BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE PRODROMUS 199 



The translation is preceded by an address or preface bearing the 

 title: "The Interpreter to the Reader." Since this is of unusual 

 interest because of the writer's testimony regarding the results of 

 the independent investigation of the nature of gems by Robert 

 Boyle, we print it here in full : 



" Reader, 



" This Ingenious Piece, lately publish't in Italy, (where 'twas 

 Printed in Latin), and thence come to the hands of the Interpreter, 

 was thought fit to be English 'd, chiefly upon this occasion, That the 

 Stationer, that hath Printed it, did, upon Information given Him of 

 the Valuable Contents thereof, earnestly sollicite, that it might 

 forth-with be put into this Language; he not only conceiving, that 

 there being now very little or no commerce between the English 

 Book-sellers, and those of Italy, the conveyance of this Book, (as it 

 doth of others there Printed) into England would prove very tardy; 

 but also considering, that though within a reasonable time some 

 Copies of it should come over, yet there would not be enough of 

 them, to serve all sorts of curious English-Men, nor even that num- 

 ber of English Readers versed in the Latin Tongue, which this 

 Considerable Discourse is like to meet with, forasmuch as it giveth 

 very fair hopes. That by a due weighing of the particulars, therein 

 laid down, the sagacious Inquirers into Nature may be much as- 

 sisted to penetrate into the true knowledge of one of the Great 

 Masses of the World, the EARTH, and therein to find out not only 

 the Constitution of the Whole, but also the several Changes, and the 

 various Productions made in the Parts thereof; as the Excellent 

 Robert Boyle ^ hath of late Years, with great Acuteness as well as 



in Solids Giving an Account of the Earth 



and its Productions. 

 By Nicholas Steno. Englislied by H. O. 

 London, Printed by W. G. for M. Pitt, at 

 the Angel near the little North Door 

 of S' PauVs Church. 1673. 

 A copy of this edition, consigned to the translator, was lost in the sinking of the " Hes- 

 perian," September 6, 1915. Another copy of the H. O. translation, now in the translator's 

 possession, is an independent volume in its original calf binding. To the bibliographical data 

 presented above, it may be interesting to add that the first page of the translation is adorned 

 with the conventional emblems of the rose, fleur-de-lis, and thistle, each surmounted by the 

 crown of Charles II as Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The book is very rare. 



1 The reference is to Memoirs for a General History of the Air (which, however, was not 

 published until 1692), by Robert Boyle (1627-1691), in the edition of P. Shaw, Vol. Ill, Lon- 



