42 LETTERS ON SCIENTIFIC SUBJECTS. 



WILLIAM LOWER TO THOMAS HARRIOT. 



[MS. Addit. 6789. Orig.] 



Ira' venti, Friday, July 19th, 1611. 



Since you incourage me so much I will proceede in thos 

 calculations of <$, and as I finish anie I will send them unto 



you ; indeed to find the issue so and in the later so 



impossible to be reconciled, had utterlie discouraged me, but 

 that now by your letter I perceave ther may bee good use 

 made even of ther discordance, therfore of this I will say no 

 more till I send you more. The leasure that the countrie life 

 affordeth us here, hath given me meanes to run over manie 

 things since I left the course of calculation, but amongst 

 others the 3 vexations of scientificall mortals hath held me 

 most, to wit, the squaringe of the circle, the dublinge of the 

 cube, and the philosopher's stoone. From the first I am 

 come of handsomelie enough, and have made myselfe much 

 sporte in the discoverie of mine owne parallogismes, but in 

 the later I sticke still, and am like to make you sporte here. 

 I come fairelie of, but indeed I have here much otium, and 

 therefore I may cast awaye some of it in vaine pursuites, 

 chusinge alwayes rather to doe somethinge worth nothinge 

 then nothinge at all. How farre I had proceeded in this, I 

 ment now to have given you an account, but that the reporte 

 of the unfortunate Erie's relapse into calamitie makes me be- 

 leive that you are enough troubled, both with his misfortunes 

 and my lady's troubles ; and so a discourse of this nature 

 would be unseasonable. Neverthelesse, give me leave to 

 crave a worde or two in answere of thes doubts, which I will 

 beesilie propound as followeth : 



1. First whether O and ([ be bodies so difficulte to be 

 dissolved as alchemists affirme, I meane by dissolution (as I 

 thinke they doe), that they must bee petrifyed and distilled ? 



2. If they may bee dissolved, whether with one simple alone 

 or with manie ? 



3. If they may be dissolved and petrifyed, whether ther 

 rectifyed partes, beinge conjoyned againe, will be multiplied 

 in virtue ? 



4. And lastlie, that which should have bene asked first, an 

 sit elixir ? 



But at this time, this much is to much. I am sorrie to 

 heare of the new troubles ther, and pray for a good issue of 

 them, especiallie for my ladie's sake and her fine litle ones. 

 So for the presente I rest, as of old, Your true frind, 



WILLIAM LOWER. 

 To his especiall good frind, Mr. Thomas 



Harriott, att Sion. 



