You know, that Gtlkrt^ though the firft, that has writ ratio- 
nally of iht Magnet y and began to fay no follies of it, writes a-' 
bout the end ot his Book (yet without being pofitive) that if a 
Magnet altogether round were placed on a Meridian^ mi its 
loles fo pofited, as to anfwerto the Poles of the World, and 
confequently its to the ^^ri^ofthe World, the Stone 
would continually of its felf turn round in 24 hours. Whence 
lieinferrs, that the whole Earthy as a great Magnet^ turns alfo 
round about its Jxis in the fame fpace of time. 
To explore the truth of this Profofition (which Iwilli were 
true fince then we fliould have a perpetual motion without 
wheels, and a Watch yet jufter than Pendulums) I found the 
means of caufing two Magnets to beturn'd with ih^ powder of 
Emerj'^ the one whereof having beea made Spherical with all 
poffibleexadnefs, became very folid^plain^, and without any vi- 
able pores, or diverfity of matter, being inch m diameter i 
the other, bigger, of 3* inches diameter, but of lefs vigour, po- 
rous alio and uneven ^ which made me lay it afideas ufelefs for 
thisExpermenc, becaufe, though it had been perfeftly fpherical^ 
zs the leffer, i could not beaffured, ih^n \t% Center o{ Magni- 
tude was" the fame with thofe of its Gravity^ and Strength y 
which was requifite to make good Gilbert s Propoficion. 
But for the other fmaller Magnet, that had no defeat, ^nd its 
three Centers were the fame, withfo much juftnefsi that after 
J had exadly found the two Poles of this Stone, /caufedtwo 
fmall holes to be m.ade therein,, to fupport it by. two points of 
Needles, as by tVv^o pivots : - which having put in a Meridian of 
Brafs, andfufpended theBallbetwixt them like a little Globe^ 
k was fo eafily moveable, that / made it turn every v/ay with a 
blaft only of my mouth, and it ftopp'd indifferently, nowinone^ 
then in another place, not any fide of it prevailing by its gravi - 
ty, nor defcendmg, as it would h2ivedone> if any-of them liad 
been heavier than another, . 
This Stone thus prepared without any defed in virtue or.fi-- 
gure, uniforme, homogeneous, equilibrated, being adjufted co 
li%Meridian and a Horizon y fo placed on its Meridian-line, tlixit 
the P^/^j thereof anfwer'd to the of the Heavens (as haxh 
beea faid already ^} the fuccefs was, that it had not Motion., 
■ ' ^ H,h'h"3, ■ ' rnd 
