Page:Ludovico Guicciardini - Description of the Low Countries.djvu/13

 and Brabant with the Meuse.

West Flanders is bounded with the Sea, and with that part of Artoys, that bordereth uppon Picardy.

The whole contrey is conteined almost in one Climat & a half, namely, from the halfe of the 7. called Diaboristhenes, unto the 8. (esteemed inhabitable by Ptoleme) named by the Moderne Cosmographers Diaripheos.

The Lowe Countreys have of Longitude 7. degrees and a halfe: namely, from 22.& a halfe, to 30. And of Latitude, just 4. degrees: namely, from 50. to 54. the which space, allowing halfe an hower for a Clymat, maketh the artificial day to differ about three quarters of an howre.

The middle of the Countrey is Andwerp, which standeth in the longitude of 26. degrees, and 42 minuts, & in the Latitude of 51. degrees and a halfe, so that the highest that the Sun mounteth above the Orizon the longest day of the year: as for example, The 12. day of June is about 63. degrees and a halfe, & that day it sheweth it selfe above the Orizon, or neere about it 16 houres & a halfe. But bicause the Sun entring in the morning into our Hemisphere, & at night passing into the nother, abideth long (as the Sphere plainely sheweth) about the said Orizon, and giveth great light to us, though we see it not. We may say truly that the day on the said xii. of June is xx houres long, in such sort that a man may easilie read a