the gift is perfected to the giver; and that which we should but take notice of, as a transitory thing, we do abuse oft (Christian prudence permitting and willing it) by a most horrid blindnesse, preferring those things unto the Author of them, which are but created in order according to Nature. Therefore the most insensible things, and most inanimate ones, both dictate unto, and convince those with a most horrid shame and confusion, who dare so boldly and impudently abuse that great Author, Guider and preserver of all things. But he will not be abused doe what thou canst, O inraged Atheist, thou perverse wit, of the most perverse times; for he will make thee confesse thy wilfull malice in the day of vengeance, when thou shalt not be able to pleade ignorance; since as thy senses condemne thee, so doe likewise the Elements, which at all times seek their proper places, the Fire being light, ascends; the Aire not so light, remaines in the lower sphere; the Earth, the heaviest of the foure, keepes to its Center; and the Water lesse heavy, swims above it. Now as those things that are mixt, have one of the Elementary qualities in one eminent degree above the other, so they seek their sphere, & do not rest til they have attained unto it: For a ston would descend even to the center of the Earth, if there were an overture in it, as being the most properest place of its abode, being its altogether terrestriall. We see that wood swims above the water, and the reason is, that there is more Aire and Fire [Page 6] in its composition, then either in the Water or in the Stone. And let man do what he will, it shall ever be so, because that God hath created them, and bestowed on them those properties, of lightnesse and heavinesse, which causeth those motions, making the light things to ascend, and the heavy ones to descend, and since Gods will is inviolable, all things must obey it.
Now let us come to Man, made by God as well as all the other Elements, and likewise all other things, and to what end made God Man? only to admire his greatnesse, and to adore him, which certainly is the sole reason why God made man according to his owne resemblance, and indued him with a rationall soule, and a sensible appetite or desire.
Unto what can man then more fitly apply that sensible appetite or desire, but to follow in all things, the designe and intent of his Maker, from the beginning to the very end of his life: And this doubtlesse is the true reason of mans being, and the true vocation man ought to apply himselfe unto: And no more to vary therein, then the Stones change their property of descending, nor the Fire its course of ascending: God hath created thee Oh man to this effect, and intent, but if thou wilt not follow his dictates, to what serveth thy intellectuals, thy knowledge, and thy will, save only to harden thy heart against God, and against his will, far more then all inanimate creatures do, and hereby to hinder the effect of his graces in thee; wherfore we ought seriously to meditate hereon, and to rest assured, that if so bee wee doe abuse the Tallent, which we have received, by rendring more honour unto [Page 7] vice, and unto our stubborne, lawlesse senses, than unto God; we shall render our selves unworthy to be placed even beneath the insensible things, and that instead of an eternall blisse, for the which we were created, we shall most justly deserve to indure eternall torments, from which God in his mercy preserve us all, and grant unto us that true sense of reason, which may preserve his true Image and workemanship in us, and inable us to destroy our owne, voide of sensuality. Dele quod fecisti, ut Deus salvet, quod secit: saith Augustine.
Now let us enter into some particulars, concerning the treaty of the severall parts of the Universe, or World; particularly described by this Science of Cosmography, which may stand us in stead for the present, and so enable us for the future, that we may be the better disposed, to contemplate the same from above.
What the Sphere is.
THe Science or understanding of the Sphere, is the knowledge, or the being acquainted with the particulars of this worlds parts, and properties: The world is the assembling, and ordering of all that God hath created, its the composure of Heaven, and of Earth, or of the Celestiall and Elementary Region, and therefore it is called the Universe: And to the end that we might have a more particular insight in this Science, an Artificial Sphere hath been framed, being of a round forme, composed of sundry circles, by the which, though imaginary ones, the motion of [Page 8] the Heavens are described: The reasons of the severall changes in the seasons of the yeare; that of the difference of dayes and nights, according to the severall places and scituations or the terrestriall Globe. Finally by the Sphere, you may observe the whole course of the world, being it was made according to the worlds resemblance.
What the Heaven is.
AS we are not resolved to build Castles in the Aire, nor to entertaine our Auditory with imaginary things, but to give most evident proofes of what we alledge, so it will be necessary to make appeare unto you that there is a Heaven, before we come to distinguish its qualities, and herein we shall meet with no great difficulties; since that Nature admitting of no emptines, that space which is between, the Firmament, the Imperial Orbe, and the lowermost of the Planets, to wit, the Moon, must of necessity be filled with some matter; And this matter is called Heaven, which is both simple, sollide, fixt, shining, transparent, incorruptible, and exempted from any changes.
Of the qualities of Heaven.
ALL naturall things have two principles, first God, secondly Nature, unto which hee hath given full power to work by a certaine universall spirit, which he hath inclosed in her.
All naturall things are corporall essences, which subsist of themselves, and result from the union [Page 9] of the substance, and of the forme: So that Nature then consisting in these two points, substance, and forme, all naturall bodies are ingendred by the substance of it, and the forme makes them to be what they are.
But the matter being susceptible, of divers formes, having not so soone quitted one, but that it receives another: And for as much as it cannot receive a second, before it be deprived of the precedent, therefore the Philosophers have establisht three principles; the substance, forme, and privation: Now there are two sorts of natural bodies, the one simple, the other mixt: The simple bodies are the Heavens, and the Elements, because that in their creation they are simple, and never admit of severall formes, on the contrary, the mixt ones, are such as receive their composition from the Elementary qualities, and are susceptible of divers formes.
The matter of the Heaven is therefore simple, as likewise solide and fixt.
Because that the Starres, which though they do turne, and have moved since the beginning of the World, yet they never change nor vary their figures, nor the distances which they observe betwixt each other: Now this order could never have been kept, unlesse some solide matter had constrained them thereunto, which cannot be by any other thing, then by the solide and fixt matter of the Heaven: Likewise it's the opinion of the most learnedest ancient Astronomers, and all those who have written on this subject, besides the most approved Authorities, That the Stars are of the same matter that Heaven is of, save of a more [Page 10] dusky and danky substance, which they have adjudged them to be of, by reason that they stop, and as it were, hinder the light of the Sunne; the which Heaven doth not, as we shall shew hereafter: Moreover they alledge the Stars are just in Heaven, as knots are in boards; others deem the Stars and Planets to be in a continued Aire like as the birds are: But then there ought to be many particular properties for to maintain the Stars in so permanent and immutable an order, against the violent swiftnesse of so many contrary motions, which opinion I shall wave, as well as the flight of their Birdes.
The matter of the Heaven may bee said to bee of an abundant luster: since that the Sunne, the Moon, and the Stars are so, all which are comprehended of the same matter: But to speak more properly, the matter of Heaven is transparent, and the Sun and the Stars are not. That the Heavens are transparent, is very easie to prove, since experience sufficiently denotes it unto us: For if the Heaven of the Moon were dusky, it would hinder us from seeing of the Sunne, and the rest of the Stars which are about it. That the Sun, the Moon and the Stars are dusky, is apparent by their Eclipses: This matter is also incorruptible, and consequently exempted from all changes, since that it's simple, and that in those Scituations, or Regions, generation finds no imployment.
Of the Celestiall Region.
THe Celestiall Region, is the assembling of all the Heavens, and comprehends them all intirely, the order and course whereof shall be shewn in its proper place.
[Page 11]Their matter or substance as we have proved, is sollide, so is that of the Stars, and Planets, but more dusky and danky, that is to say, their matter is more close and compacted, and since they are most pure and polished bodies, they receive, and cause the light which they borrow from the Sun, to reverberate, as shall be proved hereafter, but as for the Heaven it's altogether transparent.
Now in the Celestiall Region, there are two sorts of Stars, Fixt, and Errants; the Fixt are those that never change their figures, but have all one and the same motion, which is that of the Firmament: The Errant Stars are the Planets, which have all different motions from that of the Firmament, and they are seven in number; unto which the Ancients have given the names of their Deities, viz. Saturne, Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Mercury, Venus, and the Moone, which names were likewise appropriated unto them, because of their powerfull influences.
The duskey matter, is that which gives no passage to the sight, as you may perceive in Wood, and in the Stones.
The solide and fixed matter is that which will not suffer any very easie penetration, as you may observe in Chrystall, or in glasse.
But the penetrable matter is that which suffers the peircing with ease, as the Aire doth, the Water and the Fire.
The transparent matter is that which gives passage to the light, as Chrystall, and Glasse doth: And so consequently, we may justly infer, that the Heavenly Matter or Substance, is both solide, fixt, impenetrable, and transparent
That there are many Heavens.
BY the diversities of the Motions, we prove that there are many Heavens, thus; since the matter is solide, two Planets having different motions, cannot be in the same Heaven, or Orbe, and by this same reason you may observe, that its not the Planet which moves, but its Orbe, or Heaven; for otherwise they would penetrate the matter, which is both fixt and solide: But the Sun and the Moon have different Motions, for that the Sunne accomplishes its course in a day, and the Moone in a Month; then the Sun and the Moon cannot be in one and the same Orbe, or Heaven: And by the same reason, no two of al the seven Planets having the self-same Motion, there must then of necessity be seven Orbes, or Heavens, requisite for the seven Planets: since also the matter of Heaven is fixt, and impenetrable: Against this may be objected, that there might be but one Heaven of an impenetrable matter, in the which many spaces may be imagined, and by which the Planets having different Motions, may make their courses. And let them say what they please, yet it will alwayes come to this period, That of necessity there must be seven spaces for the seven Planets, to move in, which must be filled by seven bodies, and these are by Astronomers called the Planets attributes, and these we call Orbes, joyning close the one to the other.
Of the Firmament or eight Heaven.
HAving demonstrated that there are seven Orbes for the seven Planets; it will be necessary to shew how that its requisite that there be also another Heaven, for all the fixed Stars are differing from the seven others: for the Ancient Astronomers observing that the Motion of the Stars was very slow, not advancing above a degree from one hundred to a hundred years, concluded, that it was most necessary to admit an eight Orbe, in the which al the fixed Stars are, and the which never vary their scituation, distance, nor figure, or shape, and this Heaven is called by them, the Firmament.
How the Astronomers divide the Stars, or whether they be numberlesse or no.
AS for the fixed Stars we hold them to be numberlesse, the Holy Scriptures giving us a testimony thereof, I meane, that besides the great infinite number that we see, there are yet a far more infinit number of lesserstars which are by us not seen, as hath been observed by certain Prospective Glasses, made in Italy, and though the Ancients have not marked above 1022. their meaning was not, that there were no more Stars, but that they had observed none but those, as being only the cheifest which they had need of; And those thousand twenty two Stars, are divided into forty eight Constellations, or Figures of Animalls, which the Ancients have supposed, for to discerne the one [Page 14] from the other; and have separated and disposed of them into three ranks, as Septentrionalls, Zodiackes, and Meridionalls.
Moreover, the Stars are distinguisht by their severall Magnitudes, or Bignesses, which have been found to be six: So that all the great Stars are of the first Bignesse, the lesser of the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth magnitude or bignesse, in which the least of them all are comprehended.
Whether or no the Stars be translucent of themselves, and transparent.
THe Stars have no proper light of themselves, save in this manner, all the Stars and Planets are of one and the selfe-same Nature. But the Moone hath no other light then what she borroweth of the Sunne, so no more can any of the other Stars have any other light but from the Sun.
But suppose it be objected, that the Moon loseth not altogether its light, though she Eclipses in the shadow of the Earth; because that in the Eclipsed party there appears a rednesse, and that such a rednesse for ought we know, might be her natural light.
I answer, That that rednes cannot be her natural, because that if it were so, she would never quit that rednes, save when she increases, or that she is in her first quarter, And then that part of the Moon which is not illuminated by the Sun, ought to have that rednesse, which is not so, as we see by experience: And therefore all rednesse is not naturall to the Moon: Moreover, if it be demanded from whence that rednesse [Page 15] proceeds? its from the reflection of the lig [...] is encountered by the Moone in the shado [...] Earth: For as the Moone is a polisht body, [...] the shadow of the Earth is never destitute of some little light, so it's that little light which causes the rednesse in her.
So that by what is aforesaid, it clearly appeares that the Sunne is the Principle of light, it being Gods pleasure to adorn it with such an eminent quality.
Furthermore, we say that the Stars are not so transparent as the Heaven is, which may be seen by the Moon and Mercury, when they are interposed, between our eyes and the Sunne, and that they Eclipse her; And so its apparent that the Stars are both dusky and danky.
That the Heavens are round, and that they move the one within the other, from the East to the West, their usuall course.
AS we have hitherto proved, that there are eight Heavens, so must we prove that they are round, and that they turne the one within the other, from East to West, the which may appear unto us most manifestly, for we see that the Sun, the Planets, and all the other Stars, do rise first in the East, on our Horizon, then little by little they advance toward the South, and that finally, they set in the West, so next againe they rise all in the East. We will but instance in the Sun, And say that it must be either the selfe same Sun, or another which we daily see to rise, and set, It cannot be any other, for that then every day would require a new one: And if it be the same Sun, it must either [Page 16] have past over, within, or underneath the Earth: Over the Earth it cannot have past, for as much as then there would have been no night, the presence of the Sun causing the day; neither can it have past within the Earth, because, as we shall see hereafter, its greater then the Earth, It remains then, that it must have past underneath the Earth, and that consequently its Orbe, or Heaven turnes about the Earth; And since all the Heavens turne, the one within the other, about the Earth, and that from the East to the West, we may justly then say that the Heavens are round.
Its also granted that the Heavens are round, because that being they are the most noble part of the world, and in which all the rest are contained; it is most necessary, that they should be of a round forme, which is the most capablest and most perfectest of al others. For if the Heavens had any other Figure or Forme, those which are inferiour to the others, could not possibly transport their Planets from the East to the West, because of their Angles, or else we must grant that they penetrate each other, and so there would chance to be a penetration in the matter of the Heavens, which would contradict what hath been formerly proved, to wit, that its matter or substance, is both solide and fixt, &c.