he pole is not a virtue innate in one part, or in some
definite limit, or fixed in the substance; but it is an inclination of the
virtue to that part. And just as a terrella separated from the earth has no
longer the earth's poles and aequator, but individual ones of its own; so
also if it again be divided, those limits and distinctions of the qualities
and virtues pass on to other parts. But if a loadstone be divided in any
way, either along a parallel, or meridionally, so that by the change of
shape either the poles or the aequator move to other positions, if the part
cut off be merely applied in its natural position and joined to the whole,
even without any agglutination or cementing together, the determining
points of the virtues return again to their former sites, as if no part of
the body had been cut off. When a body is entire, its form remains entire;
but when the body is lessened, a new whole is made, and there arises a new
entirety, determined for every loadstone, however small, even for magnetick
gravel, and for the finest sand.

* * * * *

CHAP. XVI.

If the Southern Portion of a Stone be lessened,
something is also taken away from the power
_of the Northern Portion._

Now although the southern end of a magnetick iron is attracted by a
northern end, and repelled by a southern, yet the southern portion of a
stone does not diminish, but increases the potency of the boreal part.
Wherefore if a stone be cut in two and divided through the arctick circle,
or through the tropick of Cancer or the aequator, the southern portion does
not attract magnetick substances so strongly with its pole as before;
because a new whole arises, and the aequator is removed from its old
position and moves forward on account of that cutting of the stone. In the
former condition, since the opposite portion of the stone increases the
mass beyond the plane of the aequator, it strengthens also the verticity,
and the potency, and the motion to unity.

* * * * *

{147} CHAP. XVII.

On the Use and Excellence of Versoria: and how iron
_versoria used as pointers in sun-dials, and the fine needles_
of the mariners' compass, are to be rubbed, that
_they may acquire stronger verticity._

Versoria prepared by the loadstone subserve so many actions in human life
that it will not be out of place to record a better method of touching them
and exciting them magnetically, and a