(P9) 
You know, that Gilbert , though the firft, that has writ ration 
rnlly of the Magnet, and began to fay no follies of it, writes a- 
feout the end of his Book (yet without being pfitive') that if a 
Magnet altogether round were placed on a Meridian , and its 
Poles fo pcfited, as to anfwerto the Poles of the World, and 
confequencly its Axis to the Axis of the World, the Stone 
would continually of its fell turn round in 24 hours,. Whence 
he inferrs, thatthe whole Earth, as a great Magnet, turns alfo 
. round about its Axis in the fame fpace of time. 
To explore the truth of this Proportion (which Iwifhwere 
true fince then we fhould have a perpetual motion without 
wheels, and a Watch yet jufter than Pendulums ) 1 found the 
means of eaufing two Magnets to be turn'd with the powder of 
Emery., the one whereof having been made Spherical with ail 
poffibie exadloefs, became very folid, plain, and without any vi- 
able pores, or diverfity of matter, being i\ inch in diameter : 
the other, bigger, of inches diameter, but of lefs vigour, po- 
rous alfo and uneven-, which made me lay it slide as ufelefs for 
this Experiment, becaufe, though it had bcen perfedly fpherical, 
as- the iefier, l could not he allured, that Its- Center of Magni- 
tude was the fame with thole of its Gravity and Strength >5 
Which was requifite to makegood Gilbert s Proportion. 
But for the-other fmaller Magnet, that had no defedt, and its 
three Centers were the fame, ; with fomuch juftnefs, that after 
/had exactly found the two Poles of this Stone, /caufed two 
fmall holes to be made therein, to fupport it by two points of 
Needles, as by two pivots : which having put in a Meridian of 
Brafs, andfufpended the Ball betwixt. them like a little Globe, 
it was fo eafily moveable, that / -made it turn every way with a 
blaft only of my mouth, and it hopp’d indifferently, now in one, 
then in another place, not any fide of it prevailing by its gravi- 
ty, nor defending, as it would have done, if any of them had 
been heavier than another. 
This Stone-thm prepared without- any defed in virtue or fi- 
gure, uniforme, homogeneous, equilibrated, being adjufled on 
its Meridian and a Horizon, fo placed on- its Meridian- line, that 
the Boles thereof anfwer’d to the Boles oi the Heavens (as hath 
been faid already 3) the fuccefs was, that it had not any 
Hhh 3 $nd 
c 
