5 JOHN NAPIER'S WERKEN. 



your highnes familie, and from your family to your court. Til at 

 last, your M. whol country stand reformed in the feare of God 

 ready waiting for that great day, in the which it shall please God 

 to call your M. or yours after you, among other reformed Prin- 

 ces, to that greate and vniuersall reformation, and destruction of 

 that Antichristian seat and citie Komc, according to the worcles 

 prophecied, Apoc. 17. saying: The ten horns are ten Kings, &c. 

 These are they that shall hate that harlot, and shall make her 

 desolate and naked, and shall eate vp her flesh and burne herselfe 

 with tire." 



Van den 7 den Juni 1596 eindelijk dagteekenen Napier's 

 „Secrett inuentions, profitable & necessary in tlieis day es for defence 

 of this Hand & withstanding of strangers enemies of Gods truth 



6 relegion" l ), waaromtrent evenwel niets naders bekend is. 

 Wanneer evenwel noch zijn maatschappelijke positie noch zijn 



godsdienstige overtuiging hem dwongen, om zich niet de publieke 

 zaak in te laten, dan wijdde hij zich uitsluitend aan de administratie 

 der bezittingen van zijn familie, hem door zijn vader toevertrouwd, 

 aan de verbetering van den landbouw, die toenmaals in Schotland 

 nog op een zeer lagen tra]) van ontwikkeling stond, en aan de 



') Anno Dm 15% the 7 of June 



Secrett inuentions, profitable & neeessary in theis dayes for defence of tins 

 Hand & withstanding of strangers enemies of Gods truth & relegiö. 



First the inuentiö proofe & perfect demonstratie gcometricall & alegebricall of a 

 burning mirrour which receuing the dispersed beames of the sonne doth reflex the same 

 beam es alltogether united & concurring priselie in one mathematical! point. In the which 

 point most necessarclie it ingendreth Her, with an euident demonstration of their error 

 who affirmeth this to be. made a parabolik sectiö. 



The use of this inuentiö scrueth for burning of the ennemis shipps at whatsoeucr 

 appointed distance. 



Sceondlie the inuentiö & sure démonstratif) of an other mirrour which receuing the 

 dispersed beames of any materiall fier or flame yealdeth allsoe the former effect, & 

 serueth for the like use. 



Thirdlie the inuentiö & visible demonstration of a price of Artillery, which shott pas- 

 si'th not linallie through the armie distroying onlie those that stand on the randon 

 thereof, & tra them forth Hying idly as others doe but passeth superficially ranging 

 abrode within the whole appointed place, & not departing furth of the place till it hath 

 executed his whole strength by distroying those that be within the bounds of the 

 said place. 



The use lieren!' n.jt onlie senieth greatlie againsl the Armie of the Enemy on land 

 but allsoe by sea it serueth to destroy & cut downe & one shotl the whole masts & 

 tackling of so many shippes as be within the appointed bounds as well abried as in large 

 bo long as any strength at all remayneth. 



Fourthlie the inuentiö of a round chariol of mettle made of the proofe of dooble 

 muskett which motiö shall be by those that be within the same mure easie mme light 

 & more spedie bj much then bo manie armed mm would be otherways. 



The use hereof as w « ! I in mouing serueth to breake the array of the enemis battle 



