A very necessarie and profitable booke concerning nauigation, compiled in Latin by Ioannes Taisnierus, a publice professor in Rome, Ferraria, & other uniuersities in Italie of the mathematicalles, named a treatise of continuall motions. Translated into Englishe, by Richard Eden. The contents of this booke you shall finde on the next page folowyng.

Agayne, of the naure, knowledge, vertue, equalitie, qualitie, and effectes of the stone Magnes, or the Lode stone.

FOR as muche as euery thing that is good, is so muche the better as it is more com∣mon: therefore doo I intende to communi∣cate vnto our posteritie, this litle woorke of the nature, effects and miracles of the stone Magnes. The whiche, although they may seeme to the ignoraunt common people, to exceede the limittes of nature, yet to expert men, and Mathema∣titians, they seeme not so strange, notwithstandyng that it is almost impossible to manyfest al the secrets and miracles thereof:* 1.1 For whereas Art inuenteth, and bryngeth to perfection many thynges whiche are impossible to nature, it is necessary that he who desyreth to doo great effectes in these thinges, and the lyke, be very expert in woorkyng with the hande: neyther is it suffici∣ent for him to be a perfect Naturalist, Mathematitian, or Astro∣nomer, for as muche as furthermore is requyred great dex∣teritie of handie woorke: And for defaulte hereof, it commeth to passe, that in this our age these natural artes lie hid & vnknowen.

This stone is knowen by colour, vertue, weyght, and equalitie.* 1.2 The best colour, is lyke pure iron, shynyng, mixt with Indian or heauenly colour, & is in maner like iron poolished. This stone is also oftentymes found in certayne regions of the North, & is brought from thence into certayne partes of Normandie and Flaunders. The experience of the vertue of this stone, is easie. For if it drawe vnto it a great weyght of iron, it is iudged to be stronge: & the heauier also the better. By equalitie, it is iudged yf it be al alyke of one substance and colour: but yf it be vnequall with chappes, & holow places indented, hauyng red spottes here and there, it is vnapt to the art of nauigation or of continual mo∣tion. It representeth the simititude of heauen. For lyke as in hea∣uē are two poynts immoueable, ending the axiltre of the sphere, vpon the which the whole frame of heauen is turned (as may be founde by the arte wherby Cristall & other stones are poolished:) euen so the stone Magnes, reduced into a globous or rounde forme, laying thereon a needle or any other lyke iron,* 1.3 then which way so euer the needle turneth and resteth, thereby is shewed the place of the poles. And that this may be done more certaynely, it must be oftentymes attempted, and the lyne shewed by the needle, must be obserued: for such lynes shal cut the one the other in two pointes, as the Meridian circles ioyne togeather in the poles of the worlde.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Art in manye thyngs passeth and amendeth nature.
• * 1.2

  The stone Magnes is knowen by colour, vertue, weyght, and equalitie. Colour. Vertue. Equalitie.
• * 1.3

  Howe to finde the poles by the stone.