GEORGE BESTS DISCOURSE a.d. 



1578. 



understood, that the neerer any region is to the Equi- 



noctiall, the higher the Sunne doth rise over their heads 



at noone, and so maketh either right or neere right 



Angles, but the Sunne tarieth with them so much the 



shorter time, and causeth shorter dayes, with longer 



and colder nights, to restore the domage of the day past, 



by reason of the moisture consumed by vapour. But in 



such regions, over the which the Sunne riseth lower 



(as in regions extended towards either pole) it maketh 



there unequall Angles, but the Sunne continueth longer, 



and maketh longer dayes, and causeth so much shorter 



and warmer nights, as retaining warme vapours of the 



day past. For there are found by experience Summer Hote nights 



nights in Scotland and Gothland very hot, when under nere the P ^ 



the Equinoctiall they are found very cold. This benefit 



of the Sunnes long continuance & increase of the day, 



doth augment so much the more in colde regions as 



they are nerer the poles, and ceaseth not increasing untill 



it come directly under the point of the pole Arcticke, Colde nights 



where the Sunne continueth above ground the space of * f „ 

 . 1 ir 1 i ^ i Equinoctiall. 



sixe moneths or halre a yere together, and so the day 



is halfe a yere long, that is the time of the Sunnes being 



in the North signes, from the first degree of Aries untill 



the last of Virgo, that is all the time from our 10 day 



of March untill the 14 of September. The Sunne ther- One day of 



fore during the time of these sixe moneths without any 



offence or hindrance of the night, giveth his influence 



upon those lands with heat that never ceaseth during 



that time, which maketh to the great increase of Summer, 



by reason of the Sunnes continuance. Therefore it 



followeth, that though the Sunne be not there very high 



over their heads, to cause right angle beames, and to 



give great heat, yet the Sun being there sometime almost 



24 degrees high doth cast a convenient and meane heate, 



which there continueth without hindrance of the night 



the space of sixe moneths (as is before sayd) during which 



time there followeth to be a convenient, moderate and Moderate heat 



temperate heat: or els rather it is to be suspected the under ye poles. 



271 



