M. Blundevile his exercises containing sixe treatises, the titles wherof are set down in the next printed page: which treatises are verie necessarie to be read and learned of all yoong gentlemen that haue not bene exercised in such disciplines, and yet are desirous to haue knowledge as well in cosmographie, astronomie, and geographie, as also in the arte of navigation ... To the furtherance of which arte of navigation, the said M. Blundevile speciallie wrote the said treatises and of meere good will doth dedicate the same to all the young gentlemen of this realme.

How much the Zodiaque declineth from the Equinoctiall towards either of the Poles, and of the greatest declination of the Sunne, what it is at this present, and what it hath beene in times past. Chap. 12.

YOu haue to vnderstande that the Zodi∣aque or rather the Ecliptique line, decli∣neth from the Equinoctiall towardes ey∣ther of the poles, 23. degrées 28′· and that is said in these dayes to be the grea∣test declination of the sunne, which decli∣nation is twofold, that is Northerne and Southerne, for like as the Sunne entring into the first point of Aries, beginneth then to decline from the Equinoctiall Northward, to the quanti∣tie of 23. degrées and 28′· so entring into the first point of Libra, he declineth againe from the Equinoctiall as much Southward. And note by the way that by reason of his slowe motion, when he is in the Northerne signes, he spendeth 7. dayes, and ⅗. of a day more in making his North declination then in making his South

declination, because he is then in his swift motion, and the time hath béene that he hath spent aboue ten dayes more in making his North declination, then in making his South declination: nei∣ther is the greatest declination of the Sunne in all ages of like quantitie. For in Ptolomies time it was 23. degrées, 51′· and 20″· euer since whose time it hath alwaies continually decreased vntill this present, so as now the greatest declination is no more but 23. degrées and 28′· And Copernicus maketh the declination of the sunne in respect of quantitie to be twofold, that is, grea∣test and least, affirming the greatest to be 23. degrées and 52′· and the least to be 23. degrées and 28′· as it is now accounted, the difference whereof is 24′· and whilst the Ecliptique departeth from the Equinoctiall, and turneth againe towardes the Equi∣noctiall, there do runne (as he sayth) 34••4. yeares.