A learned treatise of globes, both cœlestiall and terrestriall with their several uses / written first in Latine, by Mr. Robert Hues, and by him so published ; afterward illustrated with notes by Jo. Isa. Pontanus ; and now lastly made English ... by John Chilmead ...

CHAP. VII. Of the Starrs which are not expressed in the Globe.

BEsides these Stars which wee have here reckoned up out of Ptolomy, there are yet many other to bee seen sometime, especially in the winter time, in a cleare night, when as there are both many more Stars to be seen, then at other imes, and those that are seen, appeare by much, greater. Now if you expect that we should assigne the cause of this: we might answere, that it is besides the intention of our present purpose. Yet for your satisfaction, and because that some Au•…•…hors have very

much erred from the right, in setting down the true reason of the same: we doe therefore the more willingly make this digression. For some there are, who (out of the extraordinary know∣ledge they have in Phylosophy, and Optickes) would very willingly perswade us, that either we conceive them to be more, then indeed they are, and that our sense onely is deceived: or else (which is altogether as ridiculous) that the aire being in winter more pure and thin, making them more conspicuous, which otherwise in the Summer, when the ayre is more grosse, do alto∣getherlye hid. And this is an error which I do not so much blame in others as I wonder at i•…•…, in Johannes de Benedictis: that so great a Mathematician, as he is held to be, should be led away with so grosse an error. For the rea∣son of this is altogether otherwise, and cleane contrary. For, for that very cause that the aire is more grosse and thick, the Stars therefore do appeare more, and greater. Which opi∣nion of ours is confirmed, both out of princi∣palls of the Opti•…•…s, and also by the sense of it selfe, experience, and authority of learned writers.

For first, that the raies being refracted through a grosse Medium, and diffused, as it were, in certain Canales, do represent the image of the object greater then indeed it is, is plainly affirmed (and that accordiong to the doctine of the Optickes) by Strabo himself out o•…•… Posidonius. And that through Perspi∣cills

o•…•… Sp•…•…ctacles, things appeare more, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…hen otherwise they would, is a thing well known to the most Ignorant. Cleomo∣des also saith, that the Sun being seen by any in the bottom of a deep Well, s•…•…emes gr•…•…ater, then when he is seen from above: and •…•…hat by reason of •…•…he moistnes and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…f the ayre in the bottom of the Well. And if it were possible to see the Sun through stone walls, or other solid bodies, (as the old Poëts fabulously report of Lyn∣ceus:) he would seem much bigger then he is, as Posidonius rightly teacheth. And hence is it, (saith Strabo) that we see the Sun al∣waies gre•…•…ter at his rising and setting, espe∣cially to those that are at Sea. Yet wee doe not say that he appeares ten times greater then hee is, as it is reported he doth in India, out of the Excerpts of Etesias his Indian H•…•…sto∣ries: much lesse, that he seemes to be an hun∣dred times greater then he is in other places, as he is feighned by Artemidorus to bee at his setting, to those that inhabit a Promontory in the outmost parts of Spain, which he calls Promontorium Sacrum: but is justly taxed for the same by Posidonius. Alsraganus would have the cause of this to be, for that the va∣pours which are exhaled out of the earth, and elevated into the ayre, and so interposed be twixt our sight and the Sun, at his rising or setting, do make him appeare greate•…•… then hee is. The same is the opinion of Strabo and Cleo∣medes also, out of Posid•…•…nius: neither doth

this differ much from the opinion of the best of our Opticall writers. But of this enough.

There are also observed many Stars in the Southern parts of the world: which because they could not be seen by our Artists in these parts of the World, we have therefore no cer∣tain knowledg left us concerning the same. So in like manner, among those which we have hitherto spoken of, many of them cannot bee seen by those that inhabit any whit neare the North Pole. But concerning those Stars that appeare about the South Pole of the World, I will here set you down a very admirable story, which Franciscus Patricius Senensis relateth in the end of his Nova Philosophia, out of the Navigations of Americus Vespuccius. And it is thu•…•…. Coelum decentissimè exornatur, &c. The Heavens (saith he, meaning about the Antar∣ctique Pole) is variously adorned with divers Constellations, which cannot be seen here with us: among which I do verywell remember that I reckoned very neare twenty, which were as faire and bright as Venus, and Jupiter here with us, and a little after he saith. I was cer∣tain therefore, that these Stars were of greater magnitude, then any man can conceive: and especially three Canobi, which I saw, and ob∣served; two whereof were very bright ones, but the third was somewhat obscure, and no∣th•…•…g like the rest.

And a little after, he proceeds. But the Pole it selfe is encompassed about with three

Stars, which represent the figure of a right-an∣gled Triangle: among which, that which is in the midst, is in circumference, 9. gr. and a halfe: and when these •…•…ise, there appeares, on the left hand of them, another bright Canobus of notable magn•…•…tude.

And a little after, he saith▪ After these there follow three other very faire Stars, the mid∣dlemost of which hath in Diameter 12. degrees and an halfe; and in the midst among these, there is seen another Canobus. After this there follows 6. other bright Stars which excell all the other Stars, in the eighth Sphaere for bright∣nesse: the middlemost of them, having 32. gr. in Diameter. These Stars are accompa∣nied by another greater, but darker Canobus: all which Stars are observed in the Milky way.

To this he addeth, out of Corsalius, his that followeth. Andreas Corsalius also affirmeth, that there are two clouds, of a reasonable brightnesse, appearing near the Pole; betwixt which there is a Star distant from the Pole, a∣bout a 11 gr. over which, he saith; there is seen a very admirable figure of a Crosse, standing in the midst of 5. Stars that compasse it about, with some certain others that moue round a∣bout •…•…ith it, being distant from the Pole, a∣bout 30. degrees: which are of so great bright∣nesse, as that no Signe in the Heavens may bee compared with them.

And now, that you have heard this so strang and admirable relation of the Stars about the

Antarctique Pole, Auditum admissi risum tenea∣tis? For Vespuccius hath here forged three Canobi, whereas Ptolomy, and all the Ancient Greekes never knew but one, and that is it wich is placed in the stearne of the ship Argo, And here it is very well worth our noting, that Patricius (as far as I am able to gather out of his writings) out of Vespuccius his ill expressed language, and by him worse under∣stood, hath very excellently framed to himself a strange kind of Star, that hath in apparent Diameter; 32. degrees: whereas the Diame∣ter of the Sun it self hardly attaineth to 32. minutes.

But those things which out of our owne cer∣tain knowledg and experience in above a years voyage on Sea, in the yeares, 1591. and 1592. we have observed beyond the AEquator, and a∣bout the Southern parts of the world, we will here set down.

Now therefore, there are but three Stars of the first magnitude that I could perceive, in all those parts, which are never seen here in England. All which, notwithstanding, Ptolo∣my saw, in Alexandria in Egypt. The first of these is that bright Star in the stearn of Argo, which they call Canobus. The second is in the end of Eridanus. The third is in the right foot of the Centaure. To which if you will add for a fourth, that which is fixed in the Centaures left knee, I shall not much stand against it. But other Stars of the first magnitude, then these which I have named, that part of the

world canot shew us. Neither is there to bee found scarcely two or three at the most, of the second magnitude, but what Ptolomy had seen▪ and indeed there is no part of the whole Heavens, that hath so few Starrs in it, and those of so small light, as this neare about the Antarctique Pole. We had a sight also of those Clouds Andreas Corsalius speakes of, the one of them being almost twice or thrice as big as the other, and in colour, something like the Via Lactea, and neither of them very farr distant from the Pole. Our Mariners use to call them Magellanes Clouds. And wee saw also that strange and admirable Crosse which he talkes of, which the Spaniard call Crusero, and our Countriemen, the Crusiers. And the Stars of which this Crosse consists, were not unknown to Ptolomy also: for they are no other, then the bright Stars which are in the Centaures feet. All which things I did the more diligently and oftener observe, for that I remembred that I had read in Cardan al∣so, strange relations of the wonderfull magni∣tude of the Stars about the South Pole, not un∣like the stories he have now alledged out of Patricius.

PONT. The names of the Constellations of the Southerne Hemisphaere as they have been now lately observed, and named by the Portugals and others, are these. The South Triangle: the Crane; the Phaenix; the Water Serpent; the Dorado, or Gilthead fish, situated in the ve∣ry Pole of the Ecliptique; the Chamaeleon

with the flye; the Flying Fish; the Bird of Paradise; the Peacock; the naked Indian; the bird •…•…oucan, or Brasilian Pye. All which are accurate•…•…y portraited in the Globes set fourth by Hondius. Among all these there are no Stars, of the first Magnitude, hut of the 2. seven: of the 3. six: of the 4. thirty five: of the 5. fifty six; of the 6. eleven: with six unsormed, and two clow∣dy Stars, besides the two cloudes themselves. Now, the whole number of the Stats in this Southerne part, beside-the cloudy ones, is 121. which being added to 1022. the whole sum will b•…•…e 1143. Of which, 1022. were reckoned before, by our •…•…u∣thor, out of Ptolomy onely there is a scruple cast in our way by those words of Pliny, in his lib. 2. cap. 41. Patrocina•…•…ur vastitas coeli &c. And this opinion (sa•…•…th he) is seconded also by the vast n•…•…sse and immensity of the Heavens which is distinguished into 72. Signes, all which are the resemblances either of living creatures, or other things, according as they have been reduced into method and order by the skilfull in those Arts. Among which Constellations. They have observed 1600. Stars, all which are not able either in their effects or magnitude, Where wee see that •…•…ee ac∣counteth the whole number of the Stars to be 1600 whereas Ptolomy, after him acknawledged only 1022. So likewise he reckoneth the Signes or A∣st•…•…rismes to be be in all 72. which yet in Hippar∣chus, Eud•…•…xus, and Ptolomies account, are but 48.

Scalig•…•…r in his Comentaries upon Manilius, pag 67. that he might untie this knot, reads these

words of Pliny thus. Patrocinatur vastitas coeli, immensa altitudine, discreta in duo de L: signa, &c. Where, for seventy two, he would have it to be wanting two: which is 48. the j•…•…st number reck∣oned by Ptolomy But yet the same doubt still re∣maines in the ensuing words, where he maketh the whole number of the Stars to be 1600.

I find also two other Signes added to the former Southern Constellati•…•…ns, which are Noah's Dove, a•…•…d the Phoenicopter. The first of which contain∣eth in it, 11. Stars: of which there are two in the back of it, of the second magnitude, which they call the Good 〈◊〉〈◊〉, or bri•…•…gers of good newes: and those in the right wing are consecrated to the App•…•…d Deity, and those in the lest to the Retir∣ing of the Waters in the time of the Deluge.

The Phoenicopter we may call the •…•…ittou. Of this bird, Mar•…•…iall hath an Epigram, lib. 13.

Dat mihi penna rubens nomen, sed lingua gu•…•…osis Nostra placet. Quid si garrula lingua foret?

The Spaniards call it Flamengo: and it is de∣scribed with the wings spread abroad and as it were striking with his bill at the South Fish, in that part where he boweth himself. This Asterisme consisteth of 13 Stars •…•…nf whi•…•…h that of the second magnitude in his head is called the Phoenic p•…•…rs Eye: and it hath •…•…wo other tars also of the same magnitu•…•…e, one in his back and the other in his l•…•…twing. And those two which are in the middle of his neck. Paulus

Merula in his first book of his Cosmography, calleth his Collar or Chaine.

Lastly we are to take notice that the Indian•…•… call the south Pole, Dramasa: for so Pliny testifi∣eth in his lib. 6. cap. 19. Austrinum Polum Indi Drammasa vocant.