119 



CHAP. XX. 



Of Archimedes ; t>f the Mechanics and Architecture 

 of the Ancients ; and of Microscopes. Of 6'cw/p- 

 ture, Painting, and the Origin of Music. 



1. ARCHIMEDES alone would afford sufficient 

 matter for a volume, in giving a detail of the mar. 

 vellous discoveries of a genius so profound and fertile 

 in invention. We have seen, that some of his disco, 

 veries appeared so much above the reach of men, that 

 many of the learned of our days found it more easy to 

 call them in doubt, than even to imagine the means 

 whereby he had acquired them. We are again going 

 to produce proofs of the fecundity of genius belonging 

 to this celebrated man. Lebnitz did justice to the 

 genius of Archimedes, when he said, that *' if we were 

 better acquainted with the admirable productions of 

 that great man, we would throw away much less of 

 our applause on the discoveries of eminent moderns." 



5. Wallis calls him <{ a man of admirable sagacity, 

 who laid the foundation of almost all those inventions, 

 which our age glories in having brought to perfection." 

 In reality, what a glorious light hath he diffused over 

 the mathematics, in his attempt to square the circle, 

 and in discovering u the square of the parabola, the 

 properties of spiral lines, the proportion of the sphere 

 to the cylinder, and the true principles of statics and 

 hydrostatics ?" What a proof of his sagacitydid he give 

 in discovering the quantity of silver, that was mixed with 

 the gold in the crown of King Hiero ; whilst he rea. 

 soned upon that principle, " that all bodies immerged 



