Bibliographical history of electricity & magnetism, chronologically arranged
History
Bibliographical history of electricity & magnetism, chronologically arranged
Electricity -- History; Electricity -- History -- Bibliography; Magnetism -- History; Magnetism -- History -- Bibliography; Science, Medieval
REFERENCES.--Humboldt, “Cosmos,” 1859–1860, Vol. I. pp. 66, 193,
note; Vol. II. pp. 280, 281; Vol. V. p. 140.
=A.D. 1590.=--Cæsare (Giulio-Moderati), a surgeon of Rimini, observes
the conversion of iron into a magnet by position alone. This effect
was noticed on a bar which had been used as a support to a piece of
brickwork erected on the top of one of the towers of the church of St.
Augustine as is mentioned at the 1632 entry of Pietro Sarpi.
=A.D. 1597.=--Barlowe--Barlow (William)--who died May 25, 1625, and
was Archdeacon of Salisbury--publishes his “Navigators’ Supply,”
from which the following is extracted: “Some fewe yeares since, it so
fell out that I had severall conferences with two East Indians which
were brought into England by Master Candish (Thomas Cavendish, one
of the great navigators of the Elizabethan Age) and had learned our
language.... They shewed that in steade of our compas they (in the East
Indies) use a magneticall needle of sixe ynches long ... upon a pinne
in a dish of white _china_ earth filled with water; in the bottome
whereof they have two crosse lines for the foure principall windes, the
rest of the divisions being reserved to the skill of their pilots.”
Barlowe also published in 1613, 1616 and 1618 different editions of his
work on the magnet, the full title of the last named being “Magneticall
Advertisements or diuers pertinent obseruations and approued
Experiments concerning the nature and properties of the Loadstone.
Whereunto is annexed a briefe Discoverie of the idle Animadversions of
Mark Ridley, Dr. in Physike upon this treatize.”[28] Therein (Preface
to the reader), he speaks of “That wonderful propertie of the body of
the whole earth called the magneticall vertue (most admirably founde
out and as learnedly demonstrated by Doctor Gilbert, physitian vnto our
late renowned soveraigne Queen Elizabeth of happy memory) is the very
true fountaine of all magneticall knowledge. So that although certain
properties of the loadstone were knowne before, yet all the reasons of
those properties were vtterly vnknowne and never before revealed (as I
take it) vnto the sonnes of man....” Just before the Preface appears
the following letter which (as William Sturgeon remarks) affords a good
idea of the opinion entertained by Gilbert of Barlowe’s talents in this
branch of science: “To the Worshipfull, my good friend, Mr. William
Barlow, at Easton by Winchester. Recommendations with many thanks for
all your paines and courtesies, for your diligence and enquiring, and
finding diuers good secrets, I pray proceede with double capping your
Loadstone you speake of, I shall bee glad to see you, as you write,
as any man. I will haue any leisure, if it were a moneth, to conferre
with you, you haue shewed mee more,--and brought more light than any
man hath done. Sir, I will commend you to my L. of Effingham, there
is heere a wise learned man, a Secretary of Venice, he came sent by
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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