22 LETTERS ON SCIENTIFIC SUBJECTS. 



never pourtracted in table but of Apelles, never graven in 

 brasse but of Lisippus, nor at any tyme praised in assembles 

 but of Ephestion, least by the unskilfulnes of any other the 

 glory of his renoune might be empaired ; so of right this 

 tower, which is the only wonder I heare of, shoold never be 

 described but of sutche exquisit men in paintinge, carvinge 

 and speach, as weare those forenamed persons ; and myself 

 ought rather to be silent (beinge acquainted with mine owne 

 simplicitie in that behalf ), then by endeavoringe to describe 

 the workmanshipp detract from the wonder and mervaile 

 that all menn have so justly thereof conceaved. But as those 

 that had the vewe of the pyramides in Egipt weare rather 

 astonid with the sight, then able to decypher those hidden 

 misteries covered with the shoe of hieroglificall beastes, and 

 therefore they presented the formes and models thereof only 

 unto there frendes at there retoorne, to procure therein also ther 

 delight. In like sorte my self, in behouldinge theise German 

 pyramides with an admiringe mynde, following there exam- 

 ple, have sent you heer enclosed theise two sheetes of paper, 

 which doe figure foorth, although obscurely, the shininge ex- 

 cellencye of that they represent; wishinge there all that the 

 painters cunninge had been aunswerable to ther curious 

 rarnes, for then your pleasure should have been in every re- 

 spect equall with your desyre. But this want of his must 

 be supplied with your judgement, which like the skilful geo- 

 metrician, cann by one smale part proportionably gather the 

 whoale boddie, or by measuringe only the shadowe discerne 

 the heyth of the tower ; and like unto Pithagoras that find- 

 inge in ludis Olympiacis but one stadium, which contayned 

 three hundred feet, therbie conceive the huge monstrous 

 stature of the geant Hercules the measurer thereof. But 

 yeat least you, by behouldinge theis dumme, silent and mute 

 pictures, finde more to amaze your minde, then to delight 

 your eye, I present myself unto you as a bashfull trush- 

 man to unfould there meaninge. Yf I interpret there wordes 

 amis attribut that fault to my unskilfulnes of there speech, 

 because they be Germans by nature, and myself am not per- 

 fectly acquainted with there tounge, by reason of the smalnes 

 of my continuaunce : I might also add this for a more juste 

 excuse, that I am not a professour of there arte, and there- 

 fore unfitt to be an expressour of there misteries. But that 

 which embouldeneth me is this, that though I aunswere not 

 there worthines, yet I shall after a sort observe decorum, in 

 beinge as farr of from presentinge the veary truth by my 

 penn, as the painter is from describinge the lively vew thereof 

 by the draught of his pensell. 



The citie of Strasbourge is called in Latin Argentina, for 



