25 A Trtatife f BODIES. Chap, 12. 



Thcfe obfcrvations peradvcnturc are but little credited by 

 Grangers ; but we who know the worth of the men that made 

 them, cannot mittruft any notable errour in them: for they 

 were very able mathematicians, and they made their obferva- 

 tions with very great exaftnetTe ; and there were Overall judi- 

 cious whnefics at the making of them ; as may be fcen in Ma- 

 frer Gillcbrand his print concerning this fubjefh And divers 

 other particular perfons do confirm the fame ; whofc credit, 

 though each fingle might peradventurc be flighted, yet all in 

 body make a great acceffion. 



We muft therefore caft about to find what may be the caufe 

 of an cffe& fo paradox to the reft of the doctrine of the load- 

 ftone : for feeing that no one place, can ftand otherwise to the 

 north of the earth at one time then at another ; how is it poflj- 

 ble that the needle ftiould receive any new variation, fi nee all 

 variation procecdeth out of the inequality of the earth ? But 

 when we confidcr that this cffeil proceedcth not out of the main 

 body of the earth, but onely out of the bark of it ; and that its 

 bark may have divers tempers not as yet difcorered unto us;and 

 that out of the variety ofthcfc tempers, the influence of the ear- 

 thy parts may be divers in refpeft of one certain place ; it is not 

 impoffible but that fuch variation may be, efpecially in Eng- 

 land : which Hand lying open to the north, by a great and vaft 

 ocean, may receive more particularly then other places the 

 fpeciall influences and variation of the weather, that happen in 

 thofe northeaftern countrcyes from whence this influence co- 

 ineth unto us. If therefore there fhoald be any courfc of wea- 

 ther, whofe period were a hundred years (for example) or more 

 or lefle and fb might eafily pafle unmarked; thij variation might 

 grow out of fuch a courfe. 



But in fo obfcure a thing, we have already hazarded to guefle 

 too much. And upon the whole matter of the loadftonc, it fer- 

 veth our turn, if we have proved fas we conceive we have done 

 fully) that its motions which appear fo admirable, do not pro- 

 teed fiom an occult quality j but that thecaufes of them may be 

 reduced unto locall motion ; and that all they may be perform- 

 ed by fuch corporeall inftruments and means (though pcrad- 

 venture more intricately difpoledjas all other effects arc among 

 bodies. Whofc ordering and difpofing and particular progreflc, 



there 



