1ſide, or that ſide of the Equinoctiall of the Earth.
SAGR. I was perſwaded, at the very firſt reading of the Book
of Gilbertus; and having met with a moſt excellent piece of
Magnet, I, for a long time, made many Obſervations, and all
worthy of extream wonder; but above all, that ſeemeth to me
very ſtupendious of increaſing the faculty of taking up Iron ſo
much by arming it, like as the ſaid Authour teacheth; and with
arming that piece of mine, I multiplied its force in octuple
tion; and whereas unarmed it ſcarce took up nine ounces of
Iron, it being armed did take up above ſix pounds: And, it
may be, you have ſeen this Loadſtone in the ^{*} Gallery of your
Moſt Serene Grand Duke (to whom I preſented it) upholding
two little Anchors of Iron.
of Gilbertus; and having met with a moſt excellent piece of
Magnet, I, for a long time, made many Obſervations, and all
worthy of extream wonder; but above all, that ſeemeth to me
very ſtupendious of increaſing the faculty of taking up Iron ſo
much by arming it, like as the ſaid Authour teacheth; and with
arming that piece of mine, I multiplied its force in octuple
tion; and whereas unarmed it ſcarce took up nine ounces of
Iron, it being armed did take up above ſix pounds: And, it
may be, you have ſeen this Loadſtone in the ^{*} Gallery of your
Moſt Serene Grand Duke (to whom I preſented it) upholding
two little Anchors of Iron.
|The Magnet
armed takes up
much more Iron,
than when
med.
armed takes up
much more Iron,
than when
med.
+ Or Cloſet of
rarities.
rarities.
SALV. I ſaw it many times, and with great admiration, till
that a little piece of the like ſtone gave me greater cauſe of
der, that is in the keeping of our Academick, which being no
more than of ſix ounces weight, and ſuſtaining, when unarmed,
hardly two ounces, doth, when armed, take up 160. ounces, ſo
as that it is of 80. times more force armed than unarmed, and
takes up a weight 26. times greater than its own; a much greater
wonder than Gilbert could ever meet with, who writeth, that he
could never get any Loadſtone that could reach to take up four
times its own weight.
that a little piece of the like ſtone gave me greater cauſe of
der, that is in the keeping of our Academick, which being no
more than of ſix ounces weight, and ſuſtaining, when unarmed,
hardly two ounces, doth, when armed, take up 160. ounces, ſo
as that it is of 80. times more force armed than unarmed, and
takes up a weight 26. times greater than its own; a much greater
wonder than Gilbert could ever meet with, who writeth, that he
could never get any Loadſtone that could reach to take up four
times its own weight.
SAGR. In my opinion, this Stone offers to the wit of man a
large Field to Phyloſophate in; and I have many times thought
with my ſelf, how it can be that it conferreth on that Iron, which
armeth it, a ſtrength ſo ſuperiour to its own; and finally, I finde
nothing that giveth me ſatisfaction herein; nor do I find any
thing extraordinary in that which Gilbert writes about this
cular; I know not whether the ſame may have befallen
you.
large Field to Phyloſophate in; and I have many times thought
with my ſelf, how it can be that it conferreth on that Iron, which
armeth it, a ſtrength ſo ſuperiour to its own; and finally, I finde
nothing that giveth me ſatisfaction herein; nor do I find any
thing extraordinary in that which Gilbert writes about this
cular; I know not whether the ſame may have befallen
you.
SALV. I extreamly praiſe, admire, and envy this Authour,
for that a conceit ſo ſtupendious ſhould come into his minde,
touching a thing handled by infinite ſublime wits, and hit upon
by none of them: I think him moreover worthy of
nary applauſe for the many new and true Obſervations that he
made, to the diſgrace of ſo many fabulous Authours, that write
not only what they do not know, but what ever they hear
ken by the fooliſh vulgar, never ſeeking to aſſure themſelves of
the ſame by experience, perhaps, becauſe they are unwilling to
diminiſh the bulk of their Books. That which I could have
ſired in Gilbert, is, that he had been a little greater
an, and particularly well grounded in Geometry, the practice
whereof would have rendered him leſs reſolute in accepting thoſe
reaſons for true Demonſtrations, which he produceth for true
for that a conceit ſo ſtupendious ſhould come into his minde,
touching a thing handled by infinite ſublime wits, and hit upon
by none of them: I think him moreover worthy of
nary applauſe for the many new and true Obſervations that he
made, to the diſgrace of ſo many fabulous Authours, that write
not only what they do not know, but what ever they hear
ken by the fooliſh vulgar, never ſeeking to aſſure themſelves of
the ſame by experience, perhaps, becauſe they are unwilling to
diminiſh the bulk of their Books. That which I could have
ſired in Gilbert, is, that he had been a little greater
an, and particularly well grounded in Geometry, the practice
whereof would have rendered him leſs reſolute in accepting thoſe
reaſons for true Demonſtrations, which he produceth for true
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