Here begynneth the compost of Ptholomeus, prynce of astronomye: translated oute of Frenche in to Englysshe, for them that wolde haue knowlege of the compost.

¶ Of the deuysyon of the erthe / and onely of the parte enhabyted. Capitulo .xxiii.

SO as Ptholomeus & dy∣uers other deuyden the erth habytable in .vii. partyes / that they call Clymates & the dyamerous. The .ii. cly¦mate dyatyens. The .iii. da¦lyxandrye. The .iiii. dyar∣hodes. The .v. dyaromes. The .vi. daboristi∣nes. And the .vii. dyaripheos / of the whiche eche hathe his longytude determyned / and the latytude also / and nerer they ben to the equy∣nocciall the longer they ben / and larger / and procede in longytude from oryent to occydent and in latytude from mydday to septemtry∣on. The first clymate after some Astronomy¦ers conteyneth in length halfe of the cyrcuyte of the erthe / that is two hondreth thousande / and foure hondreth myle / and it hath an hon∣dreth thousande / and two hondreth myles of length. The. seconde / and so of the other / for the lessynge of the erth comynge towarde sep¦temtryon. To vnderstande what a clymate

is after the sayinge of Astronomyers. A cly∣mate is a space of the erth egally large / wher of the length is from oryent to occydent / and the bredthe is comynge from mydday & from the erthe enhabytable towarde the equynoccy¦all drawynge to septemtryon / as moche as an horologe or clocke chaungeth nat. For in erthe habytable the clockes chaungeth .vii. ty¦mes in the bredthe of the clymates / it is of ne∣cessyte to say that they ben .vii. and where the varyacion of horologes is / there is the dyuer∣syte of clymates / howe be it that suche varya¦cyon properly oughte to be taken in the myd∣des of the clymat{is} / and nat at the begynnyng nor in the ende / for the nerenesse & cōuenaunce the one of the other. Also one clymate hath al¦wayes a day artyfycyall of somer / shorter or longer than another clymate / and this daye sheweth the dyfference in the myddes of eue∣ry clymate / better than in the myddes & at the ende / the whiche thynge we maye sensybly knowe at iye: and therby Iudge the dyfferen¦ce of the clymat{is}. ¶ And it is to be noted that vnder the equynoccyall the dayes & the nygh¦tes in all tymes are egall eche of .xii. houres / but comynge towarde septemtrion the dayes of somer longeth / and the wynter dayes shor¦teth / and the more that one approcheth septem¦tryon

/ the more waxeth the dayes in such wy¦se that at the ende of the laste clymate the day¦es in somer ben longer by thre houres and an halfe / than they ben at the begynnynge of the firste: and the pole is more reysed by .xxxviii. degrees. At the begynnynge of the firste cly∣mate the lōgest daye of somer hath .xii. houres and .xlv. mynutes / and the pole is reysed on the ozyron .xii. degrees and .xlv. mynutes / & in the myddes of the clymate the longest daye hath .xiii. houres / and the pole reysed .xvi. de∣grees / and the latytude dureth vnto the lon∣gest daye of somer / that is .xiii. houres & .xv. mynutes: and the pole reysed .xx. degrees and an halfe / the whiche largenes is .CCCC.xl. myle of erth. The seconde clymate begynneth at the ende of the firste / and the myddes is the¦re as the daye hath .xiii. houres & an halfe / and the pole is reysed ouer the ozyron .xxiiii. degre¦es / & .xv. mynutes. And the latytude dureth vnto there as the longest daye hath .xiii. hou∣res / and .xlv. mynutes / and the pole is reysed xxvii. degrees / & an halfe / and this largenes conteyneth of erthe .CCCC. myles Iuste. The .iii. clymate begynneth at the ende of the seconde & the myddes is there as the daye hath xiii. houres / & the pole is reysed .xxx. degrees / & .xlv. mynutes / and the latytude extendeth

vnto there as the longest daye hath .xiiii. hou∣res / & .xv. mynutes / & the pole is reysed .xxiii. degrees / and .xl. mynutis. The .iiii. clymate begynnynge at the ende of the thirde / and the myddes is there as the longest day hath .xiiii. houres and an halfe / and the pole is reysed .xxvi. degrees / and .xx. mynutes / the latytu∣de dureth vnto there as the longest day hath .xiii. houres / and .xlv. mynutes / and the pole is reysed .xxx. degrees / and the largenes con∣teyneth of erthe .CCC. myle. The .v. clyma∣te begynneth at the ende of the fourth: and the myddes is there as the longest daye hath .xv. houres / & the pole is reysed .xli. degrees / & .xx. mynutes / and the latytude dureth vnto there as the longest day hath .xv. houres / and .xv. mynutes / and the pole is reysed .xliii. degrees and an halfe / and the largenes conteyneth of erthe .CC.lii. myles. The .vi. clymate begyn∣neth at the ende of the fyfthe / and the myddes is there as the longest daye hath .xv. houres & an half / and the pole is reysed ouer the ozyron xlv. degrees / & .xxiii. mynutes / of the whiche the largenes dureth vnto there as the longest daye hath .xv. houres / and .xlv. mynutes: the whiche largenes conteyneth of erthe .CC.xii. myles. The .vii. clymate begyn̄eth at the en∣de of the syxte / and the myddes is there as the

longest daye hath .xvi. houres: and the pole is reysed .xlviii. degrees and .xl. mynutes / the la¦tytude extendeth vnto / there as the longest daye hath xvi. houres / and .xv. mynut{is} / and the pole is reysed .l. degrees and an halfe / and the largenes of the erthe conteyneth .C.lxxx. and .vi. myles.