230 Proofs from old English Books, that the 



miles distant. And such was his felicitie and happie siic- 

 cesse, not only in these conclusions, but also in y*^ Optidces 

 and Catoptikes, that he was able by perspective glasses ducly 

 scituatc upon conuenient angles, in such sort to discouer 

 euerv particularitie of the country round about, \\ hcrcsoeuer 

 the sunnc beames might pearse: as sithence Archimedes 

 (Bakon of Oxford onely excepted) I have not read of any 

 in uctlun* euer able by means natural to performe the like. 

 Which partly grew by the aid he had by one old written 

 book of the same Bakon's experiments, that by strange ad- 

 venture, or rather destinie, came to his hands, though chiefly 

 by coniovning continuall laborious practise with his mathe- 

 maticall studies. The which upon this occasion I thought 

 not amis?;e to rehearse, as wel for the knowne veritie of the 

 matter (diuers being yet aliue that can of their owne sight 

 and knowledge beare faithful witnesse, these conclusions 

 being for pleasure commonly by him with his friends prac- 

 tised) as also to animate such mathematicians as enjoy that 

 quiet and rest my froward constellations haue hitherto de- 

 nyed mc, to imploy their studies and trauels tor inuention of 

 these rare seruiceable secrets. But such is my hard destinie, 

 that as God's pleasure was to take my father from me, in my 

 young and tender veares, and even at that verie time when I 

 began to grow capable of those secretes, and himselfe (hauing 

 bene louij" debarred his owne inheritance and natiue soile being 

 restored) meat then immediately to returne to his wonted 

 places of cxeicise, there to have deliuered me experimentally 

 those the fruits of his long trauels and practises, so sithence 

 his death, having fostered by study and conference those the- 

 orical sparks mathematicall, from infancie by him impressed, 

 after I grew to some maturitic of ycarcs and judgement, fit 

 to enter into trial and practise of these conclusions, by con- 

 tinuall law-brables (being torments as repugnant to my na- 

 ture as the infernall Furies to celestiall Muses) I haue for 

 manyyeares bi^ne so vexed and turmoiled, and from tliose 

 delectable studies violently haled, that of all those rare con- 

 clusions and secrets I haue scarsely hitherto had any time 

 of repose or quiet to wade effectually in any one, sauc onely 

 tliat of great artilerie," &c. — But " so soone as by God's 

 aid I shall untwine my selfe out of this miserable labyrinth, 

 wherein so long I haue bene snared, my first cndcuours 

 shal be entirely to finish the treatise of that new science of 

 maneging -this new furious engine and rare inuentioxi of 



• Ti € original being in the old English black letter, the word anion, 

 like the other en phatic words, is in the Roman character. Does the 

 author mean aciuall)', or in bailie ? 



great 



