Book excerpt: A masterpiece of early science, On the Lodestone and Magnetic Bodies, and on the Great Magnet the Earth: A New Physiology Demonstrated with Many Arguments and Experiments was originally published in Latin in 1600 by William Gilbert, a physician to Queen Elizabeth I and a pioneer of magnetism. In this groundbreaking work, Gilbert describes the properties of magnetic bodies, including the Earth itself, and offers a revolutionary new theory of magnetism. With its elegant prose and detailed illustrations, this book is a landmark in the history of science. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.