Irisfrnmcnls of the Antknts. 53 



§ 3 and Q, and § 18, 19, above) contain undeniable proofs 

 of an acquaintance with some contrivance answerable to 

 the telescope, could not but be known to Harriot, as well 

 as, in all probability, the authors of at least two of them. 

 Twenty years have scarcely elapsed since Harriot's astro- 

 nomical writings were brouglit to light, or since that cele- 

 brated analyst, the instructor of Descartes, was at all known 

 as an astronomer (a notable instance of our ignorance even 

 of modern charvicters and events); and it seems by no means 

 extravagant to suppose that future incidents or researches 

 may furnish grounds for a decidedly affirmative answer to* 



Query 1st. Whether it be not, at least, as probable that 

 Harriot's telescopes were made in England as in Holland ? 



Query 2d. Whether it be not undeniable, that the Diggeses 

 and Dee actually possessed some such instrument as a 

 telescope; andnvhcther Thomas Digges do not expressly 

 ascribe his father Leonard's knowledge of optics partly to 

 a written book of Roger Bacon P (See Lett. ii. § 3, 4, 9; 

 and § 19 of this.) 



Query 3d. Whether this express testimony of Thomas 

 Digges do not strongly co-operate with /loovr Bacon's own 

 writings, in producing a conviction that he was acquainted 

 with some instrument equivalent to a telescope ; and whe- 

 ther, when he says, " It is thought that Julius Ccesar <[is- 

 cerned through very large glasses," &c. he do not forego 

 all personal claim to the invention' of those glasses, and 

 plainly im))ly, that it was believed by the learned of his 

 time, that that invention was to be referred to a much more 

 antient period, even to a period of indefinitely remote anti- 

 quity ? For Bacon does not say that Cresar invented, 

 tliose glasses, but only, that " it was thought" he used 

 them. 



Query 4//t. Whether from the silence, as far as appears, 

 of Dee, the Diggeses, liecorde, and Bother Bacon, respecting 

 the invention of the optical devices they mention, we may 

 not conclude (as Ahai has done with regard to glass mirrors) 

 that those optical devices are so antient that their inventors 

 were forgotten ; and whether this conclusion would not be 

 strengthened by T. Digges' referring tlie knowledge of them 

 < partly) to Roger Bacon, and Roger Bacon attributing the 



• For the dates ?.nd fjcts inentio'ii.d in this ()arai;i"nph, in sdclition to 

 the authorities already cittd. see Dr. Hulton'i Mathematical Dictionary, 

 artides Dec, D/^S'-'i i"-"'-! i^Miiot. 



13 4 .use 



