1895.] ^"^ [Sachse. 



nativities, and in the various occult studies wherein the hour of the 

 day or night, and the position of the planetary system of the heav- 

 ens took a prominent part, as by its aid it was possible to see, not 

 only the true time of day by sunlight, and at night by moonlight, 

 but other solar phenomena, such as the true time of sunrise and 

 sunset ; the orb's place in the twelve houses of the zodiac ; its perigee 

 an'd apogee ; its height above the horizon ; the relative length of 

 the day and night, as well as many other astrological data. 



There is, however, another peculiarity about this instrument. 

 In the hands of the Astrologus or Magus of the sixteenth century, 

 it was capable, at the will of the operator, of apparently reversing 

 the laws of nature. Thus, if the basin was filled with water or any 

 other translucent liquid, the time marked was advanced or retarded 

 as many degrees as equal the angle of refraction ; thereby repeating 

 the miracle of Isaiah. 



To thoroughly illustrate this latter fact, as well as the somewhat 

 obscure inscription within the helix upon the plate beneath the 

 base, and on the two engraved panels, it will be necessary for us to 

 make a practical test of the apparatus and to take up the references 

 to the instrument as given in Holy Writ, even though it may reflect 

 somewhat upon the integrity of the prophet of old, who evidently 

 had some practical inkling of the then unknown laws of refraction. 



By referring to the thirty-eighth chapter of the Book of Isaiah, 

 in the eighth verse we read : 



" Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is 

 gone down in the sun-dial of Ahaz ten degrees backward. So the 

 sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down." 



This is what is known as the great miracle of Isaiah, and is por- 

 trayed in one of the engraved panels upon the base plate of the 

 instrument. It will be noticed that the invalid sovereign is in his 

 bed, while the prophet is pointing to a sun-dial, which, however, 

 in the representation, is a vertical one — a precaution that was 

 resorted to for obvious reasons by the Augsburg artificer, to distract 

 attention from the true character of this instrument, in case it 

 should ever fall into the possession of the profane. 



The other engraved panel on the base plate illustrates the twenty- 

 first verse of the same chapter of the Book of Isaiah, viz.: " For 

 Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plas- 

 ter upon the boil, and he shall recover." 



We have here portrayed the consummation of the miracle. The 



