the Hiftorie of NaturCi 



A, tcthandtravaikth ftot. At one time yccfhall fee her bclowjand anon aloft: and that not aft^E 

 one manner, but one while reaching up clofe to the higheit heaven, and anotherwhile readie 

 to touch the mountains : fometimes mounted on high into the North fomctime caft downe 

 below into the South. Which feverall conftitutions and motions in her^ihe fitft man that ob- 

 (erved,was Endymeon ; and therupon the voice wcnt,That he was enamoured upon the Moonc; 

 Ccrtcs, thankful! wc are nGt,as we ought to bc,unto thofe who by their travaile and carei uU en^ 

 devor,have given us light in this Light. But delighted rather we arc wonderoufly(fuch is the pe- 

 ftilcnt wit and wicked difpofition of man) to record in Chronicles, bloudfliead and rnurdcrsi 

 that leaud a^s and mifchecvous deeds fhould be knowne of them^ who otherwife are ignorant 

 of the world it felfe. Well,to proceedjthe Moone being next to the centre,and thcrfotc of leaft 

 rB compaircjperformeth the famccourfe and circuit in feven and twentie daies,and one third pare 

 of a day : which Saturm the highcft planet runneih(as we faid before)in ihirtie yeers. After this^ 

 making ftay in conjunaion with the Sun two daies, forth fne goeth,and by the thirtieth day at 

 tl ic moft,returncth to the fame point and miniftericagainerthemifttelTe, if I may fo fay, and 

 the teacher of all things Aftronomicall, that may be knowne in hcaven.Now by her meanesare 

 we taught that the yeare ought to be divided into twelve moneths : for as much as, the Moone 

 msetcthor overtaketh the Sun fo many times before hec returneth to the fame point where he 

 began his courfeXikewife that fhec loofeth her light(as the reil of the plancts)by the brightncs 

 of iheSunnewhenfhecappiochcthneerc. For borrowing wholly of him her light, fhcc doth 

 aiinc : much like to that which we fee glittering & flying too andfto in the reflection and rcvcr- 

 C beratibn of the SunnC-beames from the water. And hereupon it is,that flice, by her more mild 

 and unpcrfea power di{folveth,yea and encreafeth/o great moifture as fhe doth;which the Sun 

 beamcs may confumc. Hence it commeth alfo^that her light is not even and equall in fight, be- 

 caufc then only when llie is oppofitc unto the SunnCjllieappeareth full : but all other dales fhe 

 ilicweth nomoreto us here ontarthjthaniheconceivech light of clicSunne.Intimc verily of 

 conjunaion or change,fhc is not feene at all :for that whiks ("he is turned away, all the draught 

 of iiaht jfhe cafteth thither backe againe,from whence (bee received it. Now,that thefe planets 

 are ted doubdelfe with earthly moil1:ure,it is evident by the Moope-.which folong as fbc appea- 

 reth by the halfe in fight, never Oieweth any fpots^becaufc as yet lliec hath not her full power ef 

 liohtfiifificientjto draw humour unto her. For thefe fpots bee nothing els but the dregs of the 

 D earth^caught up with other moiftureamongthc vapors. 



Ghap. X, 



'^OftheSttnneandMoonesecliff€:Md6ftkliighh 



lOrcovcr, the eclipfe of the Moone and Sunnc (athingttiroughoiStthcvni^ 

 I verfall contemplation of Nature moil mervellous,and like a ftrange and pro- 

 digiouswonder)dothfhewthebigne{reandfhadowof thefe two planets.For 

 „ I evident it is, that the Sun is hidden by the commingbetweencot the Moons 

 PI and the Moone again by the oppofitionofthe Earth jalfo that the one doth 

 ^1 quit the other,in that the Moone by her interpofuion bereaveth the Earth of 

 the Suanes raies,and the Earth again doth the femblabkby the Moone, Neither is the Night 

 any thine els but the (hade of the Earth.Now the figure of this fhaddow rcfembkdi a pyramisj 

 pointed forward^or a top turned upfide downe : namely,whcn as itfalkth upon it with the fharp 

 end thereof,nor goeth beyond the heights of the Moone 5 for that no other ftarre is in that ma. 

 ner darkened : and fuch a figure as i t,alwaies cndcth point- wife. And verely ,ihat (liaddows grow 

 tonothingingreatfpaccofdiflance,appearethbytheexccedinghighflightoffomefoulesSo 



as the confines of thefe Oiadowesjis the utmoft bound of the aiie,and the beginning of the firci 

 Above the Moone all is pure and lightfome continually. And we in the night doe ke the ftarSj 

 as candks or any other lights from out of darknes.For thefe caules alfo the Moone in the night 

 fcafon is eclipfed onely.But the reafon why the Sunnc and Moone are not both in the eclipfe at 

 fet times and monthly , is the winding obliquitk of the Zodiake, and the wandering turnings of 

 the Moone one whik farre South,and another whik as much North(as hath been faid:)and fot 

 that thefe planets do not alwaics in their motion meet juft in the points of thccdiptickc lincjto 

 witinthcheadoriaileofthcDiagom C 



