A BRIEF DISCOVERY OF THE IDLE ANIMAD-VERSIONS OF MARK RIDLEY Doctor in PHYSIC upon a Treatise entitled, Magnetical Advertisements.  
— moveat Cornicula risum  
Furtivis nudata coloribus—  
LONDON, Printed by Edward Griffin for Timothy Barlow, at the sign of Time in Paul's Churchyard. 1618.   

TO THE RIGHT NOBLE AND WORthy minded industrious Gentlemen, and others who are any way addicted unto MAGNETICAL Knowledge.  
SO it is that for a long time I have been greatly delighted in the contemplation of the properties and virtues of this admirable creature of God which we call the Magnet, or Loadstone. And as my leisure and occasions have served by conference from time to time, with the skilfullest Navigators of our age, by reading all the Treatises (as came unto my knowledge) of such as had written thereof, and therewithal trying by practise the truth of those things which I doubted of, and lastly finding some things by my own experience of good importance by others not at all mentioned. The chief of these which I judged profitable for common use I did set forth in a small Treatise entitled Magnetical Advertisements. And although of mine own loving affection towards such (as ye are) I have been always ready to further you in these knowledges the best I could, yet I do assure you faithfully, that divers of good judgement, learning, and eminent place, (unto whom I communicated my experiments) very vehemently urged my publishing of them.  
A copy of this Treatise being by stealth written out of my Manuscript, by one that understood it not, and by that means committed divers errors, this Doctor Ridley devoured some of them, and by his endeavouring to square my propositions according to his own conceits, and so superciliously to control (and censure the things which he understood not) he hath miss of the truth very far and wide, and hath herein wronged both himself, and me, and his readers, but most of all his believers; and yet such is his kind disposition, that he hath purloined out of the scambled copy of my Treatise, for to adorn his own Treatise of Magnetical bodies and Motions all these that follow; as in his Treatise, 

Fol. 7. The hilly knobs, and angulous parts etc. for 17 lines.  
Fol. 8. The greater stones &c. 5 lines.  
Fol. 9 Steel and iron etc. 4 lines.  
Fol. 10. The 14. 17. 18. 19 figures are mine.  
Fol. 18. 19 The 1. 2. 3. 7. 〈…〉 mine, the 4. Doctor hearts.  
Fol. 22. Every part and piece of a Loadstone, etc. 7 lines.  
Fol. 27. If a wire be touched etc. 5 lines.  
Fol. 30. & 31. It is to be observed in the fashion of a Magnet etc. 16 lines.  
Fol. 36. For although that naturally &c. 9 lines.  
Fol. 51. & 52. Also if a Magnet be fastened etc. 4 lines.  
This practice is profitable for travelers etc. 14 lines more.  
Fol. 63. 64. The best way to touch etc. 11 lines.  
And some have thought it better etc. 14 lines.  
Fol. 66. Set two Lodestones etc. 3 lines.  
Fol. 71. An Adamant doth loose much of his virtue etc. 3 lines.  
Fol. 72. That 20. Chapter (only a few words chopped and changed) is whole mine.  
Fol. 83. And for this cause the Adamant etc. 3 lines.  
Fol. 89. A piece of Steel well tempered etc. 2 lines.  
The two next are his own, and very absurd.  
Fol. 90. Now it is to be observed etc. 10 lines.  
Fol. 95. The needles and compasses etc. 14. lines.   So that it cannot but seem to any indifferent person very strange, that Doctor Ridley would publicly so traduce me, and that by name, and so contemptuously 〈…〉 frivolous Animadversions, and could never 〈◊〉 my name, no not so much as once to acknowledge it in all these things which he hath by stealth learned of me, and inserted into his Magnetical Motions for his own, the which with their consequents if you withdraw from his Treatise, you will leave his motions very dull. For except this Ridley, had ploughed with my Heifor, he had not known my Riddle. Sic vos non vobis.  
In my advertisements indeed, I made mention that some body had in this manner dealt evilly with me, and I reproved certain faults that some body had committed, especially in the fundamental Magnetical hearesayes of misnaming of the true North and South, in Magnets and Magnetical bodies, and in making the Inclinatory needle with the one end heavier than the other, and some others: But these two especially, for because they do draw on many others, as they do both in his Book, and wheresoever they shall be admitted, they will increase like a snowball, waxing still greater as they go, and all his daubing of them with his untempered mortar in his silly Animadversions do amend the matter nothing at all, but make it far worse than before. For the common good, I might not let them pass unreproved, and yet I would not publicly name him, but used this word some body. The like himself hath, viz. Some say, some labour to clear, some think &c. in his book meaning me, being not contented only to usurp that which was properly mine for his own (as aforesaid) but also he took upon him (although very ignorantly) to confute some of mine under these terms, and this only out of a stolen Manu-script. Whereas all men know that Manu-scripts ought to be uncontrolled until the Author hath published them, who may alter and change things in the mean space as he thinketh good.  
He styleth himself principal Physician unto the Emperor of Russia, the which many men wonder at, being so young as he than was, and supposed that he went over only as Physician unto our Merchants there, that he should in so short a time become that Emperor's principal Physician. If he were, he sped better than Bomelius did, who is said to have died there in that cold climate of the extremest hot kind of Calenture.  
Out of all question, somewhat it is more than ordinary, that maketh him of so haughty a spirit, so to brave the world with such prodigious assertions of his Magneticals, in, and above the Moon; the earth's Magnetical circular Motions, and his paltry abusing of the holy scriptures to support his lunatic fictions under the name of Magnetical Philosophy.  
There are yet two texts of Scripture, which it is a wonder how they escaped him; the one is in josuah 10. ver. 12. and the other is in Esay 38. ver. 8. In the one: That the Sun and the Moon stood still the space of a whole day: The other, that the shadow in Achas dial went back 10 degrees, and the Sun in the sky returned 10 degrees by the which he was descended.  
For it is his guise to make contrary conclusions unto that which the Scriptures affirm, and therefore blame him not, if he do so despise Aristotle, who never taught any such Logic.  
Now therefore that ye may in few words understand the untruth of the earth's Magnetical Motion, that is so mainly emblazoned by him, and the weakness of my Animaduersors Magnetical skill, you must know, that the Magnetical Motion is a natural inclination of two Magnets or Magnetical bodies, that may freely move, respecting the one the other within the Orb of their forces with their convenient ends, that is to say, the North end of the one always respecting the South of the other.  
If the two Magnets or Magnetical bodies be of like quantity, form, and goodness, their Motions will be of like quickness 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 Magnetical motions are always respective of the one Magnet or Magnetical body towards another, it followeth by necessary consequent, that no Magnet or Magnetical body, can either move, or be moved of itself, but is utterly void of all intrinsical or selfe-Motion, the true and only cause of his Motion being evermore without itself.  
And therefore mine Animaduersors selfe-motion of the Globe of the earth circularly, by Magnetical vigour, in the which he doth so gallantly triumph; is but an idle figment, and a mere Chimaera: but his definition of Magnetical bodies is very suitable unto it; viz. very monstrous; namely, That we define to be a Magnetical body, which doth remain and place itself in one place, or kind of situation natural, not alterable, as all stars do, and the great Regent globes of Saturn, Mars, jupiter, the Sun and the Earth do: or such, as with respect and attendance follow other globes, as the two stars which support Saturn; the four attendants upon jupiter, lately discovered by the truncke-spectacle; the two traversers about the Sun, called Venus and Mercury; and the Moon, which doth follow or go about the earth, and respecteth the same always with one Pole, and therefore hath a peculiar Magnetical virtue, that guideth her in this kind of situation.  Auditum admissi, risum teneatis amici, 
Any man that considereth this goodly definition, being the foundation and ground of his Magnetical discourse, and the very first sentence of his book, and many the like fancies in his Motions and and Animaduesions will easily discern what his Magnetical skill is, and what a vanity it were for me, to spend any precious time to confute in particular such unreasonable and senseless opinions, which have more need of Helleborus to purge them out of his head, than Arguments to confute them in his book. And in his frivolous animadversions seeking to maintain his former errors, and he being so snappish to have them amended, he maketh them ten times worse than they were before, and far more palpable: But my tetrical Animaduersor must be ruled by reason, and afford all those his patience that do believe the holy Scriptures, which flatly do deny the Earth's motion, and affirm the motion of the Sun, Moon & Stars, in the whole current thereof, as Psal. 19 6. 104. 5. josua 10. 12. 13. 14. Esay 38. 8. etc.  
Also that he will give men leave to credit their senses, in matters subject unto sense, and not repugnant unto reason; and that he will not be offended with those who do pitifully laugh at his Magnetical Astronomy, with those topsy-turvy motions, like Voluitur Ixion, & se sequitur que fugitque.  
For although some great learned men in those Sciences, have used the supposed motion of the earth, for an Hypothesis, serving their ready calculations; as they have done also their supposed Epicycles, for the motions of the Planets and their courses: yet that is no reason for to avouch them for to be in themselves true and real things, according unto some men's vain fancies, who do argue after this sort.  
It is an easier matter, and more (as they say) agreeable unto nature, for so small a body as the globe of the Earth is in comparison of the heavens, to move circularly in the space of four and twenty hours, than it is for the huge Universe so to do; and that which is done with less hazard, is to be preferred before the like, which may not be performed without fear of a greater danger, with divers other reasons like unto these.  
But although such as these are, may go current in a mechanciall Tradesman shop, yet they are very insufficient to be 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, unto an omnipotent power, Who stretcheth out the heavens like a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in, Esay 40. ve. 22. He stretcheth out the North over the empty, and hangeth the earth upon nothing, etc. job 26. ver. 7.  
And that which we call Nature, it being nothing else but God's ordinance; there can be nothing contrary, but all things agreeable unto nature, which God hath ordained. But God hath ordained the motion of the Sun, Moon, and Stars (as aforesaid) and the unmooveablenesse of the earth; therefore this is more easy, and more agreeable unto nature; which is preserved only by obeying God's ordinance, and herein only that consisteth, and hath her being. And that the earth's magnetical virtue hath no power at all to perform or help any such motion, as is also before made manifest.  
But that mine Animaduersors magnetical skill is ascended up into our Moon itself; yea, and yet higher, far beyond the Moon, unto the other Planets and Stars, and into every one of them, this is such a point of his Magnetical Philosophy, that would make Stupidity itself astonished to hear of it.  
There was (as the Poets feign) a certain King of Phrygia, that had a gift given him of the Gods, at his own request, that whatsoever he touched with his body should be gold, but by that means being ready to starve, because his victuals were also turned to gold, he entreated earnestly that he might surrender his gift.  
It seemeth that mine Animaduersor endeavoureth for to make show, that he hath a stranger gift; namely, that by his very looks (for his looks, with his Truncke-spectacle, are his means) he can turn all things to be Magnetical, that he doth earnestly behold; He hath scoured the Heavens already, even from the one end unto the other, that both Planets and Stars are become magnetical in his head; what tumultuous stir may they breed there, no man can tell, it is his safest way to confine his Magnetismes unto the earth, as their natural seat, and not suffer them to clamber up into the skies, where they have nothing to do, lest that infinite dispersion of his magnetical knowledge, do in the end overcharge his brain, and make him magnetically mad, or at the least to incur the censure of him that said, Delphinum siluis appingit, fluctibus aprum.  
As therefore whilst his wits are yet his own, it is his surest way (like the King of Phrygia) to surrender that gift again, to leave his trifling with the holy Scriptures, and to be no more a censuring Animaduersor in matters that he hath but small skill in: and that he will hereafter learn to be wise unto sobriety, Metirise quemque suo modulo ac pede verum est. And forasmuch as his animadversions contain nothing at all, of any truth and importance against mine Advertisements, but only many ignorant, many wilful mistake, contradictions & cavillings, and maintaining of his former absurdities, the which the more they are stirred by him, the more they stink. I will content myself with this brief discovery of this Animaduersor, and his animadversions, and so to leave him for this time peeping in his truncke-spectacle at his celestial magnetical regent globes, with his proud motto: Non sufficit orbis. To try whether he can yet find us here hence any more new glorious dreams, whereby he may either increase the number of the hundred of merry tales, or else augment the noble history of Huyn of Burgis.  
And whereas he chargeth me opprobriously for to have in my Treatise nothing of mine own, but all of other men's, and some of his: mine answer is, that he knoweth in his own conscience (if he have any) that he speaketh a manifest untruth, contrary unto his own knowledge in both. Yea, I am verily persuaded, that if he would but give his own conscience, leave to speak out, it would ring him a tale in his ear unto this effect: That he himself knoweth right well, that where my knowledge (even such as it is) in these matters faileth: all the store of skill that he hath, cannot advance it, no not so much as one straws breadth, notwithstanding all the great countenance he setteth on it, with his swelling titles of his Magnetical bodies and motions, and his aristarchical censuring of my Advertisements. Nil dignum tanto feret hic promissor hiatu. And for my just defence, I will rehearse but these few things (yet such as are of principal importance in this Art) whereas I could name divers other.  
I was the first that made the inclinatory instrument transparent, and to be used pendant, with a glass on both sides, and a ring on the top, whereas Doctor hearts hath but of one side, and to be set on a foot. And moreover, I hanged him in a compass box, where with two ounces weight he will be fit for use at sea.  
Another is, that I was the first that found out and showed the difference between iron and steel, and their tempers for magnetical uses, which hath given life and quickening, universally to all magnetical instruments whatsoever.  
I was also the first that showed the right way of touching magnetical needles.  
I was the first that found out and showed the piecing and cementing of Lodestones.  
I was the first that found out and showed the reasons why a Loadstone being double capped, must take up so great weight.  
These things (ye worthy Gentlemen) have I mentioned only to give you content and satisfaction: For although my magnetical knowledge be no manner of way gainful unto me, as all that are acquainted with me, know how little I do esteem of it in any such respect, yet forasmuch as I have published my Magnetical Advertisements of my very earnest affection towards such as ye are, and dedicated them unto one right worthy Gentleman of your Society in steed of all, even for your sakes I could not suffer my pains and good will towards you, to be so scornfully trampled under foot (with out some gain saying) and prattled out of conceit with cavilling only, and multiplicity of vain words and peevish bravadoes, The Lord prosper you in all laudable knowledge and virtuous practice.  Yours in all hearty affection, W. BARLOW.