LETTERS ON SCIENTIFIC SUBJECTS. 23 



the nomber of silver mynes which be founde in the contry of 

 Alsatia, wherein it is seated. The which, as it hath the walles 

 fortified with moste artificiall bulwarkes for to defend them 

 without from the force of enemies, so the houses be adorned 

 with moste curious paintings to delight within the behoulders : 

 for the excellencie of both which it is placed emongest the 

 cheef cities in theise partes of Germany, and renounid through 

 all Europe for the workman shipp of the tower, and the artifi- 

 ciall mocions, morall figures and astronomicall instruments 

 inclosed in the fabricke of a clocke. The tower is moste 

 spoken of for the arte in rearinge up a heape of so many 

 stones, almost contrary to nature, six hundred foote highe in 

 the aire, so geometrically that it seameth rather to hange 

 therein then lean on any sure fondation, and that it hath 

 continewed almost this four hundred yeares. I assure you, 

 sir, to behoulde the same, beinge in the topp thereof, it seam- 

 eth to have threatned ruine ever since the first hower it was 

 built, passadge lying open through every stone thereof to the 

 winde and the weather in sutch sorte that I scarcely remem- 

 ber my beinge on the heith thereof without a tremblinge ter- 

 rour, consideringe that I might have fallen to the grownde 

 every moment throwghe the same. There is added to this 

 rare heith a mervelous sensible deceipt of the behoulder, for 

 it seameth not to be by the half so high, to take the vewe 

 thereof from the foundation. I attribute this to the smale 

 hould the beames of the eyes can have on the stones of this 

 build inge, beinge everie waie (as I before have mencioned) 

 perflatiles, and the force of the sight beinge divided into so 

 many and sundry partes (by the meanes of those chiones it 

 lighteth on when any man looketh up to the tower,) is made 

 more weake and feable, and, therefore, cannot by reflection 

 bringe backe to the eyes the perfect forme of the object ; for 

 the sence of seinge beinge the servaunt of the mynde, dooth 

 represent by the eyes (which be, as Plato termeth them, ad 

 animam perforate fenestrce,} the trew shape of that thinge it 

 was commaunded to behould, sendinge forthe his beames, as 

 bailifs, to arest the object to appeare before reason that keap- 

 eth his coort in man's mynde ; which, beinge vearye swifte, 

 escapeth, and is not attayned to by pursute ; and by that 

 reason, lookinge on a whirlinge wheele, wee discern e not the 

 spookes thereof, nor on birdes flyinge wee see no fethers; 

 or yf the object be veary farr of, as out of his bailiwike, he re- 

 toorneth non est inventus; and therefore we attain e not by 

 sight the grasse that groweth on mountaines farr of, nor dis- 

 cern branches though wee behould the trees ; or if they be 



