Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

¶Of the Weeke. Cap. 21.

A Wéeke is called Ebdomada. and also Septimana, seauen night: and haue that name of the number of sea∣uen dayes and nightes. By ofte com∣ming about thereof, moneths, yeares, and times passe. And a wéeke beginneth in the one daye, and endeth in the same: The partes thereof be dayes artificiall and naturall. Dayes be called Dies, and haue that name of Dijs, Gods. Men in olde time hallowed the names of dayes, to certaine starres. They gaue the first daye to the Sunne, that is Prince of Starres, and Lorde of Plannets: and therefore the first daye is called Dies Dominica, the Lordes daye, and Sun∣daye.

Also that is priueledged in manye wise, for in a Sunday the world was made, and in a Sunday our Lorde was borne, and in a Sundaye, our Lorde a∣rose from death to lyfe, and in a sundaye our Lord sent the Holy ghost to his dis∣ciples. And they gaue the second daye to the Moone, that is next to y^e sun in huge∣nes & brightnes. The third day hath the name of Mars: & so of y^e other. And some day is called Dies Aegyptiacus, & some not so. Dies Aegyptiacus is y^e day, in the which God sent some wreake into Ae∣gypt. And for there be .xxiiii. Aegiptians daies, it followeth that God sent mo•• wreakes vpon the Aegiptians then ten,

that be most famous among other. The daies Aegiptiac•• he set in the Balender, and be called Dies mali, euill daies: not for some thing should be spared in those daies, that should not bée spared in other daies, but for to haue in minde the mi∣racles and wonders of God. Some daye is artificiall and some naturall. Artificial daye is the space in the which the Sunne passeth about in our sight from the East to the West: and is called Dies artifici∣alis, craftie: for hée hath diuersitie as it wer by craft, by diuerse place of Climats and of countries. A naturall daye is the space in the which the Sunne passeth a∣bout, out of the East by the West, into the East againe. And such a day contei∣neth .24. houres. And the day artificiall of euennesse of daye and night, conteyneth 12 houres, and in other times more or lesse, as the daies waxe longer or shor∣ter.

And some day hath the name of Ka∣lendes, and some Idibus, & some of No∣nis. And the first day of a moneth hath the name of Kalendis: And is called Kalende, of Calo, that is to cal. For then men vse to call merchaunts to Faires. And it was a solempne feast that is called Festum Neomenie, the feast of the newe Moone. For then the Moone was seene to be newe. None bée sayde as it were Nundine, faires: for then faires, begin. And Idus is to meane Diuisio, depar∣ting, for then faires were departed.

Héereof we haue thrée diuersities of daies, Kalendis ordeined to hallowing, No∣nis ordeined to chaffer,* 1.1 & Idus ordeined to departe and passe home from Faires. And a daye naturall hath xxiiii. houres, in the which the Sunne is borne about all the earth by rauishing of the firma∣ment. The partes of a naturall daye he Quadrantes, Hora, Punctum, Momen∣tum, Vncia, and Athomus, Quadran•• is the fourth part of a daye naturall, and is the space of sixe houres: and an houre is the sixte parte of a quadrant: and an houre the .xxiiii. parte of a daye naturall. And is called Hora as it were the ende and the lesse parte of time: as the brim of a riuer or of the sea is called Ora, as Isidore sayth: And a Puncte is the fourth part of an houre, and is called Momentum, as it were Minimum, the least and most straight time that hath name of meeuing of starres, Vncia is the twelfth parte of a moment. Athomus is the .xlvii. parte of Vncia, and is called Athomus, as it were without diuiding and parting: For diuiding and parting of time, passeth no further then Atho∣mus.

Also the daye receiueth shining of the Sunne, and receiueth lyght, and sendeth it forth to other things. Therefore this name Dies commeth of Dian Gréeke, & Dian is to vnderstand, cléernesse, as Isi∣dore sayth: Also the daye describeth and distinguisheth moneths, yeares, & times, of all course: And passing of time is ac∣counted and reckoned by number & sum of dayes. Also as the Sun passeth néere or farther, the daies lengthen and shor∣ten: Therefore because that the Sun is farre from vs in Winter, daies be shor∣test, & in Summer longest. For in Sum∣mer the Sun is most high in vs: also the day hideth the starres and the ouer bo∣dyes of heauen: for the more cléere y^t day is, the more the starres bée hidde from our sight.

Also the daye distinguisheth cou∣lours and formes, and shapes of things, that bée séene: For figures, fourmes, and shapes that bée hidde by night, be séene by daye, as Beda sayth. Also the presence of the day comforteth and glad∣deth birdes and foules. For in springing of the daye, the birdes bée ioyfull and sing: Also the daye comforteth way∣faring men, and maketh them sure in in peace: And is enimye to théeues, and maketh them dread: for théeues dread by day. Also the cléernesse of the day voideth and putteth off darknesse of the night, & commeth soone after, and the more tem∣pest and disturbance that is in the night, that passeth, the more desirous is the pre∣sence of the day that followeth. Also the daye chaungeth his state: for he waxeth longer or shorter: and the shorter he is in Winter, the longer he is in Sum∣mer.

Also the day waketh & putteth of heaui∣nesse, sleep, & slouthfulnes: for y^t day is or∣deined

to trauaile of men. And the more the day draweth to an end, the more the wise work-man busieth to make an end of his daies worke.

Notes

• * 1.1

  To buy or sell.