Terrestrial and celestial globes; their history and ... - 24grammata.com

Second Quarter of the Sixteenth Century.
nomical studies, and that his friends did Ukewise. Januar}'
25, 1533, he wrote Ramusio, "If you should chance to speak
to that master who made your metal spheres, I should like
you to ascertain how much a simple but perfect one, one
foot in diameter, would cost." Writing again to Ramusio
January 10, 1534, concerning the "Southern Cross," he
adds: "Just reflect a little, and if you have not sent away
the celestial globe, look at that Centaurus and you will find
all that I am writing to you. You might perhaps write about
these doubts to Mr. Oviedo, or perhaps I might; it would
be a good idea and we might ask him about the ver)' promi-
nent star in the right foot to ascertain whether it is a separate
star or is one of those in the 'Southern Cross.' " On the
twenty-fifth of January, 1548, he again wrote to Ramusio:
"On my globe Zeilan is just below the Cape of Calicut, on
the equinoctial line, and it may be that which Jambolo discovered
was Zeilan or Taprobana; I am inclined to believe
it was Taprobana." His letter of May 10, 1549, also to
Ramusio, is of special interest, indicating, as it does, his
estimate of the value of terrestrial and celestial globes in
the study of astrology (astronomy) and geography. "In re-
gard to what you write me about M. Paolo, I thoroughly
approve of his taking up the sacred study of astrolog}' and
geography, subjects of study for every learned gentleman
and nobleman, as he would have as his guide and teacher
the very well-known Piedmontese to whom we owe so many
excellent things, but first I should advise you to have M.
Paolo construct two solid spheres. On one of these should
be represented all the celestial constellations, and the circles
should all have their place, that is to say, not as Ptolemy
represents the stars as they were located in his time, but
according to the investigations of our own times, that is,
about twenty degrees further east. The other should be a
terrestrial globe constructed according to modern ideas,
which he should always follow in his studies. He will use
the first globe for a thousand and one things; it will be his
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