SO it is that for a long time I haue bin greatly delighted in the contemplation of the properties and vertues of this admirable creature of God which we call the Magnet , or Loadstone . And as my leisure and occasions haue serued by conference from time to time , with the skilfullest Nauigators of our age , by reading all the Treatises ( as came vnto my knowledge ) of such as had written thereof , and therewithall trying by practise the truth of those things which I doubted of , and lastly finding some things by my owne experience of good importance by others not at all mentioned . The chiefe of these which I iudged profitable for common vse I did set forth in a small Treatise intituled Magneticall Aduertisements . And although of mine owne louing affection towards such ( as yee are ) I haue bin alwaies ready to further you in these knowledges the best I could , yet I doe assure you faithfully , that diuers of good iudgment , learning , and eminent place , ( vnto whom I communicated my experiments ) very vehemently vrged my publishing of them .

A copie of this Treatise being by stealth written out of my Manuscript , by one that vnderstood it not , and by that meanes committed diuers errors , this Doctor Ridley deuoured some of them , and by his endeuouring to square my propositions according to his owne conceipts , and so superciliously to controll ( and censure the things which he vnderstood not ) he hath missed of the truth very farre and wide , and hath herein wronged both himselfe , and mee , and his readers , but most of all his beleeuers ; and yet such is his kinde disposition , that he hath purloyned out of the scambled copie of my Treatise , for to adorne his owne Treatise of Magneticall bodies and Motions all these that follow ; as in his Treatise , Fol. 7. The hilly knobbes , and angulous parts &c. for 17 lines . Fol. 8. The greater stones &c. 5 lines . Fol. 9. Steele and yron &c. 4 lines . Fol. 10. The 14. 17. 18. 19. figures are mine . Fol. 18. 19. The 1. 2. 3. 7. 〈…〉 mine , the 4. Doctor Gilberts . Fol. 22. Euery part and peece of a Loadstone , &c. 7 lines . Fol. 27. If a wyer be touched &c. 5 lines . Fol. 30. & 31. It is to be obserued in the fashion of a Magnet &c. 16 lines . Fol. 36. For although that naturally &c. 9 lines . Fol. 51. & 52. Also if a Magnet be fastened &c. 4 lines . This practise is profitable for Trauellers &c. 14 lines moe . Fol. 63. 64. The best way to touch &c. 11 lines . And some haue thought it better &c. 14 lines . Fol. 66. Set two Loadstones &c. 3 lines . Fol. 71. An Adamant doth loose much of his vertue &c. 3 lines . Fol. 72. That 20. Chapter ( onely a few words chopped and changed ) is whole mine . Fol. 83. And for this cause the Adamant &c. 3 lines . Fol. 89. A peece of Steele well tempered &c. 2 lines . The two next are his owne , and very absurd . Fol. 90. Now it is to be obserued &c. 10 lines . Fol. 95. The needles and compasses &c. 14. lines . So that it cannot but seeme to any indifferent person very strange , that Doctor Ridley would publikely so traduce mee , and that by name , and so contemptuously 〈…〉 friuolous Animaduersions , and could neuer 〈◊〉 my name , no not so much as once to acknowledge it in all these things which he hath by stealth learned of mee , and inserted into his Magneticall Motions for his owne , the which with their consequents if you withdraw from his Treatise , you will leaue his motions very dull . For except this Ridley , had ploughed with my Heifor , hee had not knowne my Riddle . Sic vos non vobis .

In my aduertisements indeed , I made mention that some body had in this manner dealt euilly with mee , and I reproued certaine faults that some body had committed , especially in the fundamentall Magneticall heare-sayes of misnaming of the true North and South , in Magnets and Magneticall bodies , and in making the Inclinatory needle with the one end heauier than the other , and some others : But these two especially , for because they doe draw on many others , as they doe both in his Booke , and wheresoeuer they shall be admitted , they will increase like a snow-ball , waxing still greater as they goe , and all his dawbing of them with his vntempered morter in his silly Animaduersions do amend the matter nothing at all , but make it farre worse than before . For the common good , I might not let them passe vnreproued , and yet I would not publikely name him , but vsed this word some body . The like himselfe hath , viz. Some say , some labour to cleare , some thinke &c. in his booke meaning mee , being not contented onely to vsurpe that which was properly mine for his owne ( as aforesaid ) but also hee tooke vpon him ( although very ignorantly ) to confute some of mine vnder these termes , and this onely out of a stolne Manu-script . Whereas all men know that Manu-scripts ought to be vncontrould vntill the Author hath published them , who may alter and change things in the meane space as he thinketh good .

He stileth himselfe principall Phisition vnto the Emperor of Russia , the which many men wonder at , being so yong as he than was , and supposed that he went ouer only as Phisition vnto our Merchants there , that he should in so short a time become that Emperors principall Phisition . If he were , he sped better then Bomelius did , who is said to haue died there in that cold climat of the extreamest hot kinde of Calenture .

Out of all question , somewhat it is more then ordinarie , that maketh him of so hauty a spirit , so to braue the world with such prodigious assertions of his Magneticals , in , and aboue the Moone ; the earths Magneticall circular Motions , and his paltry abusing of the holy scriptures to support his lunaticke fictions vnder the name of Magneticall Philosophie .

There are yet two texts of Scripture , which it is a wonder how they escaped him ; the one is in Iosuah 10. ver. 12. and the other is in Esay 38. ver. 8. In the one : That the Sunne and the Moone stood still the space of a whole day : The other , that the shadow in Achas diall went backe 10 degrees , and the Sunne in the skie returned 10 degrees by the which he was descended .

For it is his guise to make contrary conclusions vnto that which the Scriptures affirme , and therefore blame him not , if he doe so despise Aristotle , who neuer taught any such Logicke .

Now therefore that yee may in few words vnderstand the vntruth of the earths Magneticall Motion , that is so mainely emblazoned by him , and the weaknes of my Animaduersors Magneticall skill , you must know , that the Magneticall Motion is a naturall inclination of two Magnets or Magneticall bodies , that may freely moue , respecting the one the other within the Orbe of their forces with their convenient ends , that is to say , the North end of the one alwaies respecting the South of the other .

If the two Magnets or Magneticall bodies be of like quantitie , forme , and goodnes , their Motions will be of like quicknes of the one towards the other ; but if they differ in any of these , their Motions will be so much the slower .

Now forasmuch as all Magneticall motions are alwaies respectiue of the one Magnet or Magneticall bodie towards another , it followeth by necessarie consequent , that no Magnet or Magneticall body , can either moue , or be moued of it selfe , but is vtterly voide of all intrinsecall or selfe-Motion , the true and onely cause of his Motion being euermore without it selfe .

And therefore mine Animaduersors selfe-motion of the Globe of the earth circularly , by Magneticall vigour , in the which hee doth so gallantly triumph ; is but an idle figment , and a meere Chimera : but his definition of Magneticall bodies is very sutable vnto it ; viz. very monstrous ; namely , That wee define to be a Magneticall body , which doth remaine and place it selfe in one place , or kinde of situation naturall , not alterable , as all starres doe , and the great Regent globes of Saturne , Mars , Iupiter , the Sunne and the Earth doe : or such , as with respect and attendance follow other globes , as the two starres which support Saturne ; the foure attendants vpon Iupiter , lately discouered by the truncke-spectacle ; the two trauersers about the Sunne , called Venus and Mercury ; and the Moone , which doth follow or goe about the earth , and respecteth the same alwayes with one Pole , and therefore hath a peculiar Magneticall vertue , that guideth her in this kinde of situation .

Any man that considereth this goodly definition , being the foundation and ground of his Magneticall discourse , and the very first sentence of his booke , and many the like fancies in his Motions and and Animaduesions will easily discerne what his Magneticall skill is , and what a vanity it were for me , to spend any precious time to confute in particular such vnreasonable and senselesse opinions , which haue more neede of Helleborus to purge them out of his head , then Arguments to confute them in his booke . And in his friuolous animaduersions seeking to maintaine his former errours , and he being so snappish to haue them amended , hee maketh them ten times worse then they were before , and far more palpable : But my tetricall Animaduersor must be ruled by reason , and affoord all those his patience that do beleeue the holy Scriptures , which flatly doe denie the Earths motion , and affirme the motion of the Sunne , Moone & Stars , in the whole current thereof , as Psal. 19. 6. 104. 5. Iosua 10. 12. 13. 14. Esay 38. 8. &c.

Also that hee will giue men leaue to credit their senses , in matters subiect vnto sense , and not repugnant vnto reason ; and that he will not be offended with those who do pitifully laugh at his Magneticall Astronomy , with those topsituruy motions , like Voluitur Ixion , & se sequitur que fugitque .

For although some great learned men in those Sciences , have vsed the supposed motion of the earth , for an Hypothesis , seruing their ready calculations ; as they haue done also their supposed Epicycles , for the motions of the Planets and their courses : yet that is no reason for to auouch them for to be in themselues true and reall things , according vnto some mens vaine fancies , who doe argue after this sort .

It is an easier matter , and more ( as they say ) agreeable vnto nature , for so small a body as the globe of the Earth is in comparison of the heauens , to mooue circularly in the space of foure and twenty houres , then it is for the huge Vniuerse so to doe ; and that which is done with lesse hazard , is to bee preferred before the like , which may not bee performed without feare of a greater danger , with diuers other reasons like vnto these .

But although such as these are , may goe current in a mechanciall Trades-man shop , yet they are very insufficient to bee allowed for good , by men of learning , and Christians by profession , who know right well , that it is great folly for to oppose that which we call difficult , vnto an omnipotent power , Who stretcheth out the heauens like a curtaine , and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in , Esay 40. ve . 22. He stretcheth out the North ouer the empty , and hangeth the earth vpon nothing , &c. Iob 26. ver. 7.

And that which we call Nature , it being nothing else but Gods ordinance ; there can bee nothing contrary , but all things agreeable vnto nature , which God hath ordained . But God hath ordained the motion of the Sunne , Moone , and Stars ( as aforesayd ) and the vnmooueablenesse of the earth ; therfore this is more easie , and more agreeable vnto nature ; which is preserued onely by obeying Gods ordinance , and heerein onely that consisteth , and hath her being . And that the earths magneticall vertue hath no power at all to performe or help any such motion , as is also before made manifest .

But that mine Animaduersors magneticall skill is ascended vp into our Moone it selfe ; yea , and yet higher , farre beyond the Moone , vnto the other Planets and Starres , and into euery one of them , this is such a point of his Magneticall Philosophie , that would make Stupidity it selfe astonished to heare of it .