Æquinoctiall, and passeth through the Poles of the Earth, going
directly North and South._ It is called the Meridian, because
when the Sunne stands just over that circle it is _Meridies i.d._
noone day. It may be conceaued thus, at noone day, when it is
just twelue a clocke, turne your face towards the South, and then
imagine with your selfe two circles drawen, one in the Heavens,
passing from the North iust over your head through the body of
the Sunne downe to the South, and so round vnder the earth vp
againe to the North Pole. Another vpon the surface of the earth
passing through your feete just vnder the Sunne, and so
compassing the earth round till it meete at your feete againe,
and these are Meridians answering one to another. Now the
Meridian is not one only, as was the Æquinoctiall, but many still
varying according to the place wherein you are, as for example.
At _London_ there is one Meridian, at _Oxford_ another, at
_Bristow_ another, & so along Eastward or Westward. For it is
noone at _London_ sooner then at _Oxford_, and at _Oxford_ sooner
then at _Bristow_. Vpon the globe there are many drawen, all
which passe through the poles, and goe North and South, but there
is one more remarkeable then the rest, drawen broad with small
divisions, which runneth through the Canary Ilands, or through
the Ilands of _Azores_ Westward of _Spaine_, which is counted the
first Meridian in regard of reckoning and measuring of distances
of places one from another; for otherwise there is neither first
nor last in the round earth. But some place must bee appointed
where to beginne the account and those Ilands haue beene thought
fittest, because no part of the World that lay westward was
knowne to the Ancients further then that: and as they began to
reckon there, we follow them. This circle is called in greeke
[Greek: Mesêmbrinos].