On the Magnet/V-5
of the loadstone, but from a disposing and
. But if a loadstone be sharper toward one pole, toward the other blunter, the sharp end or pole allures a magnetick needle more strongly, the blunt, thick end makes it rotate more strongly; but an orbicular stone * makes it rotate strongly and truly, in accordance with magnetick rules and its globular form. A long stone, on the other hand, extended from pole to pole, moves a versorium toward it irregularly; for in this case the pole of the versorium always looks down on the pole itself. Similarly also, if the loadstone have been made in the shape of a circle, and its poles are on the circumference, whilst the body of it is plane, not globular, if the plane be brought near a versorium, the versorium does not move with the regular magnetick rotation, as on a terrella; but it turns looking always toward the pole of the loadstone, which has its seat on the circumference of the plane. Moreover, if the stone caused the versorium to rotate by attracting it, then in the first degrees of latitude, it would attract the end of a short versorium toward the body itself of the terrella; yet it does not so attract it that they are brought into contact and unite; but the versorium rotates just so far as nature demands, as is clear from this example.
* For the cusp of a versorium placed in a low latitude does not touch the stone or unite with it, but only inclines toward it. Moreover, when a magnetick body rotates in dipping, the pole of the versorium is not stayed or detained by the pole of the earth or terrella; but it rotates regularly, and does not stop at any point or bound, nor point straight to the pole toward which the centre of the versorium is advancing, unless on the pole itself, and once only between the pole and the æquator; but it dips as it advances, according as the change of position of its centre gives a reason for its inclination in accordance with rules magnetical. The declination of a magnetick needle in water also, as demonstrated in the following pages, is a fixed quantity; the magnetick needle does not descend to the bottom of the vessel, but remains steady in the middle, rotated on its centre according to its due amount of declination. This would not happen, if the earth or its poles by their attraction drew down the end of the magnetick needle, so that it dipped in this way.
The page and line references given in these notes are in all cases first to the Latin edition of 1600, and secondly to the English edition of 1900.
234 ^ Page 195, line 20. Page 195, line 24. multa maiora pondera.—Many greater weights. All editions read multa, but the sense requires multo: "much greater weights."
235 ^ Page 196, line 10. Page 196, line 12. constans est.—This must not be read "is constant," for it is constant only in any given latitude.