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Transcriber's Notes: This work was originally produced in 1630, only 26 years after Cawdrey's first English dictionary and more than a century before Johnson's. The spelling is, in many cases, strange to modern standards and highly variable. I have noted a small number of cases which would, I think, have been considered absurd by the original author. These have been amended to a more consonant form; all other spelling has been retained as the original. Some apparently incorrect or missing punctuation has been corrected. The reader should note that and have been used to represent the vowel superscribed by a tilde mark. This implies nasalization and should be read as indicating an omitted 'm' or 'n' following the vowel. The letters 'u' and 'v' are used largely interchangeably as also, though to a lesser extent, 'i' and 'j'.--ATB.

A BRIEFE INTRODVCTION TO GEOGRAPHY

To the Reader

A BRIEFE INTRODVCTION TO GEOGRAPHIE.

CHAP. 1.

Topographie is a particular description of some small quantity of Land, such as Land measurers sett out in their plots.

Chorographie is a particular description of some Country, as of England, France, or any shire or prouince in them: as in the vsuall and ordinary mappe.

Geography is an art or science teaching vs the generall description of the whole earth, of this especially wee are now to speake of, and also Chorography as a part vnder it conteyned: both, excellent parts of knowledge in them selues, and affoording much profit and helpe in the vnderstanding of history & other things. The parts of Geography are two.

Generall, which treateth of the nature, qualities, measure, with other generall properties of the earth.

Speciall, wherein the seuerall countrys and coasts of the earth are deuided and described.

Of the generall in the first place, and more at large then of the other, because it is more difficult, and hard to bee vnderstood, and yet of necessary vse, for the vnderstanding of the other. This generall tract may bee parted into fiue particular heads.

These in theire order.

CAP. 2.

In Geography when wee name the earth wee meane not the earth taken seuerally by itselfe, without the seas and waters. But vnder one name both are comprised, as they are now mingled one with another and doe both together make vp one entire and round body. Neither doe wee diue into the bowels of the earth, and enter into consideration of the naturall qualities, which are in the substance of Earth and water, as coldnes, drinesse moisture, heauines, and the like, but wee looke only vpon the out side, contemplating the greatnesse, scituation, distances, measuringe, and other such affections which appeare in the superficies of it, to the eyes of our bodies and mindes: These then of the earth and water together, rules are to bee knowne,

The naturall place of the water is to bee aboue the earth, and soe it was in the first creation of it, compassing, the earth round aboute as appeares Genes. 1. 9. But for the vse of man and all other liuing creatures, God made a separation of them caussing the waters to sinke downe into huge hollow channells, prepared to receaue it, that so the drie land might appeare aboue it. Notwithstanding which separation, they doe both still remaine together, not couering one another as at first, but intermingled one with another, and that soe exactly as they now make but one round body, whereas at first they made two. Here therfore are two poynts to be proued, 1. That they are one globe. 2. that this one is round.

Let bee the Circle of the earth, and the greater the Circle of the heauen from East to West. Let bee the body of the Sunne, of the Moone in the eclipse by reason of the earth betweene it and the Sunne. It is manifest that the inhabitants in shall see the eclipse before the inhabitants in by certaine houres, according as the distance betweene and is more or lesse. They that dwell in shall see it in they that dwell in see it not till it come to a great deale higher.

Let bee some steeple vpon the land a shipp at sea: He that stands at shall by little and little loose the sight of the ship, as shee goes out, & gett sight of her as shee comes in. Both first and last hee shall haue the sight of the top mast when hee sees nothing else. Because the sea riseth vp betweene his sight and the ship.

These reasons and experiments may suffice to proue the roundnesse of the earth and water; which might bee farther demonstrated by shewing the falshood of all other figures regular or irregular that can be giuen vnto it; that it is neither square, nor three-cornerd, nor Piramidall, nor conicall on Taperwise, nor Cylindricall like a barley rowle, nor hollow like a dish, nor of any other fashion, as some haue imagined it to bee of. Wee come to this second rule.

The third rule.

Let be the center of the world, the heauens: it is manifest that the lowest place from the heauens on all sides is . Ssuppose the earth to be in or in some where out of the center, I say it is not possible that it should abide there, but it will descend till it come to the middle point.

For the Second, whether abiding still in his place it may not moue rounde, the question is disputed, and maintained one both sides. Some affirme it may, and doth: who thinke there is greater probabilitie the earth should mooue round once a day, then that the Heauens should by reason of the incredible swiftnesse of the heauens motion, scarcs conpetible to any naturall body; and the more likely Slownesse of the earths mouing. Others deny it grounding theire opinion vpon Scripture, which affirmes the earth to stand fast, so as it cannot bee moued; and vpon Sence, because wee perceaue it not to moue, and lastly vpon reasons drawne from things hurled vp, and let fall vpon the earth. The arguments on both sides wil bee more easie to bee vnderstood by the figure that followes.

But although it cannot moue streight, it may moue round. For though it be a marueilous great body of vnconceaueable weight, yet being equally poised on euery side, there is nothing can hinder its Circular motion. As in a Globe of Lead, or any other heauy substance, though it were 40. Fadome in compasse, yet being set vpon his two Poles, it would easily bee turned round euen with a touch of ones little finger. And therefore it is concluded that this circular motion is not impossible. The probabilitie of it is thus made plaine. The whole circuit of the Heauens, wherein are the fixed Starrs is reckoned by Astronomers to bee 1017562500. that is a Thousand and seauenteene Millions of miles, fiue hundred sixty two thousand, and fiue hundred miles. Let this bee the compasse of the Circle So many miles doth the Heauens moue in one day, till the same point come to the place from whence it went; as till moue round, and come to againe. This being the motion of the whole day 24. houres, how many miles will moue in one houre? it will moue 42398437 and a halfe. i.e. Forty two Millions three hundred ninty eight thousand, foure hundred thirty seuen miles and an halfe. So many miles will moue in one houre, from to A motion so swift that it is vtterly incredible. Farre more likely it is, the circuit of the earth being about 24000. i.e. twenty foure thousand miles more or lesse, it should moue round once a day. For then one point as should moue in one houre from to but a thousand miles, which motion although it bee swifter then any arrow or bullet from a Cannons mouth, yet is it incomparably slower then that of the Heauens, where so many Millions are posted ouer in an houre.

Now for the saluing of all the caelestiall Phaenomena, or appearances, the truth is the same, if wee suppose the earth to moue, as if wee beleeue it to stand still. The riseing of the Sunne and Starres, the motions of all the Planets, will keepe Correspondence that now. Nor neede wee feare logging, or that steples and towers would totter downe, for the motion is regular, and steady without rubbes, and knocks. As if you turne a globe about, it will goe steadyly, and a fly will set fast vpon it, though you moue it apace. Besides the whole body the ayre is carryed about with the whirlinge of the earth, so that the earth will make noe winde, as it turnes swiftly about; as a wheele will, if it bee turned apace.

Notwithstanding all this, most are of another opinion, that the earth standeth still without all motion, rest rather befittinge so heauy and dull a body then motion. The maine reason brought to establish it is this. Let a stone bee throwne downe out of the ayre from if the earth stand still, it is manifest it will fall vpon iust vnder it; as wee see it doth by common experience, a stone will fall downe from any height vpon the place wee aymed at, but let the earth moue, the stone will not light vpon but some where else as one for will bee moued away, and gone to

So againe let two peices of ordinance that will shoote at equall distance bee discharged one iust towards the East, the other towards the West; if the earth moue towards the West, the bullet that is discharged Eastward will fly farther then that Westward. For by the contrary motion of the earth hee will gaine ground. But experience hath proued this to bee false, shewing that the bullets, will both fly at equall distance.

To salue this, answere is made that the earth by its swift motion carries with it and that steadily not only all bodies resting or moueing vpon it, but also the whole Sphaere of Aire with all things whatsoeuer that are moued in it naturally or violently, as clouds, birds, stones hurled vp or downe, arrowes, bullets, and such like things violently shott forth: as may appeare in the figure.

The fourth rule.

That the earth is noe bigger then a point or pinns head in comparison of the highest heauens will easily appeare vnto vs, by these reasons.

The starre appeares like a point or pricke to them that dwell in wherefore the earth will appeare much lesse to the sight of him that should behold it from , nay it would not bee seene at all. Againe halfe the Heauens are alwayes seene to th that dwell in wanting some two minutes, betweene and which difference is alltogether insensible. Againe if wee obserue the height of the starre aboue the Horizon it will bee all one namely whether wee obserue it in the topp of the earth, in or in the middle in For, and are so little distant one from another, that and will bee paralell lines, and bee esteemed but as one line. The fourth reason concerning Dialls, is cleare by the framing and construction of them: wherein either the lower end of the Cocke whereat all the houre lines meet, or the vpper end and knobb is supposed to bee the Center of the earth.

CAP. 3.

The properties of the earthly Globe haue beene handled in the former chapter wee come now to the parts which are two in generall.

Both containe vnder them more particular parts to be knowne.

The more notable parts of the Earth are these.

The more notable parts of the Water are these

As a bowle throwne downe a hill runnes easily and farre, if it once bee sett a going; but throwne vpon the ice it will without any lett at last stand still. Answere may bee made hereunto, that although there bee noe aduantage of the ground, yet the water will still moue forwarde from to because the water that followes, pusheth forwarde that, that runnes afore. Which answere will stand, when a good cause may bee shewed, which forcibly driueth the water from the Sea vnto and out of the fountaine considering that they lie both in the same circular superficies. Wherefore seeing, wee cannot without any inconueniency suppose it to moue by any of these lines either streight as or or circular as let vs enquire farther.

CAP. 4.

In a round body as the earth is, there can be no distinction of parts, & places, without the helpe of some lines drawen or imagined to be drawen vpon it. Now though there are not, nor can be any circles truly drawen vpon the earth, yet because there is a good ground in nature and reason of things for them, we must imagine them to be drawen vpon the earth, as truly as we see them described vpon a Globe or in a plaine paper. Further this must be noted, that all circles on the earth haue the like opposite vnto them conceaved to be the Heavenes, vnder which they are directly scituated. Thus knowen, the circles that wee are to take the speciall notice of are of two sorts, Greater and Lesser.

or 10^ of those parts a diameter to the opposite point: these lines all concurring in the center being the pole, are as so many Meridians. Next, hauing cutt the halfe of any one of the former diameters into 9 parts, as in the points draw on the center so many circles and these represent the paralells of the Globe, being also here true paralells.

CAP. 5.

Next after the Circles of the Earth, wee may not vnfitly handle the seuerall Divisions and distinctions which geographers make of the parts, and inhabitants of the earth. These are many, but wee will briefely runne them ouer.

The Longitude must bee reckoned by the degrees of the AEquator, the Latitude by the degrees of the Meridian.

For example, in these two Haemisphaeres, the longitude of the whole earth is from to and in the AEquator. The latitud is from to , and from to the North and South poles, and this reckoned in any meridian. The first meridian is which goes by the Canary Ilands, the AEquinoctiall is . Now I haue a Citty giuen so. I would know in what longitude and latitude it is. For the longitude I consider what meridian passeth through it, which is the meridian which crosseth the AEquinoctiall in at 15 degrees, wherefore I say that stands Eastward from the first Meridian 15 degrees. So I finde that the Citty is 150 degrees Eastward, 195, and 345.

For the Latitude I consider what paralell runnes through or and I finde the 30 to passe by 45 by the 15 by the 45 Southward by and those numbers are the latitude of the place that are distant from the AEquator, .

Concerning the means whereby the longitude of places is found out, there is scarce any thing that hath troubled Mathematicians so much as the observation of it. For because no standing marke can be taken it must needs bee difficult. To measure vpon the earth, going alwaies vnder the same paralell, is a way certain in regard of some few places, but so troublesome in it selfe, and vnprofitable in regard of other places that ly out of that paralell, that it may be accounted a fruitlesse labour. The voyages & accounts of Marriners at Sea, are so full of casualty & vncertainty by reason of the doubtfull variation of the compasse, the vnequall violence of windes and tides, the false making of their sea cards, by which they saile, and the ignorance of the Masters for the greatest part, as there can hardly be any assured reckoning made by them. The best means of observation is by Eclipses of the Sunne & Moone, which in severall Countries are sooner or later seene, according as one place lies farther East or farther West from another. But this also falls out so seldome, and when it happens, is so seldome obserued, and when it is observed, hath so many difficulties in the precise and exact observation of it; that wee may Well account this inquiry after the longitude of places, to be one of those things whereof wee must be content to be ignorant, & rather to gesse at it in Grosse, then in vaine to striue for exactnesse, which is the cause why the tables of the longitude and latitude of Citties, though they many times agree in the latitude, doe yet for the most part very much differ in the Longitude.

They dwell in a right or streight Spheare who dwell iust vnder the AEquinoctiall, whose Horizon is paralell to the Meridians, but cutts the AEquator at right Angles, they dwell in paralell Spheares, who dwell iust vnder either of the Poles, whose Horizon is parallell to the AEquator, but cuts all the Meridians at right Angles: and the latter is sometime called a Paralell Spheare.

They dwell in a crooked Spheare, who inhabite any place betweene the AEquinoctiall and the Pole, whose Horizon cuts the AEquator, the Paralells, and the Meridians at oblique or vnequall angles.

A table of the climats.

The third Columne is the length of the Day in Summer, in euery Climate, which from 12. houres encreaseth by halfe houres to 24. houres after by moneths, from one moneth to sixe.

The fourth containes the degrees of latitude, how farre euery climate lies from the AEquinoctiall.

The fift contaynes the space or breadth of euery Climate, how many degrees or minutes it takes vp vpon the Earth.

The sixt containes some notable places by which the Climats passe.

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