Hier begynneth the booke callyd the Myrrour of the worlde ...

¶How the erthe holdeth her right in the myddle of the worlde Capitulo. xvij^o.

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FOr as moche as therthe is heuy more th¦an ony other of thelemen∣tis / therfore she holdeth her more in the myddle. and that / whiche is most heuy abydeth abou¦te her / for the thynge / whiche most weyeth. draweth most lowest / And alle that is heuy draweth therto / And therfore behoueth vs to Ioyne to the erthe / and alle that is extrayt of therthe / yf so were / & myght so happene / that ther were nothing vpon therthe / watre ne other thynge that letted and trobled the waye. what someuer pate that a man wold he myght goo round aboute therthe / were it man or beeste aboue and vn∣der. whiche parte that he wold lyke as a flye goth round aboute a round apple In lyke wyse myght a man goo roū¦de aboute therthe as ferre as therthe dureth by nature. alle aboute so that he sheld come vnder vs / And it shold seme to hym that we were vnder hym / lyke as to vs he shold seme

vnder vs for he shold holde his feet ayenst oure / And the heed towad heuen / no more ne lasse as we doo here and the feet toward therthe. And yf he wente alway forth his way to fore hym he shold goo so ferre that he shold come agayn to the place fro whens he first departed. And yf it were so that by aduēture two men departed that one fro that other And that one went alleway toward the eest / & that other toward the weste / so that bothe two wente egally / it behoued that they shold mete agayn in the opposite place fro where as they departed. And bothe two shold come agayn to the place. fro whens they meued first / For thēne had that one and that other go on rounde aboute the erthe aboue and vn¦der / lyke rounde aboute a whele that were stylle on ther∣the in lyke wyse shold they goo aboute therthe. as they that contynuelly drewe them right toward y^e myddle of therthe for she fastneth all heuy thing toward her / & that most we∣yeth most draweth & most ner holdeth toward the myddle / For who moche depper one delueth in therthe. so moche heuy∣er

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shal he fynde it & for to vnderstonde this that j haue de∣uysed to you here to fore of the goynges of the flies aboute thapple. & of the mē aboute therthe In li¦ke wyse maye ye see all the manere & fa¦cion by thyse two fi¦gures y^• whiche ben here to you represen¦ted and shewde alle entierly / dij.

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BBut for to vnderstonde the better & more clerly conceyue / ye may vnder∣stāde by ano¦ther ensāple yf the erthe were depar∣ted right in the myddle in suche wy¦se that the heuen myght be seen thurgh / And yf one threwe a stone or an heuy plomette of leed that wel weyed whan it shold co∣me in the myddle and half waye thurgh of therthe / there right shold it abyde and holde hym for it myght nether goo lower ne aryse hyer. But yf it were that by the force of the grete heyght it myght by the myght of the weyght in fal∣lyng falle more depper than the myddle. but anon / it shold aryse agayn in suche wyse that it shold abyde in the myddle of therthe / ne neuer after shold meue thens / For thenne shold it be egally ouerall vnder the firmament whiche tor∣neth nyght and daye / And by the vertue and myght of his tornyng nothyng may approche to it that is poysant & heuy / But wythdraweth alway vnder it / of whiche ye may see the nature and vnderstondyng by this present fygure. on that other syde /

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ANd yf ther the were perced thurgh in ij places of whi¦che that one hole were cutte ī to y^e other like a cros¦se and foure mē stoden ryght at the foure hedes of thise ij hooles one / aboue / & a nother bineth. & in lyke wyse on bothe sydes and that eche of them threwe a stone in to the hoole whether it were grete or lytyl eche stone shold come in to the myddle of therthe. wythout e∣uer to be remeuyd fro thens. But yf it were drawen away by force / & they shold holden them one aboute another for to take place eueryche in the myddle of therthe & yf the stones were of like weight. they shold come therto alle at one tyme assone y^e one as that other / For nature wold suffre it none other wyse. & that one shold come ayenst another as ye may ANd yf their weyght & ¶playnely see by this fygure powers were not egall fro the place fro whens they shold falle / that whiche were most heuy / y^t shold sonnest co∣me to the myddle of therthe. & other shold be al aboute her as this seconde fygure sheweth playnly on that other syde / ANd so moche may be caste therin that the hooles may be full lyke as they were to fore / as ye may playnli see

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in this fygure. whiche sheweth to you the plain trouth now this suffyseth ynouh herof / & here after we shal speke of other thynges /