Among all Geometricall figures the sphaeriall or the round is the most perfect, and amongst all naturall bodies the heauen is the most excellent.  It was therefore good reason the most beautifull body should haue the most perfect and exquisite shape.  Exact roundnesse then is not found in any body, but the Heauens; the earth is round as was showed before, but not precisely, with out all roughnes and inaequality of its surface.  There are hills like warts and vallies like wrinkels in a mans body; and that both for ornament and vse.  Yet is there such vnformity in this varietie, as that there is no notable and sensible inaequality made in the earth by Hills and vallies.  No more then if you should lay a fly vpon a smooth Cartwheele, or a pinnes head vpon a greate globe.  Now that this is soe appeares by Sense and Reason.  By Sense thus, If wee stand on a hill or in a plaine, when wee may discrie the country round about 15. or 20. miles; wee may behold the brim or edge of the earth round about vs to bee in a manner euen and streight, euen there, where the country is very hilly, and full of mountaines.  So that a farre of their height makes but a little alteration and difference from the plaine Countreys, when wee behold all togeather a farre of:  though when wee come neere, the alteration seemes more sensible.

By reason thus, the thicknesse of halfe the earth is (as shall be shewed) about 4000 miles, now the plumb height of the highest mountaines is not accounted aboue a mile and a halfe, or two miles at the most.  Now betweene two miles and foure thousand, there is no sensible proportion, and a line that is foure thousand and two miles long, will not seeme sensibly longer then that which is foure thousand; as for example.  Let (O) be the center of the earth, (XW) a part of the circle of the earth which runneth by the bottomes of the hils and superficies of champion and even plaines (WO) or (XO) is the semidiamiter or halfe the depth of the earth. (S) is a hill rising vp aboue that plaine of the earth, (WS) is the plumb height of the hill.  I say that (WS) doth not sensibly alter the length of the line (OW); for (WS) is but two miles. (WO) 4000 miles, and two to 4000 alters not much more, then the breadth of a pinne to the length of a pearch.  So a line drawne from (O) the center to (S) the top of the hill, is in a manner all one with a line drawen to (W) the bottome of the hill.

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The third rule.

3 The earth resteth immovable in the very midst of the whole earth.

Two points are here to be demonstrated. First that the earth standeth exactly in the midst of the World.  Secondly that it is immoveable. The former is proved by these reasons.

1 The naturall heavinesse of the earth and water is such, as they will never cease mooving downewards till they come to the lowest place; Now the center or middle point of the world is the lowest place, and ergo they must needs moue thither, as for example.