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 measures for diuiding of Countreyes and places. Cap. 13••.

MEasure he sayeth, is all thing which hath 〈…〉〈…〉 in w••ight, capacitie in length, in bredth, in highnes, in 〈…〉〈…〉 and also in minde, and to our 〈…〉〈…〉fathers mesured all the world, and 〈…〉〈…〉 Par∣ties into Prouinces, and Prouinces in∣to Regions, and Regions into Places, and Places into Territories, and Terr∣itories into Fieldes, and Fieldes into Centurias, and Centurias into Dayes earings, and Daies earings vnto Clima∣ta, and Climata into A••ns, and A••ns into Perches, and Perches, into Paces,

Cubites, and feete, spans, & hand breads, vnces, and inches, and so by their wit & sleight, they lesse nothing vnmeasured, from the most to the least. An inche is the least part of measures of ••••cius, and Vncia containeth three inches in mea∣sure, and the hand breadth foure inches, and the foote sixteene. And the pace con∣taineth fiue foots, and the Perch eleauen pace and ten feete. The Perch is called Pertica, and hath that name of Portan∣do, bearing, for all the sayde small mea∣sures be in the body, as the span, feet, and pace, and onely the Perche is borne, & is ten foote long, as Ezechiels cane made & measures mystically the temple: heereof is mention made Ezec. 40. C.D.

Actu•• is a measure of foure feete in breadth, and sixe score feete in length.

The Clima is a square space, and is sixtie foote long in euerie side. Actus qua∣drate euery way, finisheth with 180. foot, and so two Actus make Iugerum, and hath that name because of ioyning, Iugerum is 140. feete in length, and sixe score feete in breadth. There be many o∣ther manner measures, of the which we doe not speake at this time.

But it is to vnderstand, y^t the Sta∣••iall field containeth sixe score pace and fiue, that is 615 foote. And eight such ma∣keth a mile, y^t containeth 20000. whole feete, as Isi. saith there.

Centuria is a field of two hundered Iugerea, and had that name of an hunde∣res Iugerea, and was so called in olde time, and was afterward doubled, & hol∣deth alway the first name, as Isid. saith, lib. 15. cap. vit. de mensuris.

Measure of wayes haue diuers names among men of diuers tongues: for the Latines call Miliria, the Greekes Sta∣dia, and the Frenchmen Leucas, the Ae∣gyptions Signes, and the Persians, Pera∣sangas. And no wonder, for euery space is contained with his owne bonds and measures, as he saith.

(* 1.1Stadium, a mesure of ground, wher of were three sorts: One of Italy, con∣taining 625. feete, that is 125. paces.

The second Olympicum, of 600. feete, that is 120 paces. The third Pithicum containing ••••••. feete, that is two hun∣dred paces: whereof happely maye rise the difference betweene Plinie and Di∣odorus Siculus, in describing Sicily. Of these Stadia, eight doe make an Italian mile, containing a thousand paces, euery pace being fiue foote. We maye call it 8. furlongs.)

For the mile containeth a thousand paces, that is fiue thousand foote: the Leuca containeth a thousand paces and fiue hundred.

The Stadium is the eight part of a mile, and containeth sixe score paces and fiue. He telleth that Hercules ordained that name Stadtom for such a space, for he ran so farre of 〈…〉〈…〉 breath, and stint∣ed then, and so gaue that name Staduim as Isid. saith.

A way is a space, in the which carri∣age may goe, and hath that name Vra, of Vehiculum, a thing which beareth, for therein commeth and meeteth caria∣ges, and containeth the breadth of two Actus, for going and comming, and mee∣ting of carriage.

And euery way is common or pri∣uate: The common way is in common ground, and is common to the people, & leadeth to the Sea, and to other diuers townes: and this way is called Strata, as it were troden with the feete of the Comminaltie. Lucanus speaketh there∣of and sayth.

Strataque iam vulgi pedibus detri∣ta viarum.

Strata is a way troden with feete of the people.

This way without obstacle is clean and sad, paued and couched with harde stones euen and peaceable, common to all manner of people, and free without stopping, impediment or grieuing, as hee sayeth.

The Priuate waye, belongeth to some nigh Towne, and is short & nigh, and ofte growen with grasse, for sel∣dome going, and is beset with trees, on either side.

Agger is an heape of stones, or a to∣ken in the high waye. And historyes call such a way, Knights waye. Thereof it is sayd.

Qualis sepe vie deprensus in Agge∣re serpens.

Iter, iteneris, is a way, by the which a man may goe whetherwarde that hee will: and Iter is another than Itiner, for Iter is easie to passe, and Itiner is long and hard to passe.

Semita is the middle of the way, and hath that name of Semis, halfe: and Se∣mita is the path of men, and Callis is the path of beasts, wilde and tame: and Callis is the pathe of beastes betwéene mountaines, and is streight and harde, troden with beasts, & hath therefore that name of Callo.

Tramites are by paths in fields, and hath that name, for they lead to y^e euen way.

Diuersum is a bending of wayes, and leadeth to diuers places: And Di∣uerticulum is a benching besides the waye.

Bruium is a beginning of 2. wayes, of the which one lyeth on y^e right hand, and the other on the lefte hand, & is ofte a perillous place and suspitious: for in such places ofte théeues lye in a wayte, & the Cominaltie be oft robbed in such places: and is a doubtfull place, for men doubt often, which of those wayes they shall take. Therfore in times past, cros∣ses were set in such wayes, that the men passing thereby, might know, which of those wayes they should take.

Compita is a place where manye wayes meete, as three or foure, and is a perillous place and doubtfull, as Brui∣um is.

Ambitus is a space betwéene place & house of neighbours, of two foote broad and an halfe, ordained for a waye about neighbours places, and hath that name of Ambiendo, 1. Circumeundo, going a∣bout.

Orbita is the forrowe of a wheele, that maketh a déepe furrow in the win∣ding, and trendlyng about.

Actus is a place wher beasts are oft driuen, and is slipper and sickle.

Vestigium is the fore that is lefte in the ground, after going and trendling, and hath that name of Inuestigare.

Beasts leaue in their owne sores, some token, by the which they be ofte taken of hounds and of other wilde beasts.

The Lyon knoweth that, and both a∣way therefore his fores, that they be not knowen of them that is followeth him.

Of properties and diuersitie of mea∣sure, this is sufficient for this time. And what is sayd before, is taken forth of Isid. li. 15. cap. vltimo.

Notes

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