These reasons and experiments may suffice to proue the roundnesse
of the earth and water; which might bee farther demonstrated by
shewing the falshood of all other figures regular or irregular
that can be giuen vnto it; that it is neither square, nor
three-cornerd, nor Piramidall, nor conicall on Taperwise,
nor Cylindricall like a barley rowle, nor hollow like a dish,
nor of any other fashion, as some haue imagined it to bee of.
Wee come to this second rule.
2 _The tops of the highest hills, and the bottoms of the lowest
vallies although in seuerall places they make the earth vneven,
yet being compared to the vast greatnesse of the whole, doe not
at all hinder the roundnesse of it._
Among all Geometricall figures the sphaeriall or the round is the
most perfect, and amongst all naturall bodies the heauen is the
most excellent. It was therefore good reason the most beautifull
body should haue the most perfect and exquisite shape. Exact
roundnesse then is not found in any body, but the Heauens; the
earth is round as was showed before, but not precisely, with out
all roughnes and inaequality of its surface. There are hills like
warts and vallies like wrinkels in a mans body; and that both for
ornament and vse. Yet is there such vnformity in this varietie,
as that there is no notable and sensible inaequality made in the
earth by Hills and vallies. No more then if you should lay a fly
vpon a smooth Cartwheele, or a pinnes head vpon a greate globe.
Now that this is soe appeares by Sense and Reason. By Sense thus,
If wee stand on a hill or in a plaine, when wee may discrie the
country round about 15. or 20. miles; wee may behold the brim or
edge of the earth round about vs to bee in a manner euen and
streight, euen there, where the country is very hilly, and full
of mountaines. So that a farre of their height makes but a little
alteration and difference from the plaine Countreys, when wee
behold all togeather a farre of: though when wee come neere, the
alteration seemes more sensible.
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