LETTERS ON SCIENTIFIC SUBJECTS. 25 



by the heavenly globe ; for as by the one wee knowe the re- 

 volution of the moveable yeare, so by the other wee discerne 

 the distinction of all motion, for the philosophers define tyme 

 to be mensura motus. Before the heavens weare created 

 there was no naturall motion, and, by that reason, there 

 wold be no mensura motus. That estate of beinge which was 

 before the creacion of the woorld was called therefore eter- 

 nitie ; because therefore the pellican is placed firste, out of 

 which proceedeth the cause of the motion of the globe which 

 representeth the woorld, therefore the pellican figureth forth 

 eternitie, and the globe representeth the begininge of tyme. 

 The globe is moved every daie by a circular and violent mo- 

 tion, and therein the soone in his naturall coorse kepeth the 

 eclipticall line, whoe, although he be likewise whirled about 

 by the violence ofprimum mobile everie daie from the east to 

 the weast, yeat in his zodiake he finissheth his naturall coorce 

 from the weast to the easte every yeare ; which tyme is said 

 to be his period, as that also of the moone in twentie eight 

 daies and eight minutes ; that of Saturne in thirtie yeare ; 

 Jubiter in five yeare and eight dayes, and so likwise of the 

 reste ; and that of the eighth spher (which is tearmed ccelum 

 stellatum), where the fixed starres remayne in six and thirtie 

 thowsand yeares, which is the period of the spher, and it is 

 called magnus annus Platonis, because he held opinion that 

 then all thinges should beginne anew. The third yallowe 

 great compas (that resembleth after a sorte a wheele, by rea- 

 son of the forme and read lines that be like spookes,) setteth 

 forth a callander for one hundred yeares (in the 4 corners of 

 which be described the 4 monarchies), which was called of the 

 poetes the age of man, and therefore they fained that Nestor 

 lived three men's lives, because he was three hundred yeares 

 owld, and this callander doth morally signifie age, and parti- 

 cular describeth the daies of the moneth, the letter Domini- 

 call, the Epact, and the goulden number, all which be shewed 

 by the arrowe of Apollo, there painted in the lei't hand of the 

 table, and by the finger of Diana on the right side thereof. 

 The great circompherence of this circle that is coloured yalow 

 finisheth his cours in a yeare, the inwarde part that is co- 

 loured blewe in a hundred yeares retourneth to his period. 

 Over which be motions of the planetes, as they geave the de- 

 nomination to the daies, as on sunday the sonne presenteth 

 him self, drawen in a chariot with towe white horses, with his 

 strength Leo. The moone of munday, drawen in chariot by 

 twoe redd hartes, her strength Cancer. Mars on tewsdaie, 

 drawen in his coach by twoe tigers, assisted with his strength 

 Aries and Scorpio. Mercury on Wednesday, drawen by twoe 



