History of Holland > Holland history > Lodovico Guicciardini description of the Low Countries > Guicciardini book page 3-II

Guicciardini book page 3-II

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 Ptolome) 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 artificail day to differ about three quarters of an howre.

The middle of the Contrey 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 mouteth 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 aboue 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 other, 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 houreslong, in such sort that a ma may easilie read a letter

Guicciardini - description of the Low Countries (Holland and Belgium) - printed in the year 1593 - Next page 4-I -->