a6» EARLY NAUTICAL USE OF THE MAGKET. June 29. 



Ifcelle cfloills ne fe mnet, 



Uii arts font qui ne mentir ne puet 



Par la vtertu dc la Manete, 



U:ie pierre laide ef brunete, 



Ou li fers volontitrs fe joint. 



On' relgardent lors droit point. 



Puez c'un ■ aguilcr<int ouchie» 



Et c:i uii f.ftu 1' ont fichie, 



£n languc- la mctte fen*, plus, 



Et It ftltuiz la tientdefus; 



Puis fe torne la p 'inte tonte 



Centre IVftoille fens double ; 



Qnunt li nuis eft tenebit. et briine, 



Cwi ne voit eftoiUe ne luiie; 



Lor font a 1' aguille alumer, . j 



Pmz ne puent il aflarrer 



CoBtre r eltcilk vers la pointc. 



per ce fort li marinicr cointe i 



De ia droite voie tenir : 



C eft uiiS ars qui ne y\xci mentir. 



Literal 'Tranjlation. 



This ftar is unchangeable t, 



But there is an art .\ hjch cannot err, 



By the virtue of the Magnet, 



A ftone, ugly and brown in colour. 



To which iron kindly unites, 



And points thin right to that diredlion. 



As foon as a needle has been touched. 



And properly tixcd upon a pivot, 



It fets itfdlf in motion immediately. 



And the pivot holding it in balance, 



It turneth itfelf to the precife point, 



Utreiftcd towards the ftar without doubt: , 



When the n ght is dark and brown, 



When one fees nor ftar nor moon, 



THen one betakes oncfeif to the needle as a beacoSv 



Since this cannot gi^ aftray 



In turning itfeli to the point of the ftar. 



By thif IS the mariner made act^uainted 



With the right way to hold : 



Itii is an art that cannot err. 



* AUuduif, no doubt, to the flit ftf. 



