Note 7 — Introductory material
Reading edition
The word calamita was first used by the Italians. It is employed by Petri de Vineis (Pierre des Vignes), Matthieu de Messine, the notary of Lentino, and by Guido Guinicelli of Bologna (Libri, “Hist. des Sc. Mathém.,” Vol. II. pp. 66–69). Consult likewise C. Falconet, “Dissert. Histor.,” Paris, 1746; “Le Journal des Sçavans” for July-December 1724, Vol. LXXV. pp. 22–28; W. Falconer, Vol. III. of the “Mem. of the Society of Manchester,” also “Bibl. Britan.,” 1798, Vol. VIII. p. 281.
In the “Essai d’un Glossaire Occitanien” (“Le Journal des Savants” for June 1820, pp. 369–370) it is said about M. de Rochegude that he discovered in “La Vie de St. Honorat de Lérins,” written by Raimont Féraut in 1300, the words caramida, caramita, which he interprets as calamite, aimant, boussole, and that he also read in the “Bergeries” of Remy Belleau (1528–1577) the words calamite ou aiguille aimantée. He found that Joachim du Bellay (1524–1560) had written “Comme le fer qui suit la calamite,” and Nicholas Rapin (1540–1608) “Tourne ma calamite,” but, after examining all the ancient works obtainable, he concluded that the poem of Raimont Féraut, admitted by him to have been translated from an old Latin MS., is the earliest publication containing the word adopted by many to designate the compass. The poem alluded to is the only one extant of Raimont Féraut—Raymond Féraudi de Thoard—a troubadour, long at the court of Charles II of Naples, who died about A.D. 1324 (“Biogr. Génér.”—Hœfer—Vol. XVII. p. 354).