3 The continuance of the water at any one degree, is a certaine token that the weather will continue at that stay it is then at, whether it be fayre, or foule, frost or snow. But when the water either riseth or falleth, the weather will then presently change.
4 The uncertaine motion of the water is a signe of fickle weather.
The single perpendicular with a vent, moveth upwards with cold, and downwards with heat, and is quite contrary in quality to the former, only that it moveth uncertainly in fickle and uncertaine weather, and keepeth a constant place in stayed weather.
These rules are all certaine and true: now you may according to your owne observation frame other rules, whereby you may foretell the change of the weather the water being at any one degree whatsoeuer.
A Water-clock, or a Glasse shewing the houre of the day.
Let there be provided a deepe vessell of earth, or any thing else, that will hold water, as A, B, C, D, provide also a glasse made after the fashion of the figure marked with the letters E, F, G. It must bee open at the bottom, and haue also a small hole at the top, thorow which if you can but put the point of a needle, it is sufficient. This glasse must not bee so long as the vessell is deepe, by about two inches. Then take a iust measure of the length of the glasse E, F, G, and set it on the inside of the vessell A, B, C, D, from the bottom towards the top, and then make a rase round about the vessell; there must bee fitted unto this earthen vessell, a pipe reaching from the top of the outside thereof, (where there must bee a cock unto it) and going to the bottom, where it entreth the same, and againe extendeth it selfe almost unto the circle or mark rased on the vessell A, B, C, D. Fill then the vessell with fayre water up to the rase, or circle, and turne the cock, and put the glasse into the water, and you shall see that the glasse by reason of its heavinesse, will tend toward the bottom of the vessell, but very slowly, by reason that the ayre contained therein hath so small a vent: turne an houre-glasse, and at the end of each houre make a mark upon the glasse equall with the water, and it is done. When the glasse is quite sunke to the bottom of the water, turn the cock, and with one blast of your mouth at the pipe, it will ascend againe.
Another fashioned one.
Prepare a vessell, as A, B, C, D, having a very small cock unto it, whose passage ought to bee so small, as that the water might issue out but by drops. Prepare likewise a vessell, as E, F, G, H, having at one end of it a piller of a foot and a halfe, or two foot high: let there be fitted unto this vessell a board, so that it may freely without stay, slip up and down: towards one side of this board, there must be a good big hole, which must bee placed under the cock of the other vessell. Then fasten unto the top of this board, the image of Time or Death, and pointing with a dart upon the piller aforesaid: turn then an houre glasse, and at the end of every houre make a figure on the place of the piller that the image with his dart pointeth at, and it is made. For note, the dropping of the water out of the cock thorow the hole of the board whereon the image standeth, causeth the same to ascend by little and little. Mark the figures.
