The fecond Bookc of 



fome eclipfes of the Sunnc^and exceeding deepe pits/or fo they are to bee feene by day light. G 



i Chap. XV. 



^ GemrJl rules tonching the msUom And lights of other Planets^ 

 f 



iHofe thrcCjwhich we fay are above the Sunne^bee hidden when they goe their 

 ' courfc together with him. They arifein the morning, and be called Orientall 

 Matutine : and never depart farther than eleven degrees. But afterwards mee- 

 ting witli his raies and beames^they are covered : and in their triple afped rc- 

 trogradcj they make their morning ftations 120 degrees off, which are called 



the firft : and anon in a contrarie aTped: or oppofitioh 1 80 degrees of£,they a- H 



rifein the eveningjand arc Occidentall Vclpertin.In like fort approchingfrom another fide with- 

 in 1 20 degrees/hey make their evening Stationsjwhich alfo they call the fecond^untill he over- 

 take them within twelve degrees,and fo hide them : and thele are called the evening fettings. As 

 fore^tofjasheisneerertotheSunrie, fo feeleth he the funne beames by a quadrant afpc^, to 

 witjninetie degrees : wherupon that motion tooke the name^called the firft and fecond Nonage- 

 narie/rom both rifings.The fame planet keepcth this ftationarie refidence fixe moneths in the 

 fignes : whereas otherwiie of his owne nature^but two moneths. But the other planets in both 

 ftations or houfcs continue not all out fourc moneths apeece.Now the other two inferiour pla- 

 nets under the SunnCjgoe downe and are hidden after the fame manner in the evening Conjun- 

 ^ion : and in as many degrees, they make their morning rifing : and from the fai theft bounds of I 

 their diftancCjthey follow after the Sunne: and after they have once overtaken him^ they let a- 

 gaine in the morning) and fo outgoc him. And anon keeping the fame ditoice^ in the eve- 

 ning they arife againe unto the fame limits which wee named before^ from whence they are le- 

 trograde^and returne to the Sunnc^and by the evening fetting^they be hidden. A s for Fem^i^^(hQ 

 likewile maketh two ftations according to the two manners of her apparance^morning and evc- 

 ningjwhen (he is in fartheft bounds and utmoft points of her Epicycle.But Mercuric keepcth his 

 ftarions fo fmall a while^ that they cannot be obferved. This is the manner and order as well of 

 the lights and appearances of the planets^as of their occultations and keeping cloleintricate in 

 their motionjand enfolded within many ftraunge wonders. For chaungc they doe their magni- 

 tudes and colours : fometime they approch into the North, the fame againe goc backc toward % 

 the South, yea^snd all on a fuddaine, they appeare one while neerer to the earthy and another 

 while to the heaven: whercinjifwe fhall deliver many points otherwife than former writers , yet 

 confeife we doe^that for ihefe matters we are beholden unto them, who firft made demonftrati- 

 on of leeking out the waies thereto : hpwbeit,let no man defpairc^but that he may profit and go 

 forward alwaies in farther knowledge from age to age. For^thefe ftraunge motions fall out upon 

 many caufes. The firft isjbyrcafonof thofe ecccntriquccircles or Epicycles in the Starsjwhich 

 the Greekes call Abfidesi for needs we muft ule in this Treatifc the Greeke tearmes . Now every 

 one of theplanetshaveparticular Augesorcirclesaforcfaid bythemfelvesjand thefe diflPercnt 

 from thofe of the ftarrie heaven : for that the earth from thofe two points^which they call Poles, 

 is the \f':y centre of the heaveujas alfo of the Zodiake, fituarcoverth wart betweene them. All L 

 which things are certainelyknowne to be fo.by the compaflejthat never can lie. And therefore 

 for every centure there arife their owne ^^/-i^^/ji-yhereupon it is, that they have divcrfe circuits 

 and different motions, becaufe neccflarie it is, that the inward and inferiour 'Abftdes fhould bee 

 fhortcr. 



Chap. XVL 



^ Why the fame Planets feeme fometime higher, and fometime lomr. 



He higheft Abftdes therforc from the centre of the earth are of Saturn ^In the figne M 

 Scorpio : of Jupiter in Virgo; of Mars in Leo : of the S unne in Gemini : of Tm/^ in 

 Sagittarius: of Mercuriein Capricorne : and namelyin the middle or fifteenth de- 

 gree of the faid figncsrand eontrariwife thefaid planets in the fame degrees of 



^ the oppofite fignes arcloweft, and to the centre of the earth neereft . So it com- 



tiieth to paile,that they feeme to move more flo wly, when tliey go their higheft circuit ; not, foe 



that 



