Of the Wonders of the Loadflone, . 207

said point of the iron, it will turn to the north. And this force is not onely sentinto the second iron, but to a third and fourth, as the force of the Loadstone is.For if it be ^strong stone, it will send its vertuc through eight or ten needles.

Chap. XXXIV.

7 he vertue received in the irony is meakned by one that is. fir auger.

Et this I must tell you, that the vertue received by the iron, is notfixt and

Y Et this I must tell you, that the vertue received by the iron, is not fixt and cer-tain , but is taken off by a stronger that takes it from it. As an iron touchedby a weak northern point of the Loadstone; if you rub the lame part of the iron witha south point of a stronger Loadstone, it will vanish, and that former force of turn-ing it self to the south, is taken away, and it takes a southern vertue, and will turnto the north without resistance. But is the Loadstones be of equal force, they arc soastonished and blunted, that they will neither receive both, nor cither.

Chap. XXXV.

How tn a stone the south or north point is discerned.

A Mongst those way s I shewed before , I shall set down this also . and perchance

this is the best, how to know the true northern and southern points. Let the ^

Loadstone be turned round, by the wheel of the Jewellers , and polished. Thenmake a slender iron , as long as the axeltre of that round ball, and lay that uponthe stone : for it will turn it self upon that line, that points just north and south.

Mark the line upon the stone, with some delible paint: do the same on the other-side of the stone; and where it rests upon the ball, draw the same line: do thesame the third and fourth time, upon the middle of it: and where those lines crossone the other and meet, those are the polar points. We may also find it out thus:

Break a small needle, and put the smallest piece upon the same ball, and stir it;for when it comes to the just northern point, the needle will stand upright, thatwill make slanders by admire, and will stand perpendicularly upon it: and till itdorife thus,be not weary of moving it up and down ; for when you have found it, youwill be glad of it.

Chap. XXXVI.

How to rub the iron needle of the Mariners Compass.

1 Know that some are troubled how to rub the needle in the Compass with theLoadstone, that it may get force to turn it self to the north Pole. It must be donethus: When you have found the points in the stone, as I said before; strike thepoints lightly with a hammer, and the plates will be full of stiff hairs: upon whichif you rub an iron needle , it. will presently get vertue to turn it self to the Poles.Yet observe this, that if you would have your needle turn to thenorth, you mustrub it on the south point but if to the south, rub it with the north part: For whenit is equally balanced , it will turn to these points in the heavens. But that it maydo it more forcibly, and do its office more exactly, I shall lay down some rules fitto instruct you. If you strike both ends of the stone with the hammer, that hairsmay appear on both parts -that you touch the needle ac both ends, for so the needlewill sooner do its office. Moreover, you must observe very carefully , that whenthe iron rub'd against the Loadstone, hath received these hairs, that you touch icwith no other iron or Loadstone, but keep ic far distant from them, and lock ic upin a box ; for by touching of others the iron will gtow dull, and lose its vertuethatit will never point out the parts of heaven perfectly. For the iron coming withinthe Compass of (he vertue of another Loadstone, will receive that, as we said. Sothe needle must be proportionable to the stone. For from a little Loadstone, a great

iron